The kidnapping went slightly awry at the last moment, as two of the kidnappers dropped out on the day of the event. So, seeing as how it was just going to be the two of us, Stacie came out and told me the options: we could either go to Washington D.C., or Asheville in west North Carolina. We couldn't make up our minds, so we consulted an oracle. Having found Leigh in her workplace, we explained our predicament, and she looked at us funny. Eventually, it was decided that Asheville was the place to be.

A quick three hour drive later, and we were in the centre of Asheville. Watching a drumming circle. That seemed to be there just because it was what caught people's fancy that night. A little curious. But then, Stacie pointed out a disturbing fact about Asheville: all the men have beards. And it's true (aside from out of town folk, obviously). At first, it's funny, but then, you start thinking about the reasons, and come up empty. It's a vast beard conspiracy! No-one is safe!

So we spent a day in Asheville, having a marvellous lunch in Doc Chey's Asian Kitchen, meeting Stacie's friend Kate, and buying an impressive amount of soy milk. Then, back to Carrboro, where further adventures awaited us…