September 2008

There were 79 posts published in September 2008 (this is page 3 of 8).

RBC Plaza

Walking around downtown this past Friday I came to a realization about the RBC Plaza. In essence, Raleigh’s tallest building comes up short in a few important ways.

As some have mentioned before, the setback from the street is far too narrow. Pedestrians never get a feel for how tall it is because from the street level it looks like any other dull building in downtown Raleigh. It might look unique from the top but it certainly doesn’t look unique from the bottom. You could walk right by and miss it.

Part of the problem is the lobby of the building. A large, open lobby would’ve conveyed the building’s grand height to those entering it. Instead the building has a modest lobby with modest ceilings. It doesn’t have the lobby of a 33-story building but the lobby of a five-story building.

One day downtown Raleigh will get the flash it needs to get noticed. The RBC Plaza misses the mark.

Tour de Turner

Yesterday the family went on a mammoth bike ride: probably 25 miles! We rode our Middle Crabtree Creek greenway all the way to Crabtree Valley Mall, then up to Shelly Lake where we rested and snacked, then back down the greenway to our home. The kids rode the Trail-A-Bikes as usual, though I’m itching to get them firmly on their own bikes (and I worked with Travis on that a bit Saturday).

I was glad to see so many other cyclists out, too. Probably more than we’ve ever seen. I’m glad the greenways are getting the proper attention.

I also saw a woman with an unleashed spaniel dog at Shelly lake. The dog repeatedly charged into the lake chasing ducks and scared the turtles away. The next time I see something like this I’ll remind him or her of the rules of proper dog-walking in the city park.

We got back around 2:30 in the afternoon and didn’t have much energy to do much else, though I managed to wash the CR-V. It was still caked with mud from Kelly’s trip to the coast, so I guess you could say it needed it!

Chirp chirp

I was dozing earlier this morning when I sat bolt upright in bed. Someone had thrown a wad of tape on me! Still groggy, I grabbed the tape of my chest and tossed it across the room. Turning on the bathroom light, I took a closer look at the tape.

It wasn’t tape, but a cicada: the one I’d seen in the bedroom yesterday and assumed was a dead one the kids had brought inside. The little buggy had chosen 5:30 AM for a good time for an on-time departure to my chest.

I scooped him up and set him outside, chuckling as I went back to sleep.

Power outage

We lost power last night right after my last post. Tree branches wandered into the power lines on Glascock Street near Norris. I used the opportunity to visit neighbors.

Summertime power outages create impromptu block parties. I talked to more neighbors in 30 minutes than I could’ve in a year. They’re great people, too.

The power returned after 90 minutes but the friendships continue.

Monuments

At the State Capitol during today’s Bugfest festival some kids were clambering up the war memorial to get a better look at one of the exhibits. A dour, overweight man walked up to the monument and commanded them to come down.

“Its disrespectful,” he scolded as the kids meekly climbed down.

As I thought about the men and women the monument was honoring, I knew the man had it wrong. These brave souls wouldn’t mind kids playing on the monument. In fact, they would love to watch them play. So many of them were just kids themselves when they died, and so many left their own kids without a father or mother that the last thing they would want is for someone to take a kid’s fun away. And what could make a better monument to peace than a child’s laughter?

I paused a moment for those fellow veterans, sadly shook my head, and then chased my cackling, gleeful children for all it was worth.

Yer So Bad

Yer So Bad
Tom Petty
(YouTube)

My sister got lucky, married a yuppie
Took him for all he was worth
Now shes a swinger dating a singer
I can decide which is worse

But not me, baby
I’ve got you to save me
Aw, yer so bad
Best thing Ive ever had
In a world gone mad
Yer so bad
Continue reading →