Life

A Ludacris weekend.

| cheriarmour

So, over the weekend, I celebrated Elon University’s homecoming.

First and foremost, if any of my readers have kids that are thinking about schools right now, Elon is fantastic if you’re looking for a small liberal arts school where you’ll form amazing relationships with your professors?  Elon is the spot.  I went to a big state for graduate school, and the experiences were night and day for a student like I am.

Anyhoo, so the time has flown, and I’m celebrating 5 years since I graduated from Elon University.  And each year, homecoming has blossomed – from an intimate celebration in the parking lot on the north side of campus to a full-blown tailgating experience where all of the student organizations are represented.

So on Friday, I arrived on campus juuuust in time to pick up my packet and tickets for the events I was registered for.  I had a little time to burn, so I explored a little bit, and found some food.  Side note: there is a Biscuitville on Elon’s campus, and I thank the good Lord above that that wasn’t a thing when I went to school there, because there is a distinct possibility that I would have gained like 60 pounds when I was in school there.  Woof.

I went to the step show, which is really more about seeing who is at homecoming, and socialized a little bit before hitting a bar that allowed smoking at one point when we were in school.  Things have changed – thank you North Carolina!

Saturday, we hit the tailgate, and enjoyed some insane food at the Elon Black Alumi Network (EBAN) tailgate, before making our way over to the Twisted Measure tent where my barefoot singing buds were chilling so hard, that we realized 30 minutes after the game started that we hadn’t made the game.

And Saturday night, we hit the Ludacris concert which actually was the literal bomb.  He was SO good, and I was ridiculously impressed with his intelligence, and his performance.  I was totally hoping to meet him, so my heart was just a teensy bit broken when I saw his Escalade pull off.  Maybe next time, Chris Bridges?

Wanna see a few grainy pics I was able to take before the mosh pit swallowed me up?

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A few quick facts about Elon Homecoming 2014?

  • I lost my Fitbit on Friday night!  I was dancing at the step show, and it slipped off my wrist.  I’m pretty sure someone picked it up and just saw a silicone bracelet and they were like “Omg ew TRASH!” and threw it away.  I’m obsessed with it, so I ran out to Target when it opened the next morning, and replaced it.  I’m in the process of contacting their customer service department now to see if I can get a small rebate or something – I get that it’s not 100% their fault, but evidently this sort of thing happens with this product – there are a few desperate forum posts to support that.
  • Luda is awesome.  The concert was so so good.  Minus the fact that I had to get a little buck on this chick that was shoving in the front.
  • I got to hear our wedding song performed again by Twisted Measure.  They killed it. I cried a little.
  • I ate Cookout. Delightful.  I will also be running like a million miles a week to work this off.  Woof.

How was your weekend?  

Paper Buzz

| cheriarmour

Over the course of getting married, I became absolutely enthralled with paper.

I started frequenting a place in Raleigh called “If it’s Paper,” and I became absolutely enchanted with all of the products they had on the shelves.

They had beautiful cards, beautiful envelopes, pads of paper for lists, blank card stock for you to print on, recycled envelopes…you get it.  My desk at work is full of Le Pens (the felt-tipped pens that don’t smear) and cute pads.  The thought of being the envy of folks while I’m at a meeting makes me cackle.

So when I was at my parents’ in Charlotte, I dragged my mom to the paper store, Paper Source to pick up some pens for a guest book that we needed them for later that day.  If If it’s Paper was special, this place was even more so, in the way that featured workshops – and I found a papercrafters holy grail – an L-Press Letterpress machine.

My mom indulged me because she’s into things equally as corny as I am – she is an avid knitter, and has gotten so skilled, that she hooks it up with not only with the hats and gloves, she’s made clothing, blankets, and toys for kids in need.

On the way to my parents’ we hit the Wells Fargo towers, and scooped up my dad for lunch.

“We went to the paper store!”

Papa Cheri sort of laughed, realized I was serious about my excitement, and then goes,

“What is this obsession with paper?!”

He’s right, I’m a little obsessed, but really pumped to learn more about it, acquire a little letterpress for me to start pressing some projects, and to eventually open a little Etsy store.

But now the question is, now that I’m starting to legitimately get into weird-type hobbies, how the heck am I going to find time to do everything?  Because as of right now I’m obsessed with:

  • Reading my Kindle.
  • Running/Working out
  • Blogging
  • Paper
  • Making our new house presentable for my parents when they come for Thanksgiving

I really need to come up with a plan so that I can thoroughly enjoy these hobbies without  losing lots and lots of sleep.

What are your hobbies?  How do you manage your time? 

45

| cheriarmour

Before we get all silly –

I alluded to this last week, but unfortunately, at the close of this week, I will have attended two funeral services.  Cancer absolutely sucks, and prayers for folks that I consider family would be greatly greatly appreciated.  And forgive me if I’m extremely weepy this week.

********

So, the other day, I posted a photo from Buzzfeed’s timeline of Jennifer Lopez.

I’m gonna let you feast your eyes for a second.

Jennifer Lopez 45If you’re not aware, this is Jennifer Lopez, of “In Living Color” fame.  She also was partner to Sean “P-Diddy” Combs, had an excellent MTV diary, married Marc Anthony, and starred in Selena, Enough, and The Wedding Planner.  I still have questions about the vocals from time to time, however, J.Lolas doesn’t have student loans so I’m just being a hater.

One thing I’m not hating on?  Her body!  At the age of 45, she looks better than I do having had 0 children.  To review, Juannifer has a set of twins.  That grew inside of that stomach.

But, upon checking out some of the Facebook comments on the picture, one of my biggest pet peeves started to rear its ugly ugly head.

Catherine Claridge REMINDER: Jennifer Lopez is a celebrity with a team of nutritionists and personal trainers on her payroll. Fuck off BuzzFeed.

Okay.  A few questions for this charming commentator.

  1. Does Jennifer’s team of nutritionists force her to eat the right things?
  2. Do Jennifer’s personal trainers run on the treadmill for her?
  3. How about her lifting?  Does someone else do her lifting?
  4. And under this assumption, this would mean that all famous folks with teams of personal trainers and nutritionist have similar bodies and never struggle with food.  Stars that have had very public battles with food, our Carnie Wilsons, our Janet Jacksons, our Oprahs, are just not a thing?

Laura Miller It’s also her only job too.

  1. Jennifer Lopez has no other job than to work out and look amazing?
  2. Isn’t she a mom?
  3. Isn’t she an actress?
  4. Isn’t she a singer?
  5. Isn’t she a judge on American Idol?

The point of this is all to say: working out and staying healthy is hard, AND we should give credit where credit is due.  Mama looks good, and we should celebrate that.

Do you look up to any celebs for their exercise and healthy eating habits? 

Weekend updates.

| cheriarmour

While you’re reading this, I’m actually sleeping in my little brother’s room at my parent’s party pad in downtown Charlotte.  I’m in town here only for a day or so, but that’s totally cool, because it gives me a new terrain to run on, and keeps things interesting.

So a few interesting points about this weekend.

  1. My Fitbit is turning me into a lunatic. I don’t think people really believe me when I tell them that my competitive nature has taken me to really really ugly places.  But to put things into perspective, my first summer working at Camp Pocono Trails, I was playing Gaga with the kids, and they would make fun of me for how into the game I would get.  At the top of my lungs, I’d scream that I would be the “LAST. WOMAN. STANDING,” as I picked kids off with the dodgeball, one by one.  They thought it was a game.  I knew better.  Well now that I can see how many steps I’ve taken, a friend of mine and three of her coworkers challenged me to a “Daily Showdown,” so I proceeded to walk to the bar, walk home from the bar, and continue walking well past 11pm.  I came in second, and I can’t really talk about my defeat, that’s how painful it was. Fitbit Competition
  2. We had a shed put in the backyard on Saturday.  So I wake up on Saturday to check out the shed, and it actually was pretty cute!  Then I look over at one of the guys installing it, and he’s wearing swim trunks and no shirt.  No judgement here, I’m just truly curious about his choice in attire.  Shed Install
  3. And finally?  I’m feeling really ready to sign up for something serious.  I got over my running hump, and running is starting to feel like a natural state of being for me again.  I’m playing with a few options – I ran Shamrock a few years ago for my first full, and I’d be interested to try it again to see if I’ve made any improvements.  I also have an entry for Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh set up, but since they haven’t released the full course, I’m not sure if I’m ready to commit without knowing the course.  Raleigh is terribly hilly, and that race can either be really really awesome, or kinda miserable.  I also am playing with the idea of like a 50k or so, to delve into the world of Ultra Marathons, but don’t tell my husband.  We watched a documentary about Dean Karnazes, and for some reason, I still have the itch to see what I can do.  I have zero interest in being a regular 90+ mile a week girl, especially with all of the teaching I do, but once or twice?  I think it would be worth it!

What did you do this weekend?

Living life to the fullest.

| cheriarmour

Sometimes, I complain about really stupid things.  Sometimes I am a grump.  Sometimes I take for granted the fact that I have a roof over my head, a warm bed, and more than enough food and resources to make things work.

And then the universe will yank you right back to reality to remind you that all the stupid, petty, ridiculous crap you’ve wasted energy on just isn’t worth it.

There is a tiny adorable elderly woman who has taken my Zumba® classes for over two years.  Two-and-a-half years ago, when she was taking my class, I thought she might be too frail, and am ashamed to say, that sometimes I doubted that she could do it.  But she always powered through, and at the same time, would let me know what she thought about everything.  When I got this position, she could not be happier, and she let me know.  A few weeks ago, when I was subbing a Toning class, she literally squealed when I walked down the hallway to see her.  I would hug her.  And over the last few months and weeks, she’s gotten smaller and smaller, colder and colder, and we realized that something was the matter.

A few months ago, after a bout with bronchitis, my teeny friend went to the doctor and found that she did not have bronchitis, but lung cancer, and that she would be leaving us within months.  Yesterday, when she woke up, she could not breathe well, and we in the community, have been keeping each other on a text thread, hoping that she pulls through, but realizing, that at 86, this may be the end of the road for her.

Simultaneously, one of my best friends suffered a tremendous loss this week.

I hate it, that anyone ever has to suffer, or that me, being a selfish human being, sometimes waits for these moments to remember how grateful I should be for the blessings I have.  But the sadness for my dear friends has reminded me that we, that I, have so much to be grateful for.

This Friday, here’s to being grateful for how beautiful and fragile life can be. 

What are you grateful for today? 

Fitbit

| cheriarmour

I blogged a few weeks ago about how I was in a little bit of a running slump.  And almost as soon as I wrote those words, I went on a run the next evening that felt like my breakthrough.  A friend and I comfortably ran nearly seven miles and chatted, and I felt a little bit of my old running self coming back.

I’ve also found that sometimes, when I’m in a slump, if I buy myself a new toy, I seem to be able to overcome the slump rather quickly, since I’m focused on whatever new pair of shoes/jacket/shorts/watch, and it kind of kicks my motivation back into gear.

Well I’d been thinking about a Fitbit for a while, and going back and froth on weather the purchase would be a worthy one, since I’m pretty active.  But last week, after a particularly rough day at work where I’d received a ranty email (is ranty even a word!?), I was feeling very sorry for myself, and went and picked up a Fitbit off of my wedding registry at a cool 15% off (yay!) and I got to setting it up.

Fitbit

I think the original reason why I went back and forth on the Fitbit is that I wasn’t sure what it could offer someone like me who’s super active – buuut I will admit, the thing is pretty darn cool.  A few points?

  • It comes in a pretty sleek design, and isn’t super obtrusive, which is one of the main reasons I can’t wear my GPS constantly.  I don’t feel uncomfortable popping it on with my business casual during the day, and it fits in with my workout clothes just fine.  (As a point of reference, it sort of looks like one of those Livestrong bracelets folks were rocking in the early 2000s, and it’s not a whole lot heavier).
  • It was really really easy to set up.  You take it out of the box, put it on, and you just kinda go!  There’s a little dooder so you can sync it with your computer, and there’s a super simple app for your phone.
  • On aforementioned app, you can track your calories that you’ve eaten.  Not that I’m a super-stickler about my caloric intake, but it’s something that I loosely like to keep an eye on, and that tool was invaluable when I was losing some college weight – being able to keep track of everything I put into my mouth.
  • If you’re at all competitive, or like big round numbers, Fitbit sets a goal of 10,000 steps per day for everyone, and it encourages you – even on a day where you’re taking a break – to get up and move.  Just because it’s your day off doesn’t mean sit around for hours and hours, and Fitbit sort of reminds you of this.
  • …But I can see how this amazing little piece of technology can make obsessive folks such as myself, well, a little more obsessive.  If I feel like I haven’t hit my steps, I will move heaven and earth to make sure I hit those steps – I have to watch that in myself.
This is not indicative of my usual - I'd run over 7 miles, taught a class, and worked at the store that day!
This is not indicative of my usual – I’d run over 7 miles, taught a class, and worked at the store that day!

So overall, I’m loving this little gadget that I’ve thrown into the mix.

Do you have an Fitbit?  An app?  How do you keep track of your activity? 

Something bad happened to my Kindle.

| cheriarmour

I got my Kindle a few years ago.  I was kind of having a really tough year – I had just broken up with a boyfriend, was feeling a little meh, and in the mail from my younger sister Debra was the coolest invention since the iPhone – an Amazon Kindle.

I dressed my Kindle up – I bought a skin for it to jazz it up, and got it its own little sleeve holder to go in so I wouldn’t step on it on drop it in its off-time.  The Kindle took me through that breakup, through a summer at a camp in Virginia, though hurricane Sandy, through my employment at the bakery (it was great for breaks), and through time at the pool.

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One of the only pics of me and my Kindle, when it was still living.

Last Sunday, while my husband was trying to bore me by forcing me to watch NFL, I went to flip on my Kindle, and something just wasn’t right. The screen was weird and frozen, and I immediately, immediately got on the phone with Amazon Kindle support.  To their credit, Amazon has absolutely incredible customer support, and they were super helpful, but after a few “tried-and-true” fixes, I had to resign to the fact that my Kindle wasn’t coming back, and that Amazon no longer manufactured that old-school style.

They were great.  They’re sending me a refurbished model and I only paid the difference for them to ship it to me.  I will have to ship the old one back, and in the meantime, I’ve honestly felt a little bit lost.  I’ve been reading bits and pieces off of my iPhone screen, and patiently stalking the mailman for the day when my package gets here.

What’s one piece of technology you feel attached to? 

Sweat Hope 5k – small but mighty

| cheriarmour

Earlier this month, I told you guys about the Sweat Hope 5k, and this weekend was the big event!

So Saturday morning, after about a week straight of rain, I woke up and the running Gods smiled on Raleigh, and I woke up to nothing but straight sun and beautiful temps.  I headed down to Wake Med Soccer park in Cary, and easily found my way to the race, where Whole Foods, Sola (a local coffee shop), Headbands of Hope (obviously), and a few other local vendors were set up.  I got my bib, and lined up with a little over 300 other runners to run the 5k, which started promptly at 9am.

HoH 5k1

I’m almost ashamed – I’ve lived in Raleigh on and off for the past fourish years, and until Saturday, had never run at Wake Med Soccer Park.  I was surprised!  The trails were really packed down, well-maintained, and ridiculously hilly!  For 3.1 miles, we ran up and and and up and down and up again – easily one of the most challenging 5k courses I’ve run.

HoH 5k

Overall, the race was a blast, incredibly well-done, and I would totally do it again, and hope to again next year!

*****

So in my secret life, I sing and recently recorded a song with an extremely talented local rapper for the purposes of performing it at a show on Sunday night.  So me, the husband, Marc “Franchise” Jusino, and a bunch of spectators hit the stage on Sunday to compete in a show.  Spoiler alert: we didn’t win, but we totally should have, but I have a lot of respect for the guy who did win.  Excellent excellent performer.

ShowBut we totally should have won!

What’s one cool thing you did this past weekend?

 

Weekend Recap

| cheriarmour

I know things were a little quiet around here lately, and I have a perfectly good explanation for that.  This was the last weekend that we had of the old apartment – I actually think that we have that apartment through the end of  the month, but we moved out a little early and were able to get everything cleaned up yesterday – baseboards, carpets, and all.

I feel good because I’m finally able to focus on the new place – unpack the millions of boxes that are just hanging around – and finally start working on the house, room by room.

But this weekend:

I started off the weekend by running around our new place, and around NC State University and listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The Read.  Unfortunately, a friend of mine posted on Facebook that a guy jumped out at her on the greenway on Friday morning near where we live, and I had a feeling that since he hadn’t been nabbed, I would take my chances on the street.  I found a road nearby that was closed, and went for it.

Road RunningEven more unfortunately, on Sunday, our local news station reported that a woman had been attacked on the greenway.  I am so incredibly sorry to hear that, and once again, this renews my vigilance to my safety. I hate that we have to think that way, but we definitely have to think that way.

Friday night, I stayed in with my husband, and caught up on one more episode on what I think is going to be our new favorite couple show, Mad Men.

image via Tumblr

Can we talk about for a second how you used to be able to drink, swear, and harass people in your office without it being much of a problem at all?  That still boggles my mind, and we are into season 2 now.

Saturday, I taught a pretty bomb Zumba® Fitness class, and was finally able to thank the angels in my class who put together a little card from Target for us from the wedding.  We went over to the apartment, packed up the last bit of stuff, and Saturday night, I went and did some dancing at Legends with some friends, and played sober sister for the evening to make sure that everything got home safely.

All in all, it was a very busy, but not overly exciting weekend.  I am looking forward to putting some serious miles in, getting these boxes unpacked, and welcoming some really really pretty weather to North Carolina.

How was your weekend?  What are you looking forward to this week?