North Carolina

After spending the day in Boston taking photos with my large and small pack

strapped to each other (which had a lot of people looking and pointing), I took

the Silver Line from South Station to Logan International Airport to meet

Lindsay Schram.  We flew to Wilmington, NC and she was exhausted after a week

long sales meeting with drinking and dodgeball involved.  I was planning on not

going out that night but once Birtles got her house after some wine, filet

mignon, and salad, we decided to head Downtown.  Downtown Wilmington reminds me

of senior trip in high school in Mexico where all of the ladies are dressed up

for prom night and yet everywhere we went had no cover charge and was laid back.

The first club we went to was Level 5 which was an old apartment building (with

people still leaving in it -- signs on some of the doors as you walk up carpeted

steps/stories that say SHHHHHH PEOPLE SLEEPING) that had a club on the roof that

reminded me of the top of Stingaree in San Diego but without the glamour and

glitz.  We left there after meeting a few of Ryan's girls and their friends, had

a few shots and Bud Lights, then headed back out.  After seeing a transvestite

in the Duck N Dive, we decided to not purchase a beverage.  We double backed and

hit the 2nd level of Goodfellas which, again, reminded me of an end-of-the-night

Cancun Mexico club.  Left there quick and stopped in a convenience store to get

beer before 2am hit.  Got beer and then juggled multiple after party options

ending with going to one girl's house and leaving to go to another Virginia

girl's apartment in the other side of town.  Slept on the couch and got woken up

to some southern hospitality saying "Y'all sure ya'll don't waant a waater or a

Gatorade before y'all leave?"  I laughed on the way home about the night and

went back to Lindsay's in Farrington Farms to nap before the trip to Raleigh.

The ride to Raleigh is all green trees lined with nothing on either side of

Interstate 40.  It reminded me of Orlando, FL a little bit.  It is such a common

and boring drive that the drivers put cruise control on get comfortable in their

seats; at some points it appeared they were more comfortable than I was.  We got

into Raleigh around 4:30pm and met up with Kristen who had like a thousand jello

shots.  She was a very quaint and nice young girl who drove us to the annual

house party at 8013 Goldwater which is put on by Frankie and Sean (Frankie's

birthday).  At the party they had many games out on the lawn and Birtles and I

realized wearing jeans that early in the North Carolina summer humidity was a

mistake.  Kristen was nice enough to take us back to the Lexus to change into

shorts.  Back at the party I learned a new version of Boozbie that involved a

lower level of PVC piping, an empty bottle of beer, and a "throw it as hard as

you want" rule.  It wasn't as good as Boozbie due to the simple fact that the

frisbee is probably not going to be caught when it hits the 2 inch thick PVC.

This party also exposed me for the first time the mysterious conspiracy of

GETTING ICED.  Getting Iced involves a Smirnoff Ice bottle being secretly placed

in a location that the would-be taker would see but not see coming.  Frankie,

the birthday boy, probably got Iced over 5 times including one from a girlfriend

of his who put it in a birthday bag as a present.  We left the house around 10pm

to go change so we could go dancing in downtown Raleigh.  Downtown Raleigh was

similar to Wilmington but with a little bit more "clubby" feel to it meaning we

went through some velvet doors at one place and they charged a $10 dollar cover

which I remember Lindsay not being happy about as it is Raleigh, "give me a

break."  We went to Cashmere, then to Mirage, and ended at 606.  The cab we took

home had one of the best sound systems I had ever heard in it and the back seats

reclined.  We all pretty much passed out to Marvin Gaye before I had the guy

stop to get cash so we could pay.  Ended the night chatting with Kristen which

was very fun as she is a fun girl.  Woke up the next morning with a scratch on

my forehead that I do not know how got there and I hope it does not scar.  Thank

you Raleigh.

Next day headed back to Wilmington with Birtles and stopped in Warsaw for some

Subway.  The towns to the left and right of us along the I-40 corridor are

called things like Warsaw, and Burgaw.  Birtles made me laugh numerous times at

his explanation of the assumed and jokingly inbreeding of the family's last

names in these towns.  He said when he is on work calls that he swears the

people he runs across either have the last name Locklear, or Oxendine.  I was

rolling.  He also informed me that these towns have Lumbee Indians and they are

all related and don't know it.  Ryan is a good friend and a great person to

listen to on things such as social situations, women, politics, and drumming.  I

am glad I have become friends with him and hope to see and talk to him in the

future.  That day in Wilmington we recovered and went to bed early after doing

some Internet photo posting and watching some Discovery Channel.  Woke up after

we had calamari and salads with fish added.  The sun came out and we headed to

the beach, called Wrightsville Beach which is adjacent to Wilmington and is the

main beach that they all would hang out at.  Not too crowded as school had

started that Monday.  The waves were just enough to swim in, temp was refreshing

but could almost be colder (thanks humidity), and the sand was white and course.

Watched some frisbee players throwing by the shallow end of the ocean and knew I

could throw with them but never asked.  I did ask how the one man threw the

'reverse hammer' and he showed me.  I look forward to perfecting, yet, another

way to throw that disc.  That Monday night we went to Indochine and had Thai

food which was awesome.  Lindsay was so nice to pick up the tab for me, her, and

Ryan.  She is so nice and hospitable it is overwhelming and impressive.  Stayed

in that night again as Lindsay had to be up early for work again.

The next day Lindsay and I went to lunch at the German Cafe (where she worked in

college and was ashamed to wear the lame St. Pauli Girl type outfits).  It was

pouring down rain and it was nice to take refuge in the warm and inviting cafe

that was filled with old German antiques and a nice waitress that Lindsay knew

from when she worked there.  After a great Reuben sandwich with a couple of

dark German beers, we took off and headed to the Wilmington Museum.  Smaller,

but good museum, that had all of the information I had been feaning for since I

pulled into town Friday night.  My favorite part was an exhibit that showed a

man in the 1800's that could read and write and do math could become a

"merchant" and make money by importing and exporting goods.  I have never seen

the idea of a business man put so simply as it showed a guy with a small table,

a pen, and some paper stowed away that was working on how to make his next

profit.  That night we went out to Yosake for sushi and got there before their

happy hour ended which was great as rolls were like $5 bucks and good signature

cocktails were the same.  I met up with Ryan McKay (facilitated through

McDoughana) and Lisa there.  We went out to Delux after dinner and then to see

Bibbis (a small young women who has a voice like Arethra Franklin) at the

Whiskey Bar.  There we met the members of Gloriana, a band that one an AMA over

Lady Gaga and opens for Taylor Swift.  Very nice and inviting people and the

night was filled with drinks, laughter, and photographs (including one I took

standing on a bar stool to get the whole group together).f  McKay and I went to

Fatboys on the way back to his house where he proceeded to sing Total Eclipse of

the Heart on a Karaoke machine to end the night.  He sang it just like the

wedding singer in the movie Old School and I was dying laughing as I took

pictures.  Walked home down market with more pictures in the middle of the

street and the sleeping city flashed its lights at us to go to bed.  Crashed on

McKay's couch after some late night pickle and cheese bites out of the fridge.

The next day I got dropped off by Ryan McKay in a power suit as he had already

been doing some sales calls in the morning.  Found our way back to Farrington

Farms and I started to pack to head back to Los Angeles.  Lindsay came home

around lunch and we had a quick Roberts chicken salad sandwich with a glass of

white wine before my flight.  At the airport, I was the only person at the

security gate to go through and exit.  Never seen that before.  Stopped in

Atlanta and got back to LA where my friend Seth was nice enough to pick me up at

LAX.  Overall, a great time in North Carolina -- I could see myself living

there.