Just another Friday in North Carolina

After we left the Duke campus, our next stop was to eat at the cutest little place, Foster's Market. We found it last year and quickly fell in love with it, so we had to go back for more! And we weren't disappointed. They have the most yummy food and desserts. YUM! And now that I've talked about it, I want some. The lady that opened the shop once worked for Martha Stewart and has written lots of cookbooks, of which Olivia has one, and it's super fantastic! I think I just made a commercial for it. But anyway here's a pic of the girls standing outside. They look cute and excited.


If I lived in Durham, I'd eat here at least once a week.


Still looking cute.


After we left Foster's of course there was a mall somewhere to go to, so we did. We spent the rest of the day shopping, riding around and ended the day missing something terribly. Sorry Carlie but it wasn't you! This area of the country is SERIOUSLY lacking in sugary confections that are cold and creamy. Why? Why shouldn't there be an ice cream store on every corner in this entire area of the country to accommodate us? But sadly there is not. So we ended the night, after a trip to Target....gotta go to target, by looking for a Ben And Jerry's ice cream store in Chapel Hill. You know, when Google maps tells you where an ice cream store's located, they really should tell you what time it closes as well. And I'm about to tell you the saddest story. When we finally found it and pulled up to the store at 10:01, we discovered it closed at 10:00. And they mean business about that closing time. I have no photo of the offending Ben and Jerry's. But being the troopers were are, we consoled one another as we headed to our temporary home, Courtyard Marriott thanks to Jared. And it was really nice knowing that when the next day rolled around, we didn't have to drive one scwillion hours to anywhere.

With Friday came game day. But before the game, there were stops to be made so the girls, not Melanie and I, could buy lots of Duke paraphernalia so they felt "Duke dressed" for the basketball game. Destinations were The Duck Shop, an off campus Duke athletic store, and the Duke campus bookstore. I'm pretty sure after we left each place the employees spent the rest of the day restocking shelves for reals. Maggie even bought Maya a Duke hoodie! Maya didn't go on the trip with us. This is a picture of Maya in her hoodie AFTER we got back home. Look at the face and tell me she's not saying, "Really? Clothes? Ummmm no."


I've already posted a pic of Addy wearing her Duke collar. I probably should be embarrassed....but i'm not......to tell you that after the Duke shopping, we went back to Foster's to eat again. And it was still yummy. Then we went back to the hotel so the girls could get multi layered in their Duke clothing, and then it was onto the game. Now last year for Christmas Maggie gave Olivia a lovely shade of blue wig that lots of people wear to the basketball games, and of course Olivia brought it with her. Now the hotel we were staying in just happened to be near the University of North Carolina's campus and so MOST of the guests were UNC fans. And there were many of them. So as we were about to leave, I asked someone to wear the Duke blue wig from our room to the car. There were no takers until a $10 bet was attached to it, at which point Emma bit like a duck on a june bug.

Emma preparing to make good on the bet.


Maggie giving the big thumbs up in the elevator.


Melanie's trying to picture herself at home on her couch. Actually this is the only pic of everyone in the elevator so I had to use it even with closed eyes.


Excitement filled the stale elevator air.


Emma made it through the lobby without getting punched. To be truthful, there was no one except hotel employees in the lobby at the time of her walk through. It was very disappointing. Not that I wanted her to get punched though!


She's still wearing it proudly.


Gotta have an outside group pic with the blue hair.


And one without. Emma your hair looks fab even after being stuffed in the blue hair!


And then with the other Mom.


So we made it to the campus where Melanie and I were dropped off, and young 'uns went to find a parking spot in the north 40. And I'm not even kidding. We got there pretty early and found our seats easily. The four girls sat together and then Melanie and I sat together behind the Duke bench. So Melanie and I settle in with no one sitting beside us, but then the seats beside each of us became filled by their occupants, which caused Melanie, who has issues with claustrophobia, to begin to have a little panic issue at the fact that we were smack dab in the middle of our row, flanked by at least 10 people on either side. And she got a little overwrought. At which point she said somewhat uncalmly, "I don't know if I can do this!" To which I replied, "If you go ape **** here in this place, I will act as if I've never seen you before in my life.....even with the strong family resemblance!" I'm happy to report she persevered without a scene made. BUT the guy sitting next to her was EXTREMELY enthusiastic for Duke bball and continually WOO HOOED throughout the entire game. I was highly amused by it. Now back awhile ago when we were in line waiting to get in the gym, I noticed this older man wearing a sweatshirt and on the back it said, "Hop on Pop." It was super cute, and I didn't take a picture, well who do you think came and sat right beside me but Hop on Pop! What are the freaking odds? He and his wife were Duke graduates and have been attending all games since 1967. Now that's commitment. And you get real up close and personal with these peeps sitting next to you with legs touching and arms nearby. It's just not my style. BUT even with the close proximity of thousands of strangers, a fun time was had by all.

The girls took pics of themselves.


Before I came down to take some.


One more to get them all in.


This is the view from their seats.


A long shot of Coach K.


Then before the game started, I went over to them and took some too!


just one more.


This is the view from Melanie's and my seats. Pregame warmup going on.


I pondered about posting some game pics and then I saw this and knew it was a poster. Check out number 11 trying drastically to remove a wedgie in a very public manner.


If Coach K had known I was in the stands, I'm sure he would have wanted to pick my brain of all my bball knowledge.


This dude seriously needed to move closer in order to make an impression on the shooter.


Look at the cute little basketball clip board. It's adorable.


Strange that the only visible weird hair is yellow and not blue in the "Cameron Crazy" section.


OK check out number 40 who SERIOUSLY looked like he just got up off the couch and decided to come play some ball with some peeps. He was a moose of a guy.


And there they go after their win. Until the next game, which was Sunday. But more about that later.


After we changed into our hiking boots in preparation to walk to the car, we made our way straight to the airport in anticipation of Carlie's arrival!

This is a picture of Maggie in the Raleigh airport. She's playing Where in the world is Carlie Rebecca? Photo documentation is a huge and stressful job and unfortunately I have no photos of Carlie's arrival. If I secure any, I'll do an update and let you know.


Just be aware that Carlie did arrive and then we decided to go back to Chapel Hill to the SAME Ben and Jerry's as the night before. Ask me if we had a better result than the night before. No we did not. And no I don't want to talk about it.

We did however find this place called Time Out, as you can see by the sign, where UNC fans go after their games. Time Out sells home cooking things like chicken and biscuits and gravy....made by foreigners. Now I'm not trying to be racist or ANYTHING like that. And all God's children are the same in His eyes. But I'm just not sure that Akmed can make a chicken and biscuit like my Grandma. No he cannot.


I think it's open all night. We also saw, in this part of town, a single Occupy Wall Street person camped out in front of a post office, which I'm not sure was the place for him to "occupy." At first we thought he was a homeless man, but then a shop owner told us he was an occupy person. She said there had been many more but thankfully they'd dwindled down to this one guy. She said they were obnoxious and rude and driving shoppers away with their rude and lude behavior. Gotta love America for being "fair" to all the jerks. Ummm no we don't! Stop being jerks, jerks! And that's all I have to say about that.


Carlie was happy to be in North Carolina! And she was happy with her extra large drink. There was an extra large chicken and biscuit with that extra large drink as well. Now let me explain further. There was a HUGE piece of chicken. And a HUGE biscuit. Which is very different from a chicken biscuit. We were all taken aback at the size of our chicken and biscuit. We should have asked Akmed for sizing before we bought too much, but alas we did not. Check Emma out in the background. She liked neither the chicken, nor the biscuit. And it shows. I'm enthralled with a phone back there.


Now we're all pretending to not be shocked at the chicken or the biscuit. Carlie that hair is looking lovely and lustrous.


Once more with less light.


And Mags. Melanie was present but unpictured. Another oversight.


And there you have it, Friday in NC with eating and shopping and basketball and fetching Carlie and huge biscuits, but sadly another day with no ice cream.

Next up, but not til sometime next week, Saturday in NC and more basketball.

Now it's off to Dallas for a simply fun, fabulous and unprecedented girls' weekend! I'm very excited about it all. Seventeen of us all having fun fun fun. It's gonna be so fun!

Until next time, see ya!