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Welcome to the July 2002 hibbets.net Newsletter. As always, this month is
action packed with our adventures. The Carolina Cobras made it to the
AFL playoffs for the second year in a row. This month you will hear about
a trip to Rockville, Maryland in addition to an Outer Banks 4th of July
weekend. It's getting hot and humid here in North Carolina, but we're
keeping plenty of fluids in us, especially cold beer!
Monday, July 1, 2002 -
The Rock
Today I started on a 3 day tour of Rockville, Maryland. This was a
business trip, so the fun level was at a minimum, but that wasn't going
to stop me. I left Raleigh in the late afternoon, skirting ahead of the
5 o'clock traffic, which actually starts at 4:30 P.M. I heading North on
U.S. 1 then merged onto I-85 going into Virginia. I drove through
Petersburg, Richmond, and made my way to Washington D.C. I finally got
on the Beltway around D.C. and was heading to my final destination, the
Rockville, Maryland Ramada Inn. I had made excellent time, 4 hours and
45 minutes. Check in, unpack, and go right back out exploring. I found
a Hooters a short ways away and grabbed a beer and a sandwich. I then
decided that the next day was going to be pretty long so I should get a
good night's rest.
Tuesday, July 2, 2002
Rise and shine, time to meet my co-workers across the street at the
Double Tree. Another worker from Alcatel Raleigh was there along with
an Alcatel Verizon account manager, and a third from Verizon
joined us. We had breakfast then moved over to the Verizon Montrose Lab
where we would be working for the next 2 days. The purpose of this trip
was to install a new Web-based Access Management system (WAM) for a Verizon lab
trial. We began the morning with a conference call that included Alcatel
Raleigh and the Waltham Verizon Lab in Boston Massachusetts. We reviewed
some documentation regarding the WAM and then had open discussion with the
customer. Later that morning, we began the installation of the software.
Of course, things didn't go well for us so we had to continue with the
installation the next day.
After working a long day at the Montrose Lab, I went to a restaurant that
was recommended by my co-worker, Dave Bunch. I headed to Gaithersburg,
Maryland and found a place called Summit Station Restaurant & Brewery.
Since I was in Maryland, I got some crab cakes and enjoyed some of the in
house brew. I tried a really good blueberry wheat, a hoppy amber, and
ended with the Grolsch. The crab cakes were excellent by the way! I
ended up back in the hotel room going over some WAM documentation so
that I was refreshed for the next day.
July 3, 2002
Another early day and back at the Montrose Lab with Verizon guys.
We were able to successfully install the WAM on one of their Unix Stations.
We went out to lunch at a Chinese restaurant called the Seven Seas. I had
some fresh Sushi as my main dish with vegetable wantons as a starter.
After lunch, we went back to the lab and tied up some loose ends and I
gathered some data for our Research and Design team back in Raleigh, for
another issue that Verizon was having with some of our equipment. I was
able to leave Rockville around 3 o'clock in the afternoon and boy was I
in for a surprise. The instant I got onto the Beltway I found myself in
traffic hell. From I-95 in Maryland to about 40 miles into Virginia I had
the pleasure of being a part of the slowest moving parking lot in the
state. Needless to say, my trip back to Raleigh just wasn't as enjoying
as the trip up, or my time at Hooters. I got caught in thunderstorms and
5 o'clock traffic outside of Richmond, Virginia. Then I decided to stop
and get some gas and lottery tickets right before I crossed the border
into North Carolina. By the way, for those of you who don't live in NC,
we do not have a state lottery because we have a bunch of old ass
politicians who don't believe in a lottery. I can not single handedly vote
these people out so get out there and vote in the primaries and in November
my fellow North Carolinians. Anyway, I finally made it back to Raleigh
6 hours later, not the great time that I made going to Maryland.
Exhausted, I unpacked, went through my mail, checked my email, and crashed.
Thursday, July 4, 2002 -
Happy Birthday America
I was back in the office today, fresh off my trip to Verizon. While
many people were enjoying their day off, I was helping Alcatel's customers.
The calls were on the slower side but we got a few outages to cover on this
holiday. MB had the day off and was getting ready for our trip to the
beach. When I got off from work we packed up the car and make the 4 hour
trek to the Outer Banks of NC. To our surprise, we made it in 3 ½ hours
due to the non-existent traffic at these early hours.
The 4th of July. This is a perfect time to reflect on our
nation's historical roots. The first birthday for the United States
post September 11. I'm sure everyone remembers exactly where they
were at and what they were doing. I was in Wrightsville Beach,
North Carolina surfing some really good waves. How unfortunate that
I was having a blast surfing chest to head high waves, not knowing
that people were losing their lives at the hands and mercy of terrorists.
Well it's time that we moved past that and start moving forward,
remembering the fallen heroes. Our lives are forever changed, so enjoy
the holiday, your family, and your friends.
Friday, July 5, 2002 -
Post Fourth Celebration
Coming in late was a little rough but the benefits of being on the
beach today were well worth it. We didn't sleep too late either. We
got up and headed for the beach, destination, Pea Island. We loaded up
the car with beach gear, surfboards, and Dot. Pea Island was a blast.
My dad was already on the beach, snoozing none the less. We got Dot to
swim in the ocean, which was very calm. She enjoyed going out to get her
tennis ball and doggie surfing the small waves back in. I decided to try
to catch a few waves on my surfboard. Then I got MB a little interested
in trying for a few waves. I gave her the quick 1,2,3 surf lesson; 1-how
to lay and sit on the board, 2-how to paddle, 3-how to duck dive. MB did
pretty good until I told her she may want to get out of the water for a
few minutes. My dad was out swimming around too and I gave him the same
warning. I guess if you're trying to warn someone of something in the water
you should just come on and say it. Anyway, I saw a pair of skates about
20 yards from our position in the water and was trying to get MB and my
dad calmly and safely out of the water. The two skates came a little
closer to shore and would jump out of the water and do flips. We were a
little startled and neglected to get back in the water without using a
little more caution. We finally decided that it was time to get off the
beach and head back to town.
MB and I had brought up some chicken and we decided to grill out.
We also cooked up some zucchini that I had grown in my garden. We had a
great dinner and then decided to partake in a round of putt-putt at
Diamond Shoals. Upon our arrival, Katie let us go to the batting cages
and then for a round of 18-hole putt-putt on one of the real grass courses
they have. What a blast!
Saturday, July 6, 2002 -
Katie's 19th Birthday
Happy Birthday to my sister who is 19 today. We started the morning
off by going up to Duck and checking out Scarborough Faire and Scarborough
Lane. The girls wanted to check out some of the shops there, the Try
My Nuts store is always popular. We bumped into Marshall from Sara
De Spain; he gave Merri Beth a very nice pair of earrings as a gift.
Then we saw Leonard Logan next door at Elizabeth's Café, he's the owners
and I always give him hell because he's a Duke graduate. I used to
work at Elizabeth's during the last few years of my college career.
I earned the nickname "South Park" because I loved the show so much
and would always imitate the characters from the show. At least "South
Park" is better then Gregg Cornetski's nickname, "Weed boy" - and it's
not because he smoked any either! Many of you may have seen Elizabeth's
Café on the Travel Channel lately. They were featured in an airing of
the top 10 beaches in the United States when Duck, North Carolina came
in at number six.
MB and I hit the beach again at Pea Island for another fun day in
the sun. The wind switched North East and the surf was a little bit
better today, however, not as clean as it was yesterday. Dot had a
blast playing again, in fact you can see pictures of Dot at the beach
here. (Click on pages 10, 11,
and 12 from Pea Island.) As the tide came in, the surf got a little
better. I was having a great time when I got called in from MB; it was
time to go. We had to head back to Kill Devil Hills to get ready for
dinner. We were going to Quagmires for Katie's Birthday. Her boyfriend
Owen came down from Elizabeth City and her friend Alecia joined us
as well. We all went to Quagmires for a wonderful dinner. Afterwards,
we went to Diamond Shoals for a round of putt-putt.
Sunday, July 7, 2002
Beach Bums
Another day of sitting on the beach, are you jealous yet? MB and
I decided to keep Dot at the house and visit one of our favorite spots
at Prospect Street. This beach access is in KDH near the Wright
Brothers Memorial. After being on the beach for a little while we are
surprised by our friends from Elizabeth's Café: Debra Witters, Melissa
Vaughn, and Tony Canale. By the way, Melissa and Tony are getting
married on September 8, 2002. They hung out with us on the beach until
we had to head out and drive back to Raleigh. That's the worst part of
visiting the Outer Banks, leaving!
Monday, July 8, 2002 -
Call Me Deeds
So MB heads back to work and I enjoy another day off from Alcatel.
When MB gets home from work we decide to go to a movie. Tonight, we
saw Mr. Deeds starring Adam Sandler. I am an Adam Sandler fan
from when I first saw him on Saturday Night Live. I think Mr.
Deeds is a great turning point in his career. For those of you who
have seen the movie I think you'll agree. He still maintains his
natural comedy, but the movie had a little more complex plot and
realistic story line compared to some of his other movies - which
were all funny by the way. So I'm critical, I still liked the movie
and I'm telling you to go see it! After the movie, MB and I hit the
Saucer for a few pints to get Raleigh back in our system. Going to
the Outer Banks makes you forget what good beer tastes like.
Tuesday, July 9, 2002
Merri Beth and I keep the Hollywood thrill in us and decide to see
another movie tonight. Not much was going on and we are trying to stay
busy if you can't tell. We visit Crossroads 20 again in Cary and see
The Sum of All Fears starring Morgan Freeman and Ben Affleck.
This movie is based on a Tom Clancy novel, one of my favorite author's.
The movie is realistically scary and unveils the true fear and realism
behind nuclear war. A must have DVD!
Wednesday, July 10, 2002 -
Graduate's?
From the Diploma hanging on the wall, I see that Merri Beth
graduated from North Carolina State University on May 20, 2000.
So what in the world is MB doing at a place called, The Graduate?
Well the night started off with her getting together with friends Amy
and Courtney along with Amy's boyfriend Craig Pelletier. The evening
started off with "Keep the Glass Nite" at the Flying Saucer. The
party then moved over to a place called The Graduate located off
of Glenwood Avenue. The girls (and guy) were having a blast and then
needed some more people to join the party. Craig May (another one of
my co-workers) rolls up to the bar with his friend Andy. Then Jesse
and I get a phone call at work telling us to swing by when our shift
is over. 45 minute's later, Jesse and I roll up to the bar and proceed
to join in the fun. We hang out at The Graduate for a little
longer then relocate to East Village. East Village has a great
atmosphere and CHEAP beer. We stay until closing time, playing
music on the Jukebox and listening to Amy drill Jesse (50 questions
instead of 20) about Jesse's girlfriend Brandy.
Saturday, July 13, 2002 -
Funky Congrats!
Congratulations to Meghan Trus and John Funk who got engaged
today. Meghan is a fellow co-worker of mine at Alcatel. Her
fiancé, John, also works at Alcatel in a different department.
We wish them all the luck in planning for their Fall 2003 wedding and
offer any assistance. Enjoy it while it lasts!
Sunday, July 14, 2002 -
Crickey, Mate!
I get up today, early, considering I worked the night before.
I start my day off with a 10-mile ride to Lake Johnson on my bike.
I get a Sunday paper on my way back so that I can read it after my ride.
After reading the paper and showering, MB and I have some lunch then
decide to keep our Hollywood pace up. We felt like a little Animal
Planet today, so we went to see the new Crocodile Hunter Movie. I
really can't believe that they made a movie about the Animal Planet
show, but I thoroughly enjoyed Steve wrestling the crocodile and
coming face to face with dangerous spiders and snakes. The movie
had a plot that seemed to surround Steve's love for animals and
natural taste for adventure.
Later that night, our friends Steven and Heidi came up from
Wilmington. They brought a friend with them, Manny, more like a
business partner. We quickly caught up with what's been going on
and then got into a presentation on Quixstar. We were unaware of
what the 'business' was or how it worked. We later found out that
Steve and Heidi were getting involved with a self-employed business.
The are going to be an IBO (Independent Business Owner) and as part
of Quixstar (an Amway e-business site), they can shop online and
receive huge discounts. They even start to make money when they
get people to shop using their website. Sounds good? Of course
it all sounds good at first, but Merri Beth and I were not interested
in this kind of business. Maybe we can revisit this opportunity in
a few more months.
Monday, July 15, 2002 -
Speed Racer
Today I actually feel like a pillar of my community. I have
taken interest in getting the speed limit on my road reduced from
35 MPH to 25 MPH. People fly down our road, sometimes at 50 MPH
plus! I made a phone call to the Raleigh DOT officials and found
out that all I had to do was to get a petition signed by at least
75% of the residents on my street. MB was nice enough to get the
petition for me since she was already downtown. After dinner, we
started getting signatures for the Speed Limit Reduction petition.
Afterwards, we were off to our first Southwest Raleigh Community
Advisory Council (CAC) meeting. We met some interesting people
and found out some important information regarding the surrounding
community. Tonight's meeting included a presentation of the plans
for the remodeling of the old Water Treatment Plant located between
Fayetteville Road and Wilmington Street. The planners are spending
$10 million (plus) and are going to make a wonderful improvement
to the Southern corridor of Raleigh. I talked to one of the people
in charge and brought the issue of the unpaved road near our home
to her knowledge. I was able to hand out the flyers that we made
and got a time slotted for the next meeting to discuss the issue.
After the meeting, MB and I went to the Saucer to enjoy some of the
good brew that our local pub offers.
Tuesday, July 16, 2002 -
More Speed Racer
Well, instead of taking to the road with the car, Jesse Chapman
and I hit the Greenway's and the heat of Raleigh. Today we explored
the area near Centennial Campus, Western Boulevard, and South Saunders
Street. We tacked on a total of 16 miles. After the bike ride, Jesse
and I went to Sam's Club. Later, I walked up and down my street to get
more signatures for the Speed Limit Reduction petition. I almost have
all the signatures I need to had the petition back to the Raleigh DOT.
Finally, I finished scanning in all of the pictures from Barbados in
today, I found that I have a total of 433 pictures that I need to put
on web pages.
Wednesday, July 17, 2002 -
Pilsner Urquell, TAC, and a Flying Saucer
Tonight was the night for a mid summer fling with the local pub
and a bunch of people, mainly co-workers and friends. We gathered
at The Flying Saucer between 6:00-6:30 P.M. Now when I say a bunch
of people, I mean it. Here's a list of who showed up (in no
particular order): Bill Jones (my boss - Alcatel) with his friend
Darlene, Jesse Chapman (Alcatel), Pao Lo (Alcatel), John Lindsey
(Alcatel), Deidre Harder (Alcatel), Meghan Trus (Alcatel) with fiancé John, Craig Pelletier
(Alcatel) and his girlfriend Amy and her roommate Courtney, their
friend Michelle and her fiancé, and of course
Merri Beth and I. Anyone with Alcatel in parenthesis is in TAC -
Technical Assistance Center, and work in the ADSL support division.
Well we were out having a blast. Seeing how it's Wednesday night,
it's "Keep the Glass Nite." Tonight's featured beer was Pilsner Urquell
- a True Pilsner. In addition to that, the Pilsner Urquell people were
on site and giving away free stuff. When we got there, we noticed
there were disposable cameras on all the tables. They were having a
contest, best picture wins. For more details visit:
http://www.pictureyourselfinprague.com/. We ended up getting free
shirts, free hats, and we even got 2 Free Pitchers of
Pilsner Urquell.
WOW! What a night! Everyone had a blast. The party started breaking
up around 8:00 P.M. or so, everyone had to work in the morning!
Saturday, July 19, 2002 -
Jenni's Fly By
Today we had the pleasure of Jenni Blackwell's company (MB's sister).
She was in town to get a flight out of RDU. We enjoyed the short time
that she was here. The girls watched Harry Potter on Friday night, but
neither of them made it to the end of the movie before passing out. I
came home from work to find the girls drooling on the couches. Jenni
was up Saturday morning, ready for her stormy departure from RDU. Jenni
was flying to Chatanooga, TN, for a visit with friends, then off to
win some cow shows.
Sunday, July 21, 2002 -
One Last Bite
Today is the last home game for the Carolina Cobras, they play San
Jose who are currently undefeated. MB and I prepared a little tailgate
session. I considered it practice for the upcoming NC State football
season. We arrived at the fairgrounds, found a spot, broke out the
grill, and grilled some burgers. The weather was steaming too! We
got into the E.S.A. and saw a great game. Unfortunately, the Cobras
failed to monopolize on some key turnovers and lost another home game.
Afterwards, the Cobras team and the Snake Charmers (Dance Team) were
available on the field for autographs. MB and I stayed after and met
some of the team and the Snake Charmers.
After the game MB and I went shopping at Lowes and picked up some
stuff for the backyard. We proceeded to go home and play with our pond.
We were able to build up the sides and add a few more inches of depth to
the pond. In addition to that, we got a new 'petal' fountain to attach
to the pump. The 'petal' attaches to the pump, comes straight out of
the water, and creates a petal of water. We added this lovely addition
to our pond and it compliments our frog attachment nicely.
Monday, July 22, 2002 -
Happy Birthday Margie
Today is Margie's McPherson Birthday, so Happy Birthday Margie!!
Today I went downtown to hand in the Speed Limit Reduction Petition.
I got everyone with the exception of about 4 houses to sign the petition
in support of reducing the speed limit on our road from 35 MPH to
25 MPH.
The evening started out at our house with a little grillin'.
Jesse, Courtney, Craig, and Amy joined Merri Beth and myself for some
BBQ chicken, potato salad, and broccoli. Amy brought over a delicious
fruit salad with her as well. I made some awesome cheesy breadsticks
for an appetizer. After we had dinner, we proceeded to the Flying
Saucer for $2.50 pint nite. After that, we came back to the house
and watched Behind Enemy Lines on DVD. When the movie was
over the time was getting late so the group dispersed on their
separate ways.
Tuesday, July 23, 2002 -
Greenway Session 1
What a fun filled day. Craig Pellitier (from work) had the week
off and joined Jesse and me for a bike ride on the Crabtree Valley,
Shelley Lake, and Lassiter Mill greenways. We biked a total of 17
miles. After that, I came home and was doing some heavy web design.
I launched another project I've been working on, Upward Soulstice.
My friend Steve Long has some fabulous pictures and this is the first
business venture that I've worked on. So far, the website is up but
not operating to it's full potential. I am still working on finishing
the shopping cart so that the site is more complete and shopper
friendly. If you are interested in any other website that I have
been working on, you are more than welcome to visit:
Wednesday, July 24, 2002 -
The Beach, the Beer, & the Dance
Bright and early, Amy, Courtney, and Craig met Merri Beth and I
at our house. We begin a trip to Topsail Island for the day. Two
hours later, we arrive to find the beach a little windier than we
expected. However, we stuck it out, Dot played with her frisbee,
and Craig and I did some body surfing. The sun eventually came out
and the weather improved. We enjoyed our day in the sun and decided
it was time to head back to Raleigh. Once back in Raleigh, we
planned to meet at the Saucer later on for 'Keep the Glass Night'.
It's later. Jesse, Craig, Amy, Courtney, MB and I were all at the
Saucer. We had a blast. We hung out in the back room, played some
pool, and enjoyed a pint of Woodchuck Cider. Margie even managed to
join us for the festivities. Since we couldn't see her on Monday
night, we celebrated her birthday tonight. We then moved over to
Jillian's. There we played pool for a few hours until the 'Groove
Shack' opened up. When pool was over, Margie left, and the hour to
boogie began. We danced until last call and had a great time.
Thursday, July 25, 2002 -
Greenway Session 2 / Retirement Fit for a King
Jesse and Craig came over and we rode to Lake Johnson. We
tacked on a total of 13 miles in Trailwood Hills before calling it a
day on the bikes. At the end of our ride, rain started pouring on us.
We made it back to the house, soaking wet. After I was done biking, I
went home and did some work on my website. After hours of work, I
finally completed the section with pictures from Barbados. You can view
them in my photo album under the Trips section.
When Merri Beth got home from work, we got ready to go to a
Retirement Dinner for one of her fellow employees. Ron Murdock
was congratulated on 30 years of service with the NC Department of
Agriculture. We had a wonderful dinner at the NC State Fairgrounds.
MB gave me her department's camera to take pictures. In between
speakers, I snapped pictures of over 150 people celebrating one man's
life work, for the State of North Carolina and for the Department of
Agriculture. Congratulations Ron!
Saturday, July 27, 2002 -
Gold Member
So we missed the premier of Austin Powers Gold Member, so we
caught an early morning show before I had to work at 2:00. Jesse
joined Merri Beth and me as we laughed at Mike Myers and his array of
characters. For the time being, I still think that the second Austin
Powers is the best one, but I will have to wait until Gold Member
comes out on DVD to finalize my decision. When we got home
from the movie, Katie drove up
from the beach and was going to be in town overnight. She hung out
while MB and I got some lunch, then she went to Chapel Thrill (Hill)
to visit her friend Owen. I finally saw her again when I got off
from work, later that night.
Sunday, July 28, 2002 -
Greenway Session 3
Katie was up early and on her way to the beach. Jesse and I got
together and rode about 14 miles. We went over to Centennial Campus
and checked out the middle school. Then we went over to Lake Johnson
and rode on the greenway around the lake.
Tuesday, July 30, 2002 -
Greenway Session 4
The third day of a heat wave in Raleigh. Temperatures were
soaring into the upper 90's and the heat index was approximately 110
degrees. So Jesse and I decided to go over to Crabtree Valley and
ride 18.5 miles on the greenways.
Wednesday, July 31, 2002 -
Pool Sharks
Amy, Courtney, Jesse, Merri Beth, and I all went out to the
Flying Saucer for 'Keep the Glass Night.' Tonight's featured pint
was McEwan's IPA. We had the back room again and played a ton of
pool. We played partners, drank pints, and put another month behind us.
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