Can Judy come to my house for a while?

Locally I usually get Gloria Ferrer for a good champagne in that range

I got this specific Gloria Ferrer sparkling wine (brut, NV) for New Year's Eve this year, and it was really outstanding. I highly recommend it.

Are any of the Raleigh-Durhamites around?

yo

That was sort of alarmingly fast.

Okay, so we're back to talking about moving into the area, and to that end, are looking at an exploratory trip. I'm pretty sure that last time we talked, you guys said you generally preferred Durham. I think that job prospects will be a lot better for us in Raleigh, though. So. um.

1) How many days do you think it would take to get a feel for the area? Could we just sort of drive around for a couple of days?

2) What neighborhoods are scary and to be avoided, both in terms of hotels and potential home-buying areas?

Oooh, Dana! Exciting.

I am quite pleased with myself. I found some plant hanging brackets and mounted them on either side of the lsliding glass doors. Then I put up the curtain rod from IKEA and rehung so many of the ornaments I took down last time I had to close the curtains.

Of course, now I'm thinking I should have gone with the black rod (I went with a pale gray, thinking it would be less obtrusive, but the brackets are black....) But anyway, this was a chore I've had hanging over my head for ages.

I was also supposed to clean today, but that hasn't happened yet. Given how the weather is supposed to be shittier tomorrow, staying in probably won't be an issue.

I should make dinner. Hrm.

Go you, sarameg!

The SO brought me over my hanging pot thing plant holder thing, a last rescue from the old house, last month. I was so excited! It was so thoughtful of him to bring it. So I've got to mount that, but I'm not sure quite where I want it.

sarameg, you could always spraypaint the grey rod black with enamel paint. A little messy, but effective. I love spraypaint.

sarameg, you could always spraypaint the grey rod black with enamel paint. A little messy, but effective. I love spraypaint.

That may be what I do. I mean, the can of paint would cost as much as the rod (love IKEA) but ... of course, that is not happening this weekend. It's too windy out.

I'm actually a little relieved I'm interested in prettying up my cluttered-with-pretties place again. I went through a long phase of not really finding the energy or interest , and that was definitely a symptom of something else. So I'm hoping this is a sign of good stuff.

Now what I really need to do, but isn't nearly as satisfying, is dust. I really hate dusting. And this place really needs it. I haphazardly will dust something here and there, but I'd really like one good job done. I may pay one of my neighbors who is a housecleaner to come do it.

That was sort of alarmingly fast.

It was an accident, I swear!

1) How many days do you think it would take to get a feel for the area? Could we just sort of drive around for a couple of days?

A couple of days sounds like a good plan - as long as you allow for some kind of Buffista time, of course.

2) What neighborhoods are scary and to be avoided, both in terms of hotels and potential home-buying areas?

This is the part where I bite my tongue really hard to make myself not say "Raleigh", isn't it?

For the kind of looking-around trip you're talking about, I'd suggest getting a hotel near the airport. Nothing around there will be at all scary, although it's all pretty much business-travel stuff and not much you'd call a neighborhood. More to the point, though, it's very centrally located for that kind of exploring.

As for neighborhoods to live in, it depends a lot on what you're looking for, and what you'd describe as scary. Can you say more?

(And if it really does make sense for you to live in Raleigh, I can ask a few friends with non-Stepford taste who have househunted there recently -- I don't know neighborhoods over there at all, but I would so do this thing for you.)