We Love Durham NC

New Science Museum Cow

I just read in the NCMLS newsletter that the cow was euthanized. He had some terminal diseases. There’s a new Jersey calf, but I’ll miss the big guy.

In other news, here’s a list of the improvements that will be made possible when you vote Yes to the bond issue giving money to NCMLS.

And this Halloween activity, that I’m going to just paste in:

Please come in costume and enjoy a full day of Halloween activities:
• Spooky Storytime
• Masks & Costumes
• Creep Cart - meet a salamander and a toad!
• Snakes Alive!
• Mummies - Make and Take

We’ll also have our Halloween Health Lab: What happens to the sugar in Halloween candy once you eat it? How does it affect your body? Come by the Lab to test fake blood samples with a glucose monitor, and learn why some people must closely watch their blood sugar levels. Information on diabetes, preventing sugar swings, and the debate about candy and hyperactivity!

All activities included in the price of admission, *F-R-E-E* for members!

Bagels

The Einstein Everything Bagels at South Square Target are like [insert your favorite addictive substance here]. They are warm and soft in the morning and gone before evening.

Rain, Glorious Rain

The girl made up some new words to the Rain song.
Rain, rain
Stay and stay
Stay and stay and stay and stay
Stay and stay, stay and stay
Stay and stay and stay and stay!

I agree completely. Do stay a spell.

Comfort Food

I never thought I would be comfortable eating dinner so close to a highway overpass, but through some combination of atmosphere and pizza goodness, Mellow Mushroom manages to pull it off. Nice.

Notes from the Inaugural Walkabout

We parked at the bottom of the hill and walked/scootered to the center of downtown. The goal was to have a little walk, absorb a little Durham, and grab a Locopop. The walk up was not bad. There are a lot of driveways to have to stop and wait for everyone to catch up. Saw one of the Zombie Lurch cars. The planned bathroom stop at the Marriott wasn’t comfortable–I don’t think the bathrooms are actually public, and dragging kids in beside a bar full of people networking during a conference not such a good idea. The fountain outside was off. Locopops was closed (in that location only; Hillsborough is open) for the winter. Okay, so far, so not good. Quick save by stepping over to Blue Coffee Cafe to try some of their 24-flavors of soft serve. Blueberry and blackberry, getting better. Blue Coffee is the little living room of the downtown–comfy couches, reading material, toys. After a short break to dig through the toy box and then a quick hug to Major outside, we zoomed back down the hill to play on the turtle at Central Park and then back to the car. Took about an hour, learned a lot for next time.

Unmarked Police Car

There have been reports of an increase in tickets given on Hope Valley Road, and I’ve seen more cars pulled over there and on Martin Luther King, and on University Drive. Yesterday I saw an officer in an unmarked police car nab someone. It was really unmarked… not one of those dark blue Lincolns with tinted windows, but rather a small, dirty blue Chevrolet.

Midway Truants

Rumor has it that Durham City Schools used to let school out for a day so students could go to the State Fair. I suppose all the testing has made days like that history, but I know some desks are empty this week anyway. The fair was full of children all afternoon.

Random notes: The deep-fried Snickers is not an urban legend. The Ring of Fire is very upside-down scary. The carnival games are unwinnable, unless you find the design sketches online, build your own, and practice all year, which I fully intend to do–I want that 6-foot tall Scooby Doo! The lack of rain meant the Dorton Arena waterfall was turned off, and that the should-have-been-least-attended weekday was pretty crowded. I bet fair revenue is up this year.

Broad Street Cafe Kids’ Night

The Broad Street Cafe has restarted their Sunday kids’ nights. We like to drink root beers and then run up and down the long room sugar-rushing to the music.

Pumpkin Patch in Durham

We all learned many things today at the farm. We found a Durham pumpkin patch–Ganyard Hill Farm.
1. Pigs have teeth.

2. Cotton balls grow on plants.

3. Goats like to climb.

4. Milk comes from a cow.

5. The drought is bad even out in the county.

Woohoo farm. We each got a pumpkin. Here’s a picture of mine. Third row, second over. No, second row, second over. No, really, this one in the first row. Wait! What about over here…

I’m Cold

Since all I did in Durham today was to leave several times to drive to Chapel Hill, I’ll just repeat what I heard over and over: It’s cold outside. I had the windows wide open. I nearly put on a jacket but remembered to relish being not-hot for a second. I hope Fall is finally here for good. (Some rain would be nice.)

Shops near Alivia’s

I have vague recollections of Durham from the late 80s. Didn’t have a car, so everything would have been within walking distance. I was just thinking about a shop near Old Hillside High that a trendy friend dragged us to for dangly 40s-style earrings and long white satin gloves (to go with the Knights in White Satin prom theme, of course). I’ve been puzzled where this shop was/is, and driving by these shopfronts being renovated it hit me! DSA = [that old high school that we thought was Hillside but now I know was Durham High School]. There it is. I can’t wait to see what goes in there.

Vote Today!

…especially if you live in the precinct that sends you to Christ the King Moravian Church (near all the construction on Hope Valley Road) so you can pop into the ladies’ room while you’re there to see the upholstered stalls. Each pink stall has a little curtain! A sink skirt, matching wall border, solid-wood furniture, and flower arrangements finish out the look on this adorable room.

Eno River Wine

Wine Authorities does carry one North Carolina wine… from Durham! Durham County, to be specific. It is a white, very light and grape-y.

It’s a Pickle… It’s a Rocket… It’s the University Club!

The boy was beside himself to learn that mama was going into the rocket building, and, you know, I try to be cool and all, but I was pretty tickled to party in the swankness. Quick 17-floor ride in the shiny elevator to the wood-paneled, low-lighted, teeny tiny hors d’oeuvre-tempted opening reception took the edge off how old I must be to go to this number reunion. Too bad it was dark so I couldn’t see how far the view extends, but I’d bet it’s most of Southwest Durham. I could see an awful lot of lights.

New Water Restrictions Schedule

I received a recorded call saying I can only water my lawn and wash cars on Wed and Sat 5-9am and 5-9pm. I don’t water my lawn or wash my car as a rule. Do you think it would be okay if I just squirt my mums a tiny bit every evening? These poor mums, being raised in such an environment.