Bowl Games

State held on to win 31 to 24 over Louisville last night in Charlotte.

David Amerson interception and touchdown.



Game Highlights



UNC lost 41 to 24 to Missouri in Shreveport Monday night.

Even though Missouri had already put the hurt on UNC by halftime and Shreveport is a long way from North Carolina - UNC (lack of) fan support was just plain pathetic. On the other hand, the UNC team didn't really show up either.

Christmas 2011 +Addendum

 

Archie and Bella visited for Christmas. They brought their pets, H, W and Jason.

Nice low key Christmas.

Right now W and H are over in Cary watching their grandchildren open Christmas gifts. Nuke has just built a fire in the fireplace. I'm writing this post and thinking about taking the dogs for a walk.

The relatives are in New York City and Warrenton, Virginia. Communicating via google chat.

W and H head back to Southport later today with the puppies.

Nuke is staying. Basketball season is about to start in earnest with ACC games in a little over a week.

Addendum

W & H gave me a Martini shaker and Grey Goose for Christmas. Monday I picked up some Noilly Prat and olives. Nuke said it was the perfect martini. I had a vodka and orange juice.

2011 Fall Cruise

Just got back from a cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse. It was nice. Click here for photos.

Now - on to the important stuff.



State will probably go to the Belk Bowl in Charlotte on December 27th.

Gift Horse

What a fun day at the football game. The score, 37 - 13 was just about what I expected - only the teams were reversed. Since State was expected to lose, and possibly lose big, I was surprised that the Stadium was filled. Yeah, lots of Clemson Orange, but the faithful Wolfpackers showed up too.

This is going to sound like looking a Gift Horse in the mouth - Why the heck hasn't NC State played every Saturday like we did against Clemson?

The team yesterday was what I was expecting to see before the season started.

Our Defense (finally healthy) has been playing great - it's the Offensive Line that has been sputtering. I'm still not over last week's second half against Boston College. Our defense kept BC to MINUS 2 yards in the second half but our offense couldn't (or wouldn't) score - and we lost.

Yesterday - the offense finally put it together. When the O line protects the quarterback and gives Mike Glennon time - good things happen. And it did.

NC State yesterday could have competed with any team, any team, in the nation.

State must win next Saturday to go 7 - 5 and become bowl eligible. I figure the kids will be up for the game and will come through. Then again, I figured we'd have no less than a 9 - 3 season. So much for what I know / figure.

I'll be on a cruise ship Saturday which won't be carrying the broadcast. Looks like I'll have to sign up for one of the way overpriced internet packages and use it up just to see the game. Grrrrrrr.

Weekend Update 11/13/11

Went to the basketball game Friday night. State looked really good. Granted, it was against UNC-A, but UNC-A went to the second round of the NCAAs last year and look to be as good again this year. The team appears to be playing like a 'team'. I like Coach Gottfried and his staff.

Saturday watched football. NC State is killing me. Defense played great. QB Glennon is going to get criticized for not producing on late drives, but in reality, he was harassed by BC during the whole game because our offensive line can't protect him.

Bottom line - there is no excuse for losing this game.

Got another basketball game this evening against Morehead State - which also went to the NCAA last year. Should be fun to watch.

Other than some chores and grocery shopping, I didn't do much else this weekend.

Cheetahs Never Prosper

NC State 13 - UNC 0

Not Photo-shopped - This was shown on the

video screen with about 5 minutes left.

Excellent defensive game. The defense pounced all over UNC quarterback Bryn Renner - who ran his mouth this week along with UNC Coach Withers. Thanks for the extra motivation guys.

Our Offense? Not so much. But enough.

Five straight NCSU wins over UNC.

Sweet!

ESPN Recap

Coffee

When I'm in Asheville for my Western VA Home construction project, this is where I stop for coffee (and beans to bring home). It's a couple miles down the road from my project (actually in Black Mountain / Swannanoa). I like to stop in just to smell the roasted beans.

Nothing New +Addendum

Work is pretty typical.

Still waiting for my glasses to be shipped - zennioptical.

Butt surgery recovery is pretty much complete.

Waiting for Saturday College Football to start.

Oh yeah - basketball tickets arrived yesterday. Yaaay!

Addendum

How in the heck was NC State predicted to go 8-4 for sure? With 9-3 or 10-2 a real possibility?

Final Score: Florida State 34 - NC State 0.

Good Grief.

State is now 4-4 with 4 games left. UNC, Boston College, Clemson and Maryland.

We might, might, win 2 of them.

I Don't Believe It Except It Happened

Running errands this morning - grocery store, haircut, etc. and I'm finally headed home on South US 1 Freeway.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I see, pooft, a wasp comes shooting out of the center AC vent of the dashboard.

And he's pissed. Really, really, pissed. Someone's going to pay for this little journey he's been on - and that someone is me.

So he's trying to sting me around the head and I'm swatting away at him.

At 65 mph on the freeway.

He's finally going for my right ear and I swat the ever loving shit out of him.

Along with the wasp - I get my glasses with the same swat. Which come flying off my face, bounce off the steering wheel, and go flying out the window.

At 65 mph on the freeway.

I. Can't. Belive. What. Just. Happened!

Fortunately, I keep 30 day contact lenses at home - and I've got 3 sets left. So I'm good till I can get some new glasses made.

Also fortunately, the rest of the drive was straight down the freeway with just a mile or so driving the country road to my house. My astigmatism is so bad - I can't even see the dashboard in front of me. It's all just a blur of grey, black and some white. I can't even read the signs along the road. Not talking about the speed limit signs - I'm talking about the big overhead and exit signs.

And - I'm out the hundreds new glasses will cost.

Stupid wasp.

Breakfast With The Basketball Team +Addendum

Just got back from the first (to become annual) Basketball Tip Off Breakfast at the Arena Club.

AD Yow started off with a candid assessment of where NCSU Sports is - not just basketball but overall. Positive and negative. She acknowledged that Wolfpack Club support is amazing and overwhelming in light of the performance of our teams over the past decade and more.

She gave us the frank report that improvement is a process and won't happen overnight. She concluded with (and I'm paraphrasing) that she's a dog person, but said she was giving away her age by remembering the "Hang In There Baby" poster back in the 70's - paused, and then said to us - "You're the Cat".

LOL

I like candid, straightforward, no bullshit people.

Both Yow and new head coach Mark Gottfried seem to be those kind of folks. I think I like 'em.

Assistant coach Orlando Early sat next to Chip and me. We had a nice conversation. Good people.

My optimism is renewed.

Addendum

Couple of photos from the Raleigh News & Observer. Chip and I are in the second photo. Where's Waldo?

Getting Better

Recovering nicely. I've been to work this week including a trip to Kinston. Although, Jason drove which turned out to be necessary.

I started out with 2 pain pills every 4 hours. Now I'm down to 1 every 4 hours. This weekend I think I'll cut back to 1 every 6 hours.

Infomercials and Internet

Speaking of pain pills . . .

One should be very careful when taking Percocet or any narcotic pain pill. Driving is a definite no no. Also, you should avoid infomercials and Internet commerce.


Although, I must say, I really like my new Cuisinart coffee grinder. It works wonderfully and is well worth the price. At least I had the sense to order the reconditioned one from Overstock.com.*

Also - Going to the State Basketball Tip Off Breakfast will be fun. It's at the RBC Arena Club. The team will be serving breakfast and Coach Gottfried will give a preview of the upcoming season and have a Q&A session. Though why I ordered 2 tickets is beyond me. Even if Jason is here, he won't get up for an 8 AM breakfast. Maybe Chip will go with me.*

And, I would have donated to Obama's reelection campaign anyway.*

*All done the morning after surgery, still somewhat affected by the general anesthesia combined with a double hit of Percocet.

Yankee Joke

Calculator, Laptop and Percocet

A Winning Work Combination

Southern joke:

Q: Why are Yankees like hemorrhoids?

A: The ones that come down but go back up – you can tolerate. The ones that come down and stay - can be a real pain in the ass.

I’ve been suffering from a hemorrhoid for the past 18+ months. It’s been quite painful. Finally, my doctor said enough was enough and I had minor outpatient surgery Tuesday.

Not be too indelicate, the tiny blood vessels were weakened and the tissue gave way to tiny micro cuts (or fissures). The pain causes the muscle to spasm which prevents the blood vessels and tissues from ever healing. Which continues to cause pain – which continues to cause spasms. A vicious, painful, circle. The counterintuitive solution is to make a small incision in the muscle, which lessens the spasms and allows the tissue to finally heal up.

Recovery is typically about 2 to 4 weeks.

JTN came up to drive me to and from the hospital and to help look after me. He’s been a great help.

I’ve been working from home since Tuesday and I plan to go into the office starting Monday. At least part time anyway – we’ll see how it goes.

The surgery pain is different. And constant. I’m not much for taking pills but without the pain medication, I’d be in a real world of hurt. I take two pills every four hours. In ten minutes, all pain is gone. The downside – In 20 minutes I’m asleep. It also keeps me loopy pretty much all the time.

Rush is right - Percocet is quite a drug.

Gettin' Whupped Up On

I don't know what to say about NC State football.

We were supposed to be good this year. Like, really good.

Instead, we've been manhandled by both mediocre Division 1 teams we've played so far (Wake Forest and Cincinnati). I don't know what's going to happen when we start playing good teams.

Our defense has been hit with an unusual number of injuries. But still, we were supposed to have a lot of defensive depth.

The weak offensive line is not giving our QB much time and certainly isn't opening paths for the running game. One bright spot is despite being hurried, harassed and multiple sacks, QB Mike Glennon is playing extremely well. Also, our rookie kickers are doing great too.

I've gone from looking forward to a really great, exciting, season to worrying that the wheels are about to fall off the bus.

Last night: NCSU 14 - Cincinnati 44.

This stat sums up how the game went: NC State - minus 19 yards rushing.

Sheesh.

South Alabama at NCSU

 

We won, 35 to 13. Still, it seems like we're not playing as well as we should. I just can't tell if we're going to be a good team or not.

Weather was yucky - chilly and damp. Had a good time though. We tailgated with subway sandwiches and beer and had a good time hanging out.

Afterwards stopped by Sadlacks but the band was already finished playing and starting to pack up their gear. At 9:30. On a Saturday night.

Raleigh rolls up the sidewalks early these days.

Chip, me, Nuke, Dave.

Overall, a nice way to spend a Saturday evening.

ACC Expansion

Practically no one at the game had even heard that the ACC was seriously discussing expansion with Syracuse and Pittsburgh - who delivered 'official' letters of application yesterday. I figured it was a done deal and the letters were just making it official.

Turns out, that's right. The ACC apparently voted (while everyone was at football games) to expand by adding the 'Cuse and Pitt.

All the sudden, possible expansion of the major conferences (ACC, SEC, etc.) is not just speculation but is now gonna happen. The question for the ACC is who will be members / teams 15 and 16?

I predict that real soon there will be four Super-Conferences each with 16 members.

The ACC, SEC, Pac-(16?) and Big (16 made out of the Big 12 and Big 10). That will pretty much capture the top 64 football and basketball programs. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a fifth Super Conference - but that might be a long shot.

I'd also bet that the BCS will align with the pairings of ACC-Orange Bowl, Big Something or Other - Rose Bowl, SEC - Sugar Bowl and Pac-whoever - Fiesta Bowl.

The BCS bowls could continue as they do now with 10 teams in the the four bowl games plus the BCS National Championship Game. Or - the four bowl's eight teams could make up a final four playoff.

The Big (not really) East will slide down and become more like a top mid-major. Kind of like Conference USA.

Overrated

NC State’s football team is overrated.

Our two games so far have been basically the same. Terrible game plan and execution in the first half - playing catch up in the second half.

In both games we clearly have the better talent and players. But we get man handled in the first and second quarters. The responsibility lies squarely with the coaches.

When you spot the other team a 20 – 6 lead by halftime, that’s hard to overcome in the second half. Still, we darn near pulled it out yesterday at Wake Forest.

Our defense was supposed to carry the offense until new quarterback Mike Glennon got himself established. Well, MG is doing fine. The defense, in the start of both games, couldn’t stop a pee wee team. Especially our defensive secondary. Wake and Liberty passed at will against us in the first halves respectively.

We make adjustments at half time and come out and play really well in the second half. But the way we’re unprepared in the first half is inexcusable. Our coaches had better get their act together.

Notre Dame at Michigan

The Game yesterday was Notre Dame at Michigan.

My goodness, what a barn burner! Three touchdowns in the last minute and 20 seconds. Winning score made with two seconds left. This game will be seen time and again on ESPN Classics.

Both teams wore classic uniforms, a throwback to the early 20th century, 118,000 fans, and a tight, well played game. This is what college football is all about.

The Big House looked awesome under the lights.

9/11

I'm not going to post about today’s anniversary. I’ll let others talk and post.

A heartfelt thank you to my friends FG, JTN and DB for their service in the United State Army and National Guard.

Finally Football +Addendum

State plays Liberty University tonight. Liberty is a strong Top 20 FCS (Division II) team. I'd rather us play Division 1 teams, but if you're going to play a D2 team, Appalachian, James Madison or Liberty will be in the game right with you. (Just ask Virginia Tech).

I think I'll pick up some KFC and we'll do a little tailgating.

Thrilled to see Russell Wilson getting off to a fantastic start at Wisconsin. In the big scheme of things, Russell going to Wisconsin was the right move. If Russell had given up baseball and stayed at State, we'd be sure to do really good. But at the time, RW was still trying to decided if he wanted to play pro baseball or give his full attention to college football.

That put State's next quarterback Mike Glennon (and Coach O'Brien) in a difficult position. If RW had stayed at State, we'd have an outside shot at playing in the ACC Championship and possibly in the Orange Bowl. Or, more likely, the Peach Bowl.

By transferring to Wisconsin, RW has a legitimate shot at the Rose Bowl or possibly even the National Championship. And that gives MG the opportunity to start his junior and senior season at State and to see how far he can take the Wolfpack.

RW at State might have meant us winning 1 or 2 more games this year than otherwise might be expected. But with the total team package at Wisconsin, RW could go even further. And I expect MG will do quite well in leading the Wolfpack.

Watched the TCU - Baylor game last night. What a thriller.

I love college football.

Addendum


The score (43 - 21) makes it look like State in a walk. Not so. In the first 3 quarters Liberty was beating us in every statistic except for turnovers and the score. In fact, Liberty was only 9 points down with 10 minutes left to play.

Our Offensive Line has got to do a lot better job. They have to protect Glennon (3 sacks) and give him time to throw as well as open up paths for the running backs. If the OL doesn't step up their game, we're in for a long season.

Kicking game and defense is solid as expected.

It all hinges on the offensive line.

Link to ESPN Game Recap and Highlight Videos.

Thanks to Chip, Erica and Dwayne for going to the game with me. We did a little tailgating and had a good time.

Firewood

 

Last year when I had my septic field cleared and some leaning trees taken down, I had the tree trunks cut into pieces. Some were stacked in the front yard and some left in the back woods.

I finally got around to hiring a guy with a wood splitter to come in and help me turn the tree trunks into firewood. He split the wood and I hauled and stacked it. Took us several days, working evenings and this past weekend.

Turned out to be a heck of a lot more wood than I had figured. I've measured the stacked wood. There's over 3 solid cords.

For casual use in the fireplace, that's about 3 to 4 years worth.

Kinda Cool

 

I was doing some intense number crunching when the building started vibrating. First thought was, hmmm, that's a hell of a truck going by. Then, what the . . . this is an earthquake!

Window blinds moved a little and the flat computer monitor moved a little.

Almost immediately IM's started popping up on my screen and a moment later the phone started ringing.

I think the alarms must have gone off in the Dobbs building. People had evacuated Dobbs and were going back in by the time I took this photograph about 20 minutes later.

All in all, pretty cool.

While over in Japan - people are going: Phffffffttt

Bummer +Addendum

 

Mac's Breakfast Anytime is one of my regular breakfast joints. I go there maybe once a month or so.

More often in the fall and winter when JTN comes up for the football and basketball seasons. Mac's is definitely one of his favorite places because 1) JTN is a lazy effer who sleeps late and 2) he can get breakfast there anytime - like - in the afternoon.

I was last there, oh, maybe a month or so ago.

This morning - closed!

Bummer.

Addendum

JTN informs me that the Mac's chain has gone from 11 restaurants down to 5 over the past couple of years.

Says that the Sanford location was losing $250 per day.

How the hell does he (JTN) find this stuff out?!?

Because My Car Radio Told Me

So - I'm driving to a late lunch today and listening to WCPE. Suddenly my radio goes to static. I look at it and it has switched to the AM band and the clock says it's 12:00 (It was actually around 1:30). Then, as I'm glancing at the radio - the display changes and says "Low Battery".

What?

I just happened to be passing an Advance Auto store (the one on Wake Forest Road inside the beltline) so I pull in to let them check out the battery. The technician hooks up his device and says - "The battery is OK but needs charging - it's your alternator - showing a bad regulator or diode with no output. Your car's electrical system is running off the battery only."

Hmmmm.

So - I head straight over to the Ford Dealership and sure enough - they confirm the alternator needs to be replaced ($509).

I've never had a radio tell me automobile diagnostics before. The Lord works in mysterious ways. Apparently, so does my radio.

2011 NCSU Football Tickets

 

My tickets arrived yesterday.

I'm very excited about this year's team. I expect we'll be 8 and 4. It's even quite possible we could go 9 and 3.

Head Coach Maj. Tom O'Brien (USMC Ret.) has got his team where he wants them. Good depth, red shirting freshmen and the types of players he wants.

State was surprisingly good last year. We had a better season than expected. This year is actually the turnaround year on which we start building. That is - starting next year . . . we could have great teams.

Moron

No, moron. Possible evidence of volcanic activity on the moon does not have an effect on earth's climate change.

Faux News

We "are fucking idiots who pretend to" report - you decide.

Typical Staff Meeting

There hasn't been much to blog about lately.

So, to kill time and post an entry for the heck of it - here's a couple photos from yesterday's staff meeting.




Our staff meeting is held monthly. Usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour to catch up on items of general relevance to the whole office. Of course, different groups and teams meet as needed to discuss detailed items.

In the photos above, RS and I are discussing a consulting agreement for one of my projects.

I'm the Project Manager in charge of construction of the Western North Carolina Skilled Nursing Home for the NC Division of Veterans Affairs. For the VA Home we took some unused property from the Department of Corrections and (a small amount) from NC State University.

When we were selecting the site a couple years ago, we discovered what turned out to be a hazardous waste landfill. The hazardous waste landfill is not on the site we are building the VA Home. It's down the road a bit on other NCDOC property.

NCDOC was tasked with investigating (and potentially remediating) the haz site. But - NCDOC has been hit hard by budget cuts over the last 2 years and money for non-critical functions (like investigating 60 year old landfills) is scarce.

So - a couple months ago - we (the Department of Administration - State Construction Office) decided to step in.

We scrounged around and found some money. I'm hiring an Environmental Consultant / Geologist to investigate the site. We'll determine what's exactly in the landfill; how deep (quantity) is the waste; install background and downstream sampling and monitoring wells (checking for groundwater contamination / migration); and we'll come up with a game plan on how to remediate or clean up the site.

RS handles contracting for consultants. I picked out a consultant and had them prepare a services proposal and cost schedule. RS turns proposals into State contracts. Once RS and the consultant get the contract finalized - we'll turn loose the drill rigs.

The investigation and services contract will be a shade under $60,000. My boss is trying to find another 5 thousand +/- so I can add in some additional work that I think needs to be done.

The bottom line of course, is to determine what needs to be done with the waste and how much will it cost.

Based on my experience with sites like this and my "eye-balling" of how much material there is to deal with - I'm guessing a full clean up is going to run between $500K and $1.5M.

If I'm lucky and the environmental regulators (NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources) let me average / categorize the waste to non-hazardous levels - then I can take the waste to the local county landfill for the lower estimate. If testing reveals higher haz waste levels - then I'm looking at the much higher cost.

Either way - I want to get the investigation, report and recommendations done by November. That will give time for my various bosses to include the funding request in time for next winter's General Assembly short session (they convene in February - budget committees start meeting sooner).

A typical moment in a typical day at the office.

FYI

The 2 kids sitting behind us are summer engineering interns. These guys are really sharp and have been a great help this summer.

The one on the left (with the emo mop top hair) is a mechanical engineering student at NC State. He's going to cover for me at a monthly construction meeting this Friday. I have to go to Robeson County Friday to handle a sensitive issue that's flared up at the Lumbee Indian Cultural Center (there's a pun in there - I'll leave it up to you to google if you want to know what it is).

Normally I'd get a senior engineer / peer to go to the construction meeting in my place. But this student is so sharp, he can handle any issues that come up or can brief me if larger decisions are needed.

(Note to self - remember to bring in hair clippers - offer to lend to him - recommend No. 4 (1/2-inch) clipper guard)

The other guy is majoring in Environmental Studies and Economics at Elon University. He's been reviewing the past haz waste site investigations and reports and the current proposal. He's been a great help. I wish he were still going to be here when the final investigation gets underway - I'd turn the entire project over to him.

2011 Fourth of July Weekend

Thought about going to the beach but decided to stick around the house.

Did pretty much nothing. Just the usual routine house chores.


Watched The French Connection on DVD.

Haven't seen it in years. What a great film. Everybody thinks of the train - car chase scene. But it's pretty much the great movie from the '70s classic crime drama era. Character driven; great script and cinematography. Fantastic acting.

The DVD has been remastered in THX Surround. Fortunately, they didn't try to 'clean up' the sound. It was left 'scratchy' like the original movie - just clearer. If that makes any sense.

Anyway - keeping the sound the same matches the gritty feel of the cinematography which captured the grimy look of New York City at that time.

A Note About The Previous Entry

I've received a couple of emails asking if that is my shop / out building in the photo of the previous entry.

No. It belongs to my neighbor Ken and Karen J.

K&K are great neighbors. Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

When they built their shop, they sort of ignored some basics - like - getting a building permit and adhering to local regulations regarding building set backs from property lines.

They were of the opinion they didn't need a building permit since they built the shop themselves (not true). And, since they assumed they didn't have to get a building permit - they also assumed that development / building regulations didn't apply as well. In this case - the requirement that buildings / structures need to be a minimum of 10 feet back from a property line.

K&K are really sweet people. But to be honest, they're not the sharpest tacks in the box.

Their shop is about 18 inches from the property line. They sort of 'eye balled' where the lot line was and lucked out in that they didn't actually build it on my lot.

LOL

If you look at the photo - the tree is on my lot - and the lot line is between the tree and their shop.

They also built a pole barn / open shed to park their RV under in their front yard. Most definitely against sub-division regulations and county ordinances.

When K&K built the RV shed - other neighbors asked me to "speak" to K&K about it. Which I declined to do.

I don't care what K&K do. Even if they break the rules, it doesn't materially affect me.

Yes - the RV Shed does look out of place. Actually - kind of trailer park looking.

But - what the hell. I have more important things in my life to worry about other than if my next door neighbor builds a shed in their front yard or a shop too close to my lot line.

Haze and Deer +Addendum

There is a large forest fire that's been burning in Dare and Hyde Counties since May 5th - about a month now. News reports have been describing the hazy conditions near the coast. Since the prevailing winds typically go from west to east, we haven't been affected here. Until today.

The winds have shifted and here's what it looks like in Raleigh today:


Keep in mind - Hyde / Dare Counties are about a 3+ hour drive east from Raleigh.

Deer

Yesterday I took this photo of the upper field to the side of my house:

 

Why?

Here's the cropped closeup:


There's a fifth deer you can't see because of the bushes / trees - but she's there.

I've mixed in a lot of clover with the fescue up there. Clover is a natural fertilizer which returns nitrogen back to the soil. And clover is the preferred salad of deer and rabbits.

Bambi and Thumper dine here all the time.

Critter Addendum

I also saw a Wild Turkey last Monday as I was pulling out of the driveway on the way to work. There's plenty of turkey around. But this was the first time I've seen one in the neighborhood itself.

Still have two raccoons and two possum that come up nightly for the dried cat food (and table leftovers) that I put out.

To keep the food from getting rained on and mushy, I put the bowl in the porch and leave the porch screen door propped open.

Every once in a while, when I pop out to the porch for a cancer stick, the possum will be there. She gets frightened and runs to the porch corner and hides under the outdoor fireplace (the one Charlsanne gave me for Christmas a while back).

This happened again last night. Poor thing - you can see her shivering when it happens. I always leave the porch and go stand on the deck so as to not scare her half to death.

Weekend Update 6/11/2011

Not a thing worth posting lately.

Work is very busy. Long hours and a lot of travel. I have two buildings under construction (about $30M) and some additional minor projects / buildings (about $5M more). My projects are located in Kinston, Fayetteville, Raleigh and Asheville. I'm spread pretty thin right now.

Just finished watching True Grit. Excellent movie.



Might head out to see Super 8 at the theater this afternoon. Don't know if I'll go to the local theater in Sanford or drive all the way into Raleigh to see it at the IMAX.

Super 8 Addendum

Made the drive into Raleigh to see Super 8 at the IMAX.

Definitely a Spielberg film. While it won't become a classic like Close Encounters of the Third Kind - it is a roller coaster rip roaring fun time.

Think ET meets Cloverfield. In fact, it's the movie Cloverfield would have been if Spielberg had made it.

ET wants to go home. ET does not want to make friends. Do not get in ET's way. He is not, I repeat - NOT - warm and cuddly.

Plot and dialogue driven. So, don't spend the extra for the IMAX. Regular theater should be just fine.

And a head's up. Pay attention to the 'scenes' the kid's shoot. Their movie is played during the credits. Nice little 'film within a film' payoff at the end.

Oh, and a great late '70's pop soundtrack.

Saturday, May 21, 2010 - 6 PM

Weekend Update 5/15/2011

Went down to St. James to visit JN, HN and WN. It was nice to get away for the weekend and I had a great time.

Had a great old fashion dinner at the N's home - pork chops, mashed potatoes, and butter beans. I love home cooking.

We also went to a charity cookout. St. James Plantation hosts an annual golf weekend for the military and a fund raiser. For some reason the golfing weekend didn't happen (although they announced it will happen next year) - but the picnic was nice and there was music provided by a local community orchestra.

It was JN's birthday this weekend.

I was in the NCSU bookstore last week getting some engineering grid note pads and there were some poster size photographs of State football games by the entrance. One was a panorama shot of the 2009 State - Carolina game.

Amazingly, you could see me, JN, Chip and Erika clearly in the photo. I bought it and had it matted and framed. Gave it to JN for his birthday present.

Saturday night JN and I drove in to Southport where their "Spring Fling" was going on. Had a good time chatting with folks and listening to some 'big band' music. I didn't take any photos or video - but here's a link to the band that was playing:

The Andrew Thielen Big Band

They were excellent. They played Sing, Sing, Sing. While this isn't them - it sounded just like this:



Just got back home and am doing some chores around the house.

All in all - a really fine weekend.

Thanks

Thanks to the Armed Forces of the United States of America who defend our lives and freedom - nonstop - day in and day out.

Special thanks to my friends JTN (USA), FG (USA), and DWB (NCNG).

Noisy

The storm started quite quickly.

I could hear the thunder as the weather approached - then, when it started, the rain was tremendous. I closed the doors to the back deck but left the kitchen door to the porch open.

Within a minute, I heard what sounded like distant rolling thunder that kept going on and on and on. Instantly you know what that sound is - and I headed for the guest bathroom in the middle of the house.

I had grabbed a phone and was talking with Jason asking him if he could hear the noise through the phone when the power and phone went down.

Today, it appears what I was hearing was the storm passing east of where I live. I haven't been over there - but there have been a steady stream of power trucks headed over in that direction.

It appears that the particular storm cell I heard started with touchdowns in Moore County, Sanford, Broadway, passing east of my neighborhood and the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, then touching down again in Holly Springs. It appears it's the same cell that touched down along Saunders Street in Raleigh, then passing over and through downtown Raleigh and then heading on to NE North Carolina.

 

The damage in the video is south of me in Sanford itself.



At my house, the whole storm event was over in less than an hour. Unfortunately for for many in NC, the aftermath won't be over for quite a while.

Neil Young

My intended post for this weekend was to have been about going to see Neil Young Friday evening. DB hooked me up with a ticket.

We've seen Neil Young many times. This show was a solo performance. It had some really great moments. Overall though, I'd have to rate the show as OK / Good.

The Durham Performing Arts Center is a wonderful venue.

 

Enjoy Your Visit

On behalf of NC State University, its faculty and staff, students, alumni, Wolfpack Club members and Tuffy the mascot dog – let me be the very first to welcome, in advance, the NCAA Investigative Staff to Raleigh.

Call me if y’all need recommendations to some good BBQ joints.

News & Observer - Jim Harrick – Mark Gottfried

Jim Harrick

Coach

Mark Gottfried is State's new head coach.

My first choice? No.

State's first choice? No.

While Head Coach at Alabama he took the Tide to the NCAA's just about every year. Regularly reaching the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8.

On the down side - Billy Donovan at Florida was Gottfreid's "daddy" beating Alabama at most every meeting - save for a couple of 'Bama upsets.

So - we'll probably continue to lose to Dook and UNC on a regular basis - with the occasional win here and there.

Kind of like a more exciting, new and improved version of Herb Sendek.

He's carrying some off court baggage too.

But maybe he'll turn out to be a man who has learned from his past successes and mistakes and may just turn out to be an excellent coach.

I think we have to give him our full support and see what happens.

AFLAC

NCAA Tournament

The Big East got a whopping record setting 11 teams into this year's Big Dance.

The ACC, having a down year, only got 4.

Soooo, after the first weekend's rounds, going into the Sweet 16, how is that working out?

The Big East has 2 teams left (18% of teams advancing) and the ACC has 3 (75% of teams advancing).

This includes ACC number 10 seed Florida State stomping Big East number 2 seed Notre Dame 71 - 57. Game was never even close.

The Big East as the power basketball conference?

Yeah, right.

http://foxvzw-sports.mobile.msn.com/en-us/articles.aspx?aid=684092&acid=2&afid=0

State Coaching Search

The message boards are naturally filled with all sorts of rumors and speculation about who will be the next Head Coach.

Things really heated up over the weekend. I suspect that's because State fans are huge basketball fans. Even if we don't have a dog in the hunt this year (or the last five years) we're still watching the tournament. We loves us some bassetball.

Rick Barnes has always been "the" coach that State fans have wanted. Including me - five years ago. Today - I'd pass on Barnes in favor of a younger up and coming coach or, if we go after an established coach, Billy Donovan.

Why do State fans love the idea of Barnes as our next coach? Well, back when Barnes was Clemson's head coach, he never bought into the whole "Dean Smith as the holiest saint of ACC coaches" thing.

Barnes would work the ref's just as hard as ol Dean would and Dean would take umbrage at that. Smith and Barnes got into more than a couple of shouting matches during games. Once, a microphone picked up Barnes telling Smith to Fly Off during one such encounter.

State fans loved it.

Anyway - the boards are full of "It's going to be Barnes" or "It's going to be Sean Miller" and so on.

Two themes on the boards have been consistent: 1) AD Yow has lined up a 'game changer' and 2) It's going to cost big and the Wolfpack Club has green lighted a huge budget. The numbers being floated around are in the $5M range.

The highest paid coach, by far, is Calipari (Kentucky) at around $4M with Donavon (Florida) second at $3.3M.

If the $5M rumors are correct, that leads me to suspect that Yow's target (and already done deal if you believe the boards) is Billy Donavon.

I would love to have Billy D as our head coach.

Possible Coaches

NC State will be making a coaching change in the next month or so.

Sidney Lowe is an outstanding person and puts his whole soul into coaching - but it just isn't happening for him. Honestly - I think he'd be the best assistant coach in the nation - just not a head coach.

Here's my preferences - for what it's worth - which isn't much.

Young Guns

Young Coaches with the Potential to be Great Head Coaches at a Major Program:

Brad Stevens - Butler University

Gregg Marshall - Wichita State University

(Gregg Marshall was my choice as an up and coming coach to replace Herb Sendek 5 years ago)*

Proven Coaches

Established Coaches at Major Programs who might could be lured to NC State and the ACC:

Billy Donovan - University of Florida

Rick Barnes - University of Texas

(Rick Barnes was my established coach choice to replace Herb Sendek 5 years ago)*

Tubby Smith - University of Minnesota


*Good Riddance Lee Fowler

Our former Athletics Director, Lee Fowler, either did not consider, or get Barnes or Marshall to discuss the NC State job 5 years ago.

In fact, LF basically screwed up the Head Coaching Search all together. While I was glad we ended up giving Sidney Lowe a chance - his selection came about after everyone else felt snubbed, was overlooked or turned us down.

Firing Lee Fowler last year was the best thing NC State Athletics has done in 5 years. We are now in a position to start turning around State's various athletics programs and return to our once proud position and tradition.

Weekend Update February 27, 2011

Absolutely nothing of importance or interest happening here.

Yesterday I did my annual hot tub cleaning. It’s simple and easy, but time consuming.

You pour a full bottle of cleaning solution in the tub and then run it for about ten minutes. Then you let it soak for at least 3 hours. It cleans out debris and build up in the lines. Actually, I put the solution in Friday night and let it soak overnight.

Then, Saturday morning I drained the tub, refilled it and let it run for about 30 minutes. Then drained it again. By then it was time to leave for the State – Georgia Tech game.

Coach's Q&A after the Georgia Tech Game

Went to the Arena Club for lunch and the game with my friend Dave – which we won.

When I got home, reinstalled the filter and clorine cartridge, refilled the hot tub and put in the usual maintenance items such as enzyme control and water conditioner. It heated up nicely and was ready for use just around dark. Perfect timing for watching the stars for a while.

This morning I had breakfast in Pittsboro and went grocery shopping.

When I got back I filled up the two bird feeders (one seed and one peanuts), had my coffee and read the newspaper in the hammock.

The birds were hanging about in the trees but were too afraid to come to the feeder closest to the hammock (because I was in it). Finally a Downy Woodpecker landed on it to eat. Those guys aren't afraid of anything or anybody.

I should clean house today but I think I’m going to take the day off and do nothing. Maybe get caught up on some reading.

I’ve been slogging through The Guns of August. Tremendous history of World War I but difficult to get through. I usually fall asleep when reading it so it’s taken me over 4 weeks to get through about two thirds of it. Normally a book this length would take me a week – two tops - to read.

Critter Update

My long time mama raccoon died last year. She had a long run and successfully raised a number of litters.

I've still been putting out food (dried cat or dog food and left overs) on an irregular regular basis. About 3 or 4 times a week. For a while, sometimes the food would get eaten, often not.

Starting about 2 months ago - the food bowl has been empty every morning after I filled it.

I've been keeping watch and what I have now are 2 possums and 2 raccoons who are regular visitors.

There's a large possum and a small possum - both ugly as all get out. Although the little possum is mostly whitish and kind of cute - in an ugly sort of way.

Both raccoons are large and healthy looking but one has a mis-formed tail. Kind of a bobcat type tail. It doesn't look like it was cut off or injured - looks more like a birth defect.

Bob the raccoon (with the bob tail) takes off if she sees me or hears me. The other raccoon is wary but watches me while she eats if I'm on the deck or making noise in the house.

I'll try to get some photos to post.

Sportsmanship

I live in Lee County, NC.

A couple weeks ago Fayetteville Douglas Byrd High School came to town to play Southern Lee High School.

Douglas Byrd wins. By a lot. DB is a power team so that’s not surprising. Its how the game ended that makes it pretty special.

That night was Senior Night. Douglas Byrd is in the dark burgundy uniforms and leading by about 25 points. Southern Lee is in the white uniforms.

At the start of the video, you’ll see number 20 come in for Southern Lee. He is a special needs student and has been on the team as a manager. He's a senior and as a team member he’s qualified to dress out for the game. The outcome is already decided, so the coach put number 20 into the game.

When Douglas Byrd gets the ball, they try to burn time off the clock or score. As they should.

When Southern Lee gets the ball . . . . Well, just watch the video. And also see how Douglas Byrd, when they realize what’s going on, defends. So to speak.

Remember, Douglas Byrd is in dark burgundy. Southern Lee is in white. And the player to watch is Southern Lee number 20.



Right at the buzzer.

Shiloh General Store +Addendum

West of Winston-Salem and a couple miles south of US 421 is Shiloh General Store. The store is part of a very small Amish community centered around Union Grove.

The store also has a sandwich shop / deli. We stopped there on the way back for lunch. I had a ham and Colby cheese sandwich on fresh homemade wheat bread with homemade potato chips and a vanilla soda.

I also picked up some fresh sourdough bread, black cherry jam, peach jam, some candy and a pound bag of handmade pasta shells. They have a tremendous selection of jams.

It appeared there were some travelling Amish passing through. It's my understanding they utilize "haulers" which are English (non-Amish) who contract long distance driving, usually via van.

You can see the front of the white van at the right of the photo. There was a small U-Haul trailer attached in which they were putting luggage and such. Looked like a group of about 8 or so travelers including some very polite children.

I was careful to avoid having the travellers in the photo.

If you're in the area, well worth the stop. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Shiloh General Store
5520 Saint Paul Church Road
Hamptonville, NC 27020
(336) 468-4789

(Click on the address for a Google map.)

Addendum August 19, 2017

Shiloh now has a web site and phone.

http://www.shilohgeneralstorenc.com/

Addendum June 29, 2013

This page gets a lot of hits from people using Amish and NC search terms - so I've updated it with additional information.

Troyer's - Statesville, NC

I stopped at another "Amish" or "Mennonite" type store last week so I thought I would update this page for folks looking for these types of stores in NC.

Thursday I had lunch at Troyer's Country Market. Don't know if it's Amish or Mennonite owned but it carries much of the same types of food as Shiloh General Store. Picked up some noodles and a jar of real honey. BTW - purchase real honey from a real store like this. Most honey carried in supermarkets is diluted with corn syrup.

The sandwich was awesome. I laughed when they wrapped it up - it looked like a Dagwood Cartoon sandwich! I would suggest they put some picnic tables out front on the porch. Right now, there's just a couple of chairs and nowhere to sit and eat.

Troyer's Country Market
4017 Statesville Blvd (US Hwy 70 West)
Statesville, NC

Yoder's - Vanceboro, NC

I've also stopped here a while back. Yoder's Dutch Pantry and Farm and Garden Supply northwest of New Bern / northeast of Kinston. Food and a general farm supply store. They also serve a great breakfast - Mennonite.

Yoder's - Blanch, NC

I have not been here but I've heard of this place. Yoder's Amish Market - It's near the NC / VA border close to Yancyville, NC.

Dutch Country - Murphy, NC

There is also this place - I've not been there - in the far western tip of NC.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/dutch-country-bulk-foods-murphy

So - for folks looking for Amish stores in NC - there you have it. Three in the Piedmont / Winston-Salem part of the state - one in eastern NC - and one at the far western end of NC.

Happy Appy

Been working at Appalachian State University again this week.

And again, it's been snowing but not as much as two weeks ago - till now. Forecast is for heavier snow starting tonight (Wednesday) and through tomorrow and tomorrow night.

Today I had lunch at McAllister's Deli inside the Student Union. While I was eating I heard singing - so I followed the sound to check it out.

It was a student group singing gospel songs in one of the larger rooms. I think it was part of a lunchtime lecture series. Here's a couple of videos. Sorry about the shaky video - I was holding the camera by hand and couldn't spot a place to set the camera. There's never a handy tripod when you need one.





Also while on campus - one of the buildings I was working at is Raley Hall. Typical academic office and classroom building. Here's a photo of the building. Notice the circular glass block wall.

 

And here's a cool (I think) shot of the glass wall looking towards the sky.

 

Excellent Service Call

Bryan of Rapid Spa Repair (no website) arrived right on time at 1000. He very patiently explained what he was doing and showed me a number of maintenance tasks I can (and should) perform myself.

First off, he told me that yes – Thermospas are worth their high price. The quality of the tubs and enclosures are far better than spas you can buy locally (Thermospa custom builds each spa to customer specifications and ships direct from the factory). And the components (pumps, jets, controls, etc.) are the best / highest quality in the industry. He said that Termospas really are the Mercedes-Benz of hot tubs.

Two lower jets were replaced – they had clogged with debris and build up over time and that’s why they didn’t function. Simple low cost jets – easier to replace than to try to clean.

The leak? I’m embarrassed to say it was so simple I should have seen it myself.

Fittings (black) Were Loose

Over time, fittings that are screwed on simply became loose.

The fitting at the inlet end of the heater was just a tiny bit loose. When the pump was on – suction would seal the fitting. When the pump was off – sometimes the joint would leak, sometimes not. That’s how little the threaded fitting had worked itself loose. From now on I need to hand tighten all the fittings about once a year.

The main control valve in the foot well controls the distribution / pressure of water around the tub. A very small amount of sand / grit had gotten trapped and I couldn’t turn the valve. Bryan showed me how to take out the round handle, remove the valve retainer clip (there's a trick to it) – remove the valve – clean it and reinstall it.

Plus, I should rotate the valve every couple of months which diverts full power to either side of the tub (distributes to both sides in normal use). The additional force of water will blow out / clean out any tiny debris that gets trapped.

Bryan also installed a simple air release valve (a one dollar part) and some tubing to an available port on the pump. By putting that valve in – whenever I drain the tub completely – the valve will vent / release air from the system.

Previously, whenever I drained the tub to change the water – after filling the tub back up – it always resulted in an air lock. I had to take the side panels off to get to a spigot to release the air.

This little valve worked perfectly when we filled the tub back up. Why the *&C% Thermospa (or other manufacturers) don’t install this at the factory is astounding.

He also told me that I could replace the foot well light with an LED bulb.

The LED bulb has four colors and works with the existing switch on the control panel to change the color. It can also be set to rotate between the colors each time you turn the light on or can be set to change colors gradually while it is on.

The LED is controlled by simply turning it on and off (within 30 seconds) to rotate through the different settings. If there is a setting I want it to stay on – simply leave it on for more than 30 seconds and it will keep the last setting in memory when I turn it off.

The LED cost around $25 and he charges $75 to put them in. But he told me where to purchase it and told me how to disassemble the light housing to install it. It’s much larger (diameter) than a regular bulb so it can’t be just plugged in – you have to remove the housing – install it from the front – and then reinstall the housing. In addition to the colors, since it’s LED, it should last a lifetime and never need replacing.

What an excellent service call. The tub is back to operating just like new. Actually better than new as he trimmed some tabs on the main valve so it is less likely to get stuck from debris and installed the automatic air release valve.

And, he gave me a great education in maintenance and service. That alone was worth the cost of the service visit.

If you live in central North Carolina and need a fantastic hot tub service guy - call Bryan at Rapid Spa Repair: 919-630-2389.

Weekend Update - January 30, 2011

Not much going on here at Casa de Bill.

I worked last week at Appalachian State University in Boone. Pretty setting for a school although I like the setting at Western Carolina better.

It was cold in Boone. Started sleeting Tuesday night; snowed all day Wednesday; a little more sleet and flurries Thursday; and snowed all morning Friday. It was pretty but made getting around problematic.

Today at home, it's in the mid 60's and I've got the doors and windows open. Feels like spring compared to what I was working in just 2 days ago.

Hot Tub

Tomorrow the technician is scheduled to fix the hot tub. Hope that works out – keeping my fingers crossed.

Basketball

State had a 19 point lead over Clemson and ended up losing by 10. I think the stat was we were outscored 48 to 12 in the second half. Saturday – we just stunk it up at UNC.

You can tell the kids are frustrated. You can also tell by watching Coach Lowe's expression and demeanor that he knows this is his last year as head coach.

As I’ve said before – it’s sad.

I predict we will win 2 more games: at Wake Forest and at home vs. Georgia Tech. Maybe we’ll pick up another win somewhere. Possibly at Virginia.

I’ll still be at the games cheering on the team.

Odds and Ends +Addendum

NC State Basketball

I haven’t been talking about basketball. There’s a reason.

With a top 5 freshman class, State was poised to finally turn the corner in Sidney Lowe’s 5th year as Head Coach.

Combining the new recruits with last year's team which went deep in the NIT - including all ACC senior power forward Tracy Smith, senior point guard Javier Gonzalez and excellent sophomores Richard Howell and Scott Woods (and a solid bench that could start for a lot of teams) - making the NCAA Tournament was a given. We were expected to finish 3rd in the ACC – right behind National Champions Dook and UNC. Getting to the Sweet 16 was a real probability.

Not going to happen.

To date, State is 1 and 3 and tied for 8th place in the ACC. We have dropped 3 “should have won” non-conference games against Division I Tournament caliber teams.

We have 12 ACC games remaining. To get to the NCAA Tournament, we need to go 10 and 2. Maybe 9 and 3.

It will not happen.

Watching the team play – we have amazing talent and ability. Unfortunately, they can’t play as a team. They are not prepared nor coached on how to play the college game.

I have been saying that this was the year we’d find out if Coach Lowe has what it takes to be a Division I ACC coach. I’m afraid the answer is in.

It’s going to be a painful rest of the season.

I’ll be at every game, cheering the kids on and hoping for the best. But what I’ll be seeing is the decline and end of Sidney Lowe’s career as a college Head Coach.

It’ll be sad. No one tries harder or wants State to win as much as Sidney. But it just isn't happening for him.

Even if there is an astounding turn around, that still won't erase the dismal performance we have seen thus far. And the buck stops at the Head Coach's desk.

The obvious choice is Rick Barnes. He was the obvious choice 5 years ago and word is that he was interested in coming to NC State. But our (thankfully) former AD, Lee Fowler, (royally) screwed up the process and Barnes withdrew from consideration.

Hot Tub

The intermittent leak returned last weekend. I’ve drained the hot tub and have an appointment set up with a local guy who is highly recommend – Rapid Spa Repair.

Will let you know what happens.

Darn it – the best time to use a hot tub is when it’s cold. And mine is sitting on the back deck – empty.

:-(

Addendum

Saturday morning - The HVAC guy just left. Replaced a time delay controller on the heat pump. It was cold in this house this morning. Warming up now.

And the rc helicopter I ordered does not work. I'm waiting on a return authorization number from xHeli to send it back for exchange.

When it rains, it pours.

Ice

 

We had a pretty good winter storm Monday. Mostly ice at my house. This is what US 1 looked like this morning. I really should have waited a couple hours before driving in to work.

On Deep River Road, there's a curve that always gets very icy and slippery during winter weather. It's a combination of shade and shape and there's always problems there.

I was driving no more than 20 mph and in 4-wheel drive this morning and I got a good bit sideways going through there. In fact, I should have turned around and gone home.

I was thinking - somebody is going to come through here too fast and is going to have problems.

 

Here's the same spot this afternoon on the way home. If you click on the photo - you can see where people slid off the road (both sides).

4-wheel drive doesn't do much for you when it's solid ice.

Hot Tub +Addendum

Here’s the background.

When I went on my cruise vacation I turned the hot tub temperature down to 50 degrees to save on electricity.

While I was away, the weather turned unseasonably cold – with nighttime temperatures in the mid to low teens (I think it got down to 14 degrees a couple nights).

When I got back – I went to turn up the hot tub temperature and was dismayed by what I found.

The hot tub had drained down to the filter level (about a foot below the normal fill level). When the water gets that low – the pump sucks in air and you get an air lock in the system (air from the filter since water level drops and the intake can on take in air at that point). The pump runs – but it is running dry – i.e. it is not pumping water – just running.

How long the pump was running (but not pumping water) is anybody’s guess. Days perhaps? Those pumps are not designed to run ‘dry’. That’s a sure fire way to burn out a pump.

So – I threw the main breaker to turn the system off. Then I drained all the remaining water from the hot tub (so it wouldn't freeze and burst the pipes or crack the tub).

Also – I noticed long icicles below the deck under the hot tub. Obviously where water had come from the hot tub and frozen.

Since it was still in the 20’s when I got back – the plan was to wait till warm weather and try and diagnose the problem.

Which was today (Sunday).

I’ve filled up the tub to the proper level, removed the side panels and insulation panels, checked the filters and valves (one valve was partially closed) – and then threw the breaker switch to turn the system back on – and waited to see what happens.

The pump and heater came back on. I ran the system self check code – turned the air pumps on and off. Cycled the water pump from low to high a couple times.

Everything is working properly.

I can’t see any leaks inside the housing.

In short – as far as I can tell – everything is running perfectly.

Which is great. Except that something caused the water level to drop while I was gone – and I can’t figure out what happened.

One idea is a line froze up since I had it set on 50 degrees instead of the usual 100 degrees and maybe a frozen blockage cause the water to pump into the tub and over the side instead of circulating through the system.

Or maybe it’s a super slow leak that I can’t see.

Anyway – I’ve still got the sides off and am going to watch it though out the day.

If nothing unusual shows up – I’ll put the insulation and side panels back on and see what happens over the next week.

It’s supposed to turn cold again with temperatures back into the low 20’s. If it’s a line freezing problem – maybe it will show up.

On the other hand – I’m not going to turn the temperature down just to test my theory. I now think it’s best to leave the temperature at the normal operating setting of 100 degrees. Even if I’m away for a week or two. It’s not worth risking a freezing line and damaging the hot tub just to save a few cents in electricity.

Penny wise and pound foolish.

Addendum 1/10/11

Well, it's been over a week now and the water level has stayed the same and the hot tub has been operating perfectly.

Obviously I'm glad everything is working fine, but the great hot tub mystery remains.

New Years Eve 2010

A while back, I reserved a room at the Sheraton Hotel downtown for New Year’s Eve. Got a pretty good rate at the Sheraton right on Fayetteville Street at the Plaza where everything happens.

Nuke (still here) and I drove in to town around 3 PM and checked in. First Night Raleigh was starting just about when we got there.

The hotel gave us a great room - overlooking City Plaza and the Main Stage. Pretty cool – lots of music to listen to. Live music is always good – just about no matter what is being played. I can even tolerate modern jazz, if it’s live. For a little while anyway.

Here’s a link to the photos I took.

Watched the Acorn drop twice – first for the Kid’s Celebration and then later at Midnight – along with the fireworks.

Saturday, we checked out and went to the RBC to watch the NC State – San Diego State basketball game.

State won. D’oh.

Hot Tub

When I got back from the cruise, the hot tub water had drained down about halfway – and there were icicles under the deck. Clearly something with the pipes or fittings – not a leak in the tub itself.

I drained the tub and have been waiting for an opportunity to check out the problem.

It’s been sub-freezing since the cruise and this weekend was the first time the temperature stayed warm enough for me to refill the tub and turn it on to see where the leak is.

That's the afternoon plan.