If I die before I wake...

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Today has been less eventful than the past few days. The head cold remains but the car appears to be in good order. This morning I headed out to Duke University to see the campus. Surprisingly, Duke has a much different feel than UNC. It has even more vegetation and the buildings scream historical architecture. It reminded me of an Oxford wannabe, with large stone buildings and many grass quads, although it’s definitely not as nice.

Cameron Indoor Stadium (where the basketball team plays) was certainly a highlight. The doors were unlocked so I just walked in; right onto the court. Regardless of your feelings towards Duke basketball (which in my case depends on whether I have them in the pool), the stadium is quite a sight and holds a lot of history. I was surprised how large it felt from the court yet how small it was from the seating.

The other highlight was the Chapel. Feeling more like a cathedral than a chapel, it is the tallest building on campus (I think, at least it seemed to be). Upon entering, the thunderous sounds of the pipe organ resonated throughout the building and into the immediate outdoor area. The Chapel’s windows were ornately decorated with Biblical depictions but these could not compare to the brilliance of the organ’s sound.

After leaving Duke, I had a late lunch at The Pit, a now famous Raleigh BBQ restaurant. I had heard about this on the Travel Channel’s Man v. Food. Upon entering, I immediately recognized the pitmaster, Ed Mitchell, who sat by himself, absorbing the atmosphere. The meal was excellent - whole hog pork BBQ, sweet potato fries and brussel sprouts. And the hoppy beer, a Big Boss Monkey Bizz-ness (Raleigh brewed), washed it down nicely.

After lunch, I briefly walked around outside. On my little excursion, I came upon Ed Mitchell, out enjoying the afternoon sun on the restaurant’s side porch. I shot the breeze with him a bit and commented on how much I enjoyed the meal, especially the dark brown sugar on the fries and how he lets the meat do the talking without a ton of spices. Because of this, he asked if I had seen the show last night. Puzzled, I said "you mean Man v. Food?" No, he meant Bobby Flay. Apparently he had a showdown in March with Bobby Flay and it aired last night. Pretty cool.

After taking a ride to Greenville (why not?) I am now in Fayetteville. The hotel is not exactly The Four Seasons. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the hotel in No Country for Old Men. I’m just waiting for Javier Bardem to blow open the lock with his vacuum cleaner killing device.

I’d like to say I made it through the day without incident but there are still two hours for me to get violated or killed so I’m keeping my mouth shut.

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