Last weekend, a friend came to town on short notice. This meant scrambling to find activities. A highlight was a sketch comedy show on Friday evening hosted in the same little black box theater where I took improv classes some time ago. Did I understand all of the jokes? Absolutely not, and for the same reason why it’s a bad idea to rely on me during the pop culture portions of a trivia contest. Did I enjoy some laughs? You bet.

It also meant eating out more than normal. Though my favorite Thai place was out of commission due to some kitchen maintenance, overall I was satisfied that I offered my guest a sampling of the Durham food scene. Handmade pasta, seafood from the coast, Mediterranean-inspired spreads, Peruvian rotisserie chicken, and Carolina-style BBQ (even if he chose not to get the chopped pork) all featured. We also tried a mix of cocktail bars and taprooms, but the new spots we tried aren’t going to become regular destinations for me.

We capped off the weekend with a Sunday evening walk through Duke Gardens since my friend is a plant guy and a small time gardener. For some reason, he chose not to bring his phone and then got mad at himself for having left it in the car when he was unable to take pictures. It’s not like I’d told him that the gardens are impressive or anything. Maybe next time he’ll be a better listener. Oh well, it was funny for me.