Ahhh....the weekend

Considering I spent most of last weekend crying or waiting on the mail, I very much needed a weekend of relaxation. In my blog subtitle, I mention that I am going to talk about good food and drink but have yet to do so. So here goes:

Friday night included a misty, earlier- than- scheduled Chuck Berry performance. We only saw him play for a few umbrella-obscured minutes. After that, we decided to check out the sparkling new Raleigh Convention Center which was hosting the International Festival along with the Raleigh Wide Open celebration. A visit through an International Festival would not be complete without having something to eat, so we enjoyed a baklava sundae (ice cream topped with crumbled baklava and honey syrup). The "fried doe" at one of the stands was tempting, but I decided not to test whether they really meant "fried doe" or if they intended to say "fried dough" instead.

So, no Friday night in downtown Raleigh is complete without stopping by Raleigh Times or the Flying Saucer for a drink. One of the things I enjoy about the fall and winter is the return of my favorite seasonal beers: stouts, porters, and Octoberfest-y brews. At the Saucer, I could not pass up the opportunity to have a Founders Breakfast Stout. This beer combines 3 of my favorite tastes: coffee, chocolate, and beer. I really could have this for breakfast every morning (except that it would make getting to work a bit more challenging). If I recall correctly, I actually had 2 of them on Friday night, but who's counting?

Saturday's adventures included a stop at Tyler's new bottle shop, where a metal sign dropped out of nowhere and fell onto me. Thanks to law school, all I could think of was torts---was that a known hazard? I suffered no damages though, or at least none that I can think of now.

Obviously frightened (ah-ha, I was harmed!) by the falling sign, I needed another drink so we headed to Southern Rail in Carrboro where I had a yummy rum and ginger soda cocktail to pair with the delightfully mole-tasting Oaxacan torte that was one of the special desserts for the evening. I had not been to Southern Rail yet and I am glad to see something successful in that location after many years of changed concepts. It had a cozy environment with different "settings"---an ample patio area in the front and in the back, a few nice bar areas, romantic-looking tables on the inside. It would be an ideal place for a big get-together....especially in the fall when it's not so hot and muggy out.

Sunday, I got my butt kicked at tennis and had almost forgotten that just a week ago I was on the verge of tears on an hourly basis. I'll get better at tennis and I'll get better at writing Bar exam essays. It's just all a matter of time, practice, dedication, and most importantly, patience.