Raleigh

V-Day Weekend

| cheriarmour

I have an admission to make.

After last week, I was completely overwhelmed, and I was a mess to deal with this weekend.  Between a really big week at work, trying to deal with my car issues, I’m sort of dealing with these feelings that I absolutely suck at life.  As I sit here, I’m looking around at my couch covered in pet hair, and dealing with the fact that the beagle managed to act up enough so that the woman who adopted her is bringing her back (not kidding) I’m wondering how people with kids do this, and have cleaner houses and seem to have their shit together better than I do.

But I digress.

Here are a few snaps from the weekend.

Friday, I hosted a Zumba/Dance Fitness Party at my Y, and we actually had a really really good turnout, which had me nervous all week.  It can be really really tricky to get folks to commit to anything on a Friday night, and I was terrified that no one would show, and I would look like a butt in front of my bosses.

Three hours before the party, I was testing the playlist out on my iPod, when every single solitary song on my device disappeared, and I watched my life flash before my eyes.

“I’m the boss. I’m in charge of this party.  And I just screwed up all the music.”

I raced home, managed to update the software on my husband’s laptop, and load the entire playlist onto Austin’s iPad, literally with 15 minutes to spare before the party.  The party went off without a hitch, our attendance was huge, and I was so proud of my team!

Zumba Party
Zumba Party

Immediately following, I raced-raced to Ruthschris to meet my husband, and I ate everything in sight, including this little cheesecake for dessert that I told the server I would only take a bite of.  Then I ate the whole thing.

Then this girl…

Alyssa Edwards via imgkid.com
Alyssa Edwards via imgkid.com

I met my girls, and hit Legends in Raleigh to see Alyssa Edwards, a contestant/favorite from RuPaul’s Drag Race from a few seasons ago. When I say that she was fantastic, I mean FANTASTIC. Her makeup was on point, her wig was on point, and she had a better body than most people.  She actually was inspiring – I think a lot of times we see drag queens as funny, but in reality, it really can be an art, and what she did was an art.

Saturday, I hit class early, and taught an 8:30 toning, and ran over to our branch to teach an 11:15 Zumba to a packed house.

Sunday, I went to work, caught up on some work, and then hit drag brunch, benefiting a foundation here that hat encourages and promotes the development of services for persons living with AIDS and/or HIV infection. I got brunch and got champagne, AND managed to benefit a sweet nonprofit?  I’ll take it.

This week, we are gearing up for some sort of winter event here in Raleigh and my goal, my only goal, is to keep my head on straight despite life’s…things.

How was your weekend?  What did you do?

What are your goals this week?

LucetteGrace

| cheriarmour

I like sweet things.  A lot.  I adopted a pretty wicked sweet tooth from my mother, made only worst by my copious consumption of artificial sugar.  Which blah blah, I know it’s not good for me, but my dad is diabetic, and I got into a Splenda and Stevia habit sorta early.  One thing I don’t do – aspartame.  That’s a teeny bit before my time, and to me, it kinda taste like shit.

^^

All this to say, that my copious consumption of artificial sweeteners in the past, especially during the summers at camp when I’d road trip a lot (diet sodas) has increased my sweet tooth by a ton (the crap in artificial sweeteners tends to do that), and I’m pretty discerning in my sweets.

Enter LucetteGrace.

So, about a week ago (cue Bobby Schmurda dance) a friend mentioned offhand that she’d gone to this bakery/pastry shop.  She didn’t understand how serious I was about the shop, and as soon as I left her, I hunted around downtown Raleigh to find the shop.  I found it, pulled in, and started to ogle everything behind the glass case, but sadly, I’d forgotten my camera.

The owner came out (his name is Daniel and he has a beard, btws), and saw that I was drooling, and was kind enough to chat with me and help me pick a few treats, and even slipped a few extra in the bag for me to take up and nosh on later.  So I grabbed a friend, and headed back just a few days later for a coffee date.

Lucette 4

Lucette 3

Lucette 5

Lucette 2

Lucette Grace

Lucette 6To me, there is almost nothing more therapeutic than coffee, a sweet, and some time with a friend.  I left feeling like I had filled up my belly (for one), and filled up my love tank for two.  Sweets, words, coffee, and a very golden afternoon with a good friend was so healing.

So technically, LucetteGrace, named for the owner’s daughters, is a patisserie, which a bakery that exclusively serves french cakes and pastries. Located at 235 S Salisbury St, the sweets are sweet, but in a different way than American sweet. You have to try it to understand, but the treats go perfectly with a locally-brewed cup of Larry’s Beans (919 better stand up!), and an afternoon with friends.  What’s really cool about the patisserie, in addition to the taste, is the ambiance and decor of LucetteGrace – the space is clean and decked out in yellows and grays and seems like a good space to sit for an afternoon with your laptop for a productive dessert sesh.  It’s a nice alternative to a Starbucks; no shade to them of course, I’ve been hanging out there and have gotten a lot of work done at these places for years.  Bottom line – it’s difficult to mass-produce shit that tastes good, and Daniel at LucetteGrace has captured something special here.

Where’s your favorite place to get work done? 

The best pizza in Raleigh.

| cheriarmour

Friday, I went to lunch with a friend who is getting ready to make a big decision about his job.  He’s in social work as well, so I totally understand his frustration.  When I was working in social work in its classic sense, I consistently felt really anxious, and it was a combination of us not having enough resources, and me being sexually harassed by a client who once told me that my unwillingness to have sex with him was seriously making him reconsider his thoughts on my sexiness.  I wish I was exaggerating, but that was a conversation we seriously had upon me reporting him to my boss and our company’s version of HR.

So, my friend is going through something similar, and is being pushed to the edge of his sanity.  Social work is a thankless job, and it’s really painful to watch him go through this.

All this to say, that Friday, the two of us met up for coffee, and then walked across the way to Lilly’s Pizza, a local pizzeria that offers a ton of vegetarian and gluten-free options.  Now, out of all the unhealthy foods in the world, pizza is definitely me fave, and to date, one of my favorite meals at fat camp was pita pizza, which we would eat on Fridays.

Lilly's Pizza

I ordered a slice of cheese with a Mich Ultra, and asked for some hot sauce on the side, which I did on mine and Austin’s first date.

Literally, when I bit into that slice of cheese, my world shifted.  It was delicious, not at all greasy, and the crust was to die – a little sweet, and dry.  It absolutely puts any chain pizza to shame, and just shat on Whole Foods’ pizza (which I really love a cheese slice of).

It was cool to eat that delicious amazing pizza, and let myself go while enjoying a delicious junk meal.

Where is your favorite place to get some fresh junk food in your city? 

I can’t do anything right this week.

| cheriarmour

This week is really one of those weeks that I cannot do a single thing right.  I fielded nasty emails, my house looks like an explosion rocked through it, and I could not, for the life of me, get anything done in a timely fashion this week.

Including my brother’s haircut.

My sister is getting married tomorrow.  Actually, let me back up.  Debbie actually got married in York, South Carolina last June, and she’s doing the reception/party thingie tomorrow.  Which is awesome, great!  And of course, when you’re overbooking yourself (sure, a staff meeting the same weekend of my sister’s wedding?!), it all seems great a few months out, but I’m completely freaking out and not sure how I’m going to accomplish everything and still emerge with my sanity this weekend.

Two words.  Xan-ax.  Jk jk!

So, in today’s episode of what did I manage to screw up, I was trying to be helpful because I knew my parents were running around and I offered to figure out somewhere for my brother to get his hair cut.

Now I get it.  We’re black, our hair is a little different to manage, however, I went to this kinda hipstery place that gives you a free beer when you come to get your hair cut, and asked if they cut black hair.

The guy was all “OMG of course we cut black hair!”

“Like, black PEOPLE’S hair.  You can do that, no problem?”

“Yeah, of course!”

Course, at that point, I feel like I’m being a jackass for even asking, because hey, they studied hair right?  How dare I assume that a black man’s uncomplicated haircut may be a challenge? So I made my brother an appointment, dropped him off, and waited for the result.

It was a freakin nightmare.

My brother looked actually worse than he did when he walked in.

Exhibit A:

Derek Haircut

Derek Haircut 2From what Derek says, the poor girl had no clue what she was doing, could not so much as brush his hair without pausing to ask him if she was hurting him, and when he asked for a “fade and a shape-up,” she looked at him like he was speaking cat.  Which I speak well, but he does not.

::sigh:: I get it.  Our hairs are textured differently. And you didn’t study black hair wherever you went to.  HowEVER, can we all just agree, at that point, that we won’t tell Cheri, whose sanity is already hanging by a thread, that we can do a fade with an edge-up, when obviously that’s not true?

So, if I go missing, you know my entire family is responsible because I did this to my brother’s hair a day before my sister’s wedding.  The good news is, it’s fixable, and my dear husband is going to take my brother somewhere in the morning while I teach a class and fix this mess I made.

OMG.

OMG.

Anyhoo, Happy Saturday!  Stay tuned for some pics of my sister’s nuptials!

Happy & Hale

| cheriarmour

First off, let’s go ahead and thank the sweet Starbucks angel from above who made me an eggnog latte on the DL today.  I don’t know what Starbucks’ deal is, but for some UNGODLY reason, they decided that they needed to discontinue the eggnog latte in our market.

I mean, not to say that I don’t completely understand that eggnog, on its own, is a horribly disgusting invention, however, in a latte, that is the most wondrous thing that has ever been created.  It’s creamy, it tastes like Christmas, and in small doses, it doesn’t make my stomach hurt that badly.

Starbucks

So, shoutout to the sweet angel, sent by God at the Starbucks on Fayetteville Street. Hashtag blessed.

Happy & Hale 

So a few days ago, the boys from Happy & Hale came to the Y, where I work, and they, in partnership with a local organization, brought lunches for everyone.  The salads and quinoa bowls looked so beyond words, I decided that although I couldn’t partake in the food that day (I was teaching a class, and food + exercise at the same time is not encouraged), I would try and get down there that day.

Photo via Bizjournal
Photo via Bizjournal

Happy & Hale is a far cry from what you typically think of when you think of southern food. The south is great for a lot of things, however, nutritional health and well-being is not our strong suit. We have Bojangles, Cookout, and biscuits (which are delish in moderation). However, with the advent of Whole Foods, Trader Joes, local farms, and the influx of hipsters and lumbersexuals that we have here, Happy & Hale has been an interesting and successful business downtown.

First, I checked out the menu online.  I thought it seemed a little pricey, but decided to splurge – plus the option was either that, or a Lean Cuisine because I didn’t pack a good lunch. #fail

I decided on the quinoa bowl, as I’d heard that this was one of the most popular things on the menu, and went for it.  The bowl was kinda similar to the salad bowl, and was packed.  Picture this.  Quinoa on the bottom.  Black beans, feta cheese, pico de gallo, onions, and some sick vinegarette were all included with some tofu for some more protein.

Lunch was DELICIOUS, and super filling.  Though I probably should have done without the onions (had to scavenge around for mouthwash after lunch), it was satisfying on two levels.  For one, it tasted good.  And there’s a lot to be said for that.  For two, it felt way better than shoving something really quickly while sitting in front of my computer.

If you didn’t pack it, where do you go to get your lunch?

Parking Ticket

| cheriarmour

Once again, I’m writing from somewhere over Texas.  I’ll set the scene for you.  I’m sitting…in a plane….legs are really squished…and I’m kind of hoping that my husband remembers to let my poodle out.

Speaking of poodles, this dog is not a morning dog…I found her like this, head buried, when I got up pretty early a few mornings ago to get some laundry done before work.  I called her to come get her food, and this was her response.  Kind of ignoring me, and kind of trying to preserve heat with what little body fat she has going on.

Coco

Moving right along…

So I’m actually so blind.  Thanks to some excellent eyeball genes from my mother, I’ve been rocking the spectacles since about fourth grade.  It’s a little inconvenient, since I’m so active, to ever really wear glasses, but a lot of times in the spring and in the fall, when my allergies are really acting up, I don’t have a lot of choice.  It’s always really fun, when I wear my glasses to work and stuff, and people are like “You wear glasses?” they think they’re fakes, until they do that annoying thing where they make you take your glasses off and guess how many fingers you’re holding up.  Spoiler alert: I never know, because I can’t see anything more than like, six inches in front of my face.

So, I went for my annual eye appointment, and since the place I go is downtown, I had to pay to park.  I fed the meter, did the whole shebang, and once I was all done with my appointment, I went outside, to find that I’d gotten myself a parking ticket for my meter being 7 minutes expired.

Now, I take full responsibility for this ticket.  I’m not one to sit here and curse out the guy doing his job when I was clearly parked somewhere I shouldn’t have been, but this got me thinking – how could cities make parking tickets more fun?  Like, is there a way to make me less irritated that I have to spend $20 because of my own stupidity?

So here are a few suggestions to make a parking ticket fun:

  • Include some coupons in the envelope with the ticket. Now, this one can be tricky, because not everyone likes everything, but I bet you if you included a coupon for a free coffee at McDonald’s a lot of people would take the ticket thing a little better.  Or a frozen lemonade.  Those are fun!
  • Include a nudie of the guy writing the ticket in the envelope. Nudies always make me laugh. And life’s a party, rock your body.  Amirite, Marcel? (10 points to whoever gets that one.)
  • Maybe the attendant can write his or her name and a little smiley near the bill, like they do at restaurants when they want a big tip. I’m not tipping you, but I may admire your artistry, especially if your smiley face is a particularly good one.
  • Maybe the envelope can shoot confetti at you. On second thought, maybe not though.  Because someone from the city might have to clean it up.
  • And finally, if Lil’ Jon could come over a loud speaker to the tune of “Turn Down for What,” kinda like the horns in the Hunger Games, signifying that another ticket has been written, I think I’d get down with that.

Just a few suggestion to brighten that ticket up!  What’s the last ticket you got? 

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?

 

We bought a zoo.

| cheriarmour

But before I get to that, let me tell you about this thing I discovered!  So, the humidity in North Carolina is absolutely killing me as far as running goes, and I’m trying really hard not to let it discourage me.  On Wednesday morning, the humidity had its way with me for about 6 miles, and then again on Friday, for almost 4 miles.  Both times, I had that horrible feeling like I was going to faint, and both times, I had to reach for something that would quickly give me a little sugar boost.  So on Friday morning, after a run from work, I ran to the Harris Teeter, and would you looky what I found!

Starbursts

I found a packet of Starbursts that only contained the good flavors. Which is obviously pretty important because the most offensive thing about fruity candies, the main reason that I steer completely clear of them, is the errant yellow ones you get. Like what am I supposed to do with something that tastes exactly like lemon Pledge? Well, this here packets of Starburst complete eliminates that problem, and I praise the good lord above that I live in a world where this pervasive problem has been addressed head-on.

We bought a zoo.  

Okay, not really a zoo – more like a house.

We put in an offer here a few weeks before our wedding, which I told you about, but I didn’t mention much more about it because I was super busy with wedding stuff, and because I didn’t want to talk it up too much in case it felt through, which is apparently something that isn’t super uncommon in the house-hunting process.  But after our offer was accepted, and we went through all of this house insanity, we finally closed on the house last Friday!

Home Signing

It’s weird. Even though we signed a stack of papers that was the size of a small novel, I’m not really nervous, more just excited to get into a space where a squirrel doesn’t live in the wall, where our pets can fit, and where I’m not taking my life into my hands to get to a greenway to run – a biggie for an active couple like us.

What’s one cool thing you purchased this week? 

The house of horrors.

| cheriarmour

I told you a few weeks back, that me and Austin have been looking for a house here in Raleigh.

We had a sort-of house that fell through after the price seemed liked it was climbing beyond what we could comfortably do.  Since then, we’ve been trolling real estate here, with some success, and some weird stuff.  But on Sunday, we saw a literal house of horrors.

[As a side note, I’m currently a social worker in Raleigh.  This is important to the story.]

rocky-horror-6I’d show you pictures of the house, but I don’t want to embarrass anyone.

So anyhoo, I already was suspicious of the area – the are that the home is in is really important to me so I can access greenway and a safe place to run, something that I’ve had a little bit of trouble with here at this apartment.  But Austin assured me that he loved the house and that I would love it to.  So off we went.

Me, Austin, and the buyer’s agent headed down to the home, and it already wasn’t looking good.  As we started driving through town, the residents started looking more and more sad, and the homes started looking a little more run-down.

And then I started to recognize the area, an area where a lot of my clients lived. Not inherently a bad thing mind you, but I was really hoping that where we were wasn’t anywhere close to where a client might live.

So imagine my surprise when we pulled up to the house, a very nice house home, and it was right next door to a group home where three of my clients live.  The thought of one of my clients seeing me in a pair of boxers was enough to sour my mouth, and I couldn’t look at the house the same any longer.

So here’s hoping that we find something good, and not next door to all of my clients.