30/30: Last Pictures of a Young Man

October 15th 

(Tommie's Birthday)

I made Tommie take pictures before the clock struck midnight on October 15th to capture his last moments in his twenties.  Then I woke Maya up and bothered her too.

This is the first birthday that's sitting heavily with me--it feels substantial and scary, which is why I'm trying to disguise it as "fun."  

At 10:30 last night, I suddenly felt anxious about Tommie turning 30, as if he might drop dead the second it happened and I told him he should be spending his last hour doing something crazy--he should go to a strip club or something!  He said I wasn't making him feel better.  So, his last moments of youth were spent doing work on his computer and yelling at me for taking annoying pictures.

And just like that, we're halfway through 30 to 30!

30/30: Butter

October 14th

It's actually really hard to think of different things to do every day for a month--especially on weekdays.  This is how one ends up having a butter-themed night.

It all started when Tommie decided we should cook something we've never cooked before so he simmered some chicken thigh meat in Indian butter sauce and I made rice with butter and fresh ground turmeric.  

Then I remembered that one of my co-workers recently told me I should watch the movie Butter about an older foster child and the couple who adopts her.  I was looking for a good time to watch it, so I ran with the butter theme.  The movie was okay--a little too much over-acting, but the girl's story was cute.

So, this is how we ended up watching Butter, eating butter chicken with butter rice followed by ice cream with peanut butter sauce and calling it a night.

30/30: A Poetic Evening

October 13th 

After some light house projects and a couple rounds of bowling for Tommie with his guy friends, we spent the evening at a free poetry reading by Richard Blanco (Obama's inaugural poet) at The Carolina Theatre.  

I always enjoy poetry readings because you get to learn about the backstory of the poet and it givers greater depth to their poems.  Blanco's poems (and stories) were very entertaining and funny, and explored concepts of culture, identity, and family, which are universal themes, therefore, easy to relate to.  It's great to see a poet like him gaining traction and interest.

After the reading, I had my book signed and told him that he ironically lives in the same small town in Maine as my parents (I did tell him, Dad, that you two have yet to meet.  He said that eventually it seems everyone there does end up meeting, so don't worry there's still time.)

30/30: Past, Present, Future

October 12th

We did a few 30 for 30 activities today.  First, we checked out the opening of Durham's History Hub.  It makes great use of a central spot downtown and showcases Durham's past in a contemporary way.

Next, we made a stop in Cary to get some authentic Turkish food at Bosphorus Restaurant.  Sometimes we really miss the food we enjoyed on our honeymoon in Turkey, so when we read the positive reviews for Bosphorus, which is about 25 minutes away, we couldn't wait to try it...especially Tommie--he has a serious love affair with Lahmacun (a kind of pizza with ground beef and spices/herbs on it).  

Here he is enjoying it in Turkey...

And here in North Carolina; reunited at last...

I had chicken pide which is a kind of pizza made with authentic Turkish pide--the kind of bread we loved to eat during Ramadan in Istanbul.  It was delicious.

We ended the evening in my weird world of writing by listening to a panel discussion about memoir writing at Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.  I love memoirs and would like to write one someday so I find it interesting/fun to listen to different writers' stories and how they came to publish them.  Tommie is good sport to go with me though I'm pretty sure he'd rather be stuffing his face with another Lahmacun.

30/30: Hidden Oasis

October 11th

After forcing Tommie to do some evening errands with me, we went to Straw Valley Cafe for chai lattes.  They also have a beer & wine barn so there's something for everyone here.

People have been telling us about this funky little spot sandwiched between the 15/501 and a bunch of strip malls, but it's hard to believe it until you see it with your own eyes.

This zen-like compound is complete with cozy rooms, bamboo bordered grounds, and all kinds of cool indoor/outdoor nooks to sit in.  It doesn't feel like it belongs where it is; probably because it was built in the 1950's as a residence before all the roads and stores were built up around it.  It's tucked quietly behind all the chaos so that you feel like you're somewhere completely removed from it all.

We sipped chai on the open patio, listened to a good soundtrack of music, and decided that we'll definitely be coming back.

30/30: Night at the Museum

October 10th

Since it was free admission night at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and we hadn't been since last spring, we thought we'd check out what kind of new exhibits were cooking. 

I liked everything, but I really enjoyed Doris Duke's Shangri La exhibit.  I had no idea about her private collection of Islamic art and the five-acre estate in Hawaii (now a cultural center) where she housed it.  

Several beautiful photographs of the estate were lit up in large light boxes.  The 3D effect made me feel like wish I was there.  I really appreciate the style and the architecture--maybe because it reminds me of our honeymoon in Turkey, or because it involves a lot of pretty lanterns, and you know I'm a sucker for that.