if that ain’t country

December 6, 2009

josh’s bday celebration, #1
i’ve decided that since he’s turning such an impressive age (we’ll just leave the # to your imagination), we might as well celebrate multiple times . . and we kicked off the fun last night! i planned an evening with our good friends josh + dana in raleigh along with a concert experience that was TOTALLY alllll for him.

we began our evening at the pit in raleigh. while it IS a barbeque joint with authentic NC fare, it’s quite cozy and leans towards the upscale side (ie, it’s not a shack with checkered tablecloths). menu shot:


our double dates: josh h. and dana. josh + josh were roommates at duke back in the day! must have been confusing.


and here we are. someone got new (distinguished and cute-looking) glasses!


you can tell they are trying to be diplomatic, because both eastern (vinegar-based) and western (tomato-based + sweet) NC BBQ sauces were available. i am definitely an eastern sauce kind of girl!


yes, i drank wine at this BBQ establishment. actually, they had a pretty nice list of by-the-glass offerings. i thought that reisling would go well with the hearty and spicy flavors, and it did.


we ordered skillet jalapeño cornbread to share. my carb stores were definitely replenished with this meal!


we also shared some fried green tomatoes at josh’s request. i think he liked them, but i thought they were kind of bland.


then our meals arrived. look how happy he looks!


i do like traditional pulled pork, but wasn’t in the mood for it last night. instead, i opted for spinach salad with tomatoes and eggs, topped with blackened grouper. i was happy with my choice — the seasoning on the fish was excellent!


we shared a GIGANTIC banana cream pie four ways for dessert. i tried to get a shot with the spoon for scale, but it still does not capture the enormity of this treat.


in addition to being huge, it was also delicious. we killed it.

rebel son + D.A.C.
after our fill of bbq and banana pudding, we headed to the lincoln theater for some entertainment to match the southern cuisine. oh yes, here it comes:


you probably wouldn’t guess this, but this was actually dana’s THIRD d.a.c. experience. it was josh h’s second. apparently, mr. coe’s album got a lot of play in their college days, or at least it did in josh h’s room.

the opener was a (disturbingly popular) band called rebel son.


unfortunately, i didn’t get a picture while they were performing, but this guy’s vest captures the gist. it might be the understatement of the century to say that this was not my scene. they played songs with titles like:

“DRUNK AS A SKUNK”

and, the grand finale:

“SITTIN’ UP DRINKIN’ WITH ROBERT E. LEE”

oh yes. i was 1/3 amused, 1/3 dismayed, and 1/3 terrified that a brawl was going to break out!

then came the star:


yes, that’s mr. david allan coe himself, known for such hits as “if that ain’t country” and “you never even called me by my name” (which i have to admit is actually quite a good one).

he was possibly even more old and decrepit in person than he appears in this picture. i think his medications probably outnumber the number of tunes he still remembers. nonetheless, he did a decent job up on stage. he was far less offensive than the opener (although, that isn’t saying much) and i thought it was pretty cute that his son was up there with him playing guitar.

mini-cleanse
it’s been such a fun weekend! however, i feel like i’ve been indulging in one restaurant meal after another (maybe because . . . i have!). and, i’ve had a glass of wine nightly since thursday. while this isn’t exactly terrible, i feel like i haven’t been getting the best sleep and i just feel a little sluggish.

with the marathon just a week away, i am ready to bring my eating (and drinking) habits back up to snuff. i plan to:

■ avoid alcohol until after the race (hopefully, i’ll have something to celebrate afterwards!)
■ work on getting more fruits and vegetables back into my diet
■ make more quality meals at home
■ eat plenty of healthy carbohydrates, especially in the 2-3 days prior to the race!

today will be a relaxing day filled with housework + presentation prep for tomorrow. and, josh is off with me! the best kind of weekend day.

————————————————————————–

12.5.09

workout: 10.2 miles, average 8:38/mi or thereabouts. we are deep into taper time! and, it seems that my legs are race-ready.

4 Comments

  • Reply vickie March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    i LOVE cast iron pans!

  • Reply Anonymous March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    Haha, I can&#39t believe you went to see David Allen Coe!

  • Reply Anonymous March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    Rebel Son tells it like it is and they are a good band.

    One of the true great generals of all time Robert E. Lee. Lincoln wanted him to command the U.S. army. Lee said no!

    Deo Vindice

  • Reply Siobhan Brady March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    Happy Birthday Josh!!!

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