Charlotte Rocks

The last week in Charlotte has been a lot of fun.  Kory and Jennifer welcomed me with open arms and were incredible and excellent hosts.  The Charlotte area is great.  The population is pretty young and active.  For most of my stay, I was a bit concerned about heading into downtown Charlotte because of the traffic.  Finally, on Friday, I braved the traffic to go into downtown Charlotte, only to find that there was almost no traffic.  Once I was able to get onto I-77 (a story for another time), getting downtown and finding a parking space was easier than in any other city.

For those of you who have never been, downtown Charlotte has a lot to offer, with markers denoting historical events, beautiful churches, sculptures and open areas scattered liberally throughout.

There were a lot of police standing around at street corners yesterday morning.  I learned later that it was because of the CIAA basketball tournament going on this weekend. 

I grabbed lunch at a very interesting place called Cowbell.  I was drawn inside by the late 90s/early 2000s rock music blaring out into the street.  The inside décor made it clear that this was not your typical burger joint.  The bartender, Lindsey, greeted me like a long-lost friend, even though she had never met me before.  She suggested a great burger to me.  It had deep fried jalapenos, Guinness cheese, and pulled pork, in addition to the all beef patty.  If beef is not to your taste, there are also other meat selections available.  The side dish was mac & cheese.  Along with a Guinness to drink, it was pretty awesome.  That's right, I was able to have a beer at lunch, since I had no where that I had to be afterwards.  (The two chef figurines are actually the salt and pepper shakers.)

For my last night in Charlotte, Kory, Jennifer, Millie, Leah, and I all went to Fahrenheit, a restaurant/bar overlooking downtown Charlotte.  This was the view accompanying our dinner and drinks.

Here's all of us after appetizers and drinks.

It was definitely sad to leave Charlotte this time, and I'm coming back.  It's on the Princeton, West Virginia now for more time with family and friends.  As a final thought, I thought I'd leave you with a picture of a palm tree dusted with snow, one of the first things I saw in Charlotte, thanks to Kory.

Snow!

Last night was the first snowfall I've experienced in years.  This is what I saw last night.

I'm not going to lie, I didn't buy into the hype surrounding the forecast of snow in the Charlotte area.  Even while it was snowing last night, I was sure that there would not be much accumulation.

This is the sight that greeted me this morning.

Mother Nature wins again.

Charlotte

A new week finds me in a new city.  On Monday, I left Charleston to visit my cousin Kory, his wife Jennifer, and their six-month old daughter Leah.   As a bonus, I also get to see my aunt Millie and uncle Kenny.  It took me about 3 hours to get from Charleston to Charlotte, which was better than what Google Maps had said.  I have to say that I really enjoyed driving out of Charleston.  While you know that it's a city, it doesn't have the congestion of a city like Miami or Washington, DC.  In either of those cities, good luck getting anywhere at 8:00 am without hitting traffic.  Not so where I was in Charleston.

I got into Charlotte around lunch time.  Obviously, Kory and Jennifer were at work, so I had some time to kill.  I had skipped breakfast, so I thought that lunch might not be a bad idea.  I went to a Mexican restaurant called the Three Amigos.  They served pretty decent chips and salsa.  For lunch, I also had a taco and enchilada with mole sauce.  When the bill came, I definitely knew that I wasn't in Key West anymore.  The price was about half of what I would have paid for the same thing at Chico's in Key West.  Not too shabby at all.

After lunch, I got to meet Leah.

The next few hours were spent exploring.  I found pretty much anything I could ever want in the surrounding area.  There was a coffee shop, pizza place, 24 hour gym, two martial arts studios, and a large box store selling only beer, wine, and specialty foods.  The beer selection wasn't quite as extensive as Total Wine & More in Charleston, but this place had Bell's Oberon (my favorite) as well as a bar where beer and wine could be sampled.  Dinner was with Kory, Jennifer, Millie, Kenny, and Leah at a pizza place called Harrison's, where, on Mondays, all draft beers are $2.50.  I could definitely like it here.

I also got something of a surprise this morning when Kory told me that it had snowed last night.  This was my car.

I haven't had to clear snow off my car in years.

Days Seven through Eight

As I write this blog, I'm trying to figure out how to approach chronicling this trip.  Do I stick to a strict linear recitation of events?  For example, on day twenty, I was in this city and went here, here and here, and saw the following things.  Or, do I try something more free flowing and just write what pops into my head?

The problem I'm having is that there's so much that I want to write down, I'm not sure either approach will cover it all.  I'm going to go forward as best I can, and I hope everyone will forgive me for any lapses in clarity.

I've spent the past Saturday and Sunday in Charleston, South Carolina.  I went to Charleston for two reasons: (1) I love the city; and (2) to visit my friends, John and Lindsay Harman.  I didn't have a long time in Charleston, but I definitely made the most of it.  Hopefully, I'll be able to make it back there soon.

Unlike a lot of the rest of the country, the weather in Charleston over the weekend was in the 60s and 70s.  Considering that when I left Vero Beach Saturday morning, the temperature there was in the 40s, I definitely appreciated the change.  (Full disclosure - the temperature in Vero returned to normal and is sitting at 79 degrees at the moment). 

It's a 7 hour drive from Vero Beach to Charleston in current conditions.  I got to Charleston around 1:00 pm and immediately went to John and Lindsay's house.  We grabbed lunch at a place called the Original Ms. Rose's Fine Food & Cocktails.  Inside, the restaurant was pretty interesting.  I'm not sure how to actually describe it, and I wish I had taken a picture now.  Suffice it to say that the décor was unique, but it worked.  They served brunch on Saturday, and I was tempted to get French Toast.  Instead, I had a burger, with bleu cheese and bacon.  They did a great job with it.  It was a solid burger.

Afterwards, I checked into my hotel.  I decided to stay at the Radisson at the airport.  Thanks to Expedia, I was able to book a room there at $55.00 a night.  However, soon after getting into my room, I was reminded of the old adage "You get what you pay for."  I cannot recommend this hotel to anyone.  It was clear as soon as I entered that the room had not been cleaned well.  There was literally a Starburst wrapper on the floor, peeking out from under the chair.  There were a couple of stains on one of the headboards of the beds.  About the beds, they were those Sleep Number beds, where you can set the firmness of the mattress.  That would have been fine, but, for whatever reason, the selectors for both beds were broken.  One side of each of the beds was set at firm, and the other was set on, well, not firm.  Basically, one side of each of the beds dipped and nothing could be done to fix it.  I slept in the bed without the stained headboard, if you can call it sleep.  Sleeping in that bed was not comfortable.  If I moved at all, I fell into the dip in the bed, which inevitably woke me up. Still, at the end of the day, the choice was economical, so, hooray for affordability.  At least the wireless was free and relatively fast.  That said, I don't think I will be going back, or recommending the place to anyone else.  Ever.

What I like about Charleston is the variety of things to do.  On Saturday night, John and I went to the South Carolina Stingrays game.  It's Charleston's minor league hockey team.  It was actually awesome.  I love live hockey games.  Below are some pictures from the game.

(The pink lines were actually in the ice for breast cancer awareness.  It's not a problem with my phone's camera.)  Live hockey is fun because there are fights.  Granted, the guys fighting don't seem to know what they're doing.  They take their gloves off and start punching each other in the plastic helmets.  To me, that seems like a recipe for a broken hand.  They'd be much better off throwing elbows, but they don't.  Still, seeing the game was fun.  The Stingrays ended up winning, coming from behind to dominate the other team.

The next day I wandered into downtown Charleston.  One of the things I find interesting about Charleston is that, no matter where you start going, it is very easy to find yourself downtown.  I just started in North Charleston with no real plan of where I wanted to go.  When I found myself on King Street, I parked and started walking around.

I ended up having a great breakfast at a place called Kitchen 208.  It's a fast, casual restaurant with a cooking area that is in full view of the diners.  You go to the counter and order, and then can watch your meal being made.  When I went, it wasn't busy yet, so I got a good view.  I ordered eggs over easy, with breakfast potatoes, bacon, and a biscuit.  The eggs were cooked well and the bacon was thick.  The biscuit was light and buttery.  But where the breakfast really shined was with the breakfast potatoes.  Those that know me well know that I love breakfast potatoes.  However, too many places seem to have no idea how to pull off breakfast potatoes.  Kitchen 208's cooks definitely knew what they were doing.  The potatoes were sautéed with green pepper and onion, which, to my mind, are necessary elements of good breakfast potatoes.  The potatoes themselves were crisp, but not scorched.  All in all, I would definitely recommend Kitchen 208.

I also took the time to go to Total Wine & More to pick up wine and beer to take to my cousins' house in Charlotte.  I spent quite a bit of time just walking the beer aisles.  There was a great selection.

Later in the afternoon, John and I went to a shooting range.  I am not really a gun person, I am not a natural marksman, and I've been to a shooting range only once before in my entire life.  However, I'm very glad that I went to the shooting range this time.

Quickshot allows its customers to rent and fire fully automatic weapons.  I have never been near a fully automatic weapon before.  However, while Harman and I were firing a Ruger .22 and 1911 9mm semi-automatics, the people around us were firing fully automatics.  After having experienced that, I have a renewed appreciation for what our armed forces go through.  Even though I was several feet away from the fully automatic weapons and had on ear protection in a completely controlled setting, I could feel it every time the fully automatics were fired.  I could even feel it through the walls of the shooting stall.  I can't even imagine what our armed services personnel and police officers must go through, to have that going off near them, without ear or eye protection and while someone else may be shooting at them.

Following the shooting range, I had dinner with John, Lindsay, and their son Liam.  I started teaching Liam how to breakfall.  By the end, I had him slapping the ground as he fell backwards onto the couch.  It was definitely a fun evening, and a fun trip.

My New Favorite Restaurant (in Vero)

Tonight, my aunt and uncle took me to a restaurant called the "Garage".  I wasn't sure what to expect because I had never been there before, and neither had my aunt and uncle.  I arrived with literally no idea what I was in for.  Having now eaten there, I can honestly say that it is my favorite restaurant in Vero Beach (as the title of this post states).  Serving pizza, wings, and beer, it's a can't miss experience.

The Garage is set up in an old service station.  That service station has been renovated, and really gives the place a nostalgia factor that is missing from a lot of restaurants.  There is not a lot of seating, just a couple of booths.  There is actually more seating available outdoors, but it was in the 50s tonight, so that was not an option. 

The inside is filled with memorabilia from beer companies, and other items, which accentuate the nostalgia factor.  The service was good, and, even though it was a crowded Friday night, I never felt ignored or forgotten.

The menu is pretty straight-forward. 

 You can order pizza, wings, and/or salad.  Full disclosure, I did not order a salad.  (Don't tell my mom.)  I ordered a half-dozen wings and a personal pizza.  The Garage has four options on the wings, Naked, Buffalo, Extra Hot, and Carolina BBQ.  Because I was sharing the wings, I went with Buffalo.  The sauce was spicy without being overwhelming, and the wings were doused in the sauce.  Definitely some of the better wings I've ever had.

I decided to create my own pizza, which led to a pizza with fresh jalapeno, farm fresh eggs, pepperoni, and meatballs.  The crust was doughy but crispy, and was cooked in a wood-fired oven.  For those of you from Key West, the crust was reminiscent of the crust of pizza from Roostica.  I wasn't sure how I would like having egg on my pizza, but the staff at the Garage pulled it off.  The texture was definitely different from what I was used to, but it was a great addition to the pizza.  There are other options, so I recommend finding a combination you like and going to town.  My uncle ordered one with the braised pork shoulder, which was awesome.

Last but not least, the Garage had a good beer selection.  In addition to the standard choices of Budweiser and Bud Light, Yeungling, and Magic Hat, there was also a good selection of local Florida craft beers.  If you go, definitely check with the server.  The beer I most enjoyed was actually not on the menu, and, if I hadn't asked, I would have missed out.

Overall, the Garage is a great experience.  If you find yourself in Vero Beach, Florida, you should definitely take the time to visit the Garage.

Days Two Through Six

I spent the last week in Vero Beach, staying at my parents' house.  It's a bit of a transition, going from working every day to, well, not.  Unfortunately, while the weather has been clear, it's been a bit chilly (for South Florida).  I've spent the time unpacking and wandering around the area.  Below are a few of the pictures I've taken.

 

The pictures below are from a park near my parents' house.

 

 

 

 

 The next picture was taken while walking along a bridge over the Indian River.

 

The picture below is from a park under that bridge.

 

The following pictures are from Vero Beach.  Because it was in the 50s, no one really wanted to get into the water.

 

The restaurant below is actually in Fellsmere, and is named Marsh Landing.  It has the best Steak and Eggs for breakfast I think I've ever had.  I try to eat at least one breakfast there any time I'm in Vero.  The food is excellent and the prices are very reasonable.  The décor is interesting, with various farming implements and stuffed animals along the walls.  I'm told that on weekends, there is live music.

On to Charleston, South Carolina tomorrow!

On Seeing Birdman

For days, I couldn't seem to get the movie Birdman out of my head.  I went to see it Sunday with my aunt, and I've been thinking about it ever since.  I thought that maybe putting my thoughts in writing would finally allow me to put that movie behind me.  If you haven't seen Birdman, SPOILERS AHEAD.  You have been warned.

Birdman aspires to be a stinging critique of the current popularity of superhero movies and the actors who star in them.  It falls somewhat short of its goal, and descends into a mishmash of events, jumping from scene to scene with no transitions.  One moment, a character is smoking in a dressing room, and the next, he's preparing to go on stage.  Also, random musicians keep appearing and playing the movie's soundtrack for no apparent reason.

The movie follows Michael Keaton's character, Riggan Thompson, as he tries to resurrect his acting career through writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway play.  Riggan, as we learn, was the star of the Birdman superhero movies in the 1990s.  You learn that he made three of the movies, but turned down a fourth so as not to be typecast.  Regardless, he is followed around by his Birdman character who dispenses advice and criticism of Riggan's career choices.  Unsurprisingly, no one else can see Birdman, just Riggan.

The movie opens with Riggan's play in trouble, even before opening night.  His co-star has a stage light fall on his head in the middle of rehearsal, which Riggan believes he made happen.  It's never explained whether Riggan is responsible.  At various times during the movie, Riggan performs acts of telekinesis, moving glasses and other objects around with only his mind.  This power is never explained, and may just be part of Riggan's hallucinations.  The movie is not clear on this point.  Regardless, Riggan gets a popular Broadway actor to fill in for his injured co-star, who is played by Edward Norton.  Norton is perfect for the role, as the character is obsessive about his acting, self-centered, inconsiderate, and basically, a giant douchebag.

Various events occur, basically resulting in Riggan's complete and total mental breakdown, which culminates in Riggan shooting himself with an actual gun on stage on opening night.  I thought Riggan was trying to actually kill himself, but the movie doesn't bother to answer the question.  The movie ends on the oddest scene of a very odd movie, with Riggan climbing out of the window of his hospital room and disappearing.  When Emma Stone (who played Riggan's drug-addict daughter) walks into the room, she looks down at the ground in horror, and then up in the air with a beatific smile on her face.  I couldn't tell whether this meant that Riggan was lying on the ground or flying in the air, which was apparently an option because of the unexplained telekinesis.

All told, it was a very odd movie with plot contrivances that made no sense.  Furthermore, Birdman seemed like an ode to the Socratic method.  It posed a lot of questions to its audience, but gave few answers.  I was more certain of the bar exam than I was of what was going on in that movie.  The director anticipated the problems facing the movie, because he devotes an entire scene to having Riggan's character scream at a stage critic for her anticipated review of the play (The review was going to be bad.).

So yeah, I was not a fan.

Day One

Well, it's official.  The walkabout has begun.  I have left Key West.  I won't be seeing mornings like this one for a while.

 

(This last picture isn't actually from that morning, but I liked it and thought it should be included as one of the sights I will no longer see.)

Thoughts from the Road

Driving back to Key West from Marathon Thursday night, I found myself thinking about perception.  To set the scene for those of you who have never driven US 1 at night, there are no lights.  It's pitch black, with only the headlights of the cars on the road by which to see.  I could barely see thirty yards ahead of me.  It's hard to maintain focus because your mind just wants to drift.

While I was driving, I thought about how much of what we are is defined by other people's perception of us.  It's that old philosophical question, if a tree falls in the forest, but there's no one around, does it make a sound?  Do we exist because we are perceived?  Is a person funny because other people perceive him to be funny?  Or is there a universal constant establishing humor?  Am I funny?  Obviously, I think I can be hilarious, but, if no one laughs at my jokes, does that mean there's something unfunny about me or about them?  Is there a fundamental standard of kindness, or is kindness only present in the eye of the beholder?  Who decides?

These are the kinds of things I think about when it's dark, I'm alone, and I'm driving.

The Final Countdown

After a month of goodbyes and going away happy hours, my time in Key West is almost at an end.  In two days, I will be leaving .  It's hard to believe that it's been a month since I announced my departure.  This past month has been a little bittersweet, as friends and colleagues have come to say goodbye.  I want to thank everyone who came out to say goodbye and who wished me well.  You've all meant a great deal to me.

Endings & Beginnings

“When one door closes, another opens.”  That’s a saying I’ve never thought much about previously.  It always seemed like one of those things people tell themselves to cope with lost opportunities.  I’ve always been of the opinion that a closed door is just a closed door. 

Maybe that’s one of the reasons I’ve been so closed off to possibilities lately.  For months before I made the decision to leave Key West, I felt like I was just going through the motions, half asleep.  One day was much like any other.  I got up early in the morning (generally before the sun was even up), showered, went to work, worked for a minimum of 11 hours, and then went home.  Once at home I would either put on a movie or play video games.  Occasionally, I would go to a book club meeting, but more often than not, I spent the evening in solitude.  On Fridays, I would go to happy hour, have 2 – 3 beers, and then go home alone.  On Saturdays, I would drive to Big Pine Key for my martial arts class (which was often my only activity for the week), and then on Sundays, I would go back into the office for a bit.  Then, the whole cycle would start over once again.  This was my circle of life, endless days on repeat, without much to show for any individual one.  Entire months ran into each other, and I found myself staring at the end of the year without anything really substantive to show for it.  It started to seem like not much of a life.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a bad life.  It was definitely comfortable, but maybe it was a little too comfortable.  There wasn’t much uncertainty in that life.  It was predictable and a little boring.  

Yes, I had friends.  Great friends actually, who were there for me.  We’ve had some great times together, which I will treasure.  When these friends read this blog, I don’t want them to think that I didn’t value them.  I did, I do, and I will continue to value them.  The outpouring of support I've received after making the decision to leave has been incredible and humbling.  Thank you all.   

Back to my original thought though, the saying about opening and closing doors is really one about balance.  To me, it means that you have to give up something in order to gain what you want.  Put in other words, everything has a price.  You can take what you want, but you'll have to pay for it one way or another.

For me, the price I'm paying is my comfortable little life here in the Keys.  I'm giving up job, home, and friends.  I'm throwing away certainty to venture into the unknown.

And I couldn't be more excited.