gboro

and now for something completeley different. . .

2005-10-18T16:49:00.000-05:00

First off, I'll reiterate that I do love gso and am psyched to have been a first-hand witness to so much excitement in this period of rejuvenation and redefinition. The crowded sidewalks on any given night, the stores filling spaces abandoned for years, the plans for new housing, offices, and retail. I mean, it's pretty damn impressive considering what the place looked like just five years ago.

Second of all, despite my enthusiasm and love for the community, I've actually jumped ship due to a job opportunity in DC. I do love gso and will always be a big fan/promoter of it, but this is the right move for me for now.

Thirdly and as a result, I'm probably not going to continue blogging on ole gso. I'm significantly out of the loop on a lot of things and as a result (JP's no more what? A new hair salon on Elm Street? 411 West Washington's progress? Etc. . . ), by the time I'd get around to blogging about it it'd be so-five-minutes-ago that it wouldn't be worth it.

I think I'm going to start a DC blog (not that you'd be interested if you're a gso-er), however, and will be sure to include the link to it here when I get around to it. . .

Anyway, thanks for reading!!!

Southern Void

2005-06-20T15:24:00.000-05:00

I guess I shouldn't reference something for which I have no details, but there is a meeting coming up regarding the redevelopment of South Elm Street south of Lee Street (the land where Action Greensboro initially proposed building the baseball stadium). Due to the poverty and perceived unsafety of the surrounding neighborhoods, I think whatever goes there needs to have a strong anchor that will serve to draw people and development to the area (as opposed to simply building housing and retail in hopes that people will follow). I wish Guilford Technical Community College could have developed their new campus in this area--as opposed to on the outskirts of town on Wendover--as I think GTCC could serve as just such an anchor. In Charlotte, by analogy, both the community college and Johnson and Whales have served as anchors for development in similarly situated areas and have been catalysts for other development.

As if that weren't enough . . .

2005-06-13T22:01:00.000-05:00

The News and Record reported this past weekend that a partnership bought the old Southeastern Building on the corner of Market and Elm Streets (across from the JP building) and plans to convert it into residential units on the top floors and retail/office on the bottom floors. The nine story building will be restored to its 1918 look, which had huge columns flanking the exterior of the first two floors along Elm and Market. Construction will not start for at least another year. I think that, if done right, this could be the most desirable apartment/condo building downtown.

Other newcomers to the downtown scene I left off my last update--Thai it Up (next to Blumenthal's on S. Elm) and the Pour House (where 360/The Blue Hour/etc. used to be . . . I predict another failure, not to be debbie downer). Also a Thai Restaurant is going in to the right of Fincastles, to open later this year.

Boomtown

2005-06-05T10:38:00.000-05:00

Lots has happened in downtown gso since my last posting. . .

1. Fincastles Opens - Fincastles is a diner-esque joint featuring hamburgers, homemade onion rings and the sort. In other words, not exactly a health food place, but thumbs up for providing yet another alternative to the late night and lunch options. I recommend the butter steak sandwich with extra Fincastle sauce and the onion rings. . . but not if you plan to kiss anyone within the 24 hr. period following . . .

2. Hemingway's Downtwon Gears Up - Not open yet (opens June 10th officially), but looks muy cool from the outside. I can't wait to check it out next week. Not to make you jealous, but I have tickets to the invite-only black tie opening this Wednesday.

3. Metro Gourmet Market Opens - AWESOME sandwiches (although the staff needs some practice putting them together--sloppy presentation thus far). My fave thus far is the Starmount.

4. Source 230 Prepares to open - This store, which will apparently sell "distinctive clothing for men" will open roughly across from 223 South Elm. Looks cool; has me curious.

5. Kristine's Boutique - On the corner of February 1 and South Elm; this is a store that sells women's bags and accessories. Great that retail is increasing downtown and empty storefronts are filling up; hopefully there will be enough foot traffic to support the businesses.

6. New Retail Spaces Prepared - Many new retail spaces are being prepared for new tenants, and hopefully tenants will follow. On McGee Street, the developers of Smothers Place have renovated what were boarded up stores and have for lease signs advertising the space. The store to the right of Fincastles is being renovated by Milton Kern. Likewise, the ground floor of the office building on the corner of Elm and February One--directly next to the Elm Street Center--is being renovated for either retail or office use.

7. Southside Development Booms - There are numerous additional phases of Southside under construction currently or planned for the near future, most of which sell out quickly (you can check out some of the upcoming developments at www.ohenrybuilders.com) . Milton Kern is also planning a development in Southside, although I've been unable to find out any details regarding where it will be or what type of development it will be. Having home ownership in the center city is vital to its stability and growth.

8. Kavanagh Homes Plans Townhomes Near Ballpark - Kavanagh Homes plans to build townhomes on Bellemeade Street near the ballpark. Although I think that area is ripe for develoment and would be a great place to invest, I am skeptical about the involvement of Kavanagh Homes. Their developments typically lack quality and originality. The News and Record recently reported that the town homes planned will be covered in vinal siding for 3/4 of the exterior, which is not in keeping with the historic Westerwood Neighborhood in which they will sit. Hopefully Kavanagh will be more responsible and forego maximizing the dollars they could make off of the development in favor of a development that will be an asset to the community.

9. Departures and Setbacks - A few departures and setbacks accompany all of the positive news. First, the City Club, atop the Jefferson Pilot building, has closed. This is due to many factors, among them being the success of downtown in offering a lot of new upscale dining options. Second, the Southeastern Building (on the corner of Elm and Market across from JP), is hemhoraging tenants and falling into great disrepair. Fortunately the building is being sold in bankruptcy proceedings, so hopefully someone will buy it and reverse the trend. Third, the Civil Rights Museum's opening has been delayed yet again. Hopefully things aren't being mismanaged and the opening will occur as quickly as possible, as this could be an asset to downtown.

damn, this traffic jam . . .

2005-03-06T09:34:00.000-05:00

way to feel like a big city. . . Driving home at 1:00 a.m. last night I actually found myself stuck in traffic--in downtown Greensboro no less. Cabs, limos and people desparate for that prime parking spot made me have to wait through several Elm Street stoplights. And there were people everywhere lining up to get in clubs, walking from one bar to another and satisfying the late night food cravings at the various eateries still open (Pizzaria L'Italliano, the hot dog vender on the corner of Elm and Washington, and Natty Greene's downstairs).

I was impressed.

Of course, instead of joining in on the fun, I came home and went to bed.

I'm such a rockstar.

The New North State

2005-02-24T22:04:00.000-05:00

FINALLY today plans were disclosed for the redevelopment of the old North State Chevrolet site by the new baseball stadium downtown. The article from the News and Record follows below if you missed it. The Triad Business Journal reports that a grocery store may also be in the mix for the $60+ million development.

Shops, homes planned near ballpark
2-24-05
By Nate DeGraff, Staff Writer
Updated 4:30 p.m.
GREENSBORO — The owners of the North State Chevrolet property revealed their plans for shops and hundreds of homes today, hoping that the city will help pay for the massive downtown project.
Blueprints for the development, dubbed “Bellemeade Village,” show a sweeping mini-town straddling Smith Street, complete with retailers, a hotel, underground parking and more than 300 apartments and condominiums. A new road would slice through the project, which sits on a choice 6-acre tract just beyond the left-field wall of First Horizon Park.
The tract is owned by brothers Steve and Jim Jones, who are planning a giant mixed-use development for the site. (Photo courtesy of Jim and Steve Jones)
More details will be revealed this spring. Construction could start within a year.
“It’ll be the largest urban development Greensboro’s ever seen,” said Steve Jones, who co-owns the property with his brother Jim.
Some of the funding for the $70-$100 million project could come under Amendment One, a change in the state constitution which gives local governments the authority to borrow money for certain economic development projects without going to a bond referendum. Voters narrowly approved Amendment One last fall.
Ray Gibbs, president of Downtown Greensboro, Inc., said Amendment One money could fund 5 to 10 percent of the Bellemeade Village project. The funds would be used for parking and streetscapes, he said. A proposal could be brought to the city this summer.
"It really is exactly what Amendment One talks about," Gibbs said Thursday.
The developers approached city officials Wednesday with a prospective request for assistance. In a meeting with Mayor Keith Holliday, Council member Tom Phillips and City Manager Ed Kitchen, the developers asked about the city possibly borrowing money to build a parking deck and pay for roadway work around the project.
The city may opt to use Amendment One, which means the loans would be paid off with the increased property taxes the owners would pay. For instance, the city could build a parking garage that would be used by the residents and retail shops.
Phillips said the city’s involvement is still in the “conceptual” stage and no promises had been made to the developers. Holliday said that the city would do what it could to make the Bellemeade Village project work, but he said that more details would be needed before any city aid is pledged.
But Holliday and others said they liked the plans for the land and said it would be a great addition to downtown.
“These guys are trying to think outside the box,” Holliday said. “Hopefully it’s well received.”
Phillips agreed that the shops and homes will do well near downtown.
“There’s so much traffic that goes past there, I can’t help but feel that it will succeed,” Phillips said.
Holliday noted the irony that the developers want to add a street only a block away from where the city closed Lindsay Street to make way for the new stadium.
“With the baseball stadium, we closed a street,” he said. “With this one, we’re adding a street.”
If built, the project will also likely spur more development at the downtown’s northwest edge.
One hot tract is the Guilford County office building at West Lindsay and North Eugene streets. The building now houses the county’s tax collection department, but those offices will move to the nearby Independence Center as long as the county makes good on plans to buy it.
That would leave the old tax collections complex empty. Developers have been inquiring about the property for months.
“I would think the board (of commissioners) will probably put it on the market as soon as we can vacate it,” said David Grantham, the county’s property management director.
Bellemeade Village could also be a boon to existing businesses that don’t see much walk-up traffic in that part of downtown.
“I think it’d be great,” said Jimmy Contogiannis, who co-owns Acropolis, a nearby restaurant. “Because once everything gets built, you’ll have more people who are able to walk to the restaurant.”

Burned out, green and artsy

2005-02-11T19:07:00.000-05:00

So there are a few more exciting things to report regarding the evolution of downtown Greensboro that made the news this week. . .

First of all, the burned out building in the 200 block of South Elm (former home to the Mantelworks Restaurant? before my time. . . ) has been bought by the developers of Smothers Place Lofts. They plan to tear it down within the next two weeks and replace it with a six story mixed use (residential and office) building. While it is sad to see such an old facade disappear from the downtown landscape and the height of the proposed development may be inappropriate for this stretch of Elm, this building has been a blight on downtown for many years. Further, bringing more office space and residences to the south end of downtown will be a good addition to the mix. Construction probably won't start for another year or so.

Secondly, the city of Greensboro has finalized plans for streetscape improvements to the south end of Greene Street. The interesection of McGee and Greene will feature a roundabout and the stretch between McGee and Washington will feature angled parking and a median in the middle of the road. Trees and lighting will also enhance the soon-to-be completely two-way road. The improvements will make the area much more pedestrian friendly and downtown easier to navigate by car.

Finally, Downtown Greensboro Inc. has commissioned artists to create unique way finders throughout downtown. Visitors will be guided through downtown by a series of unique yet informative pieces of art. Very cool.

Best of in Greensboro

2005-02-07T22:31:00.000-05:00

GoTriad! polled the public at large regarding the "best of's" in Greensboro a couple months ago. I really disagree with most of the results and wonder who exactly responded to the poll (e.x., the "best brunch" in the triad went to "Waffle House"--ARE YOU KIDDING ME??). Hopefully most of the responses were well executed pranks.

Anyway, here is my personal "best of" list for Greensboro:

1. Best Coffee Shop: The Green Bean
Nods: Tate Street Coffee

2. Best Fine Dining: The Undercurrent
Nods: Cafe Nouveau, 223 South Elm, Southern Lights, Revival Grill

3. Best Night Club: Heaven
Nods: Sky Bar

4. Best Neighborhood Bar: Fisher's
Nods: M'Couls, Westerwood Tavern

5. Best Steak: Ruth's Chris
Nods: The Chop House

6. Best Bar: M'Couls
Nods: The Tap Room, Next Door Tavern, Fishbone's

7. Best Sweet Tooth Satisfier: Ganache
Nods: Cheesecakes by Alex, Simple Kneeds Bakery

8. Best Apartment Complex: The Lofts at Greensborough Court
Nods: Country Club Apartments, Lincoln Greene

9. Best Park: Guilford Battleground
Nods: Center City Park, Country Park, Latham Park

10. Best Burger: Natty Greene's
Nods: Wild Magnolia Cafe,

11. Best Pizza: Brixx
Nods: Pieworks, The Tap Room

12. Best Mexican: Baja Fresh
Nods: Wholly Guacamole, Moe's, La Bamba

13. Best Brunch: Southern Lights
Nods: Cafe Europa, Lucky 32, Green Valley Grille

14. Best Grocery Store: Harris Teeter at Friendly
Nods: The Fresh Market, Earth Fare

15. Best Wine Store: Zeto's
Nods: Total Wine, Wine Warehouse

More to come . . .

Coming Soon to Downtown Greensboro

2005-02-06T22:17:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty excited about the work in progress that is downtown Greensboro. Here are a few of the things coming to the center city in the near future to which I'm most looking forward:

1. Hemingway's Downtown--a (supposedly) swanky new martini bar opening up on the first floor of the Elm Street Center (the home of the Empire Room and the Idiot Box) in April 2005. Even though downtown is heavy on the drinking establishments currently, we're still missing a jazzy, sophisticated place that doesn't blast its music.

2. First Horizon Stadium--the new baseball stadium also opening in April. It should add some excitement and variety to the mix of entertainment offerings in the center city.

3. Smothers Place Lofts--the first phase is nearing completion, and the development group is making significant headway on the renovation of the old Carolina Hotel on McGee Street into 4 live/work units. The 37+ resident/owners that this will bring downtown is great.

5. Center City Park--construction on the permanent center city park at Friendly and North Elm is scheduled to begin in June 2005. The plans for the new park look awesome--including a cool fountain, many trees and quiet shady spots, a green area for concerts, bathrooms, plantings, paths, etc. It will be cool.

6. 4 Mile Greenway Circling the Center City--although it will not be fully implemented for 10 years, the first stretch (known as the "Miracle Mile") from Spring Garden to somewhere in the Lake Daniel area should be complete in the next year or two. The bike trail/walking path will connect with the adjoining neighborhoods and reflect the area of downtown through which it passes, and it will connect with the greater framework of trails throughout Greensboro ultimately.

7. Large Music Venue--Milton Kern (a major downtown Greensboro developer) is developing a music venue in the South Elm/Lee Street area of downtown that will rival (or at least be similar to) Ziggy's in Winston and Cat's Cradle in Carrboro. It should be open within the year.

8. Extreme Makeover of Downtown Building--Action Greensboro is funding an extreme facade makeover of the building on the corner of South Elm and Washington Street, the home of "Thousands O' Prints." The makeover will take place this spring and will be a high profile three day event (analogous to the TV show's format). A charrette was held this weekend to get an idea of what the community wants to see done. The highly visible structure needs a renovation badly.

9. Minj--A new restaurant opening in the 300 block of South Elm. I have no idea what type of place it will be (the name sounds Asian or Indian), but it should add some needed diversity to the mix of dining options.

10. 2 Way Greene Street--I know it's dorky to get excited about this, but the City is going to implement significant streetscape improvements to Greene Street including making it two way, adding parking in the center of the street and putting in a roundabout at the corner of McGee and Greene. I think this will make Greene more pedestrian friendly and downtown easier to navigate.

e-Greensboro

2005-02-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

Here's a list of Greensboro-oriented websites I find useful:

NEWS/INFORMATION
www.news-record.com - the local newspaper; site updated throughout the day. Set for a huge overhaul soon.

triad.bizjournals.com/triad/ - business happenings in the triad

www.rhinotimes.com/gso - mildly entertaining but borderline annoying.

PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO
http://www.gotriad.com/ - website hosted by the News & Record that generally focuses on cultural aspects of the triad.

www.downtowngreensboro.com - a website devoted to downtown Greensboro. You can look up merchants/hotels/restaurants/bars/etc. and it usually highlights upcoming events downtown.

www.triaddiner.com - a comprehensive search engine of places to eat in Greensboro/the triad. It needs somewhat of an update to reflect changes in menus/hours/etc., but it's a great place to start when trying to figure out where to eat.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS
www.actiongreensboro.org - nonprofit catalyst for much of Greensboro's economic development. Their multi-faceted approach has revitalized downtown (funding--in significant part--the new baseball stadium, the new center city park, the civil rights museum, triad stage, the new greenway system, and various other developments planned and already in construction), attracted young professionals to the city, funded the public schools, merged local non-profits focused on economic development into one, more efficient organization, and done many more things for the city of Greensboro. Their website is updated every few weeks, but is interesting to read nonetheless.

www.downtowngreensboro.net - now a part of the merged organization discussed above, this group is charged with facilitating the efforts to revitalize the center city. Their website is updated frequently.

MOVE HERE

www.southsideneighborhood.com - cool mixed use urban infill; won award from EPA for smart growth.

www.yostandlittle.com - I like their property searching tool. 27401 is the zipcode for downtown (but they don't offer much in the way of good downtown options other than governor's court--which you can check out at www.governorscourt.com)

www.smothersplacelofts.com - downtown loft development. First phase sold out almost immediately; new phases coming soon (and will hopefully be described in detail on their website).

I'm so cultural

2004-10-07T15:57:00.000-05:00

I just went with my dad to see a play at the Broach theater here in downtown gso (I know, I know, I am sooooo cultural). Has anyone been to the Broach? First of all, the play ("Underpants") was pretty funny. I hear that most of their shows rock. But secondly, I was--and I kid you not--the youngest patron there by 30 years. Lots of little old white headed ladies, kids. And third, it sounded like the freaking sick ward in that place--hacking and coughing and sneezing and blowing. Good lord, people--take some nyquil, go to bed, most importantly, STAY THE HELL HOME. So I am probably infected with some virus now, but it was a fun night with the pops.

Odorless

2004-10-05T21:48:00.000-05:00

UPDATE -- Pooter apparently couldn't bring himself to show up for another week of yoga after his performance last week. So yoga was fart-free last night. And a little boring. Could there be a connection?

Drinking problem

2004-10-05T21:47:00.000-05:00

Those who know me well know that I drink a ridiculous amount of milk. And I mean r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s. But I may have hit rock bottom. Just went to my refrigerator to find that I've gone through one gallon--an entire gallon--today. By "today" I mean that I opened it this a.m. and it's gone this p.m.. Splorg.

Only four more days . . .

2004-10-04T21:48:00.000-05:00

until the weekend. Boo-yah. As a federal employee, I have next Monday off. Can I get a "hell yeah"??!! Gotta love government work. I'm currently undecided about my long-weekend plans and am open to suggestions. My old roommate and his girlfriend want to get a taste of GSO nightlife on Saturday night (my old roommate's currently living in Danville, VA, so GSO is an entertainment mecca in comparision). I haven't fully committed to hosting them yet. I've got the urge to go somewhere fun. D.C.? N.Y.C.? High Point? Or maybe not High Point. But I think I'm going to develop a nervous twitch if I stick around this place much longer. To quote the Dixie Chics, you could say that I'm ready to run. Or you could say that I'm ready for wide open spaces. Or something about a sin wagon. Point being, I'm ready to do something fun this weekend.

don't you hate it when . . .

2004-10-01T21:50:00.000-05:00

I've reached an all time low. I actually found myself trying to think of office humor today at work: "don't you hate it when you go to make a copy and the last person didn't hit 'clear' so you make like 300 double sided copies when you only needed 1 single sided copy?" and no, the jokes I came up with weren't even funny. I wept when I realized what I was doing. So I'm taking suggestions for (legal) ways to avoid the inevitable lifetime of work ahead of me. Hitting it big in stand-up comedy was ruled out as a viable means to this end today.

middle school humor

2004-09-30T21:51:00.000-05:00

So in an effort to be alterna-cool, I signed up to take a yoga class (ok, MAYBE I actually wanted to try it out and have heard it's a good workout. Or maybe alterna-cool just comes naturally for me).

Anyway, at class this week, I'm focusing, I'm balancing, I'm contemplating, I'm breathing, I'm doing it all . . . until the guy next to me--I kid you not--farts. And I mean, a loud one. Right in the middle of the "triangle" pose. Well, my humor apparently remains influenced by the middle school years, as the whole yoga experience was ruined for me: I laughed and couldn't focus again. How embarassing--I was totally "that guy," as no one else even cracked a smile (freaking alterna-too-cool-for-themselves people). I hid it somewhat, but still. I'm not sure who had it worse--pooter or me.

Sundaze

2004-09-26T21:52:00.000-05:00

I, unlike everyone else in the world, officially love weekends. Today, for instance, I slept until 11. I popped in church for a bit--keeps me angellic. Brunch with my best friends from out of town (we went to Lucky 32). Went to Petland and pretended to be interested in buying a puppy. Napped. Ran. Ate. Watched t.v. And here I am now. In other words, the perfect day. Good times.

Natty Greene's Brew Pub

2004-08-11T09:01:00.000-05:00

Not to brag, but I think I'm becoming somewhat of a connoisseur of Natty Greene's, the new brewery in downtown GSO. And by "connoisseur," I mean "dangerous alcoholic who spends most of his time there." Here's my take on it:

Atmosphere-wise, the place is cool inside and out. There are lots of bar games (darts, pool, shuffleboard, etc.). Drinks are fairly cheap (my standard drink, red bull and vodka, is actually quite cheap at Natty Greene's). Their beer is pretty good. I like the stout. I can't honestly say that I really like the food, which is a bit of a downer. Even for typical bar food, it's not all that.

eggs and teens

2004-07-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

I hate teenagers. Even though it wasn't that long ago that I was one, I hate them. TWICE now in the past two weeks my car has been egged by late night revellers. And no, it's not a case of me being singled out by someone who hates me (but thanks for the vote of confidence if you thought that. . . ), as I'm not alone on my block in being victim to this annoyance.

So now, if you are lucky enough to ride in my car, you will enjoy the lovely aroma of the rotting eggs that have seeped into my air intake. Please try not to vomit.

Ideas for Downtown Greensboro

2004-07-18T12:36:00.000-05:00

Here's a list of things that I think downtown Greensboro needs (all of which I think would thrive). Normally I favor independent unique stores/restaurants over corporate chains, but I think a couple non-local things could enhance the downtown area.

These ideas are gold, I tell you, GOLD. So if you've got some cash to invest in the g-spot, feel free to use any of the following:

1. A Sullivan's Steak House/Martini bar, perhaps in the old Silver's Dime store on the corner of Washington and South Elm (currently home of Glitters but the building is available for redevelopment). There's no steak house for power lunches/dinners downtown. Neither is there an upscale (non-clubby feeling) bar catering to the upper twenties/early thirties group.

2. I think that the first two floors of the Greensboro Bank and Trust building across the street from the old Silvers building would be a great spot for a Borders Book Store. The chain is known for taking risks with urban locations, and that would be a really impressive space for such a store.   The retail spaces on the ground floor of that building (facing Washington Street) could also be utilized better to increase foot traffic in the area. The increasing density in the center city could sustain such development.

3. An independent movie theater, possibly in a mixed use redevelopment at site of the old North State Chevrolet Dealership by the new stadium. A place for indie/obscure films would be a cool addition to downtown.

4. A live music venue, analogous to Ziggy's in Winston or Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill/Carrboro.   There's currently no indoor place in Greensboro to host moderately big bands, so you're either going to be crammed into a bar listening to some no name band or at the coliseum watching NSYNC.

5.  A trendy independent clothing retailer. There's currently no place (that I know of, anyway) in the entire city that sells high-end jeans (like Seven or Blue Cult), for instance.  With several colleges and a growing young professional crowd, Greensboro could support a place that sells cool clothing. And the center city would be a good host to such a store.

All by myself . . .

2004-07-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

don't want to be, all by myselllllf.

I am pretty sure that this blog is a one man show at this point. How does one get noticed in the wide world of the web?? Must I start slumming through chat rooms and shamelessly promote this dandy little blog I have going on here? Should I really whore out this deep and meaningful introspective journal of my thoughts and feelings as a one who is new to gso just for the sake of a comment or two from someone?

I digress.

Went to Barnes and Noble tonight--the good folks at the Green B. are probably getting sick of seeing my mugg there every night (plus B&N is open later). Not to mention the fact that I fear the GB people are beginning to think I'm a loser--all I do is go study ("all by myself," if you will) in the back. I figure if I skip a night here and there they may (however wrongfully) think I have a life outside of my stupid flashcards and law books.

ok, time for bed. until next time.

ps--I do, in fact, have a life outside my stupid flashcards and law books; it's just on hold for the time being.

Rain

2004-07-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

So I was about to leave the Green Bean tonight after a couple of hours of studying there when I looked outside to see what must have been an unforeseen hurricane in downtown Greensboro. I mean, it was POURING. Donning my flip flops and loaded down with a backpack and a couple big law books, I decided to make a run for it. My car--parked in a parking lot across the street--seemed a reasonable distance to run without getting too soaked.

So I open the front door, start my sprint, when all of the sudden a homeless person starts running beside me asking me for change. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME??!! Do I look like I'm in the mood to stop and check my pockets buddy?

I kept running and he got the picture. Karma dictated that my door remote wouldn't work when I got to my car, though, so I had to stand beside my ride for a few seconds trying to open the thing. good times.

The G-Spot

2004-07-11T22:06:00.000-05:00

So I moved to Greensboro, NC (aka, the g-spot, g-vegas, the boro . . . you get the idea) about a month and a half ago. And let me tell you something--it's thrilling. THRILLING.

OK, it hasn't really been that thrilling, but that's probably because I'm studying for the NC Bar exam. For the non-lawyers in the crowd, that's the final ring of fire through which young lawyer-wannabes must jump to be admitted into the practice of law. It's in two weeks and I'm freaking out about passing, but thanks for asking.

Right, then, before I turn in to rest up for another exciting day of coffee, flashcards and practice exams, I'll let you know about some of the things that make me think that I may like this fair city:

1. The Green Bean (place is da bomb)
2. Ghassan's (I heart their steak and cheese)
3. Southside Neighborhood (I don't live there, but I just think it's a really cool vision--I drive through daily to see its progress. Yes, I am a dork.)
4. SRI Shoe Warehouse
5. Taste of Thai
6. Triad Stage (I saw driving mrs daisy)
7. Simple Kneads
8. The Tap Room (in particular, their Thai Chicken Pizza)

I'm sure there are more, but I'll leave you hanging for the rest.

Does anyone read this??!!

A bad day for birds and cars

2004-06-27T11:43:00.000-05:00

A bird's nest fell on my car last weekend. And by "fell", I mean "exploded from a tree above." It took the people at auto bell two runs through the car wash to clean the mud and twigs and crap off of my ride. good times.