Ginny from the Blog

I have mad parallel parking skills. Seriously, I can fit in spots that seem to be just a sliver of an inch bigger than my car. Granted, I have a short VW Golf, but still. Parallel parking is my thing.

Still, when I read this story about the city of Raleigh’s new found love of writing tickets to drivers who can’t park their cars precisely 12 inches or less from the curb, it seriously annoys me. I mean, it makes sense that cars shouldn’t have their rear ends poking out onto Hargett Street. But the number of tickets written for this offense in 2009 is insane.

The News & Observer reports that:

“The number of $20 fines slapped on cars parked more than a foot from the curb has skyrocketed, from just 379 in 2008 to 4,587 in 2009.”

That translates into $91,000 in fines in 2009, up from $6,325 in 2008, the N&O reports.

OK. So you might be sitting there thinking: “What’s the big deal? Drivers need to learn how to park or get fined.”

Well, consider this.

First, the N&O reports that the 12-inch rule isn’t even listed anywhere on the city’s brochure or website about parking rules.

Next, the N&O reports that the biggest increase started after new white parking were painted on the road in August as part of the city’s preparations for parking meters.

“Motorists park in the newly marked spots thinking that they’re in compliance as long as the cars’ wheels are within the white lines,” according to the N&O.

I can see how the lines might be a little misleading to drivers (take a look at the photo above, which shows off the lines on Fayetteville Street). That said, I’ve definitely been in the car with friends who — after parallel parking downtown — ask me to open the passenger door and see if their close enough to the car.

So, what do you think? Is the city being unfair by intensely enforcing the rule? Or should people just get over it and park closer to the curb?

If you have a minute, it’s definitely worth reading the full N&O story on the issue. It outlines how Durham and Charlotte officials enforce the rule and talks a little bit about why the city has increased enforcement on this issue lately.

Clothing swaps may be the best way to revive your wardrobe on a budget. I can’t believe I’ve never been to one given how much I love thrifting. And it looks like I won’t even get to make it to the next major exchange in the Triangle.

My beloved Scrap Exchange is hosting a clothing swap Saturday at Marbles Museum in Raleigh. “The Swap-O-Rama-Rama” is designed to promote creativity over consumerism. To hit that point home, they’ll have sewing stations set up around the event with designers to help you transform your new finds into something new-to-you.

Here’s how it works:

Participants bring unwanted clothing and accessories and the core of the swap is the gigantic piles of free clothing sorted into categories: pants, shirts, skirts, sweaters etc. These piles are the collective total of each participant’s contribution of one bag of unwanted clothes. Take home as much clothing as you can carry. Remainders go to Retails Thrift Store in Raleigh.

So, now for the bummer. I plan to be at the beach this weekend, so I won’t be able to swap my duds. Damn!

But please go for me and bring the whole family. The Scrap Exchange press release says the event is for women, men and children! It’s the seventh swap the Scrap Exchange has put on, so I’m guessing it’s probably pretty well-organized (look at the photo provided by Scrap Exchange executive director Ann Woodward for proof).

There’s a suggested $10 donation (kids are free though), but the Scrap Exchange is a non-profit, so if they make any money from the event, you can bet it’s going to a good cause. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Sept. 5.

Let me know if you score any fab finds.

When I drive across the Boylan Street Bridge, I brake a little so I can take in the downtown Raleigh skyline. The bridge offers one of the best views of the capital city’s growing skyline, and I never get tired of it.

Last night, the BF and I packed our video camera and a tripod and headed to the bridge. We plopped ourselves down near the center and recorded the sunset for nearly two hours to use for an upcoming project.

While sitting on the bridge, several cars slowed down to take in the view. At least two drivers stopped on the bridge (one to snap a photo with his cell phone, another to let a woman in the back seat take some photos). I was glad to see that I’m not the only one who brakes for the view.

What are your favorite spots to view the Raleigh or Durham skyline? Feel free to share some of your secrets.

You might remember that Subway was in Raleigh back in March to film one of its annoyingly catchy “$5 footlong” commercials. Anyone could audition for the commercial.

The commercial recently hit the airwaves and I just so happened to catch it the other night. I recorded it with my iPhone, and you can hear my cat meow at the end of it. Even so, I thought some of you might like to see it:

I was driving through downtown Durham Sunday when I spotted this mangled Herald-Sun box. Looks like a car smashed into it this weekend. A couple of other newspaper racks were tipped over too, including the Indy’s.

Also, I think it’s amusing that the photo of the Herald-Sun on the front of the rack features one of the stories I wrote when I worked for the paper about five years ago. I guess it can get pretty expensive replacing these advertisements, but it is interesting that they haven’t been swapped out of some Herald-Sun boxes for at least four years.

If you’ve noticed a splash of pink in downtown Raleigh this week, it’s because of the Susan G. Komen Triangle Race for the Cure.

I drove past the Sir Walter Raleigh statue in front of the Raleigh Convention Center last week and saw a group of women wrapping a tutu around his waist. I snapped these photos of Sir Walter’s new look on Friday. The Shimmer Wall, the Capitol Building and the Governor’s Mansion are other downtown sites that are supposed to be pink this week, but I haven’t had a chance to check them out yet.

The newly-dressed statue and other pink decorations downtown are part of the “Go Pink for the Cure” celebration, which is a week-long event leading up to Saturday’s race. It’s not to late to register for the race.

Triangle residents rejoice! It’s that time of year when the area starts coming alive with festivals, outdoor events, and more. The randomness that will ensue every weekend between now and fall will be so much fun. And I will try to keep you posted on some of the more interesting events (especially for families and those of us on a budget).

Let’s start with this weekend:

* Dog owners might want to take their pooches to Moore Square between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday for the SPCA Dog Walk.

* Go camping, dancing, crafting, Earth-saving, concert rocking at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, which starts Thursday and continues through Sunday.

* Listen to a free performance by the Durham Symphony at 5 p.m. Sunday at Trinity Park in Durham as part of the Pops in the Park concert series. And if the weather holds up to the forecast, then head over to Francesca’s Dessert Cafe on Ninth Street for some stellar gelato (the Sweet Cream is my favorite) or to LocoPop’s on Hillsborough Street for a gourmet popsicle treat.

* Check out the Durham Art Scene. This weekend is the annual Durham Art Walk. Make a day out of it by wandering over to the American Tobacco complex and hanging out by the water or head in the opposite direction to the Scrap Exchange to make crafts with the kids.

* The weather will also be perfect for a picnic at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. I plopped myself down on a blanket there last weekend, played some frisbee and snacked on Peanut Butter sandwiches. Cheap way to be romantic with your honey or let the kids burn off some energy.

* Go to the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science for the Butterfly Bash. It features dung beetle races, butterfly releases, insect eating and more.

* Saturday is Earth Action Day at the Morehead Planetarium. The family-friendly event is from noon to 5 p.m.

* You can go see “Pride and Prejudice” on stage at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Paul Green Theatre in Chapel Hill.

* The Durham Bulls are out of town this weekend. But UNC baseball has a home game against Miami at 1 p.m.  Sunday.

* If you’re a Wilco fan, you might want to check out the screening of the band’s new documentary “Ashes of American Flags” which airs at 11:55 p.m. Saturday at Galaxy Cinema in Cary.

* Go to the N.C. State Fairgrounds. The flea market is best when the weather is beautiful, so I can almost guarantee this weekend’s market will be filled with a variety of vendors. The flea market is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every weekend. While you’re at the fairgrounds you can eat some Mediterranean food and learn about Turkish culture at the N.C. Turkish Festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.

* And finally, consider supporting local comedy (you know I’m a fan). DSI Comedy in Carrboro has an out-of-town guest who tracked me down on facebook and made me laugh with her message, so I’ve got to give her a plug. Sara Benincasa will be performing a one-woman show at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the theater.

Of course, I probably inadvertantly snubbed about 50 other local events happening this weekend. As always, feel free to promote them and post links to them in my comment section. Let us know if there’s other events we should be checking out.

I spotted this sign at Aquarium Outfitters, an awesome pet shop in Wake Forest. It made me smile. If you’re ever looking for something random to do, take a drive out to Wake Forest to go to this pet shop. I stumbled upon it last year when I was in Wake Forest researching stories for MyNC.com. It has a huge snake and fish collection. No dogs or cats, but lots of birds and mice. It’s a fun find.

Also, I stopped by this cool new vintage shop in downtown Wake Forest that has only been open for a week. Of course, since I was in Sunday stroll mode, I didn’t jot down the name of it. But it’s not hard to find (there’s not much on the main drag in downtown Wake Forest). The prices were really good and there’s even a meeting space (complete with bright yellow and green retro chairs) that the couple is letting the public use for free. If anyone knows the name of the shop, please post it in the comments so I can update my blog.

My Saturday plans have been crushed with the rescheduling of the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Forecasts of rain and chilly temps prompted them to push it back to March 21.

So I figured it was time to see what else was going on this weekend. Here are some events that should keep you dry, warm and entertained:

* Artistic bailout. Go see the Bailout Biennial exhibit at Golden Belt in Durham. The exhibit features 57 works by 26 artists all center on the messed up economic situation we’re facing and the scandals and greed that got us there. Not only is the show worth checking out, but so is the venue. Golden Belt is a restored historic textile mill that is simply gorgeous. Here’s a snippet from an N&O article about the show:

The staging could hardly be more spare; the works are arrayed around a vast second-floor room with tall windows and high ceilings. The show is remarkable not only for the variety of media it includes — painting, photography, sculpture, installation, audio — but the variety of perspectives and approaches the artists took. Some of the works are subtle, others distinctly less so, and some offer no easy or obvious interpretations.

The exhibit is scheduled to end Sunday. So this is your last chance to check it out. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

* Political theater. Can you believe the Iraq war started six years ago this month? Carolina Theatre is marking the anniversary with a one-man show by ex-soldier and playright Kenny Carnes. “Pieces of War” starts at 8 p.m. tonight. Tickets are $24.

* Hang out with some live alligators and sea turtles. Saturday is Reptile and Amphibian Day at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History. The 16th annual event will feature hundreds of live creatures. Best of all? It’s free. It’s from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Just don’t snicker about the theme “Extreme Herps” in front of your kids (they mean Herpetology, of course. Geez, I can be immature sometimes).

* Get your comedy on. You know I’m a big improv fan. If you’re in Raleigh on Saturday night, check out the return of the Super Sparkle Showcase at Comedyworx. The talent competition is supposed to be hilarious. Or if you’re closer to Carrboro Saturday, head over to DSI Comedy Theater for the “Best Show Ever” — a comedy showcase.

The Super Sparkle Showcase starts at 10:30 p.m. Saturday and costs $10. The Best Show Ever starts at 9:30 p.m. and costs $12 (or $10 if your a student, in the military or a senior).

* Look at the stars. The Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill has several shows scheduled this weekend. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for children. Though there are discounts, including this $1 coupon for Sunday shows. News & Observer subscribers can get buy one, get one free admission using this coupon.

As always, there are plenty of other events worth checking out around the Triangle including the Bishop Allen concert at Local 506 Saturday, the craft fair at the State Farmers Market, the Hillsborough Street Renaissance eco event in Raleigh, Art After Dark at the Ackland Art Museum and more.

If there are other events we should know about, please share in the comments section.

Happy chilly, wet weekend!

I ate dinner at The Borough last night, and saw Raleigh’s new downtown circulator bus (called the “R Line”) drive past the restaurant at least four times. So we decided to climb aboard and check out the route for this new, free service.

The hybrid, electric bus service launched Friday and allows residents to take a free ride to various stops downtown.

We waited at the “R” stop for a few minutes last night, but it was quite cold. So we stepped back into the Borough and watched the stop from the door. We didn’t get out the door fast enough to catch the R bus when it made its rounds again, so we chased after it, with no luck.

On the drive home, we got a little goofy and decided to create some improv theme songs for the new bus service. For the record, we both know we’re not good singers. We strung together about six or seven possible themes, but I’ve only posted two for you. If you make it through this entire video, then you deserve a cookie.

The photos in the video were taken by Leo who runs the fabulous Raleigh Connoisseur blog.

Have you taken the R Line yet? It has recieved some positive reviews on the Raleigh Philosophical Society blog. I think the bus line will be a handy service that will help downtown Raleigh’s efforts to grow.

If you want to try your hand at creating a theme song for the R Line, feel free to send me a video clip or use the Seesmic plugin in the comments section.