Life sciences

Magnet #1237 - Museum of Life & Science

Pretty magnet - from my sisters and their umpteenth visit earlier this month.

I can't tell you the number of times I've been to Durham, NC, but zero is the number of times I've been to the Museum of Life & Science. The weird part is, I know lots of people who love the place and who go there all the time, so I don't know how it is no one's actually brought me here.

Of course, I do have this theory that people are either art museum people or life science/natural history museum people. Clearly, if you've read any page of this blog, ya'll know I'm the former.

For example, a good friend of mine from Long Island, who lived on the Upper East Side had never been to the Met until last week - ever. I mean, she lived right down the street from it. On the flip side, she's been to the Museum of Natural History on the opposite side of the park a million times and loves it there.

Absolutely no judgment, it's just an observation that backs up the whole different strokes for different folks to rule the world school of thought.

The sad of it is, today, I should have definitely headed over to the Museum of Natural History to see their presentation with their Carl Zeiss Vision telescope to see this year's last Manhattanenge, where the sun sets directly down the major cross-streets of Manhattan.

It's an amazing sight from what I've seen from the pictures, and of course now I have to wait until next year.

Even though I'm totally convinced that that Manhattanenge is just this big PR stunt to make folks visit, sponsored by science/nature/City of New York. Seriously, up until four or five years ago, no one had ever heard of it. Now it's like a ritual celebration!

Or...maybe that's just Twitter.

Silly old bear

Magnet #1229 - Pooh & Piglet

I picked up this magnet in a random shop down in Wilmington, NC last year. So, so cute! Love these two BFFs!

And yes. I am eagerly awaiting the new Winnie the Pooh movie coming out in a few days. And no. I won't try and borrow some kids to get me into the movie. I'm just gonna go see it.

Picked Pooh and Piglet for today, because I spent most of this absolutely gorgeous NY day at Bryant Park and the NY Public Library. First outside, then inside, then outside, then inside again - depending on my laptop battery.

And each time I exited the library, I passed by the Children's wing of the library, where the original (!) Winnie the Pooh dolls live. I saw them before they were moved to the main branch, but haven't seen them in their new home, as described most excellently by ScoutingNY.

Oh, Winnie. Maybe tomorrow I'll drop by.

A buck starts here

Magnet #1220 - Dan Nicholas Park

One of the top attractions in the state of North Carolina is Dan Nicholas Park. Most of us take it for granted because we grew up with it, but it really is a great state park.

Save the World Couple and I went to play putt-putt today, something I haven't done in ages.

It's funny how the two courses that I've played several times over the years have grown smaller. The once-insurmountable windmill, wishing wells, loop-de-loops and roundabouts seem to have gotten easier.

We had a fun time, playing both courses - I got two holes in one! Go me!

Of course, for other folks, that would signify a good round or two, but it really just offsets the number of times I blew par...by several strokes. Thank goodness they cap us at six!

The rest of the park, however, has changed drastically over the years. We grew up with paddle boating and an aging nature center and petting zoo. Now, there's a carousel, a zoo and aquarium (which ya'll know I refuse to visit), and a little corporate sponsored choo-choo train!

And when I say corporate sponsored train, I mean, I'm talkin' the Stanback Train, sponsored by the Salisbury Post, riding over the so-and-so Trestle, under the Cheerwine Tunnel, and through the woods (sponsored by Nature, I guess) into the Suntrust Tunnel.

We're talkin' crazycakes local sponsorship - I was both amazed and appalled. But you know what? It works, because I remembered most of the sponsors...and I just blogged on the local goodwill.

Mind you, I also benefited from this local goodwill because the price tag for the train ride?

A single buck.

Got fish?

Magnet #1202 - Pirate from Topsail Island, NC

When I was little, we used to go down to the river after the office, and fish until dusk. Then we'd come home, my mom clean the fish (cursing the whole way, "Girls, don't marry men who love fish!"), and they'd eat fried fish for dinner, while the girls and I would...not.

The same would stand for roadtripping to the beach and fishing piers - only for those, we'd take overnight shifts, manning the crabnets and the fishing rods all night long.

Yep, my parents love fishing. Something I've always known, really. But, as it turns out, while my father's forte is eating the fish, it's my mother who wears the fishing pants.

I had no idea how much until today, when the BIL and I took the parents out to Topsail Island, NC - the first time my parents have been out since my dad's heart attack in February, and a much-needed fishing break for the two of them.

When we first got there, my dad shopped for the day's catch at not one, but two different fish markets - across the street from each other. Meanwhile, my mother fairly bounced in her seat, waiting for him to get done shopping. Seriously, she was like an impatient five-year-old. "C'mon! Let's go! Hurry up! Let's go fishing! C'mon!" There was a part of me that wanted to look back from the driver's seat and say, "Settle down, young lady!" but I'm pretty sure nothing would crush her exuberance.

When we got to the pier and were paying our entry fees, we had to call her down with a "Sloooow down!" to get her to come back over to the cashier, to mark her rod. She giggled, and then made for the pier. It was she who led the way to the selected bench, she who dug out the tackle box, and she who pulled out the first bait.

From there, it was like we were actually renting rods from my mother, who (in between casting and fishing with her own rod), made sure that each of us and our other three rods were jigged up and fully loaded with bait. She was also in charge of removing any and all fish from our hooks after we reeled them in. And very helpfully told us where on the pier we should thinking about casting our lines.

On top of that, turns out Mom's one of those humblebraggers (Oh, I'm soooo tired of catching these bluefish. Where are the mackerel?!) who point out your shortcomings (Oh, Joy, there shouldn't be any reason you're not catching anything, that jig is perfectly fine! Here, let's look at it again. No, see, it's perfectly fine!)

After a few hours, exhausted and sunburned (ok, that one's just me), we climbed into our monstrous church van (no, it's not a real church van, just the size of one) and headed...back to the fish markets (both of them!) to make sure that they hadn't gotten anything new, but really to make sure we had...more fish to go home with.

Our day's catch? If you ask mom (and I did), she'll say, oh, it doesn't matter how much we caught! (Even though she totally mentally counted every one!)

We caught probably half a cooler full of fish - and only about four of those were mine. The parents and BIL managed to catch some good ones, though. And some were even thisbig!

Such a fun day...which ended after a 5-hour roadtrip back home, where my dad and mom ate fried fish...and I did not.

By the way, until today, it had been a good 20 years since I'd actually cast a line. And, ya'll - I'm still good at it! Mind you, I don't catch worth a damn, but I get those jigs way the hell out into the water off the pier.


eta:
Oh! Today's magnet! I picked the pirate magnet from Waves (yes, with the requisite giant alligator entryway in front) for two reasons.

1) Because they totally found Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge off the coast of NC and are conducting an archaeological dig around it. How cool!

2) Because I had considered doing a whole Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides post. But, short and sweet? Not as good as the original, but leagues better than 2 and 3, with a whole plotline that I didn't mind, and none of the gross tentacle-y, Ood-like characters I hated from the other two.

Clay critters

Magnet #1188 - North Carolina Black Bears

I couldn't resist picking this magnet up at the Charlotte airport to close out my latest Escape Home to NYC trip.

I've seen black bears in North Carolina in three places: Dan Nicholas Park down the road, the Asheboro zoo, and Grandfather Mountain - all of them were captive, though, so I totes don't count 'em. But people are sighting random bears all across North Carolina, so one day, I want to find one in my back yard. I'll be waiting.

Huh. So here's something that could potentially be scary for me - as a magnet collector.

I've found the wholesaler for these magnets I keep seeing. It's called Clay Critters, an 18-person company out in Indianapolis that produces all those cool (and expensive) airport magnets.

Totally afraid to look at their catalog for fear that I might find enough items in there to qualify me for wholesale buying.

And then this blog would never. ever. end!

I'm goin' up - Escape Home to NYC, Part 2, Day 1

Magnet #1182 - Christina's World

Headed to NYC today for another quick trip home while my dad's recuperating. Yes. Insert all the regular squees of, dare I say it, JOY, here.

If you get over to the MoMA, definitely check out Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World. I was gonna do a whole blogpost about it, but after I listened to the curator podcast of about it, it was pretty clear that I wouldn't be able to do it justice.

Suffice to say that this piece is one of Wyeth's most recognizable, and is of his neighbor, a woman stricken with polio, meant to be inspirational, rather than sad.

As for me, this painting always makes me think of the opening scenes of one of my fave movies ever, SpaceCamp, where babyAndie's sitting in the grass, looking up at the stars as John Glenn passes over her. (The 2-min mark below.)

Lately though, it's represented all the farmland I have to drive through in NC, before I ever get to a single real stoplight. Seriously, it's getting to the point where I almost don't stay stopped at stoplights, so used to momentary (but complete, duh) stops at stop signs, am I.

The truth is? I love it. Much as I complain, I love driving through rural NC - with all its cows and horses and goats and donkeys and more cows. Wait, did I mention I pass a lot of cows? Well, I do. Pass a lot of cows. Cows, I say.

It's a gorgeous countryside this time of year - with everything blossoming and lush and green and with moderate temps, etc. Honestly, it's not til you get to the urban jungle of NYC that you realize how lovely NC really is.

Mind you, on my first day back home in NYC today, I realize, I'm still a helluva lot more comfortable walking or training or bussing to my destination on concrete sidewalks - even with cars who don't necessarily slow down at intersections at all.

And then there were none

Magnet #1170 - Coney Island

And so, my friends, my Escape Home to NYC ends today as I hop a train down to NC in the morning.

I know...how overdramatic have I been over this trip? It's only because I had packed to be gone for three weeks, not three months, and I was going a little stir-crazy in NC. But, this trip has reaffirmed my crazy NYC love.

I can tell ya'll, I am avoiding packing for NC to the bitter end - lunch, walk, nap, cleaning, Tweeting, texting, whatever possible to not have to pack.

And speaking of packed up...I love this shot of Coney Island, and I'm deathly afraid that this desolation is what I'll find if I head back out there, just based on all the reports over what's been dismantled, what's staying, what's being built, etc., I'm sure it's fine, but I'm really just afraid to see what we're all going to be left with in the end.

I can tell ya'll I've ridden only two rides out there - the Cyclone that I've magnetblogged before, and this Wonder Wheel in the background. I'll confess, for a while there, the only thing I knew about the Wonder Wheel is that some very naughty folks filmed some very naughty things that you stumble upon on those naughty cable access channels in the middle of the night.

I mean, it was all I could think of upon boarding the clackety-clack cars of the Wonder Wheel, what those folks were doing in there. Like, I totally had to check out the cleanliness of the seats before I sat down. (Ewwww.)

Of course, those thoughts were quickly replaced by worry, as I wondered if we would actually make it through the ride. I had no idea that the cars actually swing around and out, making it look like you're about to fly off the wheel itself. Dudes, I hate when coasters or rides are made to look like they're about to fly off the track. Freaks me out - every time!

And it was so long! It went on forever! Yeah. Probably wouldn't re-ride that ride again if given the chance.

What I do want another crack at are those swirley coils that you have to get the stick down from the top to the bottom. Damn, can I waste a ton of money trying to win that thing.

I've won it once or twice, and won some big stuffies from it, but man, every time I get in front of one, I just have to keep trying and trying. And, just when I think I've got it,

MEEEEEP.

Escape home to New York

Magnet #1151 - Wall St

My last MTA magnet. I loved these little guys - so pretty, and such a good use for old subway maps. I wonder if they have more...I shall find out soon!

Yay, I'm comin' home to NYC next week! Mind you, it's just a short visit, and I'll have to come right back home to NC afterward (because they've finally decided on which course of action to take with my heart patient dad) but that's ok - I'm comin' home!

If you read this blog at all, or you know me at least a little bit, you know how much I love NYC. I don't even have to be outside of my apartment to love being in town, but it's truly one of my favorite places in the whole wide world. (Both my apartment, and my town.)

The first thing I'm doing when I get there is stopping at Perfecto's around the corner for a slice. I didn't think I'd miss NYC pizza all that much, but after stops at Pizza Hut, Sbarro's, and Cici's...plus frozen pizzas by DiGiorno's and CPK, I just want a slice. A nice, giant, greasy plain slice that drips over the edge of my paper plate, that will burn my mouth the second I bite into it. That's it. Oh. And maybe some garlic knots.

Then breakfast is totally gonna be City Diner down the block for my scrambled eggs, sausage and home fries, toast and strawberry jam - and coffee. Real and proper diner coffee. A real and proper breakfast. How I've missed it so. Not that it's all that bad here, but diner coffee can't be replicated by Dunkin or Krispy Kreme or Starbucks.

After that, I'm headed across the street to get my haircut by Autumn at Dramatics NYC. No, that's not her real name - they all use fake stage names (Rolex, anyone?), but she has to fix my hair. This dude mangled the heck out of it here in NC, and I can't stand looking at it anymore. I will be SO happy after she's done!

That will all hopefully be done in time for my jam-packed schedule of lunches, drinks, dinners, museums, and random events, etc. My Google calendar's already doing that annoying +2, +3 events thing in the month-view.

It's so funny, you can definitely tell I'm headed back to NYC specifically, because I'm already trying to overschedule everything and everyone - going from place to place, seeing as many people as I can see, and doing as many NYC things as I can squeeze in. (I can't help it, you try being stranded on 22 acres in the middle of nowhere!)

I've already mentally written down grabbing a 7-day MetroCard the second I get in, even though I'm really only home for four days. I'm gonna need it with all the running around I'm gonna be doing.

Someone in New York already told me to slow down, that NY would still be there when I got back home, but honestly, if there's anything I've learned in the last year, it's to do as much as you can, when you can do it.

And nowhere better to do it in the world, than New York City.

Enemy mine

Magnet #1135 - Raccoon

I bought this magnet a couple of weeks ago, his eyes are all bedazzly which actually makes him creepy as hell.

All in all, I hate this little guy.

Sure, he's cute when he comes to visit the back door. But really, he's just doing recon for the next time we're dumb enough to put our garbage within reach of his tiny little paws, and he can take it and scatter our refuse all over the backyard.

*shakes fist*

You won't get me, enemy mine!

Pine Bank Arch

Magnet #1091 - Pine Bank Arch, John Hall

John Hall shot this image of Pine Bank Arch in Central Park, back in 1996, the year after I moved to New York. It's gorgeous, no?

It was built in 1861, just at the beginning of the Civil War. If you want to get technical, it's really a bridge, and is about 80 feet long, and about 11 feet up (to allow for the bridle path below). It's also one of the few remaining original cast-iron bridges left in the park.

Snow-covered Central Park is pretty much how I left New York a few weeks ago before I came down here to North Carolina to take care of a family emergency. Who knows what it'll look like when I get back up there. When I do, though, I definitely have to take this Forgotten NY tour - would love to be able to see all of the stunning bridges and arches the park has to offer. You kind of just take them for granted when you're there, but flipping through those bridges makes me want to spend the day in the park.

For now, though, I'll definitely enjoy the spring temps of NC - it's supposed to be 73 tomorrow and in the high 60s this weekend.

Yep. I just did a magnetblog about the weather. Too bad I didn't think about the weather before I packed all my sweaters a couple of weeks ago!

Why, oh, why can't it be bears?

Magnet #1089 - Colorado Bear

So, during this indefinite stay in North Carolina, I've been surrounded by all sorts of flora and fauna.

Deer. Coming from every which way. I was driving back from the VA early Sunday morning and came across a whole passel (yes, I just said passel) of deer checking out the Historic Salisbury sign.

Ducks and geese. Crossing the road. I kid you not. For years we've been seeing Duck Crossing signs at City Park - my favorite road sign of all time. But we've never actually seen them crossing the road. Until last week, when they stopped traffic.

Cows, horses and donkeys. Given that we live 10 minutes outside the "city" limits, it's not surprising that I pass pasture after pasture full of them. Of course, there was that dead cow on his side on Providence Church Road, in full-on rigor mortis. Eww.

Raccoons. They're freakin' stealing my trash from the backyard. Or, at least I hope it's just raccoons, anyway.

Tigers. Ok, fine. The I-85 billboard for Tiger World, in Rockwell, of all places. My BIL and I are planning to visit once the season begins. I wonder if they have magnets. Hmmmm.

And don't even get me started on ladybugs, beetles, and other tiny creatures of this earth. Blech.

Or the roadkill! Double blech!

All I have to say is if I have to see NC wildlife, why the hell couldn't it be bears? I've only ever been to the Denver airport, so all I really know about the state is what I've learned from Mork & Mindy. But, I've heard stories of friends of friends who live there and they've had bear in trees in their backyard!

Me? All I get is deer stands and target practice in my backyard.

And raccoons. Don't forget the blasted raccoons.

No woman's an island

Magnet #1055 - El Salvador

My sister brought this handpainted magnet back for me from her work trip to El Salvador last year. How cool is this one? It's painted on a tree!

Ok, fine. Painted on wood.

Still! Someone's little fingers painted this one. (Yeah, let's not delve too much into that, otherwise, I'll be forced to recollect all those sad books I had to read in International/Third World Politics at Carolina.)

I love that it's a little village of just two houses...with possibly a parrot over in the corner? (Or is that a shell? I dunno.)

I've been thinking a lot of the notion of home lately. It's funny, because when I'm in New York, I refer to North Carolina as home. And when I'm in North Carolina, I refer to New York as home. Truth is, they both are, really.

Someone FB-statused last week it used to be that once upon a time she couldn't wait to live in the big city, but recently she's realized that she loves living in a small town, because within 20 minutes of something happening, everyone knows, and has called, come over, cried, prayed or laughed with you.

That's kind of like my nightmare. That's the very reason I moved to the anonymous big city, so that I wouldn't have that issue of people knowing my business. (Not that I got called out as the doctor's daughter buying alcohol at Food Lion, or anything. Heh.)

So, for the past 14 years and up to late last year, I've lived in this building, not knowing more than my neighbor's name, the neighbor down the hall's daughter's name, the other neighbor down the hall's name and her dog's name. Annnnd, that's pretty much it.

Part of that was because I was a total workaholic getting home in the wee hours of the night. But the bigger part of that was because I was trying to be the most model tenant, making no waves, flying under the radar, truly embracing the comforting anonymity of a giant 23-story building.

Now that I've joined our tenants alliance (I can hear you laughing from here), in an effort to help us rent stabilized folks keep our homes in light of new owners, it's become the opposite. Last night, we gave candidate statements (shhh, I still hear you laughing), and as I looked around the lobby at our little community, I realized I've been missing out all these years, right in my own home.

Folks who have lived here for 20 and 30 years were friends with each other, were catsitters for each other. Some were joking around, even arguing with each other, but most with shared experiences.

Real neighbors.

People tend to think that in a city of 8 million people, that it's hard to create a circle of friends. I've managed to do it, collecting people from work and other places. I never thought to do it in my building.

It's sad to realize this now, now that we could possibly lose our homes. But it does make me realize that going forward, it probably wouldn't hurt to get to know the neighbors...now, and wherever I might end up next.

eta:
But hopefully it's here, in this building. I always swore I wouldn't leave this apartment (or New York) until they dragged me kicking and screaming. Despite my issues of the last year, I love it too much. It's home. Sigh. Wish us luck.

Just. Behave.

Magnet #1038 - Don't Bother Me

I used to have this pin/magnet at my work desk, having bought it the day we went looking for button-making machines in the city.

Yes. Button-making machines. And that's not even the weirdest wild goose chase I've been on for work.

But, it's so true, this magnet.

When we were little, and we were having a crisis in the car (a mysterious odor coming from the engine - the fanbelt; the car exploding exploding - twice!; the car not starting, etc.) our first reaction was to immediately shrink back in our seats, and not make a sound.

Just. Behave. While the adults dealt with the situation at hand.

It's probably why you don't see my sisters or me in this picture, as my dad and BIL try to navigate this tree out of our driveway in the wee hours of the morning...

Open wide

Magnet #1027 - I Heart My Dentist

Dudes. You give me a magnet, it's gonna end up on this blog. I'm just sayin'.

So, if you're looking for a great dentist on the upper west side? Seriously love this guy and his team - they're awesome. Just the nicest folks ever. And? One of the best dentists I've ever been to.

His office actually reminds me of my old dentist back in NC. Growing up, my parents' office was in the same building as Dr. Sherman's. Actually, it was also in the same building as the local pharmacists, Mr. and Mrs. Saunders.

(Did I mention that the town I grew up in had just about 1,500 people when we moved there in the late 70s? Even now, to this day, that town's last census was 2,175.)

Anyway, we practically grew up in that little building, from cantaloupes and vanilla ice cream and orangeades introduced to us by Mrs. Saunders, to cavities filled in Dr. Sherman's office.

It was a small-town feeling of home, walking in both those places, where everyone knows whose kid you are (hard not to tell being one of six Filipino kids in town) and looked out for you when you were running around.

Hard to get that here in NY, so you have to take it where you can get it.

Waves and Topsail

Magnet #1014 - Topsail Island, NC

I mentioned my parents and I did a quick roadtrip to the beach earlier this week. Yes. The beach. Me.

We went to Topsail Island for fish, first - of course, my pop has local fish guys. Then, we headed down to Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington.

Seriously, ya'll. At WB, My dad made me get out of the van to go look at the water. I don't think he's read half of my beach-hate magnetposts, and still, he was like, you better get out of the car and see the Atlantic, while we're here.

Really?

Of course, I went. And it was gorgeous. What? I only hate it when it's hot and sticky and sandy and crowded.

And what's a trip to the beach without at least passing by a Waves surf shop. We never really went to them growing up. But, after I got my dad to turn the van around so I could get a good shot of the giant alligator facade, we stopped so I could pick up this little number.

Though, off season, there's nothing sadder than a cavernous Waves, completely empty, but for the dude folding T-shirts at the counter, waiting for the 2011 season to begin. His face kinda fell, when I asked him where the magnets were, and I worry that my $2.99 would be the day's take.

This one's definitely one of the tamer magnets. I saw some diiiirty magnets up in there. Like, who wants that junk on their fridge? I totally wanted to take a picture, but I don't even want to know the bots that would show up here if I did. Ew.

But, it totally explains why my parents never really wanted us to drop by Waves when we were little.

Rails of the past

Magnet #1012 - Salisbury Station

My other magnet from Critters, part of my Small Business Saturday in Salisbury. I couldn't resist getting two magnets, especially since I feel like I've come through here so many times just this year - and I have the Amtrak Guest Rewards points to prove it!

It's another reason to love the train - rather than having to drive the hour south to Charlotte or north to Greensboro for the airports, my parents can drive the eight miles into town to pick-up/drop me off at the Salisbury Station.

It's a really cool mission-style station, designed in the early 1900s by prolific NC architect Frank Milburn, one of many of his stations for Southern States Railway. (For those in the know, he's also the guy who designed what must be the tallest building in downtown - the seven- or eight-story Grubb-Wallace Building, up on the square.)

But, the shame of it is, you never really notice the station's facade if you're driving right in front of it. It sits so close to the street, that you can't enjoy it, so you have to look at the building from afar.

It's terrific that the NCDOT and Salisbury have managed to keep the building from demolition, by maintaining it as the Amtrak station, but also as office and events space. It even has its own place in history at the Smithsonian!

Truly one of the best places to feel like you're stepping back in time. Much like Salisbury.

Capeside and Tree Hill

Magnet #1011 - Wilmington, NC

If there's anything you should know, it's that I love cheesy television, and frankly, I don't care who judges me for it. Whether it was Dawson's Creek in the early 2000s or One Tree Hill now, they're some of my guiltiest pleasures and I make no excuses for it.

So yeah, I admit to being a little giddy as my dad pulled into historic Downtown Wilmington, and there was perhaps a little inside squee. Or, it could have been aloud, and under my breath, acutely aware that there were others around me. But, I couldn't help it - these familiar streets, storefronts, and the Riverwalk (on this magnet) have been such a big part of my WB/CW television-viewing history - from the Capeside regatta that Pacey totally won, or to Nathan and Haley and their little friendship bracelet, studying by the water.

Doesn't matter that I've been down there several times before, that I've touched Pacey's locker, been to the Potter B&B, drove down the bend where Pacey first kissed Joey, on both friend tours and the EUE Screen Gems tour several years ago.

I was still silly, walking around town, with various scenes playing in my head this afternoon. Truly, the town's basically become a backlot for both shows.

It was fun, hanging out with my dad, roaming around town. He'd never been to Riverwalk, and was truly surprised to see the USS North Carolina moored on the opposite bank. As for me, I was surprised the ship was blue...but I was even more surprised to find out that the River Court actually exists! For years, I've thought that One Tree Hill was green-screening the court with the riverfront background! Weird.

I'll tell you what, after walking the three square blocks of Capeside and Tree Hill, just looking for someone who would have fried fish for my dad, I was desperate for Leery's Fresh Fish, right around the corner on the water. Instead, we ended up at a restaurant endorsed by both Food Network magazine & OTH cast as one of the best places to eat in town. My dad would have been happier at Captain D's.

I'd have been happier at Pacey's locker.

What?

Small Business Saturday in Salisbury, aka #smallbizsat

Magnet #1009 - Historic Salisbury Bell Tower

Some friends from Chapel Hill come visit me while I was at home in Salisbury, NC. I was excited for them to come visit, because it's been a few months, but also, because it's Small Business Saturday, promoted on Twitter and Facebook as such by American Express. And ya'll know I love participating in stuff like this.

We met up at Spanky's for sandwiches and ice cream (made 40 feet away from the spot you order it!). The guy who owns it, used to own the same fish market my parents loved going to in the 80s. The summer of 92, I worked in "downtown" Salisbury and even back then, Spanky's had the best roast beef sandwiches in the world. You know what? They totally still do.

Then, my friends asked for an impromptu "joy tour" of Salisbury. Totally unprepared! We really should have dropped by the tourist information center, because we missed so very much.

And ya'll should know by now that any joy tour provided, is usually riddled with half-a-facts and odd anecdotes, and this time around, they got none of the actual history and quite possibly the most boring-ist tour ever!

To wit:

We drove around Salisbury, past the courthouse and jail, Hap's Grill, the pretty historic houses, the old Earle's office supplies store (one of my faves), the Salisbury Post building, the Confederate Angel, the town's historic mural, my parents' old office, the library, my old church, the old YMCA, Salisbury High School, the hospital, and WAKE UP!

Yeah, that took about 30 minutes.

The next hour was a drive down to Catawba College, Jake Alexander Blvd, my BFF's dad's mechanics shop, my BFF's grandfather's old house, Granite Lake, Granite Quarry, my parents old office, Granite Quarry Elementary School (and playground), the house on Jack St. I grew up in, Granite Knitwear, East Rowan High School, the band room, the football stadium, Erwin Jr. High, and WAKE UP!

Finally, we ended it with a quick jaunt up and down Main and Innes streets, supporting Small Businesses like nobody's business, shopping at the (what have they got against romances, anyway) independent bookstore, having orangeades (best in the world, I swear) at the soda fountain in Innes Street Drug Store and picking up some Cheerwine cakes, buying magnets at Critters (no kidding, that's the name), and browsing through (not O.O. Rufty's, but close) a general store. (Not at all done with #smallbizsat, I ended the day with a quick drive-thru for superyummy Hendrix BBQ, where they meet you at your car to take and hand-off your order.)

It was pretty fun pretending we were tourists in my adopted hometown. (Adopted only because even if I moved when I was 5, I was still the Yankee when I graduated.)

It was definitely a little embarrassing the amount of information I didn't know about Salisbury, even living there for nigh on 20 years. Like, who knew the bell tower shown here was the First Presbyterian Church Bell Tower? Ok, likely every Salisbury native knows that. But I'll admit, I sure didn't.

And, up until just now, I didn't even know til this photography blogpost, that the tower was originally attached to the giant, original First Presbyterian Church, a place of worship that was razed in 1971!

I can't believe they razed the church to rebuild down the street! Good grief, it's Penn Station all over again.

"Functional trinkets"

Magnet #967 - ABC

Oh, ABC. Or, really, I should just say, oh, television.

This year's crop of new Fall TV shows have disappointed me pretty much across the board - every network, almost every show. It's about a month into the new season, and there's no way that my only new appointment television show right now is CBS's Hawaii Five-0.

One show does not a successful new tv season make!

It's so bad I'm not even taking a whole magnetpost to whine over the lack of good shows. I'm just using this ABC swag magnet for today (one of my few magnets that double as a functional clip), because I just got done moving most of my entertainment-related magnets to the side of my fridge, all the while, cursing my always dwindling wall space.

One look at my latest magnets slideshow reveals some empty space to fill, so it's not like I'm actually running out of room. My problem is my need to keep them all together in their groupings, and with an ever-expanding collection, it's hard to do that. So the front of the fridge is my little art gallery, one panel has all the dimensionals, one has all the joy magnets, one has all the picture magnets, one has all the acrylics, one has all the Monets, and so forth. And within those, are subgroups of tile magnets, hanging feet magnets, floaty magnets, etc.

See? It's kind of crazy-making. Especially today, I think.

My "Magnet collecting" Google alert (shut it) just picked up this great little article on this magnet collector chick in Gastonia, NC, and now I'm obsessed with her walls of "functional trinkets." She has more than 3,600 magnets, which isn't as many as the Magnet Lady in Vegas (some records put her collection at more than 30,000), but it's way a lot more than mine. (No, I don't have an active count of my own collection, beyond knowing somewhat definitively that this ABC clip is Magnet #967.)

The thing is, she has hers all in her sheet-metal lined spare bedroom! Dudes! And, it's all white and pretty, and the magnets all have breathing room. And if you look closely at the pictures, the magnets are grouped together, all nice and neat, while mine's beginning to look like the walls of IKEA.

Sigh. It's definitely no reason to move, but damn, do I have magnetroom jealousy right now.

When will I ever use this in real life?

Magnet #930 - Sholes, Glidden & Soule TypeWriter patent

Another magnet from my National Archives patent set, it's the type writer patent from the 1800s.

I never took typewriting in high school. Nope, my mother refused to let me give up one of my regular class periods in school for it, and she sent me to the Salisbury Business College during the summer for several of their classes, from Teen Typing to Word Processing.

While I must not have liked going, I remember a couple of things from those classes. First, that I was really the only teen in the class - the rest of the class were adults, none of whom looked like they were having as much fun as I was typing asdfghjkl;asdfghjkl;asdfghjkl; or 12345678901234567890 or qwertyuiopqwertyuiop. (OMG, is THAT where qwerty keyboard comes from? *runs to Google*)*

I remember the first class we took the classes on those old, very old, giant IBM Selectric typewriters, but when I moved up to the other computer classes, we were working on those old Radio Shack TRS-80s with 5.5" floppies. Whoa.

And finally? This is how young I was...every session, we'd get a little break. And I loved running to the breakroom with whatever change I could scrounge from the house and buying some silly snack and drink out of the vending machines. I lived for those snack breaks!

But, I have to hand it to my mother - those classes (like my 9th grade Home Ec class) served me well. I knew how to do straight-up admin work (business letter formatting, etc.) before I went to college, which meant I could work as an admin during school breaks.

Plus, to this day, I can type like no one's business. Some could say it was the classes, but it could have been the 13 years of piano as well.

asdfghjkl;asdfghjkl;asdfghjkl;asdfghjkl;. (How odd to type that now. I mean, really, who types all the keys in a row in real life?)

eta:
*Well, what do you know. It IS where QWERTY comes from. Ya'll, I know I should have known that, but I didn't. Dang.