I needed a laugh...

[brianrdu]

...so's I went and got me a laugh. Actually bunches. I hung out with my LJ/Facebook/IRL friend steven, visiting family here this weekend. This is visit number 2 in six months, and I'm thinking somebody needs to move on down here. After meeting at the Farmer's Market and checking out the produce, we went on a drive across the cities in the area, and I was happy he noticed how far a drive it is from Raleigh to Durham. I wonder how many people think they are connected somehow. That hyphen that is often placed between the two is 20 miles wide. I think I put on 10lbs. in the process...completely willing to just shovel the grub in. I strapped on the feedbag at The Remedy Diner downtown this morning. We got breakfast there, complete with lovely vegan coconut cream pie, created by my friend Caroline. We then walked down Hargett Street, past the people sitting at sidewalk tables at The Raleigh Times, to Fayetteville Street, where we walked down to the end, actually, the construction barriers to the new plaza. I wanted to see the ballroom at The Sir Walter Raleigh apartments, which are supposedly untouched from the days that this building was a society gathering spot, but now that it's an old folks home (for now, anyway), the doors are locked out front. Didn't stop me from trying them. Oh well, project for another day. We then walked back down the street and saw a bar I'm curious about, Foundation, and walked down the stairs and checked it out. I'm so happy that these cool new places in town are smoke-free. I'm looking forward to hanging out there in the months to come as I get my life back on track...after some downtime that I haven't discussed much. We then walked back to the car...oh wait, we did check out an intact 50s-60s drugstore that Steven said smelled like wig stands. Steven, you can explain this, I refuse to do so. Then it was off to Cup A Joe for some coffee for the road, then on to Durham to check out progress on that city's revitalization. I'm still casting a skeptical eye at the old Liggett Myers Chesterfield cigarette building being a viable renovation, because it's so huge, but they have done such a good job with the other hulking warehouses I guess the people in charge deserve some slack. We checked out stuff downtown, such as the Merge Records HQ (Arcade Fire's label!), 9th Street, a quick stop at Locopops for some goodness, then on to Duke so Steven could check out the chapel and the Duke bookstore. After this, it was on to Chapel Hill and Carrboro, where piggy here wanted to eat AGAIN...this time, Carrburritos was the chow of choice. I then rolled and Steven walked to the car, and it was back to Raleigh for...*drumroll* more Locopops, then back to the Farmer's Market so he could meet his family for dinner.

Steven, move here now!