Ashvegas Early Edition: Bike rides, steel houses, Chuck Norris and more

Here’s some of what’s going around:

-Asheville on Bikes: I went on a great bicycle ride with Asheville on Bikes recently and just had to post a photo from that event. This photo is from Jarret Porter’s Facebook photo album of shots. Check it out. And check out Asheville on Bikes. Good peeps.

-Steel house: zen has a cool pic of a steel house in West Asheville.

-‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’: The Hendersonville Times-News has a blurb on the latest offering at N.C. Stage. Sounds cool:

ASHEVILLE — Immediate Theatre Project and North Carolina Stage Company mark their second collaboration of the 2009-10 Season with “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” the acclaimed comedy by Sarah Ruhl. “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” will run for two weeks, April 7 to 18, at North Carolina Stage Company’s theater in downtown Asheville.

This new play by Ruhl follows the journey of one lonely woman who reluctantly answers a stranger’s phone without realizing that the phone’s owner is dead. Despite this disadvantage, she forms a strange relationship with the man by continuing to answer his phone, eventually meeting his family and becoming involved with his sinister line of work.

-DuPont 12K – I survived the DuPont State Forest 12k trail run on Saturday. It as a beautiful day, and a beautiful setting, for a great run in the woods. Check out the Asheville Citizen-Times photo gallery. And check out the Carolina Runner blog for all the results.

-Action Fest momentum builds: Action Fest is coming together as a big-time movie festival populated with tons of great action flicks and special guest Chuck Norris. In a press release, Chuck said he can’t wait:

“I’m excited to be part of the inaugural ActionFest,” said Chuck Norris in a statement. “I’m proud to be a part of a film festival that honors and recognizes the people who put the action in action films.  I can’t wait to get to Asheville.”

-U.S. Attorney: The Charlotte Observer says a Charlotte attorney is another step closer to being named U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina federal court:

Charlotte lawyer Anne Tompkins has moved a step closer to becoming the U.S. Attorney for Charlotte and the Western District of North Carolina.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday sent Tompkins’ nomination to the post to the full Senate for a confirmation vote. That vote could take place in a week or two. President Barack Obama in December nominated Tompkins for the job.

-Crazy weather for the week: As usual, the weather forecast calls for a little bit of everything this week. Thunderstorms and maybe hail today, along with lots of rain. But by Thursday, we’re looking at unseasonably high temps (think mid-70s). Ray’s Weather has it. 

-What the tourists do in Asheville: Here’s a typical sampling, from the Alien Spouse blog:

After books we did clothes, and I was trying to find a cheap swimming costume because I’d forgotten to pack mine and that meant we couldn’t use the hotel swimming pool.  I found one in Urban Outfitters (Which we had no idea had even opened in Asheville, so Score!) but it was hideous and involved lace down both sides in an ironic nod to the 80’s.  I think.  In one of the super cool vintage stores I got a great floral silk scarf which, although very pleasing, will not be so useful for swimming unfortunately.  No hot tub for us.

Finally we had dinner.  We went to our favourite curry place, Mela, and I had a delicious vegetarian taster selection with sour lime pickle, which I was sad to not be able to finish.  I’m not usually a huge fan of vegetable curries, but I was right to trust Mela’s chefs, they do amazing things with chickpeas.  After the meal we window shopped for a while until we had made some room for desert at the French Broad’s Chocolate Lounge.  Doc had a latte and I got a chai hot chocolate, both of us had coconut macaroons.  We’ve been meaning to go to the Chocolate Lounge for ages, and I really liked it.  Especially as one of the girls behind the counter had a cool key tattoo on her arm, and we bumped key tattoos in a sort of clumsy high-five!