A Road Less Traveled, But Well-Documented

Neglect

2010-02-24T18:59:00.001-08:00

This blog has been sorely neglected for the last few months, but it turns out the Internet is nuts. Several people have e-mailed me regarding past blog posts and it turns out that stuff is out there, in that big scary series of tubes. After a several month hiatus which involved a kidney stone, mental meltdown and the complete first season of The Gilmore Girls, I'm back.

I read an interview with Diablo Cody a while back in which she said you have no excuse for not putting yourself out there, taking risks, and getting your work out in the world.

She's right.

So, I'm starting back with this blog. I'm making myself write and take photos. I don't care if goes anywhere. But, it's here.

BugFest '09

2009-09-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Every year the Museum of Natural History hosts BugFest on the second Saturday in September. With exhibits, seminars, booths, crafts, games, live music, and bugs to eat(no, really), it's an interesting, educational and disgusting way to spend a day. Who knew bugs could be so interesting? Or tasty?

All I could think of was the Eddie Izzard routine, "I'm covered in beeees!"

A butterfly mobile! How cute!

Fried worms, cricket cookie, insect soup. Somehow I actually got the guts to eat this stuff. It didn't actually taste like bugs, surprisingly.

The dinosaur exhibit is my favorite in the museum. I'm actually seven years old.

The Rosebuds played this year! I was thrilled to death. They were amazing, as expected.

Between bands we decided to have an adventure

I do love Raleigh.

We raise our cups to you, downtown. May you always be in our hearts.

This rooftop looked so magical. I wanted to have a tea party on it.

Overgrown city garden

Sunset in the Capital District.
Beautiful!

All Aboard, Let's Go!

2009-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

On the first Sunday of every month the New Hope Valley Railroad let's you come and ride the trains and explore the train museum. It's about 20 minutes south of Raleigh and is actually very cool. I went with my family last week and we took a very relaxing train ride through the woods in an open train car on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. My dad used to always take us here as kids, so it's got a special place in my heart.

My parents are so cute!

I Love My Volvo!

2009-08-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is my 1982 Volvo 240GL wagon, and it is the love of my life. I bought it when I was 17 for $1,200. It's not very fast, it's not very pretty and it makes terrible sounds when changing gears, but I love it just the same.

For the past two years it's been sitting in the driveway, in desperate need of some serious maintenance. My dad's been fixing it up for me, and yesterday we finally got it driving. It's not ready to be on the road yet, because the tires are pretty flat and it is not registered. Driving out of my driveway in back in was the most exciting thing to happen in a long time. It's the little things that count.

The Tragical History Tour

2009-08-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make. I'm a nerd of epic proportions. Let's put my love of my Mac aside for a second and talk about just how nerdy. I'm a reenactor. It's a special level of nerdery. But not only am I a reenactor, I'm a SECOND GENERATION reenactor, which means I've been doing this since birth and the nerdiness runs deep in my veins.

Two weeks ago my dad and I took a road trip we fondly called The Tragical History Tour. We started off in Raleigh, drove up through Virginia, into West Virgina, stopping at Harper's Ferry, and then into Maryland where we visited Antietam battlefield. We finally ended up in Ft. Frederik, where we camped quasi-18th Century style and participated in the reenactment. It was hotter than the dickens and incredibly buggy, but I love my reenactor family so it was all worth it. There has never been a time when these people weren't around, and they helped raise me, inside and outside of reenacting. I don't get to see them very much, because they're all still up north. But when we do get together, the laughter is never ending.

Our 18th Century tent, with modern camping gear and a cooler
'
My reenactor family! That's me in the front with the silly hat.

Reenactor babies are the cutest.

This is my favorite.

The best sign ever.

Retreat

2009-08-18T17:44:00.001-07:00

Alright, I've been completely awful about putting up photos. This trip was three weeks ago, but I've finally got around to uploading them. I stayed at this absolutely incredible retreat center, where I stayed in a hut overlooking the river. I really wanted the tree house, but someone else was staying in it. I woke up really, really early and got to take a shower outside! I was washing my hair and watching squirrels. It was amazing, but the best part was that I went alone, didn't tell anyone where I was going and paid cash.

This is what I woke up to!

My porch!

A bed, in the woods. How amazing.

Some of the beds on the back porch of the main house, overlooking the garden.

A hammock and a Mac book. Perfection.

The tree house, where I wanted to stay

Barnardsville, N.C.

2009-08-09T06:52:00.001-07:00

On my weekend trip to the mountains a few weeks ago, I made a pit stop in Barnardsville, a tiny little town about 30 minutes north of the city of Asheville. I stayed overnight there at an amazing retreat center (pictures of that to come later!). I left at about 6 a.m., feeling very relaxed and ready for a new day. I was in complete awe of how beautiful the mountains and farmlands looked in the misty mountain morning. It really, really made me miss living in the mountains. I naturally drove around the place with my camera, getting funny looks from all the locals as I photographed their old barns. Forgive the huge amount of pictures, but this place was gorgeous!! I also finally figured out how to resize images, so now you guys actually get to see the whole photo! Woo!

International Festival Day

2009-08-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago I took a trip up to Waynesville to see my best friend, who organized this year's International Festival Day. I didn't get to see too much of her, because she was running around like a crazy person trying to get everything done, but there was so much to take in. Lots of great artists, musicians and dancers everywhere. I did get to see some really great dancers from Mexico, and I was very jealous of their gorgeous pink dresses.

Adventure day.

2009-07-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

Armed with a camera and the wrong shoes, my sister and friend and I decided to go on an adventure.

(Bekah and I sitting on top of a HUGE pile of railroad ties)

Some flowers.

2009-07-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

This City in Lines

2009-07-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

With this ring...

2009-06-28T19:10:00.001-07:00

One of my oldest friends got married to a wonderful man yesterday in the Rose Gardens downtown. It was disgustingly hot, but absolutely beautiful. The two have been to hell and back together and are so incredibly in love, which is abundantly clear in the way they look at each other. I would like to wish them the best, but I know they do not need it.

"When You are Engulfed in Flames"

2009-06-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

David Sedaris visited Quail Ridge Books last night for a book reading and signing. After the reading, I waited for probably four hours to get my copy of "When You are Engulfed in Flames" signed with a signature David Sedaris doodle. I got an airplane, a reference to my response to his funny airplane stories segment, in which I told a story about my parents' jobs.

He was super nice and incredibly engaging. We also went to the same high school! Raleigh is lucky to have him!

Lulu!

2009-06-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

I start work tomorrow at Lulu, an online start-up self publishing company based here in Raleigh, as a customer service representative. I interviewed and got the job in the same hour! I'll be a temp for the first two months making very little money, but hopefully after those two months they'll hire me full time.
The company is really innovative and very, very cool. I can't even explain how excited I am to finally work for the company I've been checking out since I watched them build the new building across from Cup-a-Joe.
(photos from New Raleigh)

Roller Derby

2009-06-07T08:55:00.001-07:00

I had my first Roller Derby experience last night when I went to go see The Carolina Rollergirls take on the national champions The Gotham Girls of New York. It inspired me to strap on some rollerskates and become a rollergirl, though I feel like that would end badly for everyone.
It is a really intense game. Each game consists of two thirty minute bouts with a short intermission. Each bout has several two minute jams, in which a group of girls called "the pack" tries to block the two "jammers" who have to pass the pack and lap the other girls.
Those girls are seriously tough, and they get slammed to the floor pretty regularly.The audience is also kind of insane, jumping and shouting and yelling and whatnot. We had such a blast. It was pretty much impossible to not get not blurry pictures, as these girls are flying by.

First Friday

2009-06-07T08:18:00.001-07:00

On Friday, my sister and I met up with some friends and headed downtown for First Friday. First Friday takes place on the, well, first Friday of every month. Downtown is always hoppin' and all the local art galleries, restaurants and music venues have events happening. It's impossible to go to everything, so the best plan of attack is to pick a few places that are within walking distance of your car. Scarlet Virginia was playing a show at Father and Sons, which is a really amazing vintage shop with three floors of art and antiques. The building is incredibly old and the floors are wooden and squeaky, and there's unrepaired holes everywhere. There's stuff to explore everywhere you look and gems to be found if you're willing to dig. It is not, however, a music venue and the Scarlet Virginia band members were quite squished. Regardless, we had a great time and celebrated the night with some MoJoe's delicious and ridiculously cheap burgers.

Oh, I wish I was in New York this morning...

2009-05-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

...drinking from a paper cup. I've been dying to get back to New York lately. It's one of my favorite places in the world. But there's only so many times I can listen to Roman Candle's "New York This Morning." So, here's some pictures of my last trip to New York, which was less than a year ago, but still way too long ago.

Today the world said "Come out and play!"

2009-05-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

So I did.

Despite my better judgment and a sky ready to storm, I decided to take a drive up to Falls Dam sans cell phone and neglecting to tell anyone where I was going. I love driving up to the dam. It's the place I go to clear my head. If you explore around by the river, you can find a place where they've used old car parts as a retaining wall. I couldn't get any good pictures of it, though. I used to go canoeing up on the lake when I was in high school, too.

Summer at Lake Lynn

2009-05-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

My Mom and I go walking at Lake Lynn once a week. It's a two mile loop of absolute beauty. It's nice to know even though I live in a city and spend most of my time downtown this lake is only a few miles from my house.

It's definitely summer. The sky looks like it is constantly pending a thunderstorm and everything is lush and green, but not yet worn out from the hot days. There are baby turtles, ducks and squirrels everywhere. It's really very adorable.

I wasn't overly impressed with the way these photos turned out, but here you go!

The Bain Project

2009-05-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

My sisters volunteered at The Bain Project this weekend and I am very jealous. As an avid fan of exploring old buildings, I really wished I could make it. Unfortunately, I was in the midst of the big move from Boone back to Raleigh. The architecture is simply amazing.

The E.B. Bain Building was Raleigh's old waterworks plant, built in 1939. It was closed in 1987 and remained closed until a 12 artist collective spent almost a year turning the buidling into an art space. The building was opened to the public this past weekend for the show. There is 3.5 million dollars slated for renovating the building and eventually turning into a shops and galleries. I can't wait for that day!

You can read a great article on The Independent Weekly.

My sister Michelle got some great photos, that my geeky self couldn't help but edit. Photo credits totally go to her, though. She took so, so many, but these two are my favorites.