A day in Raleigh

---

What's a day in Raleigh without visiting Oakwood Cemetery? Oakwood is just down the road from my high school. It is a sprawling beautiful ol' cemetery. My grandaddy is there. So are lots of dead Confederate soliders. A few died in the civil war--but most of the dead soliders buried there were veterans of the war that died in the 1920's or so. Last year when I came to the cemetery for a visit, I discovered the Jewish section--I had no idea that there was one! Pretty cool! There's something about cemeteries that I just love... I like reading the inscriptioins--a tiny bit of history, a tiny bit of someone's life. Anyways, the best thing about Oakwood is Jesse Helms' gravestone. It's engraved... and just waiting for him to die! Oh Jesse... Wonder if he's gonna have some unfinished business that pops up after he dies--like good ole Strom Thurmond, from South Carolina.

I went to Oakwood with my ex-boyfriend and still friend, Eben. We were bored and somehow ended up there. We later stopped at a coffee place and I picked the mullberries that were hanging over the parking lot. The first one tasted real good--turned my fingers dark purple-y pink--the next few weren't so great. But I think that is because I looked at them before I ate them. Next we ended up at Thai Villa in Cary. They have the best Thai food ever. I could eat deep fried tofu with peanutty special sauce forever.

Today I've just been running errands. I hate shopping. I'm just trying to get those last minute little things done before I leave for !Honduras! on Saturday. Had lunch with mom at the Farmers Market. Then she made me go back to her work downtown and paraded me around her office. Not really my idea of fun. I wish I knew some tricks, like rollover or fetch or something. I would have impressed all her coworkers.

I saw my big brother today. He stopped by mom's house. 'Bout scared me half to death. I was in the bathroom and heard the door open. So as a compliment to the cop stories he told me last weekend, I had him pose with his gun. He carries it everwhere he goes. Loaded, safety off. I also made him pose with his special cop hat. It was cool. Last weekend he pretty much acted out a scene from "Cops." He is such a drama queen. He should have taken the drama scholarship he was awarded when he graduated high school... but nooooo.

The end. More later.

---

Photos

Oakwood Cemetery
View of the Confederate Memorial.

View from Cemetery
Looking towards Historic Oakwood in Raleigh

Eben
Doesn't he look like Grizzly Adams or something? He hasn't cut the hair or beard in at least two years.

Jesse Helms
His time left on this earth is growing short.