Author: cheriarmour

Sick Day

| cheriarmour

I took my first sick day from my job with the Y in almost a year yesterday.

I came home yesterday from work early with an extremely sore throat, but still made it out to a cycling class before I realized I was actually sick and also a huge asshole for going to class where I could have gotten someone else sick.

I’m actually really sorry about that, I like to think of myself as a somewhat responsible adult, and I didn’t realize how sick I was.  But after I was done, the right side of my throat was killing, and when I took a peek back there, it just wasn’t good.

I was prescribed some amoxicillin, and started it immediately yesterday, and then I decided to make a batch of super super spicy soup, which I’ll share on here really quick.

Sick Day Black Bean Soup

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You’ll need:

  • 3 cans of black beans (we like the low sodium kind)
  • 1 Tablespoon of cayenne pepper (chill out on this if you can’t)
  • Southwestern seasoning (a little flick should do)
  • A thing of vegetable broth (low sodium kind)
  • 2 tablespoons of corn starch mixed into 2 tablespoons of cold water (this part is important!)
  • 1/2 cup of quinoa

Dump the beans into a large pot.  Dump cayenne and spices on top, and add the vegetable broth.  Stir, and bring the soup to a boil.  Add the cornstarch mixture to thicken the soup.  Stir, and add quinoa.  Lower heat and allow the soup mixture to summer for 20 minutes, or until the quinoa has softened and gets sprouty-looking.  Enjoy on it’s own, or with some chips, avocado, or a dollop of sour cream if the soup is too spicy.

* * * *

So for my sick day, I woke up, and immediately realized all that my fabulous plans for the day, which included a meeting with my supervisor and closing the building, just weren’t going to happen, no matter how badly I wanted them to.  I texted my boss (my throat was too sore to call), and let him know what was going on.  I texted some others to help me get coverage for the building, and made myself a cup of Thera-Flu tea before I took a nap on the couch for a few minutes.  As the day wore on, and I started getting more bored, I started to get really irritated because middle of the day television sucks, and my throat was killing me, and it was looking like I was going to be too sick to even walk, let alone run or cycle.  I chugged seltzer, laid around, and finally, Austin came home a little early, and it was nice to talk to a real person.

So I’m finally starting to feel better now, a full 24 hours from when I started the antibiotics, and I think I’ll be working tomorrow as well.  I’m glad I got the rest, but was horribly grumpy and bored all day.

QOTD

What do you usually do on a sick day?

Strep

| cheriarmour

First and foremost.

As per the obsession I described lately with sandwiches, I had another sandwich for dinner the other night –

IMG_0123[1]This time, I went full-on vegetarian (I don’t think turkey is a permanent jump into carnivorism for me), and did some hummus, sprouts, and various crunchy things.  This love affair with the idea of a sandwich isn’t just going to stop with the turkey sandwich.  I also made a tofurkery wrap for lunch today.  I’m starting to feel like sandwich girl’s almost-husband.  For whatever reason (and I’m not pregnant folks), the thought of a good, cold sandwich (or a hot one) is making me drool.  Absolutely drool.

But I’m not eating any sandwiches today because….drumroll please…

I have strep. 

I’m sort of being a miserable baby about it because I’m not kidding you, I never, never get sick.  I think it’s a combo of all the running (which strengthens your immunity), and being at a germy gym all the time keeps me pretty well.  But I really didn’t feel well when my sister was over this weekend, and even told you guys I was surprised at how badly I was hungover because I didn’t drink that much, but felt heinous all Sunday.  (Don’t worry, I’m still doing a sober June, that’s no excuse.)

So, I woke up with a sore throat on one side yesterday, and rolled over to Austin and groaned.

“What babe?”

I pointed at my throat.

“You’re choking?”  I shook my head and pointed at my throat again and gave him a thumbs-down.

“Your throat hurts?  A lot?”

He got it.  The one side of my throat was feeling awful.  At first I assumed it was allergies.  And then I decided to take a look back at my throat, and it just wasn’t good.  I scooted out of work, was able to cobble a way to see someone quickly, and get some antibiotics to quickly treat this.  It hurts.  I feel awful.  And I’m trying really hard not to feel sorry for myself.  But there’s definitely a chance that I will be working from my bed tomorrow, rather than from my desk where I can get everyone good and sick.  I’m hoping to at least, at least walk tomorrow.

When was the last time you were sick?  

 

Weekend update and Sober June

| cheriarmour

Hey! I hope you had a great weekend!

My sister came up and visited this weekend to celebrate her 24th birthday.

IMG_0141[1]We took her downtown and had her drink a few drinks, and we danced all night.   We also ate some ice cream cake in celebration because who doesn’t like ice cream cake, right?

One sort of not-so-fun thing came out of the weekend though.  A gnarly hangover.

Sober June

I’ve been playing with the idea of a sober [insert month here] ever since I ready Andy Cohen’s book, where he talks about his sober January.  A friend from school also mentioned a sober month, and it got me thinking. Part of me has wanted to do it just to see if I can.  But another part of me is/was a little nervous about social situations, and not drinking while my friends are off having fun.  Major FOMO moment I think.

But on the other hand, while drinking is fun (and we all know mama loves a good drink), its literally poison, and isn’t really doing me a whole lot of favors, ESPECIALLY considering this hangover that has be wanting to do NOTHING and be super unproductive.  It would be nice to wake up on a Sunday morning and not feel like shit, right?

I also was watching Love and Hip Hop (don’t judge) and the doctor at a rehab center said that if you can’t give up a substance for a year, that you should consider rehab yourself.

So I am embarking on a sober June.  I’m not going to be anti-social, and I’m going to continue socializing as I normally world, but instead of a beer, glass of wine, or vodka and soda (my favorite go-to), I’m going to reach for some water or so club soda.

I’m really interested to see how this endeavor affects my body, my energy levels, my skin, and see if I can do it.

QOTD

Have you ever been just sick of alcohol? 

Have you ever done a sober month?

I removed my work email off my phone, and no one died.

| cheriarmour

Months and months ago, a friend asked me, over coffee, what my biggest struggle was.

I told him, quite simply “balance“.

It’s a well-know fact that within my family, we don’t really do anything halfway.  I don’t just exercise a bit, I do it for a living.  I don’t just sort of like Gavin DeGraw, I’ve seen him on like 5 separate occasions.  It’s kind of why I don’t do drugs.  Because I’m not a casual do-er of anything.  It’s really all or nothing.  Which is why balance can be an issue in my life.

I want to do it all, run it all, work all the time, and still fit in time to teach, work out, and play with my friends.  But that becomes a little challenging when you realize that there are only 24 hours in a day, and that sleeping is a must.  And not getting my work done isn’t really an option either.

I started to notice a month or two back that I would noticeably become agitated  and anxious around 7 a.m. when some of my instructors would wake up and start sending messages.  Typically, the messages themselves were perfectly fine, but I would feel the need to immediately respond to them before my feet even hit the floor to get ready for work, and there’s something a little weird about that.

So last week, my 4s started to grind to a halt, and I swapped my phone over to another, functioning 4s so that I could squeeze a little time out before I have to take the plunge and buy a new phone.  Because of this, I never got around to the convoluted system there is to set your work email up on your phone, so in essence the only time I’ve had access to my work email is when I’m on my work laptop.

Which has been, in a word, glorious. 

At first I was nervous.  Nervous that I would miss something important, or that someone would be upset with me for my less-than-immediate response to their questions.  But that has not happened.  I have responded to emails once I’ve opened my laptop in the order that I’ve received them.  Nothing will fall to the wayside.  No one has been upset.  And it has been such a blessing for balance and such a blessing for my sense of well-being.

How have you worked to bring more balance to your life?  

I ate a turkey sandwich!

| cheriarmour

Hi!

What are you doing?

We’re doing a whole lot of nothing because I sort of forgot that it was a holiday weekend, so I’m taking advantage of the day by catching up on work, and blogging and all that fun stuff.

So where you last left me, I was really seriously considering eating a turkey sandwich.  Which to most, isn’t really a huge deal, but since I’ve been a pescatarian, sometimes vegetarian, and a full-on supporter of vegans, it’s sort of a weird thing to wake up craving.  But alas, I woke up on Monday of last week really craving a turkey sandwich.

I describe to you guys how it felt.  Really weird.  I posted on social media about it. Most people assumed that I was pregnant, which I’m pretty sure I’m not.  My husband, who has never seen me consume meat in my life, thought I was joking at first.  And a few of my friends theorized that my body may be craving protein, and since I’m normally super healthy, that turkey protein, being one of the leaner options, was what I was going for.

I went a few days craving this sandwich.  Talked it over with friends.  Called my sister and her husband.  And finally decided that I would set about getting this sandwich.

My first order of bidness, since I probably haven’t ordered a turkey sandwich in like 15 years, was to find a place where I could get a good sandwich.  I figured that a place like Subway or Jersey Mikes would be fine, but that the meat might be pumped full of sodium, and I wasn’t superbly interested in being bloated.  So I set my sights on a Boar’s Head meat that I spied when I was shopping for some snacks at Harris Teeter, and ordered a turkey sandwich with mayo, lettuce, and tomato.

IMG_0079[1]

I ate it.  It was fine.  It wasn’t life-changing.  It tasted fine.  I felt fine when it went down, and didn’t experience any adverse side-effects as a result of eating meat for the first time in however long.  But it DID quell my desire for the sandwich, calmed the curiosity down, and I think I got whatever I needed from that sandwich that I’d been thinking about for a week when I ate it.

I’m curious though.   I pay pretty close attention to my diet, and get a ton of protein though beans, nuts, and nut butters.  So I’m trying to figure out what my body was telling me, and if the loudness of that little voice is indicative of any sort of deficiency.

“Food” for thought.  Haha.

What are you eating for dinner tonight?                     

I want a turkey sandwich.

| cheriarmour

First and foremost, let’s talk Timehop.

TimehopTimehop is sometimes really fun.  Sometimes it’s a really rude reminder of the fact that you used to get really drunk and eat two mexi hot dogs from Cookout at 3 a.m. on a regular basis.  Yesterday was one of those days.

So, occasionally someone comments on my current weight, often, someone who may have known me at Elon.  And I’m not ever going to pretend I was morbidly obese, but I definitely had a few more lbs on me, which you can clearly see in my cheeks and in my boobs in the above picture.  Thanks a WHOLE heck of a lot Timehop, for serving as a brutal reminder of the fact that beer is not a food group.

I want a turkey sandwich.

I woke up on Monday feeling two things.

For one, I felt really rough because I drank too many mojitos with my friends on Sunday.  But it’s not exactly my fault because…I just don’t feel like admitting that it’s my fault.

And for the second part, I really really was craving a turkey sandwich.  Which is all well and good, except I’m a vegetarian, and it’s probably been over 10 years since I’ve eaten a turkey sandwich.  But for some reason, a cold turkey sandwich with tomato, lettuce, and avocado is calling my name.  I’ve given myself a few days to see if the craving would go away, but it’s not, so I’m really thinking about getting one.

Now, a few folks have been really quick to point out that I might be pregnant.  Which would explain things, but I’m 99% sure I’m not.

So the other working theory is that my body is craving protein or sodium, which is also feasible, since it’s hot as balls out and I haven’t eaten meat in so long.  But I also was under the impression that I was getting enough through beans and nut butters and whatnot.

So my question today, as I plan to eat lunch after a long run is:

Where’s the best place to get a turkey sandwich?

Pet Peeves

| cheriarmour

Hi!

How are you guys doing today?

I’m fine fine fine, currently feeling a little sorry for myself since I decided to not do a trail race this weekend so I could nurse my knee back to health.  I’ve been able to work out, run a little, and teach, but I feel like running on unstable surfaces when I potentially have my meniscus torn is not a great idea.  I need to wait for an MRI to be 100% sure though.  But I’m feeling sorry for myself, a little jealous, and as a result, have eaten like a total hog today.  I deserve a spanking (as my ESL mother says from time to time).

So, I’m actually sitting outside at the local coffee shop, and just sitting here sort of fueled this post.  You’ll understand why in a second.

Cup A Joe

My Pet Peeves:

  • Cigarette smoke.  I’ve never been a smoker.  My parents never smoked, so it was never really a thing.  Plus I was born in the late 80s, so by that time, we were all onto the whole smoking causes cancer thing, so it’s actually pretty rare to find someone our age who smokes.  So I’m sitting outside at this coffee shop, and trying to work, blog, and enjoy a cup of coffee, and there are groups of people around me smoking Parliments and Marlboros.  It’s disgusting, distracting, and makes my hair smell like shit.  And I can’t wash my hair all the time, so my options are to grin and bear it, or go sit and freeze inside.
  • People with bad grammar.  They’re/their/there.  You’re/your.  Its/it’s (which funny enough, appeared incorrectly on this blog in a link last week).  “You’re doing good”.  Like please, for the love of Jesus, look at a few newspaper articles, and just absorb some of what is considered appropriate grammar.  And social media makes this complete disregard for the English language really apparent.
  • When someone emails you….then emails or texts again 30 minutes later to ask if you’ve received their email.  That’s when I start to become a little passive-aggressive, and sometimes don’t respond all together.  Of COURSE I haven’t gotten your email yet because I haven’t responded.  Perhaps I am away from my desk.  Perhaps I have a family?  Whatever it is, please show some regard for the fact that there are other people in this world than you.
  • Facebook’s read receipt.  This thing is the worst.  I actually just read an article on how to disable it, but then you can’t see when people have read your messages either, and I can’t have that.  But have you ever gotten a message on Facebook that made you toss your head back and groan?  And then you opened it?  And you either have to live with the fact that this person knows you’re ignoring them, or you have to respond.  I do not appreciate that.  Not at all.

All that said…

What are your pet peeves?

Knee update

| cheriarmour

I have a confession to make.  I mentioned something a few weeks back, but have been pretty vague about my knee.  Some of it has been denial.  Some of it has been in the hope that with enough soaks, taking the Etodolac that the doc prescribed, and not doing too much on it, that I will be okay.

The honest truth is that I’m 100% freaked out by the fact that I may actually be injured, and I’m not handling it very well.

So to back it up, I’ve posted this before, but incurred my very first broken bone when I was 17 and playing rugby at Elon.

Rugby Injury

I fractured my tibial tuberosity at the precise moment this photo was taken, and as a result, ended up on crutches from about November to January of 2005, and then ended up in a lot of physical therapy. As a result, the knee has acted up here and there, but never really anything serious enough for me to be really nervous, and never, ever serious enough for me to see the doctor about, especially as I’m enrolled in a high-deductible benefits package. Going to the doctor all willy-nilly isn’t really an option for me because I end up paying for everything out of pocket.

A little over a month ago, during Wake County’s Spring break, because a lot of our instructors were going to be out, I subbed a TON of classes, and that was the start of some of my trouble with my knee. It was sore, and didn’t want to extend all the way out. Once I started physical activity, it felt okay (not great), but the starting, and the after was always really difficult for me.

I popped Aleve nonstop, had a run-in with some strong arthritis medication that resulted in a call to Poison Control, and bathed nonstop in an attempted to quell some of the pain, but it never got better.  Not worse either to be fair, but not better.

Finally, last Friday, I went to the doctor, where they x-rayed the knee, and couldn’t find a whole lot, since an x-ray really is only going to show bone.  In the case of a knee, where there’s a lot of soft tissue, it’s tricky, and I have to wait until I get an MRI later this week, then get it read to find out what it is that’s going on.

I’m hoping for nothing.  I’m really hoping it’s just some inflammation, and that nothing else needs to happen going forward except the continuation of my NSAIDs until I feel good and strong on my own.  My worst fear, and I hate even typing this, is that I’ve torn something, and will require a really non-terrible arthoscopic surgery.  But that whole concept freaks me out, and I’m not exactly ready for that.

Will all of that mouthful said…

What are you up to today?

Lies we’ve all been told.

| cheriarmour

I stole this from Becca from Becoming Adorrable – I love love reading what she’s up to, and about her and husband’s adventures in Atlanta.  She posted on this the other day, and it got me thinking about lies we’ve all been told.

You have sex, and you will get pregnant.  

Mean Girls QuotesThis is one lie that has become more and more clear to me since I’ve gotten to that age where friends of mine are trying to get pregnant on purpose.  Call it a product of having my sexual education done in the south, however, my understanding was that if you have sex at any point, that you WOULD get pregnant, no questions asked.  Now imagine my surprise, that as a 27-year-old married woman, that it doesn’t always work that way.  Sometimes, when people talk about “trying,” they’re healthy, viable, and young.  They have sex on certain days, and not on others, and it still doesn’t work.

Taking on student loans is fine – you’ll get a job and be able to pay it back within like two years. 

Yeah.  Um.  I wish someone had been a little more transparent with me about this one.  The honest truth (listen up if you’re just now going to college) is that you can be like me, and you can be “underemployed” for any number of years.  You know what that means?  That means, you might be really really educated, like say, Duke educated, and that you might still pay some dues at a grocery store or in food service, trying to make ends meet while you search for something you’re really qualified for.  That said, take out as LITTLE student loan money has you can get away with.   If you can get through all four years with no debt?  You’re golden, babe!

To get the job you want, submit a resumé and a cover letter to that online form thingie, and you’ll get a call back for an interview within no time. 

The above statement is BULLSHIT.  Absolutely bullshit.  If you graduated this past weekend, hear me now when I tell you it’s bullshit.  Here’s how you get that job that you want/are qualified for.  Figure out who it is you know within that organization, stalk them to all ends of the earth, and ask them, straight up, to hook you up with an interview.  Your resumé is something that should be updated and current, this is true.  Yes, you should have a cover letter, like, around.  But hear me loud and absolutely clear when I say that networking, networking, networking, is where your head needs to be in the months leading up to you getting a job interview.  Go to dinners, luncheons, make sure you’re dressed to the nines.  At drinking things, just nurse one, take cards, and hand yours out.  Follow up the next day.  Schedule lunches and coffees with whomever it is. And never, ever feel weird about doing this.

Marriage and kids. 

I love being married.  Best thing I have ever done in my life.  I love kids.  And I think I would love to have some little boys of my own in puffy vests and in plaid shirts with little baseball hats.  But I grow tired of these folks who, for one, post things nonstop about their “perfect” lives on social media, and two, claim to never have a bad day in the world.  I had an awesome conversation with a family member (with an equally adorable baby for me to hold) who was refreshingly honest about marriage and motherhood.  She was open about her son’s reflux, about wanting to get out of the house once in a while, and about her marriage.  I loved it.  Why are we ALL not open?  All that said…

QOTD

What’s one lie you feel you’ve been told ALL your life!