Let it Begin!

I spent yesterday morning patching and moving the downstairs around to get ready for The-Great-Paint. I've yet to pick the official color, but, i did buy a great new piece of furniture for the downstairs! Found a great little antique store in Indian Trail (Southern Market Place) and got a steal for this china cabinet.

All in price - $160

I've yet to decide if I'm going to repaint it - I'll have to see what it looks like [in a place TBD at the condo] with the new wall color.

Woke up this morning still a little full from the great steak dinner Eric cooked last night and took Tugs out -- was a wonderful 69 degrees with 70% humidity. Left monster-puppy inside and went straight for a nice 4 mile run. I took some pictures along the way since I had my iPhone to finish out the newest Freakonomics podcast.

Here is a different side of Charlotte:

View from E's driveway on my way out

Approaching the entrance of the neighborhood

Shady back road of the loop

Cows!

Final farm where Sailor met her first cow, approaching Peach Orchard

I got home, pounded some Gatorade, and Eric and I took Sailor for the mile and a half loop on the trail. After my coffee, I'm back home making a list for the store. Looking forward to a short week at work and great progress next weekend.

...Apparently, all I need to do is buy Eric lunch at Sub Station II for helping me paint :)...

A Hearty Breakfast

Great news - the table is gone! I sold it to a nice couple moving from Georgia yesterday (originally from Sweden). A cool $200 bucks in my wallet I'm one step closer to having a downstairs I love. It feels a little empty, but, once Eric gets a move on building me a bench for under the window (I would say this is a hint, but, he doesn't read this) with storage and a wine rack (that idea came to him this morning in the car) I will be able to get another chair to compliment the couch.

Been having a great breakfast the last couple of days...

Morning One

Morning Two

 Honey Oat Wheat Bread (Bread Machine Recipe)

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rolled oat
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups white bread flour
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast (or one packet)

Use your 1.0 loaf size and basic setting. If you want a super soft crust, put it in a large plastic bag right after it's done and seal tightly.



Lucky Lady!

Since these last couple weeks have beens stressful - Eric convinced me I needed to get a good run in yesterday, so we hit the Monday run for a nice 4.5. After we got home and I got done with my shower, I heard something in the kitchen.

...it was Eric, cooking our delicious Mahi Mahi. He saw how stressed I was yesterday and just started cooking it while I was upstairs - probably the best gift he's ever given me. And it tasted amazing! We had it over lettuce and some steam fresh veggies + rice (recipe below).

Had a great lunch with Stacey yesterday - I can't wait for her and Kev to close on their new home in Dilworth -- fingers crossed! She and I were trying to plan for the weekend, but are waiting to see how rainy it will be - a nice hurricane throw-back to my FL days.

Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.
3. Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistently. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.

Here's a nice little snapshot of how great Saturday was out on the Lake:

Relax

With the bathroom repair looming over my head, I've been doing more yoga breathing lately than ever.

To foment some of this stress, I've been practicing yoga more [solo], and grabbing new recipes to cook. Eric's been into his new book, Think Smart, which told him to (1) Eat more fish (2) Play more video games (3) Drink more red wine.  ... 2 out of 3 isn't bad :) So with this in mind, on Friday night I did a nice 75 minute Yoga Practice at home via Podcast with David Farmer and then headed out to the ranch to make my Crab Stuffed Tilapia.

Thanks to my Mom for my Simple and Delicious magazine (the Christmas gift that keeps on giving).

Crab Stuffed Tilapia

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 2 packages (3.53 ounces each) premium crabmeat, drained
• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons Mozzeralla cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning
• 4 tilapia fillets (6 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions

• In a large skillet, saute onion and celery in some butter or EVOO until tender. Remove from the heat; stir in the crab, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, egg, pimientos and seafood seasoning. Spread 1/3 cup crab mixture over fillets. Roll up each from the pointed end; secure with toothpicks or lay the fillets flat and stack the crab mixture on top (I did the latter).
• Place seam side down in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Melt remaining butter; drizzle over fish. Sprinkle with salt and paprika.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Discard toothpicks. Spoon pan juices over fish. For 2 Fillets - I cooked for 20 minutes.

Eric actually liked the fish - he is slowly learning to eat healthy. We picked up a ton of frozen fish at Trader Joes yesterday (Mahi, Ahi Tuna, Salmon, and Talbot). E cooked dinner for me -- Turkey Sloppy Joes/Salad/Chocolate Chip Cookies for desert.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

For Tugs

Tugboat and I went for a run every morning last week. It's slowly getting nicer outside in the morning [as well as darker], so our runs are getting quicker. I cave when she sits up at attention at 5:30, waiting to go. "It's only fair," I hear in my head. She's a great dog - she deserved it.

So, she also got her bench pillow recovered today. It was a long, great weekend out on the Lake with friends, but, I still wanted to get something "accomplished." I used the fabric from my old drapes and just used the previous pillow as a form. I got a little creative with the rounded corners in the front too (very simple: on the 90 degree corner, measure 4 inches on each side and sew on the hypotenuse).

Before

After

Sails was a huge help during the process too -- as much of a help as I am when Eric is driving.

Cleaning Spree

This weekend I plan on doing a clean sweep of the downstairs - go through all the kitchen cabinets, drawers, nooks and crannies in prep for repainting.

Plus, make Eric is homemade [as requested] yellow cake with chocolate frosting and strawberries. Then, spending tonight hanging out with Mike and the gang.

Going to power through until yoga at 11 -- happy weekend all!

SOLD

The fan is set to sell on Saturday to a nice woman in Concord! I've gotten emails on the table and wine fridge too -- so hopefully I can start clearing out and cleaning up. I've got a big pile for Goodwill piling on my chair.

It was night 1 of Sailor learning to sleep not-on-my-bed. Tugs needs to be less dependent about sleeping on me so I can get a good nights sleep. At a whooping 50lbs she is just getting too big [and too hot in the summer] for sleepovers. She did manage to give me the "It's 5:30am - let's go running now" jump this morning.

Confidence

E and I had a chat last night where he convinced me that the "remodel" is possible.

Eric: "The light bulb is not earth shattering technology, Em. We can build it. It'll be fun."

Hope.

With those words in mind, I started snapping some photos and listing some downstairs furniture on Craigslist.

Progress.

The Table and Chairs + the Wine Fridge are listed (sorry Liz and Jimmy ... I know it was a present but it sucks energy and living alone I throw the wine in the fridge bc there is ample space ..). Hopefully I'll get some bites. I hope to sell the fan I replaced and the monster TV at Eric's soon too - aka, extra cash for my "war chest."

This weekend I'm determined to make progress on the refurbing of the chair at the Ranch. I'll make sure to take pictures.

Over a year and it's time to "re" my downstairs

It's been over a year and I'm already tired of my paint choices. In retrospect, 3 colors was a bit much for a loft, but I loved the green and light yellow and hoped it would all look wonderful. But, it the high ceilings, I think it's more like a fun house now.

So, time to "re." Repaint, remove old stuff, redesign my original plan. There are 2 pieces missing from my downstairs:

1. Curtains - this will be my next "DIY" project with the sewing machine. My next trip to mary jo's will be a big one. These curtains/rod combo are my inspiration.
2. New Media Stand - I've been suffering the IKEA one I've had since I moved into my own place and needed one quick, but, it's time to upgrade. In the spirit of "more storage" which is a must when loft living, I've been eyeing a buffet turned TV stand.

Repainting will take the most time to decide on a color -- am planning on hitting up the local Ben Moore this weekend for some samples to paint on the walls to see how they look with the light/space. Definitely going grey though - it will look a lot more subtle with the grey-blue color I have on the stair walls and upstairs.

There is also another little project I'm thinking of for the wall behind the couch, but, I'll save that once I ask my resident handyman if it's "possible." He did say last night that we can try and make the pendant lights I've been eyeing from pottery barn - and I quote, "that would be a fun project." Whoaaaa who!!

DIY Kitchen Chalkboard

My "throw-away" chalkboard is complete. Big thanks to E for showing me how to use the power tools!

Directions:

1. Take used door molding and cut to size of plywood. Cut the corners at a 45 degree angle. Use wood filler and fill in holes and sand down as necessary.
2. Sand down plywood to hang-touch smooth.
3. Wipe plywood down with a wet cloth and let dry.
4. Paint the molding with desired color (fire engine red!) - I used 4 coats.
5. Paint the dry plywood with standard black chalkboard paint (bought from Lowe's). - I used 4 coats.
6. Let completely dry.
7. Nail the molding to the plywood from the back. Put nails every couple of inches and make sure they are sturdy/long enough to go through the plywood+molding.
8. Attach hooks on the back and wire sting 10 inches from the top.
9. Hang on wall.

Next project - curtains!

Hot Hot Hot

Summer will be gone before we know it and we'll be right on our way to complaining about the cold. Eric, Sails and I have been adventuring out as much as possible between swimming at the Ranch, venturing out to hike, and gardening the 8+ foot tomato plants.

Looking forward to getting back out on the Lake mid August and all the birthday's coming up!

Happy Birthday America

What a great time at Wen and Brad's Engagement Party!

Hiatus Complete

Was a nice little break from the blog and the overall internet. Have completed/started a ton in the last couple of weeks. The garden is in full swing and producing some yummy cucumbers already. The green and banana peppers as well as tomatoes are green and fresh. We installed a drip hose too - helps conserve water and waters directly on the plants. Another great Eric idea.

The second end table is complete [finally]. Also the cute chalkboard for my kitchen is in the final stages -- pictures to come! I'm making all the use I can out of the scraps at the Ranch :) Not to forget the great help from Momma Frank - my first dress is complete too! A rather simple project with her sage help via Skype on a Saturday. 9 Billion awesome points to my mom.

This weekend is jam packed with a visit from my best best friend, an engagement party for Brad and Wen, and boating on Lake Norman with a gaggle of friends.

The How-To Post

End table 1 is complete! Thanks to a nice trade from Wen to Molls to me ... I inherited 2 end tables and have been pondering what to do with them. 

Steps:

1. Sand everything - I used a small electric sander on most of it and got the small spaces with paper.
2. Wipe off the excess dust/debris with a wet rag.
3. Paint twice - I used standard wall paint (look fimilar? It's the color of the kitchen at the ranch!). Make sure to wait for it to dry before the second coat.
4. Distress with course sandpaper - I used the sandpaper E had sitting around the garage that were for his "power sander." I went over the outside of the top, the outside of the drawer area, and the legs with the sandpaper flat and sporadically used the edges for more distinct marks.
5. Seal twice - Make sure to let the first coat completely dry before putting the second on.

Front area at the Ranch. We put the extra peppers and tomatoes we had into big pots (on sale at Lowes) and keep them next to the rain barrel. The gardenias in the back right corner I trimmed back 2 weekends ago and are in bloom now (and smell great!).

 Close up of Eric's peach tree.

 Le Garden - Blooming Wonderfully! Another 3-4 weeks and we'll have more than the best lettuce ever.

Happiness

"One-sixteenth of the time people are happy. The rest of the time they’re not. So if you start to avoid all the things that cause unhappiness then maybe there’s a small chance you can improve the ratio in your favor."

Who doesn't love some Freakonomics in the morning?

Reason to Run

Had another great start to the day with Sailor and our morning 5K. She was sitting at attention when I walked out of the bathroom this morning, waiting to go. 64 degrees this morning will sure beat 92 this afternoon! Hitting yoga at lunch today to get everything out of the way before date night.

Looking forward to a nice calm weekend of catching up and relaxing with Eric and Sailor. My awesome mom also sent me my very own sewing machine [and a bunch of supplies with it!], so I'm excited to start practicing :)

I can't wait to see the garden this weekend too and how my newly planted lilies and lipstick flowers are doing at the ranch house.

Morning Drizzle

Great start to the morning with a run alongside Eric and behind Sailor. She's getting better about tugging after squirrels but, bunnies are a whole different story!

Been a banner week for running - the track workout on Wednesday with Wen and Eric, yoga with the new instructor (Jai L is nicely stepping in for our beloved Madeline), TAC, and a fast hilly 7 miler. One more long run tomorrow and the week will be completely rounded out.

I've complied my list of "Chores for May:"

• Finish refurbishing the end table --> this weekend
• Finish reupholstering the chair (mid-June ... waiting on my sewing machine to get here, thanks Mom!)
• Hang pictures (Cheap Joe's did an excellent job framing my Chi Marathon poster)
• Clean baseboards in kitchen
• Fix/Refurb(?) broken bar stool.

Take Me to the Chapel

Can't wait to watch these 2 lovebirds tie the knot this weekend - I have my hanky packed for tears as I watch this lovely lady I've been so blessed to know marry her prince charming.

Check out more of their engagement photos here.

Off to Florida we go.......

Handsome Devil

Look who got his first haircut at Easter while he was visiting Grandma and Grandpa ... what a heartbreaker!

Weekend in Charlotte is looking up and up --

• Celebrating Kevin and Stacy's first anniversary this evening with drinks on the porch
• Pool time tomorrow (yay to my 3 new swim suits that finally arrived) followed by grilling [somewhere, TBD]
• Sirloin Steaks are on sale at Bloom, FYI. I picked up 6 big ones yesterday - Yum!
• Prep for Wednesday vacation to Florida to see the Frank Family and Emily and Odis get married :)

Hawaiian Style

Great run yesterday and I have to say ... this barefoot girl might be thinking of shoes thanks to my bud/crazy TAC instructor, Tim. Checked out the Newton's last night at CRC with Dana (who wears them) and was initially a big fan. Since they have a steep price tag, it's going to take a couple more fittings to really sell me on them, but, they would be a nice "break for my feet," especially in the summer months when it's Africa hot on the pavement.

Leftover Easter Ham was delicious on a salad last night and much deserved after a solid 7miles. Tugs is down to a mile a day with the imposing heat. She's also sleeping on the floor at night too (#WINNING). Hello Summer!

Hawaiian Salad

• Lettuce -- Romain or Spinach
• Cucumber
• Jalapeno (I put this on everything I make)
• Israeli Couscous [from Trader Joes]
• Ham (cold and cubed)
• Pineapple
• 1 Tbsp of Light Ranch
• Mozzarella

Simply pile on the ingredients in the portions you like (I like extra pineapple :P)

A big thanks to Jules and helping me pick out some new swimsuits ... which partially arrived last night. I love all three, but this one was at the top of Eric's list -- Miraculous Halter in Smoking Grey.

Em's wedding and our vacay down to FL can't come soon enough!

Holy Lettuce, Easter Bunny!

Fantastic weekend here in the Carolinas. Saturday morning was a lot of fun running the one-miler with Huff and Eric.  Kev brought Sailor from the house too so she was there supporting as I was finishing [and very jealous she wasn't running]. Later that day we spent the lazy afternoon at the ranch watching hockey followed by the first time at Pinky's and the Amos concert. New Love: Firefly Skinny Tea with Crystal Light Lemonade (72 calories per 1.5oz).

The garden is in full swing. We have a ton of lettuce that is the best I've ever tasted -- glad Eric spent extra time tilling/testing the dirt this year. Yum and Yum. 

Easter Sunday was great too -- I got to spend the whole day in the kitchen cooking in peace with Sailor lounging around sleeping [after her big-day out Saturday]. We had quite a feast and an excellent group for dinner. Thank you Molls for the cute treat bags and Eric for my lovely daffodils.

Easter Dinner

Ham with Raspberry-esk Glaze and Pineapple

Mashed Squashtatoes

Green Beans with Momma Frank's Bacon Topping

Shells and Cheese ala Molly

Almquist Deviled Eggs

Homemade Chocolate Cake (from scratch ..thanks Mom for the Easter recipes!)



Mashed Squashtatoes

• 1 Cup Chicken Broth
• 2 tbsp Garlic
• 2.5 lbs of Potatoes
• 2.5 lbs of Squash
• 8 oz Low-fat Sour Cream
• 8oz Shredded Cheese (pick what you like)
• 1/4 cup milk
• Butter to taste
• Pepper to taste

Start by boiling a large pot of water withe the broth and garlic. Cut up the potatoes and squash into smaller pieces -- toss into pot once at a rolling boil. Boil for ~15min. Drain and throw into Mixer (I used my kitchenaid) and add Sour Cream and Cheese (can also use Cream Cheese, I just didn't have any on hand). Once properly mashed, toss in a croc pot on low. About an hour from dinner, add the milk, pepper, butter, and anything else you'd like for taste. I had mine simmering for ~3hours while the ham was cooking.

Countdown to Mr. and Mrs. Glover

Can't wait to see you tie the knot May 7, 2011!

This weekend:

• Sign up for the one-mile race Friday @ Icehouse
• Run one-mile race Saturday Morning
• BBQ @ Eric's Saturday day
• There will be hockey on ... and booze
• AMOS LEE - Sat night with Wen/Brad

I Know What You Did - WALTER!

I know you stepped on my flowers, Mr.! They better be alive and kicking when I see them next ....

Great weekend consisting of eating lettuce from the garden on Saturday night with our Stuffed Peppers for dinner followed by a game of Scrabble (don't mock it, Scrabble is a lot of fun).  5.5mile run with tugboat on Sunday where she only tugged a bit -- getting better with age i suppose .. or the longer runs!  Rounded out nicely with dinner at Copper after the boys had a day of golfing.

This Week:

• Friday - register for the One-Mile run at Icehouse
• Saturday - One-Mile run uptown at 730am
• Saturday - dinner at Pinky's with Wen/Brad then off to Amos Lee!
• Sunday - Easter Mass followed by a yummy ham for dinner :)

Committed

Committed to 2-a-days. TAC followed by a track workout -- here comes bathing suit season and Ms. Emily Pieri's wedding! May can't get here soon enough.

Excellent time at Brixx last night with the Wed Run crowd. We definitely started to feel summer approach yesterday...even tugs was exhausted (so rare) at the end.

Looking forward to Golf all weekend ... for those that read this ... still hunting down where to play on Sunday. I'll send you guys an email with details.

One more day to the weekend...

Cheers to the Weekend

Other than getting shouldered in the nose in 1v1 basketball with Eric, the weekend was excellent. Started off with a great crowd at Mac's celebrating Tudor's closing followed by Jack's with everyone + FL girlfriends.

The garden is looking phenomenal [and my flowers are quickly growing around the border] with the lettuce a week or less away from picking and the carrots sprouting. The squash/spinach/cucumbers have been transplanted to the actual garden too - busy Saturday.

Made some yummy food/drinks this weekend in honor of the Masters.  Here's a new one for the summer:

White Sangria

• Bottle Dry White Wine
• 3/4 Cup Peach Vodka
• 4 tbsp Frozen Lemonade Concentrate
• 2 Peaches sliced
• Grapes as desired
• Optional - 1/8 Cup Sugar (I added this and it was too sweet for me)

Who wants to golf this weekend?

Congratulations Tudor!

What a year 2011 has been -- Tudor is closing on his first home on Friday!

We will be at Mac's officially at 6pm for dinner and drinks to celebrate - Please join if you can! Note: I would like to get there in time for happy hour (4-6pm), if anyone else can make it then. Weather is looking great for Friday, will be nice to sit outside :)

Eric made a yummy dinner last night when Bloom was out of Mahi like I had planned. He sauteed peppers, tomato, sausage (I had chicken), jalapenos, and pineapple for 20min and then put it over rice (I put mine over lettuce with cucumbers and a bit of rice). D e l i c i o u s.

My 20x30 print finally came in the mail as well -- pictures to come. Shocking .. it's a sailboat photo I took at 2010 Cooper River.

FYI: Walter let me know about music next weekend at the Whitewater Center which sounds like a blast, more to come.


...I had Amos Lee going this morning in prep for his concert this month, whoa who!

Thankful

I am thankful I take the train and am not sitting on the highway like everyone on my new team -- what an awful night of storms.

Slow week - Tugs was a little under the weather after our nightly 5K yesterday. She's more of a high of 70 fan than 80 deg at 5pm. First "official" day with my new team was yesterday, and it was fantastic. Tonight I was strong armed into drinks with my old team as a "farewell." There goes yoga.. sigh.

Friday there are plans in the making to celebrate Tudor closing on his house -- YAY! I'll post more details later this week, thinking Revolution in NoDa.

Freakonomics

By far some of my favorite books and my absolute favorite podcast, Freakonomics always gives me a smile on my walk to the train.

For you Mike-I-don't-Facebook-I-Tweet-Massey -- Is Twitter a Two-Way Street?

O U C H

Tough loss last night for FL yesterday and very sore legs today from my first [awesome] Bikram class at Yoga Oasis.

Great News - Jalepenos have sprouted at casa de emily! Lilies might bloom soon too. Eric and I spent friday night transplanting the cucumbers and tomatoes to the "big boy" pots. The 2 days of rain we've had should help the garden a ton (and the rain barrel). I'm VERY excited to hear how much Walt harvested with his homemade gutters :)

It's going to be a busy week with the Clothing exchange tonight at Molls' house and leaving for Cooper on Thursday.

Off to get a run in before the rain starts again...

Le Sigh

I'm not sure any two people could look more in love than Brad + Wen.

I'm still drooling over her outfits.

Happy Thursday.

Let Me See!

Yesterday was a great day with a nice run with Molls before my first class at Yoga Oasis with Matt and Molly. Le Sigh.

This Week:

• FL vs. BYU Thursday at 7:20pm (TBS) - who wants to watch it? .. pStone after a nice 4mile run?
• Saturday - Neil's Birthday BBQ at Lake Wylie ... Thanks Sarah for the note. I'll shoot out an email to everyone with the details when I get into the office.

WELCOME TO 25 NEIL :)

How to:

... get to your goal weight ...
     Have a stomach bug all weekend. FML.

Even though my tummy wasn't happy - Sarah and Mike threw and awesome BBQ on Saturday and Brian Regan was a hoot on Sunday.

Ryan Huff ran a redic 6:18/mile 4 Miler on Saturday -- as Patty Waddy nicely put, "How do you keep getting faster since you're getting older?"

Who is interested in running Sticks and Bones on April 9th?

Upcoming:

• Neil's Birthday (Friday)
• Clothing Exchange @ Molly's (Sunday)

#WINNING

Beer Mile Male and Female champs - Jim set a course record with a 7:18 blazing pace and Terri wasn't too far behind around 8min.

Jim wanted to make sure we all knew that this was their "cool" pose and that the "old folks kicked ur asses" with an avg age of 45.

Was a great couple of days ... now off to check out the garden and get some trails in before MIKE AND SARAH'S TONIGHT :)!

Happy Times

Gardening, Spring 2011

New Job, New Shoes

Last year I wore a lot more flats than ever with the increase in barefoot running and, now with the move to the Corporate Center on the horizon, it's a nice excuse to treat myself. These Madden Girl Pumps are a great classic shoe. I have them in pink now and just scopped up a couple more pairs since thier on sale for about $30. Note: They have them in taupe (below), which matches most everything.

Made Trader Joes brownies for Eric last night [since he cooked dinner]; they are currently still on my counter since he didn't want to take them to work ... I hope Sailor doesn't eat them today. They were super easy (only need 2 Eggs, Stick of Butter, Brownie Mix and 25 min in the oven) and a nice treat after a 3rd straight day of running [for me, S, and Eric].

Celebrate

Brad and Wen are engaged! It's turning out to be the year for weddings with Emily and Odis in May and Brad and Kacey sometime late this year [or next]. Couldn't be more thrilled at the news :)!

..they also had an excellent BBQ last night at their adorable home last night.

Eric/Huff/Tudor/Kev and crew had amazing runs Saturday (1/2 Marathon). Big thanks to Stacy putting up with monster puppy (aka the #1 Barking Fan) and I traipsing around town cheering everyone on. Sails pushed up her milage to 7.5 on Saturday - very proud of her! She got more "HI SAILOR" calls than Stac or I did ... humph. Guess she's a celebrapuppy. Shout out to Kev for his 1:27 PR ... way to go ... you're a mere blurr on my camera.

Eric and I got a LOT done on the garden (pictures to come). Carrots, Broccoli, Spinach, and Lettuce are in the ground. Tomato's (3 varieties), Peppers (Sweet, Banana, and Hot), Cucumbers, and Squash are all germinating now as well. E won the battle with neighbor-Mike's tiller and got the compost/10-10-10/soil mixed in with the [awful] Carolina clay. I have a new appreciation for the dirt I grew up playing in.

Itching to get to the weekend and have another fun filled time @ Mike and Sarah's.

Beer Mile prizes for Thursday have been acquired as well as some fab volunteers.
And...thanks to Molls, I have 5 yoga sessions at The Yoga Oasis to use --- feeling very lucky and more open a. Thanks for the sweet/thoughtful/awesome gift, Molls!

365 Days Later

Big Announcement - I've officially got a new job as of 4/1. Very excited to join my new group [still at BAML, but in nicer digs @ the corporate center] and sad to leave me awesome teammates. But, my window cube is going to someone very brilliant, awesome, and deserving.

So much on the horizon this year, and it's only March. I am truly thankful for all the wonderful friends here in Charlotte [and elsewhere] and how much we have all been there for/with each other over the past year. Thinking back to Beer Mile last year and now this year...what a difference!

Big shout out to Tud on being under contract on his [almost] home. Yay!

On that note ... for this weekend:

• Corporate Cup on Saturday. Sailor and I will be running around cheerleading Eric, Huff, Tudor, Kev, and some more Charlotte Runners on. Look for us on Tryon, Queens, and Morehead. I'll be the one with the howling red dog.
• Sunday: BBQ at the McIntosh/Norvell home. So excited to go see all the cherry blossoms.

Next Week:

• Thursday - BEER MILE
• Friday - Matty's birthday shindig in NoDa (Cabo Fish Taco and some Live Music at the Evening Muse)
• Saturday - St. Patty's celebration at the Mike & Sarah's; a drink in every room should lead to an exciting evening
• Sunday - Brian Regan!

For Walter

Charlotte Craft Beer Week coming this Friday. Who wants to do what? Email me!

Sailor is telling me time for bed by nuzzling right next to me, more tomorrow.

Blurry Growth

Thanks for the genetics, Mom and Dad. Eyes got worse this year, but it meant a cute new pair of Kate Spade spectacles (Spectrum Eyecare uptown is supurb).

What a weekend - Friday was a late OT Devils win (watched at Ed's ... thankfully they have the NHL package) followed by a fun jaunt to NoDa with Tud/Molls (Dolce Vita, adorable and had live music). Saturday I finally got the shop vac I have been eyeing since Christmas (chew as many sticks as you want now Sailor!). It was a steal at Sams Club for $30. Great little rainy BBQ at the ranch Friday with awesome friends ... and a great couple rounds of wii bowling. Thanks for making the hike everyone!

"No-Plans-Sunday" was relaxing. Came home to find my lillies growing :) Sunflowers are growing like weeds (note: Weeds Season 6 disc 2 comes this week, le sigh). Sailor, Eric and I rocked out some fast sub 8min miles for 4.5miles last night since the rain gave way to a beautiful night. Ended with some great salmon and flounder for dinner from Trader Joes.

Stretch and Breath

Fantastic run with Molls this evening and then my Molly Massage a day early! Feeling superb and thankful for such a great and quality friend.

Pending news about work, stay tuned. Thankful for the great people I work with [and next to] (that's especially you "tams" who always always always helps me troubleshoot and teaches me how "self sooth" when wanting to crush Excel under my heel).

Tomorrow was supposed to be a day off, but now is looking like "cult" TAC class minus Huff :( followed by a run with the pstone crowd. Eric hasn't been yet and since today was tugboat's off-day, tomorrow she'll need a solid 4.5 miles.

Friday is a Devil's game ... anyone up to coming out to the Ranch and being my partner in crime?! I'm not allowed to make plans for the weekend, so I've got nothing to really report :/

Garden Update - Eric sent me a pic of the lettuce that is already sprouting! We planted Saturday and by Tuesday there were signs of life - woot woot! My lilies look lively on the front window but, no movement yet on the Lipstick Flowers or herbs. Patience is a virtue I am constantly battle.

Upcoming:

• March 20 - Brian Regan at Ovens (Eric and I will be there!)

Feathers

Poor pillow didn't see it coming. I wonder how long it took her..

Even though monster puppy was as described, she had an awesome run tugging Matty Sandness and me around tonight.

Trying very hard to find the Devils on TV uptown tomorrow [but, no luck currently]. Had a g-r-e-a-t time with the cooper crowd tonight - so many thanks again to Wendy for everything that it has taken to get it organized.

Groupon Generation

In case you haven't seen this yet -- Redbox Groupon for $1 gets you 3 movie rentals.

Happy staying-in-nights!

(and yes Dad, as one of my 2 followers, if you're reading this, the slides will be done today for your presentation. I promise.)

Countdown to Chucktown

 This picture was used to prove Eric should still be in the 20-24 age bracket in the Grand Prix R4YL series.

1 Romanian driver, 2 states, and 3 unruly passengers = great time.

Charleston can't come soon enough - very excited for 2 houses this year with twice as many crazy runners. Thanks, Wen, for getting it all together!!

Rompy Weekend

Another great weekend for the books here in Charlotte -- finally got to catch up with ms.-on-the-go in ATL on Friday during the tragic Devils loss (note: I tried to go in the other room to not be deemed as "bad luck"). I couldn't be more proud of the political prowess of my Jules. The trail run wore tugboat out Saturday... she did manage to attempt a coup d'état during our second lap. She is smart enough to know that while I'm barefoot on gravel and ahead of her, she can stop quickly and catch me off guard and run the opposite way.

Touche Sailor, touche.

Garden is all set for the first-of-season-veggies (lettuce, carrots, herbs, etc..) Lowes didn't know what hit them with all the seeds we bought and a couple flowers for me to plant + 10% off coupon (thanks Huff!). Looking forward to the seedlings and my lilies to grow.

I'll never go to the movies uptown again past 8pm - it only means you get stuck trying to use the bathroom at the same time as the "in crowd" dressed in spandex and a neon bra breaking into a fight, but, the night was an overall success - thank you for planning it, Eric :)!

At the par 3 course out in ranch-land, I proved to the boys(Huff/Eric) that you can make par with only a putter. Ryan also owes me $5 for betting that I could hit someone - sorry guy in the long pants/sleeves when it was 75 outside. You were collateral damage. Grilled out after with Walter and Sara Beth ... Sara Beth gets a special note here for her delicious wheat pasta salad and white chocolate chip brownies AND suggesting we have a date night where all the girls where Rompers. She is a keeper, Walter :)

Nothing special yet this week except my appointment for a Molly Massage (great valentine's present hehe). Looking forward to lots of runs after work this week and a "No Plans Sunday" per Eric's request.

Turn for the Great

Work has been a true surprise today and I'm thrilled to finally have a relaxing evening.

Tonight is looking like steak kabobs and some quality beers on the deck watching Tugs chew some trees in the yard. Eric sent me a nice reminder that if I would not like to partake in actively watching the Devils tonight, I can finish up reupholstering the chair torn apart in the front room (I know he just wants to go fabric shopping Sunday!).

Saturday evening is looking like a double, possibly triple date night followed by drinks at Taco Mac's (great idea Sarah K.). Huff and I have been plotting some golf at Larkhaven on Sunday ($28/person is a deal for 70 and sunny) with some grilling on the patio after.

Here's to the end to a stressful week!

Epic Fail

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday, finally had a run without Sails and I was exhausted. The quick dinner date at Brixx was a nice change of pace too, what a treat (maybe some other time Pio Pio!)


Note: When you attempt to show your gaggle of coworkers a box jump on a recycling bin ... epic failure is eminent. Thanks for piping up that it was a bad idea beforehand "MAP" (haha).


Upcoming:

• Amos Lee 4/23 at the Knight Theater; I've already purchased 4 tickets for Wen, B-rad, Eric and myself. Hope more can come, but it's Easter Weekend (FYI).

This Week:

• Saturday Night: Wen/Sarah will be at P-Stone singing a lot of journey if anyone wants to attend (Not sure where E and I will be since we've got grand plans for planting on Saturday ... I am dead set on growing more tomatoes than him this year! We might head back into town)
• Saturday Morning: Eric and I are planning on running Reedy Creek trails [with tugs towing] if anyone wants to join, text me
• "Misery" [my coworker] wanted me to give a shout out to the band Yardwork who are playing at Amos's this Friday -- here you go...

Also, I heard Walter Herbert was mocking the name of the blog ... feel free to send in a better suggestion anytime :P

Exciting News!

As resident planner and inbox blaster, I'm going to try and see if I can ramp up the crowd to read this, a possibly more exciting channel than my emails, to get updates on plans. It's also a nice way to keep my Florida fam and friends in the know, since I'm about as good at returning phone calls as I am at box jumps.

The recent amazing news is my very best friend will have an onsite interview at GOOGLE soon - hugs/kisses/prayers galore in prep for her adventure to the west coast.

This week:
Wednesday: Run and Dinner. Thinking Pio Pio or the famous East Blvd Brixx ($2.50 drafts would be a nice treat after a good run)

Friday: 2 words .. Devils Game. Wanted to get in a track workout and RoCo ... but, maybe another day. Devils are on a STREAK!

Weekend: Sarah K. and I will be taking the dogs on a nice hike to Crowders to wear them out...if Bella/Sails could ever be tired. But, at least peeing all over the woods beats marking territory at the ranch house. (I say this as I type at monster pup is dead asleep on my legs).

Upcoming:

• Next Friday: First Friday Southend Gallery Crawl ending at somewhere fun (Phats Burrito?)
• Restaurant to Try: Wen/Sarah M. were talking about Cowfish and now I'm itching to check it out too; sushi and burgers! Somewhere Eric and I would both enjoy!

Exciting news pending this week - Nite from an already sleeping Tugboat. More tomorrow.