family

My weekend.

| cheriarmour

First off.

I’m really sad.  I want to just be sad for a second ok.

Austin is back in China for the week, and I really hate it.  I absolutely hate it.

He left on Saturday morning – I dropped him off at the airport and it was hard.  The trip was pretty last-minute, and I could tell he didn’t want to go.  When we were kissing goodbye, we both were really bummed, and there may have been some tears.

I drove home, and managed to squeeze in a really quick run before I headed to Fleet Feet to help out for the weekend.  It was good for me to get a little distracted, and my entire family, including my brother-in-law, stopped in for a shoe fitting really quickly toward the end of the day.  Debbie’s a big big walker, and Kimmy, a big dancer and tumbler, is working to be able to cheer professionally in Charlotte.

Family
Which one of us do you think is the oldest? The youngest? What do you think my siblings do for work?

As soon as I got home after a day at Fleet Feet, Kimmy and I did what we do best, and headed to a bar to grab a few drinks and to catch up. It was around the corner from the house, so after our drinks, me and Kimmy laid down in the bed and watched some cable on-tv movies, and decided we were going to head out for sushi.

Thankfully neither me nor Kimmy were driving, because we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, and probably drove Debbie and Luigi nuts by insisting they take us to Harris Teeter to buy a bunch of stuff for brunch on Sunday morning. So Kimmy and I, buzzed, flitted our way through Harris Teeter, working off of a list we’d made during dinner. We tossed champagne, biscuits, orange juice, bacon, and all the necessities for brunch in the cart, and managed to get home, drink another, and I had a sleepover with Kimmy.

Biscuits
The seconds before this thing pops? Literally the scariest seconds of life.

We turned into our Aunties literally, and got up at 8:30, and cooked for a while until Debbie and Lu, my brother and his roommate, and MY college roommate, Mackenzie, got together to eat up a storm, drink, and laugh on a Sunday morning.

Throughout the day, I managed to text Austin a bit, and figured out Skype on my phone and got to see his face before he started his day in China.

So that was my weekend.  What did you do this weekend?

The worst April Fool’s Joke Ever

| cheriarmour

First, I have to address the fact that I truly feel that Jesus is smiling down on me with all of the pop culture goodness that has been bestowed upon me this week.  All culminating to the Roast of Justin Bieber that popped off on Monday night.

Now I’m going to be the first to admit, that I love me some Bieber, and saw him in concert from the nosebleeds with a friend, also in her 20s at the time.  The concert was awesome, and the best part was the entire thing.

Now, I had some apprehensions about this roast.  I mean it seems like a pretty transparent attempt to take a beating for acting like an ass these past few years (all of which I heartily enjoyed, including his deposition tapes, where he wore a curtain-inspired jacket and mouthed off to officers of the law.  Now, I’m not big on spanking, but that child needs a hearty ass whopping.  I’ll give it to him 😉

Now the finest part, the part that renews my faith in the ridiculousness of humanity, was when Bieber-dummy was lowered in a harness while a Gospel Choir sang him in.  About 3/4ths of the way down, Bieber plummeted to the ground.  I shouldn’t have been laughing, but I was.

via mtv.tumblr.com
via mtv.tumblr.com

Moving right along…

So yesterday was April Fool’s. I’m really not big on pranks. They make me upset. Except, of course, when Justin Timberlake was told that the IRS would be seizing his possessions, and he cried after the officer stepped on his acoustic guitar. Other than that, I really don’t appreciate pranks, because I don’t like being scared or thinking that I’ve ruined someone’s life. Call me old-fashioned.

So in 2005, my parents were driving me back from Pittsburgh, as I was slated to attend the University of Pittsburgh.  Spoiler Alert:  I ended up at Elon, and was beyond pleased with my decision.  I would probably be very chilly had I gone to Pittsburgh.  But driving back from Pitt, I got a call on my flip phone from my sister.

“Hey…your job called. ”

I was working for Atlanta Bread Company, my first job, and was so proud of myself.  I worked hard, and at the end of the evenings, when the night was over, my manager would allow us to take treats from the bakery home in a brown paper bag, which me and my mom loved, because we have a wicked sweet tooth.

“They said you’re fired.  Something about you taking something?  Were you allowed to take the bakery?”

I was freaking out.  I kept screeching, “What?!”  My mom was flipping out and all of a sudden, after I’d been allowed to freak out for a minute or two…

“April Fools!”

I looked at the phone in disbelief when my mom snatched it from me.

“WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO SOMEONE WORKING THEIR FIRST JOB?  WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

And that, my friends, is the worst prank every played on me.

Any of you had jokes played?

Weekend in review…

| cheriarmour

This weekend was literally bananas.  The last weekend that I said that, was probably in the spring when I had a race scheduled every weekend, but rest assured, this past weekend picked up again, and I’m hoping we slow down a teensy tinsy bit before we blink and the year is up.  First up!

Baby Lillian

On Friday night, despite some disgusting weather, we were paid a visit but some friends. Earl and Austin used to be roomies, and once Earl and his wife met, and I met my husband, those two got married, and moved to Columbia, SC last year. They got pregnant, had baby Lillian, and came to visit on Friday. The baby was so sweet, and the best part was that our cat is bigger than that sweet baby. Isn’t that totally freaky? I had a good time holding her though, and I loved being able to walk her around and give mom a break. We’re really happy for those two!

Tupelo Honey 

Tupelo Honey

So, can I be honest? I went to the original Tupelo Honey Cafe the first time I went to Asheville with my husband a few years ago. I think I remember it being the bomb, and it wasn’t super crowded because we went during the middle of the week. They opened one in Raleigh, and I’m afraid it isn’t the same. Both times I’ve gone, I’ve been a little so-so on the food, almost as if there wasn’t enough flavor. I may stick to Flying Biscuit in the future when I’m down for brunch. Which is pretty much always.

Hornets vs. Knicks

Austin and I had been talking about going to this Knicks game forever – my dad and Tony Sparber are longtime Knicks fans, even though it’s really hard this season.  The Knicks are literally the worst team in the league, but I thought the opportunity was too good to pass up.  I bought some tickets for me and the hubs off of a Buy/Sell/Trade page on Facebook, and off we went!

Hornets Game 1
Ever wonder if black people tan? The answer is YES. I start to look a little pale in the winter, and I am SO ready for some sun. I look like a vampire version of myself! My skin looks so much healthier when I’m all chocolaty!
I went to school with this girl! I actually lived in her house in 2009 with a few roomies!
I went to school with this girl! I actually lived in her house in 2009 with a few roomies!

Hornets 2

Both teams played horribly. Prior to us going to the game, Earl, baby Lillian’s dad, predicted that the game would end in the 70s, which is ridiculous for an NBA game. But he was so right. Carmelo wasn’t playing because he played for like 40-some-odd minutes the night before, and Kemba Walker didn’t play at all, I’m pretty sure. So it was kind of like watching 3-year-olds play. But it was so fun to be there, and something that I would definitely do again.

What did you do last weekend?

My baby brother graduated yesterday + healthy nachos.

| cheriarmour

As you’re reading this, my ass has been out on the trail, to work, and is currently dashing to Charlotte to see my little brother graduate.

I’m not sure what to say, cause I remember when he was born and now he’s graduating high school, and I cannot even.

I drove down to Charlotte on Thursday, but not after first noticing that I was sunburnet from a trail run early this week.

photo 1If you ever have awkwardly asked a black person why they wear sunblock, or if they can tan, here is your answer.  A resounding hell yes!

So I made it down to Charlotte just in the nick of time,  but not before my dad sent me this to take us down memory lane..

photo 2This, folks, would be my brother on his first day of kindergarten.  I can barely stand it!

photo 3This is the bro, getting ready to graduate!

photo 4And this is us, after the ceremony.

He did great, and we were all so proud of him.  And we followed the big day with a visit to the local Ihop to celebrate his big achievement.  My brother’s favorite spot is Ihop, and he we had to give the man what he wants.

After such a huge accomplishment, once we got back to my parent’s house, we were all in a very nostalgic mood, and it all summed up to us looking at a bunch of old family pictures.  For your viewing pleasure, I will share with you this…

photo 5No idea.  No idea.  Thank you god for my adult face coming in.

Let’s switch gears for a minute.

Who likes nachos?

So a food that I’ve sort of struggled with is nachos.  I love nachos like a ton, but they’re not particularly easy to fit into your plan, especially when you’ve suffered from gastritis.  Nachos + an inflamed stomach lining don’t get along particularly well.

So, The Hungry Runner Girl posted a recipe for healthier nachos, and they weren’t particularly terrible.  Actually, they were pretty good, so I’m gonna share with you!  If you’re looking for a better way to do nachos….

photo 1 (2)Start with two baked potatoes.  Slice em up, and layer a teensy bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper on top.  Stick them in the oven for 30 minutes (my oven was a little overzelous, so make sure you keep tabs on how the potatoes are smelling).  Pull them out, and add 1/4th of a cup of low-fat mexican cheese blend, and pop the potatoes back into the oven.

Melt them for about 4 minutes at the same temp.  Once they’re done, add avocado, some beans and some corn, and a few jalapenos.  You’ll end up with these…

photo 2 (2)It’s kinda like nachos, but less fried.  A solid, solid recipe, without the terrible stomachache after.

What are your plans for this weekend?

 

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling…

| cheriarmour

26.

26 has never looked so good.

Okay sike kinda.  Today is my 26th birthday, and I write to you, not from my fancy vacation, but from my desk on my way to work.  Since I’ve absolutely sucked at doing my 30 days of thanks, I’m gonna hit you with 26 incredible things that happened in the past year, and that I’m thankful for.  Here goes (in no particular order)!

  1. I ran two marathons in my 25th year.  Right before I turned 25, I ran my first half, and I guess I caught the bug.  More specifically, I ran two half marathons, 2 fulls, and I think one really fun 5k.
  2. I got engaged!  I was telling my mom yesterday, that I never would have thought that I’d meet someone I’d love enough to marry just 4 years after I graduated.  After I broke up with my college boyfriend, I really thought that was it for me, and I was content to live with my animals.  Seriously, before Austin I’d fallen into this dorky routine of working out, watching Dancing with the Stars, and getting into to bed before midnight most Fridays.  What a difference a few years makes, right?
  3. I learned about the power of networking.  They always say it’s not what you know but who you know.  And I’ll be gosh darned, they were right.  And I credit that with this next one.
  4. I got a social work job. After searching for what felt like 50 years.
  5. But I also worked full-time for Fleet Feet, a running specialty store, and I have to be honest with you, I’m still in love with the company, and I’d consider opening a store with my husband.  Bob and Kathy, my bosses, and my coworkers, are such amazing, good people, and working there really pushed me to be a better athlete.   I think that speaks for the company.  When your job creates a better and more competitive athlete out of you, that’s something special.
  6. I got my cat, Martin.  He is the worst behaved cat I’ve ever met.
  7. My grandmother passed away.  That is not the good part, obviously.  The good part, and the part that warmed my heart was the fact that all of us, all 3 of my siblings, and both of my parents were able to coordinate enough to get on planes and make it to her services on short notice. 
  8. I got to go to my second home, camp. It was just as beautiful as I remembered.  After my first summer there, I literally thought I’d never see the place again, and I would dream about coming back there at night.  I made it.  And I love those kids.
  9. I bought my first car.  When my ’99 Taurus died on me (transmission issue), I laid down and bawled, not sure what I was going to do.  Austin helped me through the process of buying a car, and I made my first real adult purchase, a little Lancer, with an equally little payment.  It’s perfect for me.
  10. I went through some interviews with some not-satisfactory results.  But you know what?  Every “failed” job prospect was a great learning opportunity, and I think I emerged from each experience a little stronger.  At the time, I was shaking my first and gnashing my teeth, if you will, but it was all for the best.
  11. My mom is still with us.  The same weekend I bought my new car I was actually signing the paperwork for my new car, when my mom called me.  “Hey.  What are you doing.  You sound kinda weird,” I’d said kinda causally.  “Oh, I just…well I’m in the hospital.  But everything’s okay!”  and the way the universe takes care of me is the minute I’d signed the paperwork on that new car, I was able to drive down and spend what would turn out to be a couple of weeks with my mom, who’d, as it turned out, had a small stroke at some point.  She’s doing better and better each day.
  12. My bank account is looking a little bit better than it was, this time last year.  Praise.  Let’s keep that thing on the rise.
  13. I got a library card.  Maybe now I can stop pouring money into my Kindle.
  14. I chose a wedding venue!  Kinda superficial, but I had a rough go of it for a while!
  15. My siblings are all successful, productive members of society.  Not everyone can say that.  Armours. Bettah. Werk.
  16. I attended my 4th Elon University Homecoming (nearly didn’t make it out alive, as you’ll remember last weekend), and now I’m considering become even more involved with my alma mater, and not just offering my meager financial support.  I really don’t mind giving back to the school that literally taught me how to become a grown up.
  17. I have great friends.  I worked at Fleet Feet the other night, and fell right back into an old pattern like no time had passed.   The same of Elon Homecoming, it truly felt like no time had passed.
  18. I got closer with my friends.  And this year, I vow to be an even better friend if it kills me.  More coffee dates, more phone calls, more visits.  I’ve let it get a leetle too far in between some friend dates.  My sincere apologies, ladies and gents.
  19. I participated in one FANTASTIC wedding, which was fun from start to finish.  My good friend Alexa got married in May, and since I was a bridesmaid, I got to participate as far as getting a cute dress, contributing to her bachelorette weekend in Asheville (which meant I got to run in some crisp mountain air), and I got to celebrate her wedding….
  20. And I attended the wedding of another good friend in Cincinnati.  And it was like an Elon reunion all over again.  All this to say, guys, I’m sorry, if you notice a few similarities between your wedding and mine – but they both were so different and so beautiful, that I’d love to try and recreate these moments all over again.
  21. I started doing yoga.  Actually on January 1st, I started, and I credit that with singlehandedly allowing me to get through my first marathon without hurting anything.
  22. My home.  Admittedly, I miss my old condo, the one I lived in when I started this blog.  I had to move because the owner sold it (or is trying to sell it for way more than it’s worth, but that’s just my two cents).  But as I strolled through my apartment this morning, freshly vacuumed and smelling nice, I was thankful for my toasty little nook in the woods.  Often, when I run, I look under bridges that I pass, and I’ll often see vestiges off a little home there.  Foodstuffs, blankets, sometimes and old mattress.  And I thank God that I have a warm place to lay my head at night.
  23. This blog.  I raised some money last year, and I really appreciate for people to tell me when they’ve been following along.  I mean, I love to hear myself talk, so I’d prolly continue writing even if I suspected that only cats are reading my blog, but man, I’m happy and grateful that this blog “happened,” so to speak.
  24. This country.  Things are a hot mess.  But we live in the best nation in the world.  Run and tell dat.
  25. My health.  I continue to be amazed at where I can push my body.  Part of the reason for the tears at the finish of each marathon is to thank heavens that my body is able to hold up for that long, and recover quickly.  Not everyone can say that.  I hope they can, eventually.
  26. Real Housewives of Atlanta is back on.  And I really don’t need to say much more about that.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for reading, and thank goodness for another year.  Here’s to 26 being another good one!

30 Days of Thanks

| cheriarmour

So, I think it’s easy to get wrapped up in the negative.  I’m a total social media junkie – I have an account on almost everything that there is to have, and it’s apparent – folks can usually go in one of two categories.  Humble braggarts (OMG my 17-month old totally just yelled at me in Spanish! WHAT! Jaja looks like those Spanish lesson are totally paying off! #blessed) or complainers (Are you EFFING kidding me I get to the front of the line in Starbucks and the rude whore behind the counter tell me they’re no longer serving RICE KRISPIES TREATS.  Day. Officially.  Ruined.  No one talk to me ever again.).

I try to fall into neither, and I do my fair share of humble bragging.  And to be totally fair about that, I work at the gym (part-time), and I work at fat camp.  So a lot of my tweeting/Facebooking/IGs/Snapchats may be workout of food related.  But I’ll admit it.  It happens.  So have me arrested.

So over the next 30 days, I’m gonna do my best to cut out the complaining.  Can’t guarantee you that about the humble bragging, so bye.  But we’re going to do 30 days of Thanks.  And we are gonna THANK. IT. UP.

Ready?

First day.  This one’s easy. It’s my brother’s 18th birthday.

FamilyBrother (Derek Jr.) is the tall one standing next to me.  I can’t believe it’s been 18 years, cause I totally remember the night before he was born (Halloween) and just staring out the window because my mother (understandably so) couldn’t take us trick-or-treating.  I honestly can’t remember if we ever got to trick-or-treat, but I do remember my brother was born the next day.  I’m thankful for him!  I’m thankful for family.  Some people don’t have that.  So for family, and for my brother on his 18th, I am thankful.  What are you thankful for?

 

This is to all the marathon spouses.

| cheriarmour

Time to shift the focus of the blog. There is someone I feel like deserves a great big hug, kiss, and a thank you from me.

And I think some of you marathoners out there have a similar person in your lives.

Saturday, as I barfed my way though the final 9 of my marathon, there was someone on my mind.  Austin had dropped me off in the freezing cold, held my things, and reassured me all morning as I worried in Elon.  I know it wasn’t warm, and he fielded two mid-marathon phone calls as I sobbed and told him that I was throwing up, in grotesque detail, with incredible strength and calm.

“Okay love you so much. You can do this”

“Almost there babe. Love you”

A few of the reassuring texts I received from him, not to mention the kind words he passed along as I called him from the port-a-john.  Yep.

I raise a glass to you, marathon spouses.  Those of you who encourage through training, show up for race day, hold all the stuff, jangle a cowbell, and act like you’re happy to see us, even though you’ve been waiting in the cold, bored for hours?  We love you.  We appreciate you.  And we can’t wait for the day when we can do the same for you.

kiss