sailorzeo | Boy, I'm Full (Reply)

What is it about vacations that seem to turn them into eat-a-thons? Anyway, we dropped Jess off at the airport around 4:15 for her 5:35 flight (time to get ticket, check in, etc), and I came home and napped until, well, twenty minutes ago (7:30ish). Let's see if I can remember everything we did this week:

Tuesday: Picked Jess up at airport. Picnic lunch by Lake Crabtree (egg salad: six hardboiled eggs, miracle whip, spicy mustard, paprika, onion powder). Hung out at home, ran out to Apex to get Matt's check, then out to the Guardian Angel Thrift Shop in Fuquay-Varina. Didn't find any buys, but found some good laughs. Matt made hamburgers for dinner, then Matt and I had book study at 7:30 (she called Drew while we were gone).

Wednesday: AM, decided to go to museums. Found the museum, but couldn't navigate the one-way roads around the center of Raleigh to get to the parking lot. Wound up back on Glenwood Ave, and Crabtree Village Mall. Did some mall walking; Jess got a bottle of lotion on sale at Bath and Body Shop (White Tea and Ginger). Back home, I still hadn't gotten my check from the credit union (that was supposed to be my spending money for the trip). We were hungry, and Matt approved spending from the account, so, Chinese. I got two orders of General Tso's (one for me, one for Matt) and an order of fried wontons (mmm). Jess got a lunch portion of sweet and sour chicken (an old standby). Hang out, watch tv, nap. Then we went to Danny's Barbecue for dinner. Matt just got dessert (blackberry cobbler with ice cream), and Jess and I both got the pork loin "lighter side" platter: tossed salad and a slice of Texas Toast. I also got a side of potato salad, since I love their potato salad.

Thursday: Museums, take two. This time, Matt drove. We hit Coffee N Crepes first, for well, coffee and crepes. Except I decided to try some of their pastries this go-round: chocolate toffee bar and a chocolate croissant, with a chilled white chocolate mocha (needed sugar). Matt got a Southern Pecan flavored coffee and a western omlette crepe. Jessica got a vanilla chai latte and a strawberry crepe.
First museum up was the NC Museum of History. There were some interesting exhibits, Stitched from the Soul, a display of African-American quilts from the Civil War era to WWII, and the exhibit America's Secret Warriors: The OSS and the George Watts Hill Collection, displaying some very interesting real-life spy accoutrements.
Next was the NC Museum of Natural Science. Matt and I had both been there before, and they didn't have any new special exhibits this time, so we sort of blasted through that one. :)
Chili and cornbread for dinner (chili: pound and a half of ground beef, olive oil, minced garlic, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, diced tomatoes with green chilis, diced tomatoes, mexican style chili beans, kidney beans, and tomato sauce. Cornbread: flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk, oil). Jess called Drew around seven. :)

Friday: Drew called Jessica in the morning. :) Harris Teeter brownie muffins for breakfast.
We'd seen in a brochure and online that there was supposed to be this massive craft show at the NC State Fairgrounds. Now those, I can find no problem. In fact, I know three different ways to get there. But once we got there...there was no craft show. There was a cattle show, and a boat show, but no craft show. So instead, it was the NC State Art Museum. Kind of blasted through that one, too. Got home around 1; Matt was still sleeping (he worked an overnight Thursday 10 pm to Friday 10 am--came home and just toppled over the arm of the couch and was OUT), so Jess and I changed into swimsuits and hung out at the pool until about 3:30. Back to the apartment, showers, and got ready for Sweet Tomatoes.
Now, we were supposed to meet Matt's friend John there, but John never showed. So we just had a very good dinner, including the hot lemon lava cake (that is SO fun to say!), then back home for Danny Phantom: Reality Trip, and the season one finale of Doctor Who (Drew called Jessica at 9 pm).

Saturday: I slept until 9 am. It was ten before we got up and out. :-P Noon, we went to Connelly's Irish Pub for lunch. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip (they use HUGE chunks of artichoke!!), Matt and Jess got the fish and chips, and I got the Mullingar boxty (beef brisket braised in Guiness, mmm). Walked a bit, to find someplace selling phone cards so Jess could pick up a cheap one (she only brought half her cell phone charger with her and wanted it in case she had to call someone at the airport). Then walked over to Goodberry's for Carolina Concretes (like Blizzards, only made with their fresh frozen custard and any number of toppings). Matt and I both had mediums. His was the featured flavor, chocolate malt custard with almonds and peanut butter fudge. I had chocolate with mint syrup and Oreos. Jess had a small, lite vanilla custard with cherries, pineapple and macadamia nuts.
Back home, hung out, watched Mythbusters until 4, when we took her to the airport.