Welcome to Raleigh, Weaver Street Market!

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Finally got back on my bike today. I love my bike. It’s the tires. At over 100psi and just the right thinness, with Kevlar to keep the flats away, it’s the fastest way around downtown.

My adventure was only 2 blocks. That’s the distance to anything downtown, in my estimation. To misquote Everett from Oh Brother Where Art Thou?, “what a geographical oddity, 2 blocks from everywhere!” But in this case I’m not too far off.

Weaver Street Market opened in Raleigh today at 10:30am, and I was there to become a member (and get a t-shirt!). Sure I have everything delivered, from Purple Carrot to Papa Spuds to (embarrassingly) Amazon… so it’s a double win as it will get me off my ass and get me better produce.

I’m over 100 days in on this round of GI troubles, which means no meals all summer. My food comes from a bag on my back. Sad. So I’m obsessing about better days head. I read all the local restaurant menus, look into vegan meetups, I read cookbooks… I’m also targeting the oldest farmers market around, 2 blocks away (honestly it is), which has evaded me as it is only open Th-Sat. Wish me luck towards finding a better day! Peace.

Raleigh Diamond Life

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You rule in the way that I move…

I am pretty angry a lot of the time. Greed is a virus in an epidemic. The only vaccination is kindness, and I can’t seem to find enough of it. Except when my baby is in town…

You only can rescue me…

Holding her hand, we discovered an amazing sleeper of a play, walked home from the Performing Arts center between the raindrops under one umbrella, Lime scootered over to Dave’s Dumplings, where we were remembered by the waitress “because I never forget the face of a beautiful girl”, precisely… and walked NCSU campus, where we discovered an empty sparkling mist-enshrouded hideaway of brick pathways through cultivated natural grasses.

We covered much of Raleigh over the weekend, walking and scootering to lots of our favorite places, including Raleigh Raw for a smoothie, First Friday at Artspace, Gringo A Go-go, Happy & Hale, Morning Times.

Blissful. Thank you baby for bringing me such happiness.

9.5 Murder for Two

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A New Musical Comedy

I didn’t expect much going in, and Cara and I were blown away. Two actors, one playing the detective and the other delivering a jaw-dropping experience of all the suspects, probably more than a dozen. And while the skill of doing a pirouette and donning glasses and switching roles was stunning… It was all in the delivery – the humor, the insanity, the breaking of the fourth wall, the top-notch integration of dueling piano performances, and so many other things that will spring to mind over the next couple weeks. These guys were damn good, with what appeared to be an effortless delivery of so many hilarious layers of absolute chaos. Check it out if you can!

Chicago beckons again

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Another escape to our big city.

On Friday, we floated at Float 60, maybe the fourth time, and I immediately took to the sensory deprevation saltwater float and let. everything. go. I can’t say how many times I drifted off and back, with a twitch, but the entire eternal hour was spent recharging and restoring my spirit from exhaustion. I guess I’ve hit the sweet spot, I’m good at it now.

Saturday, we went to an amazing dance troupe’s three-part show. First was classical, with a rework of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, the classic rock of classical. The second was like a lost Depeche Mode b-side instrumental click track from the Black Celebration era, with clock ticks and dropping bass mixed in brilliant synchopation. Third act was negro spiritual based, and like the while show, beautiful and mesmerizing with the flexibility and strength of the beautiful dancers on full display.

Sunday was more beautiful rest. As Cara and I often say, we are so blessed and lucky. ❤️❤️❤️

Center for Biological Diversity Raleigh Meetup

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I created a Raleigh-based meetup group for the Center’s Ignite Change action network. I’m excited to keep it going! (even though the first meeting was a bust because I cluelessly scheduled it to start at the exact moment that the Superbowl started! Doh.)

Here are some teasers for what’s to come. Tropic cascade is a fairly recent famous exciting biological observation showing that apex predators have complex positive effects on the layers of flora and fauna under them. Most famous is the example of the effect of wolves re-introduced to Yellowstone. Here is the link, followed by the TED talk of the guy who basically narrated it before it was brilliantly captured with Yellowstone footage. And more and more real-world amazingness. Fight for it!!

Senator Michael Bennet says what’s needed

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Medieval Wall, meet Senator Bennet

“If you think your job is to dismantle the government, as the Freedom Caucus does in my view, then a 9% (Congressional) approval rating suits you just fine. Because you get to go home and say … “see what idiots all those guys are?” While you take your pay. While the federal workers are not getting paid… And there has been an effort to separate government from the American people. Because it’s corrupt (and I believe it is)… Populated by a bunch of self-interested politicians… But it is NOT separate. We live in a democratic republic. The founding fathers knew we would have disagreements. And they did too. But what they believed at their core, was that through our disagreements, we would forge more imaginitive, and more durable solutions than any king or tyrant could come up with on their own.”

Hear hear.

Brisk Chicago weekend

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I love the bracing cold, nothing feels better than warming up afterwards. We made great use of that this weekend, with quick trips to Float 60, karate, the new location of the Chicago Diner, Southloop Market, Pot Belly, and lots of warmup time with Beat Sabre, Rummicube and Roblocks. Thanks you two for being such smashing hosts. <3