Ginny from the Blog

It was a long winter. Seriously, I think winter 2009 has been my worst yet. I still feel like I’m thawing out and getting my Ginny groove back. It started just before Christmas, when my grandma passed away. Once that happened, I just sort of gave up on all the fun things I enjoyed and wrapped myself in a cocoon with my boyfriend and cats. I’m slowly starting to emerge, and I hope that means you’ll see more of me on my blog.

My sincere apologies to all the PR people and event organizers who have e-mailed me in recent months seeking coverage. Don’t give up on me, just be patient as I find my footing again in the social world. So let me jump back in …

Here are some not-to-be-missed Triangle events that are coming up this month:

* Durham Art Walk: More than 200 artists will have their works on display in downtown Durham on Saturday and Sunday, April 17 and 18. If you haven’t hung out in downtown Durham recently, this is an excellent reason to head over to the Bull City. Make a full Saturday out of it by starting at the Durham Farmer’s Market, then go across the street to the Scrap  Exchange and get lost in the randomness of recycled materials before heading downtown for art and lunch.

* Raleigh World Beer Festival: The annual event is Saturday April 24, which breaks my heart because it conflicts with my other must-attend seasonal event — Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival (see below). So for the first time in three years, I will miss the festival. My beer gut will probably thank me, but I’m still bummed about it. Tickets are sold out, but if you must attend, you can always find some on Craigslist. I would not recommend spending more than $60 on a ticket — they cost about $50 if you order them online.

* Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance: This four day festival on a farmstead in Chatham County is the only event I can think of that would justify me ditching beer fest. The music — everything from Bela Fleck and Rusted Root to Bowerbirds and Midtown Dickens — the camping, the camaraderie, the yoga, the rock gardens, the Earth Day fair, the games … it’s a blast and worth every penny. Tickets are $90 for all four days, or you can pack up the kids (children 12 and under are free) and head out to the family-friendly festival for the day. Here are details on ticket prices if you’re only going for one day.

* It’s baseball season already! The Durham Bulls have eight home games this month.

* Wicked: The hit Broadway musical flies into Durham Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, April 21 and will stick around until May 16. I’ve always wanted to see this musical. Everyone I know who has seen it says it’s remarkable. You better believe I’m going to be there on opening night. Bonus: There will be a limited number of orchestra seats available for $25 before each performance.

Random free fun:

* New Deal and Barbie: The North Carolina Museum of History has a couple of neat exhibits right now. “In Search of a New Deal: Images of North Carolina, 1935-1941″ is a powerful photo exhibit documents rural North Carolina during the Great Depression. And no matter how the recession has impacted your life, I guarantee this exhibit will make you feel better about your circumstances. After you finish up that emotional exhibit, head downstairs to see the small display of Barbies. “Barbie — Simply Fabulous at 50″ features dolls and commercial from 1959 to present day.

And on a more practical note:

* Shred-It: Saturday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Colony Tire in Cary. Shred boxes of documents for free! OK, it’s been six months since I quit NBC17 and believe me, I haven’t looked back. I didn’t enjoy volunteering for Shred-It, but employees are pretty much don’t have a choice but to sign up and work at this event. The only good thing I can say about it is that it truly is a great opportunity to shred those shoe boxes of bank statements and love letters from your ex in one single toss.

So with that, my dear readers, I shall leave you. I hope this is a true spring reemergence for me. We shall see.

I remember when my life was divided by semesters and breaks. Halloween break. Winter break. Finals. Spring break. Finals. Summer vacation. It was a cycle I adored.

When I entered the Real World, those semesters and vacations were replaced with 10 vacation days provided by Corporate America. It wasn’t an easy adjustment. I remember wondering why 365 days suddenly felt like a lifetime. But I adapted.

This weekend I went to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., to watch my boyfriend’s kid sister graduate from college. When we pulled up to her 15-bedroom house in mid-afternoon, we were greeted by members of the football team chugging beer on the porch next door, tossing around some foamy Nerf ball and dodging traffic.

The sis kindly let us crash in her bedroom on graduation eve (apparently you must book a hotel room a year in advance for commencement day). But the constant *thump-thump-thump* of the bass from the party raging downstairs meant we would get very little sleep. But what were we thinking, going to bed at 12:30 a.m. and all?!

The next morning, the race for the shower began. A house full of graduates meant we got up crazy early for dibs on a hot shower. When we emerged downstairs, roommates donning caps and gowns were popping open bottles of champagne for their mimosa breakfasts. We opted for the nearby coffee shop.

We had fun watching the procession of graduates walking (in some cases stumbling) down the lawn. Many of them carried cartoon balloons so their families could spot them in the sea of faces and gowns.

It was fun to relive my college days. Lucky for us Triangle residents, we don’t have to travel far to embed ourselves in college culture with UNC, Duke and NCSU in our backyards. But, believe me, I was thrilled to snuggle up under the covers in my house the next night, with only the occasional meows from my cats to wake me up.

Do you remember making the adjustment from college life to Real World? Have you been back to college to relive the those fun days?

I’m writing this a little later than I would like, so I’m leaving off Friday events.

Here’s your list of some weekend to-dos in the Triangle:

SATURDAY

* It’s festival season. Here are a few you can check out today: Apex PeakFest, Wake Forest Meet in the Street Festival, Downtown Raleigh Festival of Hope, Carrboro Day, Strawberry Festival in Old North Durham Park. Of course there’s also World Beer Festival (which is where I’ll be), but I’m pretty sure both sessions are sold out. You may be able to find last minute tix on craigslist though. I wouldn’t advise paying over $65 unless you’re dying to go (they were about $60 each w/ fees for folks who ordered them online).

* If you love horses (or if a horse show is the closest your kid is going to come to getting a pony) then check out the May Days Annual Horse Show at the Hunt Horse Complex at the NC State Fairgrounds. The event is Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

* If you’re in the mood for comedy (you know I always plug comedy), the Triangle will see two professional comedians. You can see Bill Bellamy (who I’ll always remember from countless hours of watching “MTV Jamz” and “MTV Beach House”) at Goodnight’s Comedy Club in Raleigh. Or you can head to Durham Performing Arts Center to see the Mike Epps and Friends Comedy Show.

SUNDAY

* If you like jewelry, crafts, art, etc. do not miss The Handmade Market. The event features “hip handmade goods from 50 of the best and brightest independent designers, artists, and crafters from NC and beyond.” I went last year and walked away with a painting, keychain, necklace and an awesome seahorse shirt. (See pic I took at last year’s event on the right). The event is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Marbles Kids Museum.

* The May Days Annual Horse Show is also today (see above).

I’m positive there’s a lot more going on this weekend, but I didn’t have as much time to dig around this week as I would like. So, as always, feel free to add the weekend events you know about/are looking forward to in the comments section.

Have fun.

If you’re on Twitter, you’ve probably read something about the Raleigh Twestival. Details about it have been leaking out under the hashtag #RalTwestival for some time. Here’s what you need to know and why you should go.

What’s the point of Raleigh Twestival?

The Raleigh Twestival is the Triangle’s version of a fundraising event that will be hosted on the same night by Twitter communities in appx. 160 cities worldwide. The goal is to raise money for “Charity: Water” an organization that works to provide access to clean water in developing nations.

When and Where?

The party/fundraiser is from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday Feb. 12 at Edge Office in downtown Raleigh. This is the same cool space where we had the 30THREADS launch party and the most recent Triangle Tweetup.

What will the fundraiser be like?

Um, super fun! Among the highlights:

* The new Raleigh brewery Lonerider Brewing Company will be pouring its hefeweizen, Shotgun Betty, which must be pretty good b/c it received a favorable review on always-picky New Raleigh.

* A video booth where you can record a message to be posted on MyNC and the Twestival blog.

* A silent auction/raffle that includes items from local social media firms, giftcards, and a cute handcrafted Twitter necklace that I made especially for the event.

* A chance to socialize with all the Triangle Tweeps you’ve been following online, but missed at the Triangle Tweetup.

How much are tickets?

Tickets are $11.40 if you buy them in advance or $14 if you buy them at the door. All of the proceeds go to “Charity: Water.” If you can’t attend, but still want to show your support, you can make a $5 donation (or more) via the Raleigh Twestival website.

But I just went to the Triangle Tweetup two weeks ago, why should I pay to go to this?

The Triangle Twitter community has grown a lot in the past two years. It includes people of all different ages, professions, backgrounds and more. Tweetups usually have presentations and not enough time to socialize. This entire event will be a chance for you to socialize and network with all those new tweeps who you didn’t have time to meet recently. All the money goes to charity and it includes beer and food, so really it’s a great bargain.

I think Twitter sounds stupid, should I go anyway?

Absolutely. While this event is targeted toward people who already use Twitter, it’s not exclusively for Twitter users. So consider attending to meet an interesting cross-section of Triangle residents who appreciate the Internet (this does not mean we’re all geeks who blog in our pajamas). Also, this is a great event where single women can meet men and vice versa (so say my single Twitter friends). You may even leave the event convinced that you should join Twitter before it turns into the MySpace of the Internet.

I’m @GinnySkal, and this was your public service announcement about Twitter and Charity: Water. For more details, follow @RalTwestival on Twitter. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments section and I’ll try to get additional information to you.

It’s time for another 30THREADS Blogger Bash.

Make plans to pop by the Broad Street Cafe in Durham anytime between 6 and 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7.

The informal bash features light snacks and beer and, of course, a chance for me to meet you. If you’d like, bring a friend. Even if they don’t blog. It’s cool. We like new people.

So here’s what you do. Drive, walk or bike over to Broad Street Cafe. Open the door. Walk over toward the group of bloggers/blog readers (despite stereotypes, I doubt anyone will be wearing pajamas). Smile. Say hello. Grab some snacks. Get some beer (or soda, or water). And wait to be wowed by someone fabulous. There will be an interesting mix of folks, so it will be challenging not to meet one intriguing person. Find out how you can guest blog for 30THREADS. Chat with me a little. Say goodbye. Leave with a smile. Go home and watch the debate.

See, doesn’t that sound so easy and fun?

For more details, check this out.

You might think nothing can stand between a gal and her beer. That is, unless you take that gal to World Beer Festival in Durham. Hundreds of people stood in my way as I attempted to enter the festival Saturday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The line snaked around the ballpark from the entrance near the third-base line all way to centerfield. We took our spot in line at 6 p.m. (the scheduled start time) and didn’t get in until 6:45 p.m. A line is to be expected, but one entrance seems absurd. Rant over … now on to the goodness.

The beer, oh the sweet, wonderful beer. The IPAs, stouts, pale ales and fruity concoctions. I sipped on oh so many. Sadly, I forgot to write down the name of the IPA I was truly enamored with, but it’s hard to take notes when there’s so much going on.

Typically, Durham’s World Beer Fest is held at the Durham Athletic Park, the older of the two Durham Bulls ballfields. But that field is under renovation, so this year’s event was at the newer ballpark, where plastic flooring covered the field to prevent it from being stomped by drunken festival-goers. The location meant that some of the bathrooms in the concourse were open to us beer-drinkers, which eliminated the need to use the Porta-Potties (always a plus).

I was impressed with the number of Tweeple who were there (people who use Twitter). We managed to find each other without sending a single tweet. I was with @wiggitywack and we ran into @joesumney, @jefftippett, @taylorbarr (all of us are pictured here courtesy of @dgtlpapercuts). We also saw @thedynamo, @brianchappell, @paynetrain and possibly more. That’s a pretty impressive group of Tweeps to encounter in a ballfield filled with tipsy folks. And it also just goes to show why using Twitter in the Triangle is a fabulous way to meet new people. You can even follow the folks who organized the event, @allaboutbeer.

I was also impressed with the variety of food and how inexpensive it was. Two dollars bought you a fabulous taco from Chubby’s Tacos, which has received rave reviews in the Durham food blog world. Then there were the fabulous beer-fried jalepenos with cheese sauce, and much more.

You may remember from my post about the World Beer Festival in Raleigh where I fell in love with the Vanilla Porter by Breckenridge Brewery. Well, the brew was also available at the Durham festival. And when I made it to the booth, the guy pouring announced it was the last one. But he wouldn’t pour me more than two ounces, even though I declared it was my absolute favorite and that I even blogged about it (I’m not sure this guy even knew what a blog was, to be honest). So I tried sipping it down quickly so he’d refill my glass with another precious two ounces, but instead he handed it to the woman beside me and she poured the final ounces of tasty goodness into some random chick’s glass who I’m sure didn’t appreciate it as much as I would have.

So with the exception of the long line and the stingy Breckenridge pourer, the festival was completely worth the $45 ticket price.

Were you there? Share your experiences, photos and links with me. To see more of my pics, click here (look toward the bottom for the latest).

Cheers.

While wandering around downtown Raleigh during this weekend’s Raleigh Wide Open celebration, I couldn’t help but think that the Capital City has arrived. With the opening of the city’s new $221 million convention center (sorry, I can’t stop dropping that dollar figure) the celebration felt like a debutante ball for Raleigh.

Can you believe that since the beginning of 2006, 53 bars, restaurants and nightclubs have opened in downtown Raleigh? That’s according to the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, which tracks that sort of thing.

Here are the highlights from Raleigh Wide Open:

*Convention Center Opening.

The public got to see what its tax dollars went toward. Residents and out-of-towners alike wandered around the massive exhibition hall and roamed the other rooms and halls. The International Festival shared the hall with local businesses, providing an eclectic mashup that featured everything from Henna tattoos to free Segway demos.

*Street Festival

Fayetteville Street and several of her arteries were lined with vendors selling everything from deep-fried corn to wooden lawn ornaments. Parents pushed kids in strollers, a small circus train pulled families around and a mime entertained passers-by.

*Live Music

Ok, I admit I barely caught any of the bands, so I can’t offer any solid reviews. But Foreigner’s Lou Gramm seemed a hit with the crowd he drew Saturday night. And Chuck Berry’s almost rained-out performance received a favorable review.

*Parade

I’m a sucker for a cliche parade, and Saturday’s march down Fayetteville Street didn’t disappoint. The parade was incredibly short, featuring all the local news stations, a couple politicians, one band and a few businesses and nonprofits.

*The Beer Tent

I can’t believe the beer tasting wasn’t better advertised. Tucked beside the Wachovia building on Hargett Street was a tent filled with more than a dozen brewers from around the country. Ten dollars bought you a sample glass and a hole-punch card that allowed you eight samples. But most pourers weren’t stamping the cards, so the samples flowed.

Check out more of my pics.

I must complain about one small, petty thing. On Saturday afternoon I tried to go into the Marriott to show my friend the fancy lobby. But we were stopped by two bodyguards who looked like they should be looking out for Brittney Spears and not us Raleigh lovers. They told us only guests were allowed (even though I clearly wasn’t a guest when I toured the hotel a couple weeks ago).

Now I completely understand that they probably didn’t want a bunch of drunk people wandering around their halls, dirtying up their bathrooms and the like. But the city contributed $20 million in taxes to help foster the construction of the hotel. So I think that’s enough of a taxpayer contribution to allow the public inside for a quick tour. I’m only slightly bitter though.

What was your favorite part of Raleigh Wide Open (or any complaints that can be used for improvement next year)?

You’ll be able to get more than a hot dog and bag of chips at a vending cart in downtown Raleigh this weekend.

If you’re drinking at one of the bars in the Glenwood South district Friday night, you’ll have a chance to take an alcohol breath test, but it’ll cost you.

Yes, for $5 you can take an alcohol breath test (the term “Breathalyzer is a brand name, or I would just say that instead) at a push cart. The cart will be set up by Alcohol Educators, Inc. The service will let drinkers determine their blood alcohol concentration to help them determine whether they should drive home or not. The company’s slogan is apparently “DWI = $10,000. Knowing what you’d blow = Priceless.”

My guess is there will be more than one group of buddies who stumble upon on the vending service and challenge each other to see who can blow the highest BAC. But who knows, maybe the service will discourage someone from driving home with a BAC over North Carolina’s 0.08 percent legal limit.

The cart will be on the corner of Glenwood and Johnston Avenues (the same corner where Bogart’s is located) from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to a news release I read today. It won’t be there if there’s “inclimate weather” though.

Do you think this service will lead fewer people to drive home intoxicated or do you think it will spark more binge drinking among competitive friends?

I’m organizing a blogger bash with my friend and co-worker Wayne Sutton, and you’re invited. Here’s the deal. We want to meet and mingle with everyone who blogs and/or reads blogs in the Triangle.

So we’re inviting you all to a blogger bash from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 30. The bash will be at Edge Office, an awesome showroom in the heart of Raleigh’s Glenwood South, 400 Glenwood Ave.

And it really will be a bash! Big Boss Brewing Company will be on hand to serving the delicious Angry Angel, a pale German-style Ale. There will be some tasty BBQ from The Pit, a Raleigh restaurant that is so good it was recently featured on the Today Show.

The BEST PART is that Wayne and I will have an exciting announcement that you won’t want to miss.

So, even if you can only drop by for a little bit. Please do so. I’d love to meet you. And remember, you don’t have to blog to attend.

If you know you’re coming, drop me an e-mail or post a comment so I know to expect you. But if you’re like me, and it’s hard for you to plan that far in advance, then just show up. Just be sure to flag me down and say hello if you make it.

Blogging, Big Boss and BBQ, oh my.

I had no plan when I headed to downtown Raleigh Saturday afternoon. I didn’t even glance at the Indy to see if anything was going on. I figured I’d find something on such a lovely day. Here’s how my random Raleighness unfolded:

First I saw signs for the Handmade Market on West Street, so I had to pull over and check it out. I’m glad I did b/c I snagged some rad, crafty jewelry, an awesome piece of art and this cool seahorse shirt from Sew Bliss Sew.