North Carolina

48 Miles and One Serrano Pepper

Julia — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 07:49:13 -0700

Yesterday, I biked further than I ever thought possible. I took part on the 3rd Cup 'n' Cone Tour, which is part of the MS 150 training series. With friends from Godiva and Crystal's MS 150 training group, we biked from Cary to Chapel Hill in search of ice-cream. There was Maple View Farm ice-cream at the half-way point and Goodberry's ice-cream custard at the end. Strangely enough, my legs aren't tired a day later; just my thumbs. I am guessing that my crazy death grip on my handlebars wore out my thumbs.

After getting home, Eric and I went out in search of ingredients for his awesome Thai curry. Apparently, thai peppers and thai basil are rare commodities in Durham. Our friendly Whole Foods produce man said that serrano peppers are a close relative of thai peppers. Eric, ever the scientist, decided to test this theory by biting into the pepper. He quickly verified that the pepper was wicked hot. After one bottle of kefir, both Eric and the serrano pepper are fine.

Searching for Health Insurance

Julia — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:34:41 -0700

Since graduating, I have been on a hunt for reasonable health insurance. It has been a frustrating process. First, due to an obscure IRS code, I found out that I could not join my husband's plan at Duke until January. Next, Assurant Health made me an offer that would make Michael Moore proud.

On Tuesday, I received a call from an Assurant representative telling me I had been approved for coverage. Yet, once she told me the fine print of the offer, I quickly realized that there was no cause for celebration. I have a very slight case of asthma. I have never been hospitalized or even needed to go to the ER for treatment. My only symptom is that I start wheezing when I get a cold and as a result use a bronchial steroid regularly. Yet, Assurant's offer included a $2,000 deductible for asthma treatment and $1,500 for asthma medicine. This means that I would have to pay out-of-pocket each year for all asthma-related medicine and doctor's appointments. I have never spent the equivalent of $2,000 in a year for asthma treatment. In fact, I don't think that I have spent that much if you add up all of my costs for the past 5 years.

After banging my head against the wall, a coworker suggested trying Blue Shield Blue Cross. Compared to long drawn-out process of applying for Assurant insurance, BSBC was a dream. I was able to quickly get an estimate online. After receiving an estimate, I filled out a full online application. Within 30 minutes, I had been accepted for coverage and even given a discount for being in such great shape. I ended up paying about $80 more a month than I would have through Assurant. However, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the good user-experience I enjoyed during the application process will carry over when I am a BSBC customer. Like any good customer, I am willing to pay a premium for peace of mind.

Things to Do In Durham/Chapel Hill

Julia — Mon, 14 May 2007 08:33:42 -0700

I graduated from SILS yesterday with a Master's of Science in Information Science. In addition to learning a ton about user interface design and web development over the past two years, I have learned a lot about things to do with out-of-town guests in the Durham/Chapel Hill area. All of the activities listed are affordable on a student budget.

Places to Eat:

Hog Heaven BBQ: Hog Heaven is more fun and way tastier that Bullock's, which is a tourist trap.
Maple View Farm: Sitting in rocking chairs in the middle of the country eating homemade ice-cream is a unique experience that every visitor should enjoy.
Elmo's: Elmos doesn't necessarily have the best food in Durham, but it has a great atmosphere and very comforting grub.
Locopops: A Mexican popsicle stand that is one of a kind. Where else can you get a mango chile popsicle? I have had friends visit and try to find similar places in Los Angeles and San Francisco without any luck.
Foster's: Foster's has great food and is the most trusting dining establishment I've ever been in. Visit to find out why.
George's Garage: George's lunch market is fantastic. The food is great and affordable.
Eat at the Sutton's Lunch Counter: Located in the middle of Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, Sutton's Drugstore is a step back in time.

Things to To:

Make Your Own Duke Tour: Walk through Duke and check out Sarah P. Duke Gardens and the Chapel. If you have extra time, you might want to also go to the Nasher Museum.
Make Your Own UNC Tour: Walk through Carolina and visit the Bell Tower, the quad, the Old Well, Carmichael Auditorium(where Jordan played).
Walk the Duke Loop: The Al Buehler Cross Country Trail is a great glimpse of Duke Forest.
Durham Bulls Game: Tickets are cheap and you will get to hang out in one of the nicest minor league stadiums in the country.
Grab a beer or pizza at Satisfaction Restaurant and Bar: A Duke hangout in Brightleaf Square, Satisfaction is a fun place to hang out for a few hours, especially if there's a game on.
Rent a bike and ride down the American Tobacco Trail: The ATT is an easy 6.5 mile ride through Durham. You can rent bikes on the weekends at Triangle Trail Bicycle Rentals. Nantucket Grill is a nice place to stop and eat along the route.
Go to a Farmer's Market. Durham and Carrboro both have great farmer's markets.
Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle around Lake Crabtree: Lake Crabtree, located very close to the RTP airport is a great place to have a picnic and to relax before a flight home.