Smithfield, NC Recreation and Aquatics Center - What it is and why it’s a big deal…

If you’ve been down Booker Dairy Road in Smithfield, NC anytime in the past few months, you’ve probably noticed that there’s something big being built thanks to all the construction equipment. That’s the SRAC - the Smithfield Recreation and Aquatics Center. So, maybe you’re thinking “great, just another gym with a pool - big deal.” Well, it actually IS a big deal because there’s really nothing else like this in the area or in Johnston County. Take a look at what this center offers:

• An eight-lane competition pool
• Fitness room
• Strength training room
• Group fitness/aerobics room
• Indoor walking track
• Two racquetball courts
• A double-gym
• Splash pad
• Multipurpose rooms
• Concession area
• Banquet room
• Locker rooms
• Sitter service
• A place for birthday parties, crafts, personal training, camps, aquatics programs, senior activities and more…

And this is all in one place. As you can see, it’s WAY more than “just a gym.”

I told you it was important. The center is scheduled to open in January, 2009 and enrollment starts on September 8th. But don’t expect to be member #1 or member #2 because if you real the Smithfield Herald, you’ll know that the SRAC held a tagline contest that encouraged the public to submit taglines for the center’s brochures and other marketing material. The winner and runner-up from that contest are now currently members #1 and #2.

If you’re looking for a place in Smithfield to get in shape that offers more than “just a gym,” the SRAC is for you. There are affordable membership rates and plenty of amenities to make it worth your while. Enrollment starts September 8th, 2008, and for a limited time there is NO ENROLLMENT FEE. Also, the first 100 people to enroll in an annual contract get one free month.

Learn more about the SRAC through its blog. You can see construction photos, get answers to questions, contact info and more.

Oh, and the winning tagline entry: “The benefits are endless…”

Written by RelocateClayton on September 3rd, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Lifestyle News and Moving and Relocation Guide and My Adventures and News and Schools and Sports and Recreation and Towns in Johnston County and Uncategorized and johnston county schools.

Clayton, NC USPS…Red-Green Colorblind?

First of all, I appreciate all the work that my regular USPS delivery person puts in day after day. And I appreciate it even more when she takes a day off.

You see, whenever there’s a substitute driver, I end up annoyed and holding a pencil - ready to stab my eye out. But I’m a writer, so instead I stab my leg.

Take today for example…I was driving home from an appointment and passed the USPS truck on its way up my street, having already delivered to my side of the street. I pulled into the driveway and noticed my red flag still up. Figuring the USPS driver took my mail and just didn’t push the flag down far enough, I went to the mailbox to investigate.

They didn’t take my mail. Apparently, I had none to be delivered, either.

Note to driver. Red flag = I have mail for you to take as part of your job.

Today, it’s important mail that I wanted out…today. So I hop into the Relocate Claytonmobile and chase the driver down. The driver looked rather shocked and seemed to not know what to do with the mail I handed them. This scares me. It scares me because:

• I’ll never know if I embarrassed the driver enough for them to get angry and throw my mail away
• The driver looked confused when I handed them the mail and proceeded to explain that they had missed my house
• This is not the first, or second, time this has happened
• I probably got put on a government watch list for trying to get a federal employee to recognize the color red

And what’s worse…when I call the Clayton, NC USPS Post Office to talk to somebody about it, I get the following:

Four-to-five rings followed by a message that says: “Hello. Please leave your message after the beep.”

After five calls, I gave up and called the 800 number. I was told by a USPS representative at a call center that the local offices aren’t required to even HAVE messages and that most calls to local offices get re-routed to call centers.

I never could get an answer to my questions as to why they publish local numbers with no intention of answering the phone.

Ironically, the person at the call center told me that someone from the Clayton USPS center in 27520 would be calling me by the end of the next business day.

So let me get this straight…they don’t have time to TAKE my concerns at the local USPS, but they have time to call me back about them? Interesting.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a huge complainer. In fact, I’m very much a benefit-of-the-doubt kinda guy. This is the third time this summer this has happened. If someone had picked up at the local office, I probably wouldn’t even be writing this bitchy post.

I was also informed that I might not have the most correct number for the Clayton, NC USPS office. I was given another number of (919) 553-1867 to try. Instead of an answering machine, I get a busy signal.

At least one of us can see red, USPS.

Where I come from, we call this EPIC GOVERNMENT FAIL.

Written by RelocateClayton on September 2nd, 2008 with 2 comments.
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This Convenience is an Inconvenience

Johnston County, you’ve got this wrong. Your heart is in the right place by encouraging people to bring their recyclables and household trash to the landfill and convenience centers conveniently located throughout Johnston County. But this whole decal fiasco, I tell ya - It’s gotta go.

Case in point. I own two cars. Now, because I own two cars, does that mean I produce twice as much trash and therefore create twice as much burden on the county? Hell no. So why can I only bring ONE of my cars to the convenience center for the entire year? The answer, because I can’t transfer the sticker from one of my cars to another - it’s a STICKER! Get it? It sticks!

Recent example of my frustration with this: I received my sticker in the mail on a Thursday. Now, I’m a busy guy and I didn’t get a chance to immediately put my sticker on the windshield of the car I normally take to the convenience center - my car. The very next Saturday (two days later), I was planning to take my son to the park in Clayton. Now, when I take him to the park I always take my wife’s car - it has A/C and mine doesn’t. Walking to the car, I noticed we had some trash piled up. So I threw it in the trunk of my wife’s car, put my shiny new permit in my pocket and headed to the convenience center with my son before the park.

Even before I opened my trunk, I went up to the attendant and showed him my sticker and explained that I was just using my wife’s car for that one trip and that I would put the sticker in my other car when I get home. Well, apparently this is a huge deal in Johnston County. I’d say the attendant was totally understanding and let me slide one time, but that would be a lie. Yes, he let me slide but without a ration of heck from him.

I paid for the sticker. It shouldn’t matter what car I take to the convenience center, should it? I mean, tell me if I’m crazy here, but there should be ONE line on the form below for ONE sticker. Give me a place to put an extra license plate number, switch to removable vinyl stickers, and we’ll all be good to go, ok?

Give attendants an updated list so they can check my plate against my decal number. It’s very simple. Maybe that’s the problem.

C’mon Johnston County, let’s get rid of this archaic system. Let me use more than one car without paying DOUBLE what I’d spend to use one. I’m not going to spend $130 for the convenience of bringing whatever car I like to give you garbage just because I can’t re-stick my sticker.

There are families out there who switch cars all the time between spouses - in the name of all that is convenience, do us a favor, would you and make it convenient for us? I think this deserves a response.

Written by RelocateClayton on July 17th, 2008 with 1 comment.
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Rain Barrels in Johnston County

I live in Johnston County, NC. And, I just happen to want a rain barrel to conserve water so that this vital resource will not be depleted.

So, I go onto JoCo’s government website and look for a selection of rain barrels to choose from. I’ve already looked at the City of Raleigh’s rain barrel selection and, I gotta tell ya, that city’s got it going on in terms of rain barrels. Too bad you have to be a resident to purchase them from Raleigh.

But that’s ok, I thought. I live in Johnston County - this place is growing like wildfire and quickly adapting to meet the needs of all the people who are permanently migrating here.

So let’s compare Raleigh, NC’s choice of rain barrels to that of Johnston County, shell we?

Raleigh’s selection:

Now, personally, I like the third choice. I even saw that exact model in the Lowe’s magazine I get every month.

Ok, how for Johnston County’s rain barrel offerings:

If anyone in Raleigh wants to make $5 by going with me to buy a couple of rain barrels, let me know.

Written by RelocateClayton on July 17th, 2008 with 2 comments.
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Ladies Night at N&N Sports Bar and Grill

And you thought the crew at Relocate Clayton were slacking? Oh my, look at the great events we’re helping you find:

Written by RelocateClayton on May 14th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Arts Entertainment & Fun and Ask the Expert and My Adventures.

Windshield Repair in Clayton, NC - Dash-N-Glass

Somehow, living in Clayton NC has been taking a toll on our cars. I guess with all the back roads in Clayton and Johnston County, you’re bound to get a few dings and cracks in your windshield. Which is exactly what happened to my Toyota Corrolla - the official car of Relocate Clayton. Anyway, what turned out to be a ding turned into a crack as long as my forearm within about a week. So, needing a new windshield, I set out to make some calls and get some quotes.

I’ll save you the details of all the quotes I got from Johnston County windshield replacement companies and just tell you this…every company was at LEAST $65 More than the windshield repair and replacement company I went with:

Dash-N-Glass

www.dashnglass.com

7754 US Highway 70 W
Clayton, NC 27520
(919) 550-8222

I’ll tell you that my windshield replacement cost me $170. The next lowest quote was $235. The best part was, I never had to leave my house. The technicians were experienced, fast and courteous.

Written by RelocateClayton on March 25th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Clayton NC Business Profiles and Moving and Relocation Guide and My Adventures.

Wendy’s in Clayton Re-defines Coffee

I like coffee. A lot. I also Like Wendy’s. A lot. So it makes sense that when you put the two together, it makes me a happy guy.  I had it for the first (and second, and third, and fourth) time today and just had to blog about it.

Here’s what I like:

• It’s hot. There’s nothing worse than cold coffee. Wendy’s cups keep my coffee hot and my hands from getting burned. It’s a win-win.
•  You can stack cups easily. Do you care? Maybe not, but when I get coffee two at a time the ability to stack becomes paramount. The cups go together and STAY together.
• It tastes good. I’ve had what I call ‘working man’s coffee’ in just about every kind of setting - airlines, diners, weddings - even on a FedEx A310. This coffee is gooood. It’s not Tim Hortons  or FedEx good, but I suffer gladly.
• It’s in Clayton, NC and other Johnston County locations. So it’s probably on your way to or from somewhere in Clayton or Johnston County.

They also have coupons for a free coffee (small) with ANY purchase. So you know what I do? I buy a large and get a small free. Damn I’m smart.

Written by RelocateClayton on February 7th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Dining and My Adventures.

The Swift Creek Convenience Center in Johnston County

The Swift Creek Convenience Center is NOT my favorite place in Johnston County this weekend.

I recycle. Even in my younger days, I can remember dragging an overflowing blue box to the curb for the recycling truck to pick up - rain or shine.

So it’s no surprise that even today I do my best to reduce, re-use and recycle.

Yesterday, I packed up the truck and drove my recyclables to Johnston County’s Swift Creek Convenience Center. I had brown bottles, green bottles, clear bottles, cans, plastic jugs and cardboard. When it came time to put my cardboard in the carboard dumpster, I noticed a tarp on the dumpster. Being the resourceful guy I am, I carefully tried to lift a corner to slide my cardboard in. No luck. That tarp was on TIGHT. No problem, I thought. The guy in the shack would be more than happy to help me at least get a corner up to slip my carboard in, right? Holy, heck was I wrong. He flat-out refused to take even a corner of the tarp off so I could recycle my carboard. He cited the rain as his reason. And his alternative to me? Throw it in the compactor. I had to double check to make sure he was serious. Throw it in the compactor?

Me: “The stuff in the compactor goes into the landfill, right?”

Johnston County Employee who gets paid with taxpayer money: “Yep.”

Me: “Thanks. I’ll take it home and bring it back another day.”

Listen up Johnston County Government: If I can make the effort, in the rain, to bring my recyclables to your conveneince center the least you could is make a small gesture by allowing me to recycle ALL of my recyclables. Removing the corner of a tarp for 30 seconds was not going be the end of the world.

Written by RelocateClayton on January 20th, 2008 with no comments.
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