Boy, what a beautiful day in Chapel Hill. Another good day of econ dev,made some more contacts and went to dinner at the Rat (again) with a couple of other classmates. It was as good as ever and I think they appreciated the 'inside look' at Chapel Hill. Somehow lost our third and I drove Russel from Norfolk by the Pile on the way home to the Hampton Inn (this is in Durham?....I had no idea the city limits met with Chapel Hill's way on this side of 40.....the Friday Center might be 1/2 mile from Durham).
Franklin Street is quite different from when I was in school, but it's also pretty much the same. I miss the Top of the Hill gas station, Papagayo's, Record Bar, but most of the staples are still there....The Rathskeller, the Shrunken Head (closes at 5:30), Ye Olde Waffle Shop...
Toward the end of my Gambler, I discovered that my coursemates are gonna vote for Bush. Oh, man! Well, that's OK, I wasn't about to push it, I have lots of friends voting for Bush. When we left dinner, we walked by the post office where there were people gathered with candles, holding a vigil with signs that read "1000 Dead", and "How Many More", etc. I joke to my new friends, "let's go over there and let me get y'all roughed up"....it was funny, you had to be there. The protesters were largely in their early 50's, not many college kids. Bizarre.
When we left, Jennifer turned right when we turned left, and I don't know if she's made it back to the Hampton Inn yet. I feel bad, but we did make an illegal U-turn and backtracked Franklin Street twice looking for her, so I hope she made it back OK.
The Econ Dev course is mighty interesting and it has given me a lot to think about. In some ways, the course makes me more worried about the future of our economy in North Carolina and America as a whole. But, I'm still an optimist and think we'll find a way with help from, and despite the government.
I'm missing my babies, Tracey & Anna Grace, will be home tomorrow!