"He's Just Not That Into You" Author at Raleigh's Comedy Club

This past weekend, there was a special show at Goodnights Comedy Club. Have you been to Raleigh’s hit comedy club? It’s a really fun time, and you’re served popcorn and drinks during the show.  You can also have dinner in their upstairs restaurant before the show. And of course, they have some really great celebrity comedians perform. We’ve seen three comedians there. Bob “I’m a people person – bay-bee” Zany was the funniest…well, that was before the performance we went to yesterday with hilarious Greg Behrendt…

Does his name sound familiar? I had to double check but yes, I spelled his last name right. If you say his name to a man, he’s like “WHO?” If you say his name to a woman, she immediately recognizes, it’s the “he’s just not that into you” dude that was on Oprah for his brilliant New York Times best seller book. Here’s a photo of Greg and me if you need a photo reference. He’s winking at my husband taking the photo because he was one of the 9 brave men (dragged by a woman) in the audience. And no, don’t confuse Greg for Ty Pennington from ABC’s ‘Extreme Home Makeover’. Same spikey hair though.

So for our Saturday night date, my husband and I went to Raleighwood Cinema Grill. I’ve always known them as the Raleigh version of the Cinema and Draft House. If you’ve never been inside Raleighwood theaters, they have leather chairs and long row tables to serve you food. You should get there about 30 minutes before the movie so you can order food and drinks. Their menu is really extensive. I had their Italian sub which was pretty good. And they have all kinds of upscale junk food. We got some wings too. For dessert they have cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. I don’t remember hearing this but my husband said they were gonna stop the movie for intermission to take dessert orders but never did. I guess he wanted some dessert. Oh well.

Raleigh wine lovers can buy great wines from around the world and belong to a wine club at Wine Styles. It’s a franchised wine store and there’s one right in Brier Creek and Apex. They have events going on all the time and I happen to be volunteering at the Best Friend Pet Adoption Fundraiser event yesterday. Even though it was raining cats and dogs outside (ha…just a little pet humor), the place was packed with lively conversation… and what else? …wine tasting. People were really having a good time (and with their wine!).

Besides going to Creative Memories and Stampin’ Up parties, where do Raleigh scrapbookers get their fill? Where else but Archiver’s Scrapbooking Store at Triangle Town Center. It’s such a happenin’ place. I remembered when they first opened I was there as most die hard scrapbookers were. We’d been anticipating their opening day for months.

These days, you’ll still find that Raleigh store very busy, especially on weekends. They offer workshops and FREE …(the best word from a store!) classes in the back. When I went there today, you could make a free card. See what I made below…oh by the way, I cut too much off of the paper with the cupcake before I stuck it in the punch, so this is the second one I did (…nice, you’d never know that if I didn’t tell you):

Outside Raleigh BJ’s Wholesale and Costco Discount Club (go figure?), BJ’s runs a gas station with special member pricing. There are lines and at first glance you’d think there’s a gas shortage and gas run in Raleigh. But then you see the member prices and you understand why there are lines. The prices I saw were $1.79 per gallon compared to $1.94 per gallon on regular gas in other Raleigh gas stations on the same day.  Fifteen cents savings a gallon is apparently compelling enough for folks to sit in line. And they probably drove out of there way to save a few dollars. These days, a good challenge is to see if you can get out of shopping for under a certain dollar amount. It’s kinda like a little game to play against yourself or the store if you wanna think of it that way. 

Tavola Rossa Entrance

Recently we went to Tavola Rossa, Raleigh’s Italian Restaurant right behind Crabtree Valley Mall. It’s good light Italian food…I don’t know if they classify themselves as northern Italian but that’s my take on it as the flavors there are mild and subtle compared to heavy, spicy, rustic southern Italian or Sicilian flavors. We’ve been there at least half a dozen times and never been disappointed.

Tavola Rossa’s atmosphere is contemporary with high ceilings and pendant drop lights. Many of the 4 top tables have a booth backing

These days in Raleigh, I kinda like to have my own style. A few years after the turn of the millennium, I packed my bags and stuff and came to the Triangle. Do you remember the big worry of the computers possibly not adjusting to the ‘00? For that new year’s, I bought a cheesy polyester dress, the kind you find at a boardwalk shop that had “Y2K” all over it! I was just being in the moment!

But normally, I like to really mix and match textures and add colors and accessories. As you get older (and wiser ), you get more bold, and don’t really worry or care too much about what other people think or what ‘clique’ you belong to and those mind consuming activities in your teens and 20’s. That’s how we grow…oh boy, I sound like I’m 80 years old! Anyway, I’m NOT 80…and I hardly ever wear skirts any more. They’re just not very functional and I just the like the look of a tailored boot cut pant (it always so strange saying pant like you’re referring to one leg or half the pants). I like capris too (the modern day highwaters…remember those?). Short pants officiate spring for me. OH, by the way, Happy First Day of Spring! I already got a head start with putting away my heavy sweaters. There were only two of them …but hey, you know it is the warm south here.

Oh, and you can only swap designer jeans of today…brands like Citizens of Humanity, Rock & Republic, and 7 for all Mankind. No designer jeans from when you were a kid (like Jordache, Gloria Vanderbilt…LOL!)

But if you don’t have designer jeans, you can still play. See me all smiles with my Levi’s. 

You can take two pairs of Levi’s and swap them for a designer jean or get $10 each store credit. Most every girl out there has at least one pair of Levi’s in her closet. I love my Levi’s!

So I went digging in my closet and pulled out 4 pairs of my Levi’s boot cut jeans. One pair I put on and wore.  The pair in the photo here.  I was sad that I had to pick out two pairs ‘cause they still all fit pretty good. And U know how difficult it is to find jeans that fit! Oh and my husband had to make it harder on me. Before leaving for the store, he said to me, “…they better not be ones I like”. I’m thinkin’, um, H-e-l-l-o…since when did you become part of my fashion equation? I had made my decision minutes before consulting him and I was gonna move forward with it. So I just bit my tongue and said “no, they’re not. ” Yeah-right! Who would’ve guessed that jeans would stir such emotion! I dare you to try going in your closet and find some pairs to give up. But…only jeans you really like and can still fit into…oh, and that you weren’t planning to donate anyway…uh huh…that changes everything.

Yesterday I indulged on 80’s fashion styles. The 80’s will always have a very special place in my heart…I smile just thinking about it. I sure do miss those MTV and VH1 video days…it’s just not the same with their ah-hem — modern day replacements like ‘MTV Cribs’ and reality shows like ‘Run’s House’ or ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ (I don’t even know what channel that’s on?  I should start my own show …’Keeping up with Brandy’…LOL). But it’s true, as an adult isn’t it hard sometimes to keep up with your own life???… so why for sane’s sake do I wanna get sucked into their Hollywood melodramedy? I know…I’m just bein’ sarcastic…I know it’s funny and it makes you appreciate your own life…yeah, in a sick twisted sorta way . But really, whenever I turn the tube on, it seems there’s yelling and it’s the KKK clan… Kim, Khloe and the other sister… is it Kooky? I mean they’re always whining and cat fighting about something …dialogue like, ‘why can’t you buy another car instead???!!!!…I wanted the Bentley!!!! I-III just want to cry (but then I’d mess up my mascara)!!! I’m NE-VVER gonna forgive you…E-VVVER!!!!’ He-LLLllo…well why can’t you all just get a clue??? 3 words — Poor Bruce Jenner.