Ginny from the Blog

I’ve got the Austin blues. After spending a week in Austin, Texas, for the SXSW Interactive conference, I’m back in the tamer Triangle. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be home, but I definitely left a piece of my heart in Austin. To remind myself that the Triangle still has it going on, I looked up what was going on this weekend. Here’s what I found:

Raleigh:

• Tom Green, of Tom-Green-Show-Slash-I-Was-Briefly-Married-to-Drew-Barrymore-Fame, is doing standup at Goodnight’s Comedy Club on Friday and Saturday.

• Rita’s Italian Ice is celebrating the first day of spring by giving away free 10 oz. servings of Italian Ice on Sunday. Details and store locations here.

• If you’re into beading/making jewelry, then stock up on beads at the Bead Mercantile Show in the Kerr Scott Building at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. No need to make your friends or lover suffer through a bead show. Set them loose on the flea market, which also takes place at the fairgrounds this weekend.

• Trip out at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday night. Go see The Machine, a Pink Floyd cover band that is scheduled to perform two sets of Pink Floyd hits.

Durham:

• There are virtually no seats left to the Blue Man Group, or if there are, then I don’t know how to use the ticket chart on Durham Performing Art Center’s website. But a few single seats appear to be scattered throughout the theatre. One of my coworkers wouldn’t stop gushing about the show today, so I’m guessing it’s truly incredible. So if you don’t mind sitting by yourself, then look into getting tickets.

• Learn about the role Christianity played in slavery during the Civil War. Dan Fountain, director of Public History at Meredith College, will talk about his recent book “Slavery, Civil War, and Salvation: African-American Slaves and Christianity, 1830-1870″ at 2 p.m. Sunday at Historic Stagville.

Chapel Hill:

• Learn how to bake biscuits so good your grandma will be asking you for the recipe. Chefs Willard Doxey and Marilyn Marke are teaching a Southern Biscuit class at A Southern Season at 11 a.m. Saturday. For $30 you can learn how to make two types of tasty biscuits and sample some other delicious foods.

Carrboro:

• DSI Comedy is donating 50 percent of proceeds from all of its shows this weekend to help aid those suffering in Japan. There’s a total of five shows on Friday and Saturday night that you can attend. Full schedule and details here.

I’m certain there’s more going on this weekend. If you know about something fun, interesting or unusual, leave it in the comments section.

If you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day in downtown Raleigh, you may want to make plans to ditch your car and ride the R-Line. The free city circulator bus is celebrating its second anniversary by turning into a “Love Bus.” But don’t worry, it’s totally PG.

All riders will receive a Valentine’s Day gift bag and the option to have their honey serenaded from local singing groups. There will also be a raffle, and I’m guessing the prizes are going to come from one of these sponsors: Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, the IMAX theatre, McDonald’s on South and Peace Streets, Revive Massage Therapy, Tir Na Nog, Triangle Food Tour, Rocky Top Hospitality and The Hibernian.

The R-Line has been a helpful addition to downtown Raleigh. It’s hard to believe it’s already been operating for two years. Riding it is a cinch. Just stand by one of those signs with a big “R” in the red circle during operating hours and wait for it to pick you up (the buses run every 10 to 15 minutes). It’s completely free, and you don’t have to be familiar with downtown Raleigh to figure out how to find your stop. The bus drivers always seem helpful and so are other riders.

And if you’re a downtown Raleighite, the R-line provides great way to hear what people think of downtown. It’s fun eavesdropping on conference goers, out-of-towners and the North Raleigh residents who venture into the city for a night on the town. It’s probably one of the best ways to get unfiltered feedback on what people think of downtown Raleigh.

I saw a side of downtown Raleigh tonight that I’ve never seen before, and chances are you haven’t either. There’s a new commercial on TV advertising this weekend’s All-Star NHL game in Raleigh, NC that makes our downtown seem a lot bigger (and more snowy) than it really is. The commercial is by the VERSUS channel.

Here’s a screengrab of the clip:

Now, if you’ve never been here, and you saw this commercial you might think the RBC Center (where the All-Star game will go down) is smack dab in the center of downtown. You might also think there are a lot more skyscrapers downtown than there really are. Certainly our tallest building, the RBC Plaza, could look small depending on the perspective of the shot, but the fact that there are other unidentifiable buildings towering over it is pretty amusing.

In reality (as we Triangle residents know), the RBC Center  is about six miles away from downtown. And the 32-story RBC Plaza, the downtown skyscraper with the 130 foot spire on top, is the tallest building in downtown Raleigh. Some of the buildings in the commercial don’t even exist in downtown Raleigh (or if they do, the producer certainly has taken some liberties with them in the shot). Here’s what Raleigh’s skyline really looks like:

Flickr photo by twbuckner

Watch the commercial for yourself (the Raleigh clip is at the 18-second mark):

I hardly think any first-time Raleigh visitors traveling here for the game even noticed this clip. And even if they did, I’m sure it probably won’t alter their perception of our city. Still, it’s interesting to see how the Versus network reshaped our skyline.

When I was 19, I went to a Backstreet Boys concert. But before you start laughing, let me explain. I was taking two preteen girls, whose parents would rather do anything than endure a boy band show. And, I admit it, there was a time when I was known to turn up the radio in my ‘86 Buick Skyhawk and blast “As Long As You Love Me.”

Ten years later, I’m happy my musical tastes have improved. So you can bet I won’t be at the new Raleigh Amphitheatre on June 6. That’s when the Backstreet Boys will roll into the capital city to christen the new amphitheater. Am, I disappointed? Yes. I didn’t even know the Backstreet Boys were still together. But apparently they are, and Live Nation is bringing them here.

I’ll spare you a rant on who I believe Live Nation should be booking. New Raleigh let its writers and readers list their picks, and if Live Nation took a cue from this post, then I’d have a little more hope for this future Raleigh venue.

Here are details from the city about the new venue:

The 5,000-seat Raleigh Amphitheatre and Festival Site is being constructed in Downtown Raleigh on land just west of the Raleigh Convention Center, bounded by McDowell, Cabarrus, Dawson and Lenoir streets. The venue is scheduled to open in early June. In addition to concerts and comedy shows, the Raleigh Amphitheatre and Festival Site will host cultural festivals and other special events. It is projected to attract up to 225,000 visitors annually. The City’s net proceeds from all events at the venue are projected to be approximately $500,000 per year for the first five years.

Oh, and in case you hadn’t heard, the free Raleigh Downtown Live concert series in Moore Square isn’t happening this year. I guess it’s probably pretty hard to get people to buy tickets to the Backstreet Boys if some other ’90s boy band is playing for free in Moore Square.

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 love St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. My mom says I have enough Irish in me to justify wearing a “Kiss Me I’m Irish” button, but even if I didn’t have a small claim to the heritage, I’d be downing green beer somewhere.

The Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade starts at noon Saturday. The route comes down Fayetteville Street toward the State Capitol, then works its wait toward Blount Street to Moore Square. But the parade won’t be the only downtown attraction on Saturday.

Moore Square will be filled with vendors selling Irish jewelry, trinkets, food and more. Parachuters will descend on Martin Street in front of Moore Square, where Irish dancers and bag pipers will also gather from 1:45 to 3:45 p.m. And you can even drink beer outside (always a plus) in designated areas!

Of course, there will be shenanigans at Raleigh’s Irish pubs including Napper Tandy’s, Tir Na Nog, Hibernian and others. If you know of any other Triangle-based St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, please feel free to share them in the comments section!

Have fun and be safe!

Between 2 to 7 inches of snow is forecasted to fall on the Triangle by noon Saturday. Here’s what a Raleigh Harris Teeter looked like at 9:30 p.m. Thursday night.

I can see why people are inclined to buy bread when bad weather is on the horizon (for peanut butter sandwiches, right?). I admit I bought a loaf , but I was all out so I needed some regardless of the weather. Still, it’s funny to see the bread racks cleared because of the threat of snow.

There were very few carts too.

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.

The devastating Haitian earthquake may be far from the Triangle, but local organizations are making it easier for Triangle residents to help after the disaster. The News & Observer has compiled a list of programs with Triangle connections, some of which are already shifting gears to help.

And, of course, the American Red Cross is accepting disaster relief donations. More on how to donate to the Red Cross here.

If you know of other local groups that are organizing to send money, supplies, etc., please post them in the comments section.

In June, Antiques Roadshow rolled into Raleigh, stopping at the Raleigh Convention Center to film three episodes of the PBS series. The second episode airs at 8 p.m. tonight on WUNC. The first episode aired last Monday and featured a woman who was holding onto her carved jade and celadon from the Chien Lung Dynasty that her grandfather had passed onto her. I’m guessing she won’t keep it for long though, as it was valued at $1.07 MILLION!!! The appraiser said it was the highest valued antique he ever appraised on the show.