I learned to play Guitar Hero and I liked it

I used to think Guitar Hero was stupid. I tried it a couple of times and it was too hard. The notes were falling so fast. I felt like I was going cross-eyed. So I wrote it off as a silly fad and forgot about it.

But then I went to visit my family in southern Illinois, where an actual source of entertainment for local teens is going to Super Wal-Mart. Luckily for this city mouse, my 13-year-old sister just got Guitar Hero. She kindly showed me how to play it, and with a little practice, I was on the medium level in no time. It was addicting.

Check out one of my first attempts at the game (includes some creative camera work from my sister):

After my trip, I spotted an article in the N&O about a North Raleigh teen who dropped out of school so he could devote more time to perfecting Guitar Hero. I read that Fox & Hound in North Hills offered free Guitar Heron on Sunday nights, so I went to check it out. I was hoping to spot Blake Peebles, the local Guitar Hero whiz. Instead, a friend signed me up to play.

Before I knew it, I was standing on a small platform in front of a restaurant full of people playing Guitar Hero on a projector screen. I played “Ruby” by the Kaiser Chiefs on medium and lost (though I contend the green button wasn’t working properly).

Fox & Hound offers free Guitar Hero from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. on Sunday nights. They have two guitars, so you can square off against strangers. It’s fun. And if you’re not into Guitar Hero, it’s completely amusing to just sit there and watch (especially when the bracket pairs up a tween with an adult).

Dispatches from RDU

Just a note to let you know I’ll be away from my beloved Triangle for a tiny bit. I’m headed to southern Illinois to meet my baby nephew and spend some QT with my 13-year-old sister. So I’ll leave you with some scenes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport. I wanted to snap a few shots of how the Triangle is displayed to the many visitors who travel through our airport every day.

And just so you know. If you want to take a picture inside the ACC store. You have to get permission AND show the photograph to the guy behind the counter. Weird.

Keep the Triangle cool for me. I’ll be back later next week.

Fireworks raincheck at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park

I celebrated Independence Day twice this year. On Friday, I saw fireworks blast off a barge floating on Skull Creek during my Hilton Head Island trip. Then, upon returning to the Triangle Sunday, I found out that a wicked storm crashed the fireworks at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

So I found myself watching the Durham fireworks Monday night at the ballpark. Of course, it wasn’t as cool as if I had been there on the Fourth to see Kevin Costner perform in honor of the 20th anniversary of Bull Durham. Still, it was exhilarating to watch the fireworks shoot up from a trailer parked in center field of the ballpark.

There weren’t a lot of people at the DBAP for Monday’s raincheck display. I guess parents didn’t feel like dragging their children out so late on a Monday night. Here’s what you missed:

Apparently, Friday night’s storm was so violent that it knocked out power to the ballpark, prompting officials to make arrangements to install emergency lighting, according to The News & Observer.

I watched Gallagher smash watermelons and you can too

I saw Gallagher on Hilton Head Island Saturday night. I’ll give you a second to mull that over since there’s such a disparity between the watermelon-smashing comedian and the resort island.

It’s true, Gallagher came to Hilton Head, and one of my reporter friends got to interview him in advance of the show and snagged us free tickets. (He’ll be coming to Raleigh in a couple of weeks).

I didn’t know what to expect. I remember spotting a much younger Gallagher smashing watermelons into a plastic-covered crowd on several late night channel-surfing sessions. I always thought it was stupid, and really, it sort of is, but when you’re in the crowd (especially just out of range of flying bits of food) it becomes incredibly amusing.

Here’s how it unfolded. First, Gallagher opened up for himself, warming up the crowd by making fun of them and telling some jokes. Then, when it was time for his show to begin, he introduced himself and started his routine. He apparently traded in his famous striped shirt for a T-shirt provided by the club that was hosting him (which he later removed, along with his pants, possibly to keep from getting more messy but more likely because he likes the way it feels when bits of food his bare chest).

His act featured some politically incorrect jokes and some down right offensive jokes (including one about Ted Kennedy that made most of the audience groan). He apparently doesn’t like gay people or anyone from Mexico, because it seemed he targeted those two groups the most. He pulled some young girls on stage and made them wear underware vests that he created. Then he finally began mixing some pies to smash. The ingredients ranged from dog food mixed with Pepto-Bismol to cottage cheese, a head of lettuce coated in flour and, of course, watermelons.

Watch him smash some of those pies in this video clip:

By the way, the stage reeked after the show.

So Gallagher is apparently performing five shows at Goodnight’s in Raleigh July 24 to 26. Although, it’s a little unclear whether he’ll be smashing stuff at Goodnight’s. The comedy club’s website says “bring your plastic” but it later contradicts the need for plastic by saying:

Don’t miss it when Gallagher brings his “No Sledge Tour,” featuring his classic stand-up and props (but none of the messy stuff) to Goodnights Comedy Club.

It may be worth checking with the club to confirm he’ll be smashing stuff before you buy tickets. Because, while some of Gallagher’s jokes were worth a laugh, the food smashing was really the most amusing part of the show.

Spending the Fourth of July on an island

I’ll be in South Carolina for Independence Day. It will be my first trip back since moving to Raleigh last year, so I’m jazzed to see old friends, spend some much needed time on the beach and hopefully get some golf in.

Here’s a picture of an enthusiastic family who attended last year’s Independence Day on Hilton Head Island (photo credit goes to my friend and former colleague Jay Karr).

On Hilton Head, most folks head to the famous 18th hole at Harbor Town to watch the fireworks. That’s probably where I’ll be tomorrow night.

In the mean time, I hope you all have some fun plans for the weekend. If you’re sticking around the Triangle, check out this list of local events or just plan to go to the Festival for the Eno in Durham. Durham blogger Steve has some pics of the festival set up and some other scenic spots from West Point on the Eno, where the festival is held.

If you know of any other events you think folks in the Triangle should check out, please post them below.

Be safe and have fun!!

Running out of gas probably isn’t the best way to pinch pennies

I find myself longing for a day I once lamented. The day was March 5, 2008, when I posted a picture on my blog of the gas prices at a local gas station. I was complaining because I paid $3.25 for a gallon of gas. My how I miss those days.

Now that gas prices are right at the $4 mark, I find I never fill up my gas tank. I just pump in$12 and then make it last as long as possible. Luckily I can afford to put more in, but it’s the principle of the matter. When I bought my VW in college, it only cost $14 to fill her up. I find I drive less when I know I’m almost out of gas.

Stretching my $12 worth offuel has almost led to my car puttering out of gas a couple times already. Merging onto Raleigh’s Capital Boulevard is never fun when you think you’re about to run out of fuel.

Looks like I’m not the only one stretching my fuel as far as it will go. I found out today that the amount of North Carolina residents running out of gas on the highway soared 43 percent during the first five months of 2008 compared to the same time last year, according to a news release the Allstate Motor Club sent out today. The release goes on to say that NC residents called the motor club 179 times for fuel delivery between January and May 2008.

“We can’t directly correlate this rise in the number of people running out of gas to the rise in prices at the pump, but anecdotally we know that consumers are trying hard to stretch their dollar and sometimes that means stretching fuel into fumes,” said Allstate spokesman John Heid. “Drivers should remember running out of gas on the highway can be a lot more than an inconvenience; it can be hazardous.”

With higher fuel and food prices (CVS advertised a gallon of milk for $4.09 yesterday), I’m looking for ways to save my money. I imagine other Triangle-area residents are too. The TV Station I work for, NBC17, is seeking feedback from local folks about what they’re doing to save some extra money. People who offer particularly interesting or helpful tips may be featured in an upcoming news broadcast.

So if you’re doing something special to conserve gas, consider clicking here and posting a comment on my story about the upcoming series.

Or if you’re saving in other ways, take a look at this other article I wrote and consider sharing your money-saving tips with others. Your ideas could land you a spot on TV. And if being on TV isn’t your thing, then just think about the other people who may benefit from your ideas.

Meanwhile, do you think I’m crazy for only pumping $12 into my car? How much are you pumping in when you fuel up?

If Raleigh were San Francisco …

This is what it would look like …

Scenes from my first day in California

My Thursday in San Francisco.

Butterflies follow me everywhere.     The flight seemed to take forever.

An amazing view from the roof of my hotel.

Crabs at Fisherman’s Wharf.         Cable car time.

This is Foiled, a band from Orange County trying to earn gas money. Gas is over $4 here.

See more scenes from my trip.

If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear flowers in your hair

I’m taking my first-ever trip to California Thursday. I’m going to San Francisco, a city I’ve dreamed of visiting since I was a teenager.Specifically, my goal in high school was to move to San Francisco, become a reporter for the National Enquirer, covering celebrity gossip. If you don’t believe me, here’s an excerpt from an essay I had to write in 1997 for English class (yes, I’m a pack rat and keep pretty much everything, especially when it comes to my writings).

Oh, the fun in being young and naive. I was absolutely obsessed with Scott McKenzie’s song “San Francisco” throughout much of high school.Anyway, this trip is a spur-of-the-moment vacation for me. I checked out some guidebooks from the library to help me find some cool places.

So far my list includes all the staple tourist spots: Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Lombard Street and the Haight. Beyond that, I’m completely open to ideas.

So if my blog posts and tweets this week focus on San Francisco instead of life in the Triangle, now you’ll know why.

Meanwhile, I’m open for suggestions of places I should visit. Particularly restaurant and bar suggestions (just remember I’m traveling on a budget). So suggest away.