coffee

Guilty Pleasures

| cheriarmour

I ended up coming home kinda late last night because I have a secret life.

SingerAfter I watched most of the soccer game (yay US women) with some friends and a fake cocktail, I scooted a little early so that I could jump in the shower (I was all gross after running with a friend earlier) and quickly get ready for a gig I had with an underground rapper in town.  As I was at the show, enjoying some of the artists, and before Mark “Franchise” Jusino performed, I realized how funny it all seemed.  I’m a Director at the Y.  No one in the entire world suspects that I’m out at a venue that serves no food, singing to an audience of rappers and their supporters.  But there I was.  Isn’t life funny?

So along those lines, I ate a Reese’s big cup yesterday (before I taught a class, no less) and I was thinking about those things that I love, that I’m sort of embarrassed to admit, as a somewhat healthy person that I enjoy.  I hope you guys still like me after.

Reese’s Big Cup

Reeses Big Cup
Big Cup

This thing is such treat for me.  I’ve long sung the praises of the Reese’s Big Cup, but I need to reiterate, this treat is FANTASTIC, mainly because of the peanut butter to chocolate ratio.  I love getting one of these from the gas station, saving it til I get home, and eating it when I feel the need for the sugar/salty goodness to hit my lips.

York Peppermint Patties

York Mint Patty, as my husband so sweetly calls them.
York Mint Patty, as my husband so sweetly calls them.

I don’t need to talk about why these are incredible and amazing. I really don’t. They just are.

A cold bubbly something.  A seltzer is the best.  A diet sprite will do. 

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Cold seltzer. It’s not bad for you per se, but I think it’s sort of abrasive on your teeth. But one of these while you’re just cruising down the street in your white Kia Soul, listening to trashy pop. But I usually have to hide the cup. A BK Lounge Cup is never ever a good look at work.

A pop tart with a cup of coffee. 

Confetti TartNot this flavor.  That is disgusting.  But the strawberry with a cup of coffee is perfect.  Also 400 calories and an indecent amount of sugar, but, it’s a TREAT.

As a reminder, I totally do enjoy this stuff, but I’m not a total pig.  This is a once-in-a-while thing that I really really enjoy, which is how I mange to maintain a decent level of health.

What are your guilty pleasures? 

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?

Coffee Date

| cheriarmour

Have you guys ever met my Jesus Shaves mug?

Jesus ShavesIt’s a mug that I purchased from this adorable shop in Cameron Village.  My mom hates it, but the way it works is that when you pour hot liquids in it, Jesus’ beard comes off and he becomes fresh-faced and clean-shaven.  People either think it’s hysterical, or they tell me I’m a heathen like my mom did.  But I honestly think that Jesus has a sense of humor and would quite enjoy a mug where he looks like he’s ready to take on any job interview that may come his way.

Let’s go on a coffee date, with my Jesus shaves mug in tow.

If I were on a coffee date, I would tell you: 

  • My pets are driving me up the wall.  I love them, don’t get me wrong, but I was asleep on the couch in the great room in the house, and when I woke up, I discovered that the entirety of one of the pet’s stomach linings had been emptied onto the couch.  I went into hysterics.  I called Austin, my voice rose about 2 octaves, and Austin had to purchase a little spot cleaner for me to fix the couch.  Verdict?  I think I’m going to have to replace that couch.  Hysterics.
  • I am doing well with some of the goals I’ve set for myself and outlined, as well as some of the goals I’ve started with myself last year.  One thing that has driven me nuts about myself is that sometimes, I put things off because I can always just “do it later”.  I’ve taken things more by the horns over the last few weeks, and it’s helped a lot with my productivity.  I like it.
  • I’m taking a break from drinking.  I drank a lot the week of my wedding back in August, the week of my sister’s wedding in December, and on New Year’s Eve.  I’m sort of over being hungover, with my GI issues, it’s not good for me.  I’m taking a break.  I’m not sure how long I’m gone for, but long enough to clean out my system is awesome.
  • I’m wondering about this winter.  I’m training for RnR, the full, in April, and I’m just wondering if the winter we have this year will be anything like last year’s.  Because ice storms may make things just a tad tricky.
  • I got these tights…

Sparkle TightsAfter I spotted the gold version on Amanda’s blog.  They’re on the clearance rack at Lululemon, so go run and grab them quick if you think you can handle them.  For me even, they’re pretty wild, but they’re interesting to look at, so I’m just gonna go with them.

  • I’m playing with the idea of an Ultra Marathon, or a 12-hour race around the time of my marathon in April.  I’m not even sure what this preoccupation with the challenge of the event is, other than I read a bunch of Dean Karnazes’ books last year, and the idea of an ultra seemed ridiculous…but almost ridiculous enough for me to do it.
  • I want to go to Greece for our honeymoon.  I got this idea in my head after I read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head for like 10-15 years now.  I’m checking on prices and rates for us to be able to head there in like August or September.

What would you tell me if we were on a coffee date?  ❤

Sunday Coffee Date

| cheriarmour

I didn’t blog much yesterday, and I missed you guys.  Let’s not do that again, okay?  Also, if you could follow me on Bloglovin?  That would be absolutely swell 🙂

Follow on Bloglovin
Anyhoo, I’m here at Starbucks, sipping on some tea, and Oprah is smiling at me from her perch on the bookshelves over there.  You think I’m kidding, right?

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Now I’m gonna say this.  I’m really not sure why Oprah ever decided to partner with Starbucks, like it literally makes no sense.  But I really enjoy the random inspirational quote that comes on my sleeve of tea every now and again.  And once again Oprah is touching lives.  How does she do it?

As a side note, I totally had to ask for the special Oprah sleeve because they only had the boring brown ones out, and I couldn’t foresee getting any working done without Mama Oprah’s insight.

Oprah sleeve.jpg

She be deep.

So we’re on this virtual coffee date, right?

If we were on a virtual coffee date, I would tell you the following in the course of our conversation.

//I just dropped Coco off to the groomer’s (she desperately needed it), and it was kinda sad to let a stranger, albeit a very nice stranger, take her out of my arms.  She gave me this look, like I was betraying her to leave her with strangers!  I gave her a kiss and told her that her mama loves her.

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She realllly really needed it though, things were getting ridiculous.

//IAustin’s been gone since Thursday at his younger sister’s graduation from pharmacy school, and for some reason, when that happens, since I know I won’t be seeing Austin for a few days, I take it as free license to not shower and let my house get really gross.  I’m not sure why I do that.

//I’m gonna go for  a run today for the first time in like a week.  I’ve of course been keeping up with my workouts, and they’ve varied from Zumba to Yoga to Body Pump, but for some reason, my body was really asking me for a break from running.  I’m not sure why, but I listened, and I think I’m ready to do a short distance this evening.

//I’m getting really excited about our wedding.  If you couldn’t tell that.  I think what excites me (besides the fact that I obviously get to marry Austin and hang out with him forever), is that I get to get all of my closest friends and family in the same place, and it’s for a happy occasion.

//I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day.  I go to work, I work out, I blog, and teach classes, and finding time to do things I used to do, like paint my nails, or take an occasional bath, is not a luxury I really have any more.  But it is teaching me to be a little more efficient with my time, so every single thing doesn’t go to pot while I’m focused on certain things.  No, my house isn’t the cleanest, and I’m not the most organized, but I’m definitely making it work,

//I feel like something really big is going to happen to me this week, and I’m not sure why I feel like that, but I will let you know.

What you would tell me if we were on a coffee date with one another? 

Starbucks.

| cheriarmour

Am I starting to get over Starbucks?

I never thought I’d see that day, but after I read this article at the Skinny Confidential, I kinda started to back off the Fraps.  To be clear, I’ve always done the best I can to skinny my frap, but reading this, I was really over the concept of spending like $5 on something that was packed with a ton of fake sugars and crap that my body didn’t want to digest.

I haven’t quite figured out how I’m going to get my caffeine, but I do know this.

photo

Two weeks ago, I changed my normal order (nonfat latté with two Splendas) and went for a venti iced nonfat caramel latté.  A few hours later, I started to feel horribly ill.  My head hurt, throbbed even.  I felt nauseated, and definitely was experiencing symptoms that felt a little like food poisoning.  I didn’t think anything of it, but drank as much water as possible, and kinda suffered through the next two days.

So I did a little experiment.

The middle of last week, I ordered the exact same thing, had a bottle of Aleve at the ready, and waited.  And the same. Thing. Happened.

I’m not sure what’s going on, but something with that caramel flavoring takes me from 0-runners trots and I will avoiding that order for the rest of the foreseeable future.

Anyone else have a food that you literally not stomach?

Sunday coffee date.

| cheriarmour

Today’s coffee date is happening from the comfort of my living room because I wanted to clean and spend some time with the dogs before the week begins.  And instead of coffee, I’m drinking one of my guilty pleasures, Diet Mountain Dew today.  I know I’m sorry I’m the total health queen, but that is one really unhealthy pleasure that I indulge in once in a while.  OH WELL!

Okay, so let’s pretend that we’re on a coffee date together.  Here’s what I might tell you!

Photo on 4-6-14 at 10.54 AM

 

  • I went to Beerfest last night, and had a great time with some friends.  But since I’m an old lady, I drank only until like 9, and took a cab home so I could walk the dogs.  I was asleep by 10:30.
  • I’m still trying to train the foster beagle on better bathroom habits, so I’m planning yet another date with my carpets and the Hoover Steam Vac.
  • I accidentally bought Resolve Spray-n-Wash for laundry items to pre-treat some of the scary stains on the carpet.  I hope the carpet cleaning machine doesn’t mind.  Living on the edge!
  • Monica from Run Eat Repeat is a redhead who’s obsessed with sriracha, and I think I caught that bug.  I had a sriracha egg and cheese bagel on Monday last week, and I’ve already purchased some to make my own at home!  Why did you all keep this from me?
  • It’s beautiful here in North Carolina, and as it’s half marathon week, I’m already planning a little run before the days end.

What are you up to today?  

Starbucks + Alcohol. Dream come true, or nightmare on Elm Street?

| cheriarmour

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard.  Starbucks, coffee behemoth, is going to start to serve alcohol nationwide.

Is this idea a good one, or is a total nightmare?

Well, as you know, I’ve been a fan of Starbucks simply for the fact that you can find one virtually anywhere that you are in the world, and their coffee is, at the very least, decent.  But when Starbucks announced on their website last week that they’d be serving alcohol, I definitely raised an eyebrow.  Here’s what they had to say about it. 

The place you love during the day now has more reasons to love it at night.

We’ve always been your neighborhood spot where you can take a moment to unwind, grab a well-deserved treat, and meet up with friends. But sometimes, you just want a glass of wine and a delicious bite to eat without going to a bar or making a restaurant reservation.

Say hello to a new way to enjoy Starbucks after 4 p.m. Drop in after work, with friends, after yoga, by yourself, after a long day or after a great day.

The food is amazing. The wine selection is simple and smart. The chairs are just as comfortable as they are in the morning.

We hope to see you soon.

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via Starbucks

My main reservation? The food at Starbucks is literally so bad, so how good could their wine be?  I love wine the same way I love scones – is Starbucks looking for a way to ruin everything that I love?

I’m interested to try the wine, maybe pair it with some food I haven’t tried before, and let you all know what I think, but suffice it to say that Mama is skeptical about the coffee giant’s latest additions to their growing menu. 

Oh P.S. wanna hear a new take on Starbucks?  Visit The Skinny Confidential and read on why she switched off her Starbucks addiction.  Really, really interesting!

Virtual Coffee Date

| cheriarmour

photo 1I think I stole this idea from Skinny Runner, but we’re on a coffee date right now, on this beautiful Sunday morning, so let’s chat about all of the things, okay?

+Austin and I went to a really cool thing yesterday, which I will be blogging about all tomorrow, and we’re both very very nervous because we’re not nervous about our wedding.  Seriously, a bride told use that she’s started drinking because she’s so nervous about her November wedding, and now I’m scared that I’m not nervous enough.

+My brother is amazing.  He got into NC State yesterday, and I’m kinda hoping he goes there so we  an hang out all the time.

+Speaking of my brother.  He’s an amazing rapper, and here’s his latest.


Vote for it, my brother is trying to win $2500 with some friends, and I really love the song/video, and I’d LOVE it if you could help him out.

+We went to Chili’s yesterday, which we don’t normally do, but I was able to find a really good salad, the Caribbean Salad with shrimp, and dressing on the side.  Really really really good, and not all that bad for you 🙂

What would you tell me if you were on this coffee date with me?

Weekend update! We heart DC!

| cheriarmour

If you’ve been following along about anything here on the blog, you’ll know that I’m absolutely enamored of the District of Columbia.  So best bud Scott invited me up, and Friday, after work, I took off, and made the trip, that was a little over 4 hours.  Not a bad drive, right?

So Friday evening, me and the bestie braved the cold, and met some Elon friends out, and just enjoyed some tasty drinks.

The next day, we braved the cold temps and wind yet again, and hit this spot called Pound the Hill, a coffee bar that turns into a wine bar in the evenings.  We went earlier in the day, so we missed the wine, but enjoyed some ah-mazing treats nonetheless.

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Dear Scott, in front of Pound the Hill in DC.  It’s right next to a yoga studio – how genius is that, right?

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The space is small, but extremely warm!  These DC coffee shops get packed!  Best to get there early, grab a seat, and stay there.

P1020101Menus.  And I spotted Nutella.  Well, say no more, if there’s Nutella involved, I need to taste these.

photo 1

A Nutella latte with skim to cut the sweetness!  It was delicious – hot and creamy!

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The holy grail of things to eat!  This sandwich was a Nutella, banana, and honey sandwich.  SO sweet, but good if you’re into that….which I totally am.  If you don’t have a sweet tooth, just skip this one.  But I loved it.

I packed my running clothes.  I have big news, I’m running the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on April 13th, and it’s time to up the mileage.  The wind slowed down, and Scott provided me with directions to get to Capitol Hill.  So off I went.  Are you ready for this?

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In one of the greatest cities, in the greatest country in the world, I got to run to the Capital building, peek a few blocks down to see some monuments, and run back.  The run totaled about 4 miles or so, and I didn’t feel too chilly, despite some good wind.

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Next, we hit a birthday party, where the girls based it around the coolest theme.

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So this doesn’t look like a whole lot of pizza right?  Well, that’s because the girls made 5, yes 5 (?!) pizzas, allowed us to taste each one, and then paired each pizza with a beer.  Very cool, and I was impressed by how much DC folks, friend’s of Scott’s were so welcoming and seemed to enjoy meeting me and hearing about what I did.  Seriously, DC folk seem like nice, genuine, kind people.

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And finally folks, no post would be complete without a picture of a pup, right?  This guy, Fitzgerald, was the dog of the house where we were staying.  I’m glad I left little Coco behind – she had not yet received her ThunderShirt, and the long car ride, plus Fitz’s high pitty energy would have freaked her out.  But I’m glad to be home with my lady.

So folks, what did you do this weekend?  Fill me in!