I’m late to everything.

| cheriarmour

Including the thing where you like make your New Years’ (or is it New Year’s) resolutions like on December 31st to start them on the 1st.  But I have a good excuse, I was traveling all over, but I have been really thinking long and hard about my resolutions for a while, and I’m just now bringing them to you.

Oh well.  Have me arrested if you’re like offended I waited so long.  But this sort of thing takes thought.  Plus blogging takes time, you dang millenials always want instant gratification 😉

So my goals for last year went as follows.

1. Spanish! I’m super annoyed I didn’t learn it as a child, because it makes communicating very difficult and I think my adult brain is far too dense to be conjugating verbs. Nevertheless, it’s something that needs to be done. I think it’s absolute ignorance that I have not done so already.
2. Positivity.  I can be extremely sarcastic, and a few years ago, a friend of mine interpreted that as me “always being angry”.  I made a conscious effort to, even when I’m not feeling like it, say nice things.  I try not to text, Tweet, or Facebook nasty or negative things, and I try to smile a lot more.  I promise, it has made the hugest difference in my happiness.  I’d like to continue on that path.
3. And finally…drumroll please? Housekeeping.  I am the worst housekeeper on the face of the planet.  That’s not to say that my apartment looks like a pigsty, it’s just to say I have to move mountains to keep it clean.  I’m like every normal person not featured on Hoarders, I like things neat, smelling fresh, and orderly, but to keep in that way is a feat of titanic proportions.  And then I have these friends like Alexa and Kelly, and you walked into their duplex any time of the day and it looked gorgeous and always smelled wonderful.  Jealous.  I’d like to work more at maintaining order around my home.

So first, how did I do?

  1. As far as my Spanish, it still sucks.  But Austin bought Rosetta Stone, we’re actually doing it, and we’re toying with the idea of spending a lot of time in Costa Rica for immersion school.  More on that later.
  2. Positivity was good, especially in the face of some really, really crappy things to happen to my family last year, including the death of my grandmother and my mother’s stroke.  But a lot of good happened this year, and I think I was able to focus on that, which is why I never like, had to be committed to a mental health institution – though sometimes I felt a little peanuts.
  3. Housekeeping.  Yikes.  I think I actually got worse with that, especially after I started working full-time.  That one’s going back on the list.

So, what are my resolutions for 2014?

  1. Get better at money management.  Save a certain amount of money.  I have more concrete details on the amount, but that’s between me and my banker,  not for your nosy self!  But I have two books on money management, so I would like to read them by March 1st and begin implementing more strategies to manage better.  I should have a handle on where my money is going at my age.
  2. Be more conscientious.  Austin is incredible conscientious about everything.  He gets everywhere he’s supposed to be on time. he sends thank-yous, he pays his bills on certain days, he always knows where his keys are, and never seems scattered like his lovely wife-to-be.   I’d like to work on that by straightening up more every day, putting my keys in the same place always, and checking the mail daily so bills never come as a not-so-lovely surprise.
  3. Get up early one day per week.   I suck at anything morning related, but I’d like to get up early one day a week to run, to go to yoga, or just to get to work a little earlier than usual.  This dawdling I do has got to stop!
  4. Be a better friend.  I’m getting married this year, and even though some will change, I don’t want my friendships to fall by the wayside.  Even though we all are incredibly busy, for the friends who actually will make the effort, I’d like to make the effort for them.  Meet up for workout dates, coffee, dinners, and girl time.
  5. And finally, I’d like to stick to my healthy lifestyle, and not fall off the wagon.  I think when you work full time, you get married, and life starts to go in a million different directions the YOU part of the equation tends to get forgotten about.  I still want to take care of myself, and maybe look a little better than I did when the year started.

Tell me, what were some of your resolutions?  

 

What was your fatty meal?

| cheriarmour

Waffle

 

We all have one.  The meal you ate way too much of hungover in college.  You ate it when you were 40 pounds heavier than you are now.  And now you only eat it once or twice a year, but when you do, it’s literally the best meal you’ve ever eaten in your life.

Mine was anything breakfast related, but in particular, an egg and cheese biscuit and plain hash browns from the Waffle House.

Well yesterday, I was meeting someone at the coffee house over by State, and I saw it.  They’re opening a Waffle House and they’re hiring.  Should I quit my full-time gig?

I kid.  (Kinda!)

But what’s your meal?  

Babies on the brain.

| cheriarmour

We’re getting married in about 7 months ::gulp cause I feel like I haven’t done anything:: and people are at it, asking those rude questions that are none of their business really, or premature.

Literally, hours after we were engaged?

“Have you set a date?”

Why would we have set a date, we literally got done calling our parents 40 minutes ago.

“Are your parents okay with you being interracial?”

Yes. But if they weren’t, do you think I’d share it with you, a total stranger?

“Did you only date white guys before or is this the first?”

First.  It’s not like I have some weird fetish.

“Can I be invited? Please?! Can I have a plus one?”

Wasn’t really planning on it.  And now you’ve made it very awkward because the venue can only fit a certain amount of people.

But the one that I’ve gotten a few questions on, and the one I’m just not sure on, is the kid question.  Do we want kids, and how many?  And quite honestly, I can say, we have no idea, and this is the one idea that we’re completely both absolutely sure we’re on the fence about.

I grew up in a big family by today’s standards – there were four of us, and I love being able to tell folks about all my siblings, and the thought of not having a full house is sorta weird, but there are a few things that terrify me, mortally, about kids, and I’m sure I need to get past this before I even think about kids.

 

  • Student loans.  Mine are not paid off.  And the thought of bringing a child into that mix is chilling.
  • Money.  In general, kids are spensy, and I’m obsessed with the idea of being extremely financially independent – something we’ll touch on a little later when we talk about my resolutions.
  • This is about to sound awful, terrible, and selfish.  And I know that, so I’m prepped to get screamed at.  But I am a little concerned about my weight and what a baby might do to my body.  I’ve been told that once you have a kid, that your priorities shift, and you may not be as concerned with your body.  But I sort of like to run.  I like to work out.  I like my abs and my arms, and I’m worried about how hard it will be to maintain that once I have a kid, or two, or four, like my mom did.

 

Kara Goucher

      I mean, Kara Goucher (pictured above) returned to her sexy Olympiad self within a year, but she runs literally like 100 miles a week.  Like.  How can I even compete?  Will my exercise participants take me as seriously if I’m not in tip top?

 

  • What if I suck at it?  No backsies when it comes to kids, ya know?  And if I suck, I’m screwing a kid up.  I can’t live with that!

But at any rate, I figure, we’ll make that decision when the time comes, but for the time being, I’m totally willing to hold your baby for a while, just to borrow, while I decide!

 

Stress Dreams.

| cheriarmour

I’m no stranger to the stress dream.

When I was in high school, I used to repeatedly dream that I was being attacked by dogs, and that my report card was straight Fs.

Once, in college I dreamt that my transcript was full of Fs and that I had run a bunch of red lights, which led me to wake up in a sweaty panic because my parents would take my car away had I ran all those red lights and gotten those tickets.

As of late, I still dream that all my teeth fall out, that I show up late to teach a class, and that I start my iPod and instead of Latin music, calming yoga music pipes through the speakers.

But the worst of all these stress dreams is the running stress dreams. The dreams where I show up late to a race, panicking about whether I can catch up to the sweeper.  The dreams where I realize my marathon is only a month away and I haven’t started training.  Those kinds.

But the worst of all the stress dreams came after I got off the plane from Atlanta, and laid down for what was supposed to be an hour-long nap.  I was asleep instead for nearly 3 hours, and apparently worked through the entire REM cycle because the dream I had seemed to last forever, and it was completely, completely bananas.

In the dream:  I was running my usual, but by myself this time on Monday evening in a pair of Vibram 5-Fingers.  Pictured here for reference.
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The terrain was more naturey than it usually is, and I was running through rivers and woods and over logs and all of that.  I was running, in the Vibrams and jumping tree branches and logs and all that.  All of a sudden, as I was running through the river, a fork that had been littered into the water goes into my toe, and punctures it deeply.  So for the remainder of the run, I’m crawling as my toe bleeds all over the place and I try to get folks to help me call 911. I woke up from that terrifying nap with a horrible pain in my toe, like I’d fallen asleep weird and somehow managed to cut circulation off to it – but no blood.  Yikes!

Do you ever have stress dreams?  Describe some of them! 

The final leg of my journey – Atlanta!

| cheriarmour

After my big day at Epcot, the sister and I headed back to the abode, and finished off the night with a viewing of the Rock Horror Picture Show, which I haven’t seen in years, and yet I could sing almost every number.

RockyThis movie was way before it’s time, and I’m not sure why my parents ever allowed us to watch this, but I’m sure glad they did.

So the next day, I headed to the airport to go to Atlanta to visit a friend for her housewarming.  Number 1, I flew on something called Silver Airways, which I’d never heard of.  Number 2, the plane looked like a toy.  I’m not kidding.  After waiting forever in security, and sprinting, once again to my gate (thank you Lord for running), I was directed out directly onto the tarmac, where I was met with this.

Plane

 

I boarded the flight and felt comfortable that, should my life end, that I’d lived a full and good life.

Finally, I made it to Atlanta, and in search of a gym because it was wayyyyy too cold for my Raynaud’s behind to be running out, I found a Fitness 19.

The best part of being at a gym where no one will recognize you is that  you can kind of do what you want.  I ran.  I lifted.  Hard.  I did a few hip-opening stretches.  And I got hit on by a guy who’d skipped one too many leg days.  Yikes.  But I left feeling like the soreness would be delicious (anyone else like being sore?), and had a blast for the rest of my time in Atlanta.

Today, I’m thankful to be home, and ready to start a fresh new week.  What are you looking forward to this week? 

I’m looking forward to looking at a few houses in Raleigh with hopes of moving on soon from apartment living.  Here’s hoping!

 

My Day At Epcot

| cheriarmour

So you guys know I’ve been traveling.  I went to visit my youngest sister, who works for Disney, and she’s been begging me for months to come out to visit.  I finally did it, and I’m so glad.

I got a full night of sleep, napped with the dog, and finally made it out for a run.

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First things – Florida was supposed to be really warm. And it was last night when it came in. But when I exited the apartment to walk the dog, it was like 40 degrees. Also, my bra was out. Lovely. I am really classing Florida up. Also the fashions here are SO questionable.

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The favorite purple jacket came with me to Florida, and thank goodness, because it came in handy on the run.

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Toward the end of the run, I found a “jogging” trail (I hate the word jogging, ps), and tried it out, and it was lined with that weird bouncy stuff they started to put on playgrounds in the 90s.

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Instead of it being a great place to run, I actually was having trouble keeping my footing, and it sort of felt like sand to run in. I’ll stick to Florida roads.

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Next, since it was freezing, I dug out this slouchy sweater to embark on my journey to Walgreens, as my sister had no food suitable for vegetarian grown-ups, and I’d forgotten my toothbrush. As cute as I look, I had not brushed my teeth at this point.

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The family dog was in tow, and just as sweet as I remembered her. Gah, I truly love animals more than human beings sometimes.

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Next, my sister took me to Epcot, which I haven’t been to since I was 16, and on a choir trip.

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I insisted she take me to the nearest Starbucks, and it was literally the most insane Starbucks I have ever been in. People from every country, speaking in every language, and I can honestly say I have never been in a Starbucks so crowded in my life.

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Kimmy knew I would love anything having to do with Michael Jackson, so we waited to see this Captain E.O. show which featured Michael Jackson in 3-D. The movie finished up with “Another Part of Me” from ‘Bad,’ and we were probably the only two to clap at the end.

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We rode the “Finding Nemo” ride, and I got to see some dolphins, that I was so content to sit and watch for a long time.

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And then the big ‘ol Manatees, who just ate lettuce all day long.

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The Manatees were rescues, one was an orphan, the other was injured and his poor tail was chopped by a boat. They both were so sweet to watch.

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Can you tell I stood here for a long time?

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Next up was some vegan beef for dinner, which cost me $20. Yikes! I paid $6.50 for a beer. Help!

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The beer in question.

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And finally, after I’d chattered with a French man who sang Stromae in the World Showcase in French and tried all the wines, we came home to find that the dog had ripped apart a candy wrapper that smelled like food.

Today was a good day.

I hope your day was good!  Happy Saturday you guys!  I’m feeling mushy and gushy from all this family and Disney time!

Orlando Runchat! This one’s interactive! #runchat

| cheriarmour

I blog to you today from Orlando, where my youngest sister, and the maid-of-honor at my wedding, currently resides.  I’ll have to let you guys know how a run in pretty temps in the middle of winter works, but I must say, I’m really looking forward to it, especially with the prospect of possibly running another marathon in the spring is lighting a little bit of a fire under my bum.  I’m still not sure on Rock n’ Roll, but I’m really seriously thinking about it.  I think I’m truly addicted to the feeling of crossing the finish line, and each time I’ve run, having Austin at the finish makes it so much sweeter.

But enough gushing about my boo. ::cues Usher and Alicia Keys::

I love this style of blogging that I’ve yanked from my friend, Olive, who’s also a fantastic local blogger.  So before I launch into this fun running themed version of “Would you Rather,” please note that  ALL Would You Rather Running Style Surveys were created by Cori at olivetorun.com.  Got it?  She’s awesome ps, check her out!

Onto the good stuff!

#1. Would you rather run in a thunderstorm or a snowstorm?

Absolutely a thunderstorm.  I think because thunderstorms are usually warm, and running in the rain totally makes me feel like a badass.  I’m almost hoping that it rains a smidgen tomorrow in Orlando so I can capture that feeling.

#2. Would you rather breathe through your nose or breathe through your mouth?

Nose!  My mouth will make my throat all sore I think!  Especially in cold weather.

#3. Would you rather do 100 squats or 100 crunches? [Now take a break and go do them. ;)]

100 crunches.  But full disclosure, I’m writing this from my sister’s bed, and I haven’t done my crunches.  I will do them tomorrow, after my run, promise!

#4. Would you rather have a baked good for dessert or an extra serving of your favorite entree?

That’s really tricky.  It depends on the entree.  No it doesn’t.  Who am I kidding.  I’d rather have dessert for dinner.  Maybe a giant freshly baked cookie and a cup of milk to dip it in?

#5. Would you rather run on a treadmill for an hour or run around the same street block for an hour?

Around the same block for an hour.  I bet I could find  a trail on that block!

#6. Would you rather have a headache during a run or a side stitch?

Oh a headache for sure.  I think the further I run, the more the headache would kind of wear off.  A side stitch literally feels like someone is stabbing you, so no thanks.

#7. Would you rather have a rest day on a work day or a day off?

Is either allowed?  I like to run on work days because it’s an awesome destressor, but I love to run on a day off because what else am I gonna do with a day off besides watch Bravo?  All I like to do on Sundays is vacuum, run, watch tv, and snuggle with my husband-to-be.  Nothing else.

#8. Would you rather be a race director or a race volunteer?

I value the work that volunteers do.  But I think one day, I’d love to direct a cool race.

#9. Would you rather spend your money on running gadgets [HRM, GPS watch, Headphones] or running shoes?

I don’t spend a ton of money on running shoes, but I once owned this incredible pair of Nike Headphones, which were stolen out of my car when I was parked near NC State during grad school.

Headphones

I have not since found a pair of headphones as good. Totally taking suggestions.

#10. Would you rather run in a relay or do the run portion of a distance triathlon?

Oh, a total relay. I have been wanting to do one for literal years!!

Okay, so your turn.  Which would you rather? 

I know, I know, I’m so late with a post!

| cheriarmour

I’m sorry.  But if it makes you feel any better, here is a picture of my cat.

photo-8You can’t be mad at me, most especially when I’m giving you photos of my dear sweet Martin, right?

But I have a good excuse.  I’ve taken a trip down to see my sister in Orlando (she works for Disney), and I will be running in actual balmy temps for once come tomorrow!  Eep!  I’m so excited.

But with all the nasty weather in the country, a trip that should have taken me only half the day, took all day.  I slept on the plane between Raleigh and Charlotte, and thank you Jesus for my running abilities, because, due to the delays, I found myself running in heels through Charlotte Douglas, and quite hungry I might add.

I hunted the airport for something edible that wasn’t Moes or Sbarros, and came up with this, which cost me $6.38.

photo-9Needless to say, Mama was still quite hungry when she finished her expensive “dinner,” and I immediately asked my sister to find me some dinner as soon as she picked me up from the behemoth of an airport that was Orlando’s airport.

So after a harrowing day of travel, Kimmy (the youngest sister) provided me with a glass to ease my travel troubles.

photo-11

 

And the best part?  This is the only wine glass she owns.  I’ve taught her nothing.

So don’t be mad, I promise, I will update you with all the things tomorrow.  But in the meantime, I’ve got a serious question for you. I did my 5 miles on the treadmill at the gym yesterday, January 1st, and the gym was totally dead.  Where was everyone?  When are you starting some of your New Years Resolutions? 

 

 

Veggie Dinner

| cheriarmour

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Veggie dinner is my technical term for the kind of dinners I usually go for on nights after NYE celebrations. Too much cupcakes, too much champagne, and too much of a bellyache that next day.

So the day after too much celebrating, I’ll stir fry up so veggies, throw some eggs in there, and I swear, it tastes just like Chinese food, without the greasy stomachache after. Light on the cals, and light on your tummy!

What’s your go-to post celebration meal?