Day 5: Carolina on my mind

Remembering my mis-calculation when driving from Nashville to Suwanee, I made sure that I'd have plenty of time to get to Charlotte before lunch!

This drive was only going to be 3.5 hours, so the shortest one yet.  I finished listening to the first book on CD I had, and it was pretty good.  Spent the rest of the time with silence just thinking.  I have a lot to think about these days.  :-)

And the Gaffney, SC, water tower:

There's actually an article about this on the Internet, on the Roadside America site.  From that site:
"It's rumored that in the early '90's, civic authorities ordered the Peachoid water tower repainted so it would look less like a big butt -- reducing rubbernecking fatalities on nearby I-85. It may be safer today, but from the right angle, the one-million gallon watersphere STILL looks like a bright orange butt....  According to official literature, the Peachoid boldly "sets the record straight about which state is the biggest peach producer in the South. Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT Georgia."


Hee hee....  :-)  I think that it looks like a big butt.

I make good time getting into Charlotte, so that I can meet the Kobsiks for lunch, but a little drama along the way.  I'm about 3 miles from their house, on a major road -- 3 lanes each way -- and a car came from my right just driving across all three lanes.  We both slam on brakes, and I go onto the shoulder and around him.  Whew!  A little shaky and paranoid for the rest of the drive!


Becky and Rick are the proud (new) parents of a little girl, and she is just the cutest thing ever!  We spent a few minutes in their living room while the baby went to sleep in my arms :-)  and their boxer, Murphy, also tried to get my attention!  :-)

We woke up the baby and headed to lunch at Dish.  I felt really special 'cause Rick joined us as well!  I suggested Dish to Becky, as "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" (on the Food Network) had done a segment there.  Becky and Rick had been many times and really enjoyed it; and after my experience, I can heartily agree.  We started with hot pimento cheese dip, and then I had old-style chicken pot pie with squash casserole.  And just about every meal comes with a biscuit and deviled egg -- yum!  www.eatatdish.com


After lunch, I headed over to the Schmidt homestead.  [They live just a few minutes from the Kobsiks.]  Kara and Ryan's home is fabulous.  They have done so much work to really make it a home and tailor it to their lifestyle.  Currently in the middle of a kitchen renovation, it's so cool to see a room pretty much stripped down to the foundation, and then see the plans for what it will look like when they are done.  


Spent the afternoon hanging out with them and the menagerie -- Maggie, a chocolate lab; Janis, a tortoiseshell cat; and, Millie Grace, their newest addition (see below).  I found out later that they actually have a third cat, Quinto, but I didn't see him until later that night.  And never got closer to him than 5 feet or so.  :-)

Ryan had been finishing up some work on the kitchen -- while Kara and I watched Julia Roberts on "Oprah"! -- and then we all got cleaned up and headed out on the town.  [Oh, and I met Neighbor Dave in the interim, and also another neighbor I don't remember right now.]


We pretty much did a progressive happy hour, as they shared a lot of their favorite places with me.  :-)  First stop, a margarita at Loco Lime on Central Avenue, then on to Loft 1523, a rooftop bar with a great pear martini.  But it was HOT outside so we weren't there too long.


Off to the Philosopher's Stone (on East 7th), which was easily my favorite watering hole of the night.  A really interesting bar that just feels like it started small and then organically expanded so that you go around a corner to a screened-in patio, then walk through that and take a sharp right and you're in another room with a bar and tables, and then outside to long picnic tables.  The bartenders were great fun, and it was obvious that Kara and Ryan were regulars.  I met Chase and Stump, and we spent quite a bit of time talking to John, a really unique individual.


We decided that we were ready for some food and headed to Soul Gastrolounge back on Central Avenue.  It was the first time any of us had been there, and it was orgasmic.  [I'm not kidding.  Early in the meal, Kara insisted that she was mid-orgasm.  ;-)  ]


FOODIE ALERT:  Yep, I have to tell you all about the food.....  lots of flavors, served tapas-style.  So, get your glass of wine or good beer, and then just start ordering small plates.  We started with a lobster and sweet corn saute, and blue crab fritters.  Then serrano ham and manchego cheese on toast.  Shrimp ceviche with coconut milk and lime, served with fried plantain "scoops".  A sushi "soul roll" -- spicy salmon, cucumber and jalapeno, topped with white tuna and wasabi aioli.  We had lamb lollipops, a ham plate, and then finished with sashami tuna tacos.  A veritable feast!  Great atmosphere (check out their website:  www.soulgastrolounge.com), fantastic service, and some of the best food I've had in a LONG time!  Go there!  If you are anywhere close!  It's worth the drive!!!!  All with good friends and good conversation equalled lots of laughs and the time just FLYING by.


One more stop after dinner, at the Thomas Street Tavern just around the corner from Soul.  This was a "see and be seen" place, but they do have PBR in bottles, and if you guess the number and suit of the "card" that's on the inside of the bottlecap (e.g. Jack of Spades), you get the beer for free!  :-)  We struck up a conversation with a Russian named Greg (and his girlfriend? Steph).  Ryan kept asking him about his Texas belt buckle........


Back home on the ranch ("this ranch is the Schmidt's"), we had a few more drinks on the deck and then wandered inside to bed just before 2am.......  Oh, and this is when I had a Quinto-sighting.