I Have Done A Bad Thing

I have introduced Collin to the World of Macintosh. Well, he asked for my opinion on buying a new computer! And he was leaning Mac anyway! But last night, he was taking pictures of all and sundry using Photo Booth on his shiny new MacBook Pro, and I thought to myself “What have I done?” I’m so, so sorry.

(On the other hand, I'm rather proud of directing Arthur, the drummer from Stellastarr*, to Weaver Street Market, and explaining all about Carrboro. Especially when I told him that they have their own currency)

I am busy putting together Secret Projects. One of which caught me a little short at Target today. I didn't have time to walk to the mall to get something for lunch…so I ate in Target. *shudder* I won't be doing that again in a hurry. Lots of fun stuff to be had there, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, it falls considerably short as a restaurant experience.

Haven't found any Coke Blak yet, though I am looking. Rest assured, I will fulfil my obligation to drink an almost certainly disgusting drink FOR SCIENCE!

I also think I want a messenger bag. This may be further evidence of a dangerous downward spiral on my part, but I'm ignoring all the sensible voices in my head until I get back home. Be warned.

currently playing: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - He Wants You

An Update Of Sorts!

I Love You, But I’ve Chosen Darkness didn’t quite live up to that name. Mind you, in order to do that, they would have to have been a three-piece girl band with guitars and songs about vodka, rusted kisses and laddered tights, so I wasn’t too surprised when they turned out to be a post-rock band from Austin. They were good; I probably wouldn’t have bought a t-shirt, but come on, I LOVE YOU, BUT I’VE CHOSEN DARKNESS. It had to be done.

Mandy and Josh left on Monday morning, so our group is now a little smaller. But they're moving back here later in the year…and Stacie is coming back to the fold today! Hurrah.

I did have lots of curious comments and amusing anecdotes about the size of the cheesecake in The Cheesecake Factory and other various bits of American culture that I could make witty asides about, but I've forgotten them all. Which makes me useless as a travel writer, really.

But! I'm in Laura and Collin's apartment now, so no more late night scurrying back to Durham. Instead, I'm now firmly in the Carrboro bubble! I sense several more late nights at OCSC in my near future…

currently playing: The Go-Go's – We Got The Beat

Let's Buy A Train!

I say we get an engine cab and head along America selling food in our restaurant cars! We may reach Virginia before we run out of money…

Organised Anarchy!

The Government still exists, so I'm thinking this wasn't a great success.

Ricky Gervais Must Die

Although it’s somewhat amusing to see him on America’s equivalent to The 11 o’clock Show (equivalent except that The Daily Show is actually funny), I do feel as if Jon Stewart is being infected just by sitting next to him.

currently playing: Kylie – I Believe In You

Uses of A British Accent

While I’m still waiting for girls to fling themselves at my feet (Richard Curtis promised me that it happens, you know), I did manage to convince Best Buy to cash a cheque without ID. Because we’re trustworthy, you see.

(Yay! I have Goodnight and Good Luck, and the all-new version of Breakfast At Tiffany's!)

So, um, is there anything I should know about The Editors before I interview them on Wednesday? I really can't remember much about them…

currently playing: New Order — True Faith

Quick Corrections!

I had had a few drinks when I heard the recipe, so I’m assured that the eggs are indeed scrambled (and definitely not raw!), plus I forgot the cheese grits, and made a mistake concerning the pancakes; they’re blueberry pancakes covered with jam mixed berry coulis. Not blueberry syrup.

Obviously, I need to find one of these.

I must confess that I'm still not convinced, but then my sister would point out she can't eat pancakes around me as I've put her off so much…

currently playing: Johnny Boy — 15 Minutes

So I Decided To Walk…THE SEQUEL!

It wasn’t my fault. Okay, so it was really. After a delightful lunch with Srav and Stacie at the Udupi CafĂ© in Cary (who knew that honey and carrots would work so well together?), I asked to be dropped on Franklin, chiefly so I could buy a ticket for the concert which I supposed to be going to later on. That took all of five minutes, so I was at a loose end for the next six hours or so.

That's obviously very dangerous. Yes, I decided to have a walk. I went over to Battle Park, one of my favourite places around UNC campus. It has an open-air theatre, lots of streams, and lots of pathways through the woodland. I always miss it when I'm not here (along with other things, obviously). So I walked. It was quite pretty; parts of the woods are still completely bare, whereas other parts are now flowering all over the place.

I'd like to point out that I didn't actually get lost in the woods. However, when I came out of Battle Park, it was into a rather confusing housing estate that seemed to loop back on itself in all directions. I was a little bewildered, and then Collin called. He requested my presence, and I had to tacitly admit that I had no clue where I was. Piled on top of my Target adventure last Tuesday, I was beginning to gain a reputation. Eventually, though, Bill and Naomi came to my rescue, picking me up and whisking me off to the others.

The rest of the afternoon (and most of the evening too, come to think of it) was spent at Bill's apartment in Carrboro, along with a seemingly never-ending supply of wine. Not bad, considering that I met him for the first time on Friday night. Bill is another of what I call 'mirror-images' - computer nerds who seem to have much less trouble with life than I do, in that he wasn't the wallflower sitting around most of the time. I wish I could borrow a little of that energy sometimes.

Anyway, despite my long-standing feelings of inadequacy (many of which are just a product of my mind, after all), much fun was had by all, with people choosing between the Hilton Sisters and the Olsen Twins, a man called Elbow, phantom fan letters to Natalie Portman, and Christa's repeated attacks on the tomato supply.

It got a little colder outside, so we retreated indoors, where things took on a sleepier tone. At which point, Christa decided that she was going to go home to bed instead of the show. Which didn't go down well with everybody else. They tried cajoling her, but to little avail, and then they were forced to give away their secret:

The others were planning on springing a surprise party of Christa, Naomi, and me afterwards. Shock! I must admit that I thought they were joking to try and get Christa more enamoured with the idea of going to the show. But no, they really had talked about it for ages, keeping it a fairly-well guarded secret.

In the end, we compromised; Christa went off home to rest, but promised to come along to Collin's later. The rest of us headed to the show: The Rosebuds at the Cat's Cradle. Now, I hadn't heard them before, but I was quite impressed; an indie band styled on UK indie staples like Ash and Spearmint, rather than too many American ones. And Collin gave me their album for my birthday, so hurrah!

The party turned out to be a little subdued (especially since Laura and Naomi had fallen asleep waiting for us, and were thus absent), but it was nice and cosy. New Order videos, breaking in my camera, and an INVASION OF THE POLKA-DOTS!

A day full of ups, downs, lefts, rights, sun-dried tomatoes, dress-up closets, autistic worms, and men in fat suits slapping each other. A day of Carrboro in all its glory.

Tonight? Well, we're heading off to see I LOVE YOU, BUT I'VE CHOSEN DARKNESS. On the strength of their name alone.

currently playing: belle and sebastian – to be myself completely

Running Interference

Nothing, not even Naomi, can stop Christa from getting her tomato fix!

They Are Among Us

Look at him. Plotting and scheming to bring down the entire human race!

Or he could be resting. STILL, I DON'T TRUST HIM.