I realize I haven't blogged in about 10 years, but lest you think I'm getting lazy, I thought I would update you on what I've been up to, which is.... MOVING!
It's official, my ten block life is underway, and although I don't have time at the moment to sit down and put some thought into my words, I figured the least I could do is show you some pictures.
I love this building almost as much as I love Lola, and that is saying something. As soon as you walk up to the front door, you get this magnificent feeling of walking into the past, and considering that the building was built in 1917, you almost are.
I'm such a nerd; I got super excited just seeing my name on the board.
Then as I walked up the five flights of stairs (of course, I walked to savor the moment and the joy), I took in the smells of a hundred years of memories, of people like me experiencing their first moments in the building and of decades both more difficult and less than our own.
It's the same feeling I get at the History Museum, a certain reverence for those who've gone before us.
An intense curiosity at what living in different time would be like.
But, as I walked through my beautiful green door with giant gold numbers and an old school knocker, I saw my kitchen and quickly realized I would find out what living in the past was like.
Microwave? no. Ice maker? no. Central heat? no. Central AC? no. Cable? no. Insulation? no. Lead-based paint? yes. 100% of my love? absolutely.
I won't even post pictures of my bathroom. You can get an idea by standing in place and imagining a toilet behind you, a sink 4 inches in front of you and a tub one door width to your right.
It's..... well. It's quaint.
Most importantly, I can now come home, walk into my open living room encased in windows, walk onto my balcony and see a view of the city I love.
I would give up every modern convenience in the world for that, and perhaps... I have.
But even on a day like today, where the damp haze can sometimes get you down, this view brings a smile to face and a warmth to my soul that is irreplaceable.
I haven't quite figured out what I'm doing with my life - where I'm going or why I'm going there - but I do know this, for now, I can say, I've found home.
Since leaving my parents home after high school, I've had temporary dwellings that were just a place to rest my pretty little head, but maybe now I can hang up a picture and call this place my own.
Then again, for anyone who knows me, I'm as temperamental as the weather, so we shall see.
Congrats to team USA this morning in a spectacular win against Algeria. For those who didn't see Landon Donovan's game-winning goal, I highly recommend that you YouTube it immediately. It was pretty epic.
(Photo by Jeff Mitchell - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
This fantastic win, which should be news enough in itself for one day, is unfortunately overshadowed by the clusterfuck going on at home.
Here we are in day 64? 65? 60-way-too-many of the oil spill in the gulf, and what do you know, we have made no progress. In fact, this morning a robotic arm attempting to cap the flow hit a vent, which forced BP to remove the small cap that was capturing a portion of the oil. The MSNBC article has this is to say:
Before the problem with the containment cap, it had collected about 700,000 gallons of oil in the previous 24 hours. Another 438,000 gallons was burned.The current worst-case estimate of what's spewing into the Gulf is about 2.5 million gallons a day. Anywhere from 67 million to 127 million gallons have spilled since the April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig that killed 11 workers and blew out a well 5,000 feet underwater. BP PLC was leasing the rig from owner Transocean Ltd.
Meanwhile, Louisiana has decided that the oil spill is now out of the control of mere mortals (yes, they actually said mortals in this legislation), so the state enacted a day of prayer to... wait for it... ask God for a miracle to stop the oil spill.
If you want to believe in God and pray for the Gulf, go for it, but for a group of our nations elected lawmakers to actually waste an entire day PRAYING that the oil spill will stop is dumbfounding. I'm speechless. It seems that just when I start to think our elected officials can get any more stupid, good ol' Louisiana steps up with this.
I think your God did enough by putting 2 1/2 miles of bedrock and water above the oil. But Louisiana, while you're praying for the oil to stop flowing, would you mind asking God if he'll/she'll/it'll let me win the lottery then have a date with a unicorn and the lochness monster? That'd be great. Thanks.
When are we as a nation going to stand up and say, enough is enough? I'm well aware that my rantings aren't going to deter anyone from there faith in God, and that isn't my aim, but faith and reverence for God has a time and a place if you wish to include those things in your life, and I'll argue to the death with anyone that time and place is not in our government for those making active decisions about our laws, legislation and national crises.
At least Futurama is coming back tomorrow on Comedy Central. Early indications seem that it's going to be everything that I want it to be.
Also remember that the Raleigh Garden Tour is this weekend. If you have no plans tomorrow, you should check it out. More on it from New Raleigh.
Tonight I'm at the Bee from 6-until, but dog-hater Michael Vick and his NFL groupies, for some inexplicable reason, are celebrating his 30th birthday tonight at Club Raleigh Live, and I'll give someone $5 for a picture, $5 bonus if there's a shocker involved. I'll go as far as buying you a nice dinner at the Bee (because I get that shit 50% off - I'm broke, come on) if you can throw if a wolf/dog sign without getting shot or beat up. Then again, I wouldn't actually ask someone I know to subject themselves to this type of event.
I just can't have an infamously hated/famous national athlete come into my ten blocks without at least a glimpse, right?
I love to write. I literally write down nearly all of my thoughts in a day in one of my collection of journals. Much like I have a rotation of toothbrushes - one hard, one medium, two soft bristles - (some days you just want a firmer brush is all I'm saying) I also have a rotation of journals. I keep them separated by color of journal, where each journal represents a different mood/type of writing.
Purple swirly journal - Free flow/chain of thought/word vomit. Black journal - depressing shit that I need to exorcise from my brain. Brown earthy looking journal - workouts and feelings associated with working out. There's more, but you get the idea without me divulging more into the insane way my brain works.
Writing for me is like breathing. It just happens. It's necessary for my well-being. I started my first diary when I was 5 years old (and believe me, some of the things in it are HILARIOUS, one posting in its entirety says, "Autumn borrowed a pencil, she is my whole friend. Meghan called me on the phone, she is my whole friend, but Holly only wrote me a note, she is my half friend. She can try to be my whole friend tomorrow." I'll have to get a whole post of just 5-9 year old Caitlin sayings... she was a real snarky bitch, not that much has changed. Wait... I digress).
My point here is that writing (and life for that matter) is about maintaining a balance. The words I put on paper, although laced for a sarcastic tone for all things I randomly deem unfit, should also show that I understand both sides of the story. I love the city, and I would move into an art gallery if they would let me, but I also grew up on a farm, where my closest neighbors were nearly a mile away. I've put in my fair share of time on a tractor putting up hay bales and in turkey houses washing water pans and picking up dead birds.
I always hope that I can have the mental capacity to find a place for balance, not just limiting myself to my own clouded point of view. So, I'm putting this picture here as a reminder. Just as much as I call my sanctuary the history museum in downtown Raleigh, I love every second I spend in this old antique shop on some back country road in the middle of no where in Chinquapin, N.C.
Now off to a full day of meetings at the LGBT Center, then working until closing at the Bee.
It's a busy day, so I'm saving my first real thought-out content until the weekend, but for today, here's what's happening in the news:
Bud Light denied naming rights to the downtown Raleigh amphitheater. Well duh. This is downtown Raleigh, not the damn Jersey shore. PBR? yes. Some random delicious IPA you’ve probably never heard of? yes. Some other hipster-influenced concoction? yes. Bud Light? No. Try again Raleigh.Check it out via WRAL.
I love that this story about Hope Mills draining its lake because of a sinkhole, includes this:
“Efforts to capture an alligator spotted in the lake had nothing to do with the situation, Beeman said. The alligator was spotted swimming a creek downstream before the lake was emptied.”
In my head the gator somehow caused the sinkhole as a retaliation for people trying to catch him, then he swims downstream with some evil maniacal laugh. You know, if gators could laugh.Check it out via WRAL..
Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited about the World Cup for the athletic competition, world unity and whatnot, but hot, sweaty, muscular men without shirts on is a fantastic bonus. For example, if this dejected Spanish man needed a shoulder to cry on, I would do the world a favor and volunteer. Check it out via Jezebel..
An impressive 32 million people tuned in to President Obama’s primetime speech on the oil spill, but it was still a lot less than his previous primetime interruptions. Oil spill, schmoil spill. So you think you can dance was on, and Americans have their priorities.Check it out via New York Times.
One Utah death-row inmate has decided to be sent to the afterlife via a firing squad of five men strapped with .30 caliber rifles. Some people are saying he chose this to display the archaic nature of some laws still in place in Utah. Now I agree that Utah isn’t in my list of favorite states for a variety of reasons (ok, to be fair, it is very pretty), but I like this one. He shot people to death; he now gets shot to death. Fair is fair. Check it out via MSNBC.
I will pay someone $1 million monopoly dollars (or however much is in one game, let’s be honest) to take me to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. Actually, I think they should just build condos in the park and let me move there. Not. Even. Joking.Check it out via MSNBC.
To anyone out there who has some lame ass argument for me about why you don’t support gay marriage, I think this little gem will be my trump card. Eminem, whose songs usually include at least one and sometimes several “fag” references, supports gay marriage. I repeat – Eminem supports gay marriage. If he can doit, anyone can. So suck on that.Check it out via MSNBC.
I just threw up a little. Are we not unhealthy enough? Do we really need a pre-packaged, processed, white bread, Lasagna sandwich in our gas stations? Could I come up with another rhetorical question? Ok, maybe, but really, this is gross.Check it out via Jezebel.
This man is actually running for election. If I find out that anyone I know votes for him, I will come to your house and slap you. Republican candidate Bill Randall seems to think that the Obama administration intentionally caused the oil spill. Wait, I thought the anti-Christ was supposed to win the hearts of people all Hitler style then send their asses to hell. Why would he waste his time killing an entire eco-system? Maybe he’s trying to tell us the souls of animals are in jeopardy too. Although I have to give Randall some serious props on this quote.
"Now, I'm not necessarily a conspiracy person ... and this is purely speculative on my part and not based on any fact, but personally I feel there is a possibility that there was some sort of collusion."
I mean, I guess it’s good he admits he’s an idiot that spouts crazy ideas that aren’t based on any fact.I should slap him too.Check it out via News & Observer.
Oh Wake County school system, do you not have enough problems? The head of the public school system’s internal auditing was arrested for flashing some kids at the local YMCA. Maybe he wanted them to audit his internal… ok, I’ll stop. I’m sorry. Take that thought out of the universe. Ew.Check it out via News & Observer.
Finally, there is a new laser that shoots beams of NIGHT. You read that correctly. Night. Let that soak in for a second, thencheck it out via MSNBC.
If anyone feels so inclined, come see me at work. I'll update the TBD's as I learn them. And yes, The Rockford is back and rocking out with the legendary ABC and the Pimento Cheese on Monday night. There's also a brand new tuna melt that may save lives or at the very least induce instant happiness.
Busy Bee:
Thursday 6/17 - PM
Friday 6/18 - PM (closing)
Saturday 6/19 - PM (closing)
Monday 6/21 - AM (opening)
Tuesday 6/22 - TBD
Wednesday 6/23 - TBD
Thursday 6/24 - TBD
The Rockford:
Monday 6/21 - PM
Tuesday 6/22 - PM
Thursday 6/24 - AM
Saturday 6/26 - AM
So, there it is. Now, for some entertainment. My favorite video about twenty-something life in Raleigh from William Hardy. You may have seen it already on New Raleigh, among other places, but whatever, it still rocks.
I'm a lot of things. I'm crazy. I'm stubborn. I'm sometimes unstable. I have dreams of grandeur, and I'm obsessed with my dog. Most importantly, I've found something in Raleigh, North Carolina, that I can't explain. The city of oaks has become my oasis. I love this place more than I can ever explain. I've lived, loved, worked, played, lost and dreamt here. I've discovered more about who I am as a person here than I ever imagined possible.
At 23, I can comfortably say, I know my strengths and weaknesses. I'm really good at talking to people, but I'm horrible with direct authority. I'm blunt, abrasive and brutally honest. I have no tolerance for stupidity or ignorance, and I believe that every person on this earth deserves to be true to themselves. At the same time, I do everything I do with passion. I love meeting people and hearing their stories. Finding my voice has been the most difficult achievement of my life. If no one remembers anything else about me, I want people to remember that I was honest. I think that logic is the essential virtue, and I believe that every person on this planet deserves to be loved.
As a huge fan of karma and fate, I believe the universe put me here for a reason. I don't know what that reason is yet, but I'm having a hell of a time looking for it.
In the words of my idol and permanent crush, Hunter S. Thompson, I'll say:
"Maybe there is no Heaven. Or maybe this is all pure gibberish — a product of the demented imagination of a lazy drunken hillbilly with a heart full of hate who has found a way to live out where the real winds blow — to sleep late, have fun, get wild, drink whisky, and drive fast on empty streets with nothing in mind except falling in love and not getting arrested..."
While I'm looking for my purpose, I've decided to document my journey. I'm moving to Raleigh's oldest apartment building, which is two blocks from my sanctuary in North Carolina - the history museum. I'm working at two of my favorite places in the world - The Busy Bee and The Rockford. All of these things are within a ten block radius. You're welcome along for the ride. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the trip. This is... my ten block life.
I realize I haven't blogged in about 10 years, but lest you think I'm getting lazy, I thought I would update you on what I've been up to, which is.... MOVING!
sity at what living in different time would be like.
I won't even post pictures of my bathroom. You can get an idea by standing in place and imagining a toilet behind you, a sink 4 inches in front of you and a tub one door width to your right.
But even on a day like today, where the damp haze can sometimes get you down, this view brings a smile to face and a warmth to my soul that is irreplaceable.
