Of the three towns [Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham] I've lived in since moving to NC ten and half years ago, none are as urbanly, edgy, gritty, dangerously I-barely-give-a-shit kind of cool as Durham.
Carrboro is arty but a bit weird, like your aunt who does full moon ceremonies in the back yard and reads tarot cards. Poor old Chapel Hill wants to be hip, but falls flat. It's staid, starchy, and makes me think of bow-ties and suspenders.
Raleigh is too big and spread out to be cool, although they try desperately. Their little acorn is so... cute. Whatev Raleigh. We've got a MFing BULL, bitches.
Ten years ago, Durham was very different. Downtown was non-existent; boarded up buildings, zero people walking around. Now, all times of the day and night, people are out walking, shopping, eating. (The New York Times listed Durham as one of four domestic locations in its compilation of “The 41 Places to Go in 2011,”)
Here's a tasty article on the evolution of Durham's local food culture. Rough around the edges, and proud of it. Keep it dirty Durham.
Thank you for all the good thoughts - they're working! The knot in my thigh is much smaller. Still having excruciating leg cramps almost every night, even with drinking lots of water and taking potassium. Ugh. (Feel free to add that to the good thoughts list)
We're in Oregon weather mode, which would be fine if we were in Oregon; looking like it will continue through Tuesday or Wednesday.
Finally corralled Mr. Wilde into a carrier yesterday (still possess all of my limbs!) and took him to the vet for a nail trim. Ah, blessed silence - no more clickclickclick! He was mad at every living thing in the house when he got back. Didn't want me to pet him, wouldn't accept a piece of chicken. That's pissed.
Acorns are falling from the two big white oaks in the side yard; sometimes it sounds like a hailstorm when I'm in the home "office" (a.k.a. my guest room closet).
After our abbreviated walk around the Duke East Campus yesterday, we ate at the adorable little Hummingbird Bakery. Oh my god - butterscotch custard! Then went shoe shopping right next door. Custard and SHOES! Could life be more perfect?! I bought a pair of earrings (they were in my price range, whereas the shoes were not):
Sterling silver earrings by Karen Schmelzer
It's almost Oscar Wilde's 159th birthday (the man, not the cat.).
That's all I have dear readers. Have a good week. And thanks for all the love.
A friend heard about something called sun allergy on Doctor Radio, so off we went to Google it (what did we do before Google?!).
After seeing plenty of pictures of rashes that looked like mine (and worse!), I am fairly confident it was the most common variety, Polymorphous light eruption.
They lord, I am turning into a bubble girl! Good thing I am part vampire already.
Sigh.
In other news, my poor little car Blanche is having her own mystery issue.
After Tropical Storm Andrea dropped monsoon style rains on us a couple of weeks ago, the floorboard in the back on the driver's side was sopping wet. Huh.
I figured I hadn't closed the back door all the way after putting something in the back seat, but nothing else was wet - not the seat, the inside of the door, the roof. So that didn't make any sense. I went to Bunky's (car wash) and they wet vac-ed the water up. And fiddle dee dee.
As an aside, the weather has been crazy wet this year. The forecast is hot + thunderstorms - in the words of Buzz Lightyear - to infinity and beyond.
Fast forward to yesterday morning and there was a serious puddle - as in inches - of water in the floorboard.
I'm taking her to the auto repair tomorrow and letting them have their way with her.
Sigh.
Did a little baking today (that is NOT like me). Low-carb-ish muffins. I used agave nectar instead of fake sweetener and added blueberries and raspberries. Made per the original recipe, they would have only 1.5 carbs each; the way I made them, approximately 8 carbs each. For perspective, a blueberry muffin from Panera Bread has 58 carbs.
I'm going to go worry about how much it's going to cost to fix Blanche now.
And it's raining.
I mean seriously raining. Like flash flood warning raining.
Sigh.
Today is my baby brother's 50th birthday and I spent almost $25 dollars on glucosamine tablets, both of which make me feel old.
My hip's been painin' me for a few weeks and after a second person recommended the glucosamine, I listened. The pain makes me remember sleeping on the floor of the youth hostel in Northern Ireland oh so many years ago where the combination of jet lag, stinky duck feather pillow, and hip pain kept me awake so I could enjoy the drunken 4 AM serenades.
Took the back way home from buying my old lady drugs supplements; at one end of the street it was not raining, but at the other end (less than a mile) it was raining Florida hard. If you've ever lived in Florida you know what I'm talking about. The kind of sudden rain that comes on so hard the fastest wiper speed isn't fast enough; you can't see the front of your car. (But you do not pull over, that would admit some sort of weakness.) It rains monsoon hard for about twenty minutes, then stops.
Friday night was extra fun. Our sales director was in town for a couple of work events and we met the bosses at Fullsteam brewery. Before the bosses arrived we meandered across the street to Motorco because the duck fat tater tot truck (aka Kokyu) was there.
We wandered back across the street to Fullsteam and after a beer or two (half pint of cream shandy for me), we went in search of edibles that were not from a food truck. First stop, Geer Street Garden, but it was packed with a long wait. We popped into Cocoa Cinnamon across the street, but the tiny cheesecakes and other sweet things were not scratching our savory itch.
We continued along Foster Street to Piedmont Restaurant where we found great art, but no small plates (and less than par service). Up Foster another block, turned left on Chapel Hill Street, to Rue Cler, where we found fantastic small plates AND service. Asparagus with Bearnaise, pomme frites (with the same amazing Bearnaise), a slab of Gratin Dauphinois that looked like a piece of cake, kale and mushroom crepe, and salad frisee.
Sated, we sauntered down Rigsbee, stopping for a moment to watch a movie they were showing in Central Park. We had come full circle; back at Fullsteam. Durham at its best.
Happy birthday to my favorite brother. Please stay away from the Motrin.
I just finished my breakfast of saffron yolked poached eggs and thick center cut bacon from pork raised without antibiotics that cost $1.13 a slice (there were eight slices; I let you do the math). It was delicious (better be) - like eating a slice of pork chop. The jewel-toned eggs were topped off with hollandaise and a sprinkle of hot smoked Spanish paprika. Oscar got to clean the plate.
It's Oregon weather again today, and I'm still not complaining. It's cool and well... pretty fantastic in my book. In April, the heat was turned off, the AC on, then back off, and now, in May, I'm contemplating turning the heat on again. I refuse to put the flannel sheet (too hot blooded for plural flannel), back on the bed or take down the winter clothes - that would surely jinx everything. That reminds me, I need to put clothes in the dryer. BRB.
I don't have to clean today. Did that Friday night before friends came over for some pre-dinner refreshments. Dinner was at Dos Perros, in case you were curious. Sweet potato empanada (spell check says... Pasadena) with chipotle fig sauce. Watery, boring butternut squash soup (disappointingly so). Where were the pepitas? The guacamole was excellent though.
As a side note, if I ever cross over to the dog side and get a female dog, I am so naming her Pepita; it is just too fun to say. No name stealing now.
While following a friend through the UNC campus yesterday on our way to see Iron Man III, we stopped at a light. A young man was waiting to cross Columbia, dressed in butter yellow Bermuda shorts, short sleeved blue and white striped shirt, and tan boating shoes. He was probably 6'2", lean, slightly tan, with thick light brown hair, and the carefully manicured facial stubble that is so popular (and annoying). (It was a long light with no turn on red y'all; lots of observation time.). He looked like a Ralph Lauren ad. I thought about how young he was and how his whole life was ahead of him and just in general wondered what in the hell is it like to be so damned good-looking. King of the world.
As we waited for the movie to start, Erin leaned over and asked if I had noticed the young man at the light. She'd been thinking the same things.
There was no point to that snippet, just an ah youth kind of a thing.
Iron Man III was funny, but about 20 minutes too long, which was about the amount of time Goopy Gwyneth was on screen. Coincidence?
I'm going to go rearrange some furniture and then put it right back the way it was.
Enjoy some Jono McCleery on this gray, drizzly [fantastic] day.
Got up a little past weekday time (6:40 am) to take Oscar to get his claws trimmed at the vet at 8:00 am. (We do not want want a repeat of the ingrown dewclaw incident of October past.) Then we scooted to work (right next door) to get the information for a CD that sold on Amazon and to the PO to mail it. Oscar's so good in the car, he settles in his carrier and doesn't make a peep.
Back home, while Oscar huffed around reestablishing his dominance, (lest anyone forgot in the 45 minutes he was gone, heh), I rearranged the furniture, and... put it right back.
A three mile walk was next, then to Dogstar for a tattoo photo shoot now that it's completely healed; back home for a couple of hours, and finally, Yum Yum Supper Club for the last supper.
The first course: -House cured Ham salad on benne seed cracker, soft herb salad (so good) -Deviled farm egg, fried Ashley farms chicken skins, hot sauce (so good x two) -Cornmeal cake, Ashe county cheddar pimento cheese, pickled celery hearts, -Buttermilk biscuit, local apple jam, aged white cheddar There were fantastic drinks involving moonshine, chai, ginger beer, lavender syrup, rosemary, bourbon and a bunch of other stuff in various combinations. Plus beer from Fullsteam and wine. Second course was a delicious watercress salad with honey roasted beets, toasted pecans, goat cheese, and grapefruit. Third course: sausages in a yummy red bean concoction served over rice. Fourth course: salted chocolate chess pie with caramel sauce (straw please!) and whipped cream. Holy mother of pearl was that good. I didn't take any pictures of the food. Took lots of the decorations instead. Today is definitely a pajama day!
Fairy lights on the floor
Balloons and paper lanterns
Reflection of the lanterns in the window - with flash
Yesterday several of us went to the Food Truck Rodeo at Durham's Central Park. Many of the trucks were under the pavilion, a nice alternative to the sweltering sidewalk on a hot sticky day. Wonder if that's why the longest lines were for those trucks...hmmmmm.
Food Truck Rodeo, Foster Street, Durham
We did a preliminary stroll, looking for the Duckfat Tater Tot truck, because those tots are some major goodness (the buffalo chicken slider is damn good too). Alas, our search was in vain.
So good!
We decided on The Sausage Wagon and Chirba Chirba. Chirba Chirba's line was loooooong, so we split up to stand in both lines. I decided on the spicy Italian sausage; they very nicely deleted the peppers from the onions! (green peppers are gross). The mustard was not as spicy as I remember, but still good. We climbed the hill to the park behind the pavilion, just in time for a butterfly bench by Vega Metals to become available, and stuffed our faces with dumplings and sausage while plotting our dessert.
When Atkins becomes a lifestyle, you blow off certain carbs in exchange for others. As I didn't eat the bun with my sausage, my eye was on the mauve truck containing Sweet Stacey Cakes. Those of us in the relatively short cupcake line were happy we weren't in line for the crepe truck - that line was crazy.
I choose a Lemon Lavender and a Cheerwine Velvet (their take on red velvet). While I liked the Cheerwine Velvet (ate all of it), I preferred the Lemon Lavender. I am not a big fan of frosting and didn't eat most of it.
The others headed off to the ice cream line at The Parlour. I wasn't going to get anything, but when I saw the flavours... a scoop each of Salted Caramel and Brown Sugar Peach topped with salted caramel whipped cream. The peach was the best, fresh and just lightly sweet.
Afterward I felt shaky from all the sugar and too full. If I do it again, I'll get the Lemon cupcake (take off the frosting) and one scoop of the peach ice cream. (in my defense I offered to share both cupcakes and someone else ate 1/2 the lemon - so there.)
Recently I read an article on the food truck movement in Durham; the writer felt it was too trendy, expensive, and a little precious.
It is hard (and messy) to stand and eat, but it's also a fun way to sample a lot of food, as long as you have time to stand in line - a group is great if you're willing to split up for a bit. (Observation: the only people in line at the Raw Food truck, were young thin white females. Just sayin...)
Several of the trucks now have store fronts - Only Burger and Daisy Cakes to name two. I overheard that The Parlour is next, thanks to KickStarter.
Some rodeo tips: start early, wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and bring cash - some of the trucks don't take credit cards.
I am so in love with frittatas, they are quick, easy, full of protein, and the perfect clean-out-your-frig meal.
Make a salad while it's baking and you've got dinner in under 30 minutes.
I loosely followed Art Smith's (Back toThe Table) recipe:
Preheat oven to 350. Saute some veggies of your choice (tonight it was sundried tomatoes, grated zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and a dash of Italian seasoning), beat 8 eggs, add in some Parmesan cheese (a handful or so), pour the eggs/cheese over the veggies and let set for 3 minutes, then pop in oven for 15 minutes. Voila!
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While in Whole Foods this evening gathering my frittata ingredients, I thought I'd pick up some chocolate for dessert. They were out of my favorite, the Chocopologie Hawaiian Sea Salt and Burnt Caramel, but Michelle very kindly (and unexpectedly!) comped me some local (Raleigh) sea salt caramel truffles by Azurelise and they are delightful. I need to write Whole Foods and mention her outstanding customer service.
