Flavor of Friday #3

For the last “Flavor of Fridays” I was posting my top five simple things in life right now. Well….yesterday I found out that another one of my friends is six weeks pregnant – there will be babies everywhere!! Yeah! Therefore, today’s Flavor of Friday is going to be about my top five favorite things when I was a kid!

1. Doggie. (Please hold your laughs!) I got a stuffed dog when I was 3 or 4 and I am not sure what made me so attached to it but it was the equivalent for me as a blanket is to most other kids. I named him doggie (I know, very original) and he went everywhere with me. We cuddled every night and even in high school he was still somewhere in my bed (please, continue to hold your laughs). He went to college with me (even though he did spend a lot of time in the closet (he prefers the dark, ha ha)). He is now in my closet at Eastover ridge, enjoying the view from my top shelf. Doggie turned 22 this year and is still going strong except his personal hygiene is not up to par; he hasn’t bathed in 17 years! Ewww.

2. Crayola Markers – Blair and I loved to color. I mean we LOVED to color and draw with markers. You could entertain us for hours with a coloring book and our markers until one day… we got bored with the coloring book and turned the markers on each other. Sesame Street was on and sister and I wanted to look like Bert and Ernie so we made it happen by coloring all exposed skin on our hands and arms. It was definitely worth the punishment of loosing marker privileges for a little!!!! But, even to this day I still love to color!

3. REAL playground equipment - The old playground at Civitan Park was a REAL playground, not one of these pansy plastic things. This was a giant metal structure with a barrel in the middle that allowed you to climb up a story on a rod iron ladder that took you to a platform at the top which held three slides. The slides here covered, twisty, slick and always hot! They were real slides! This was a playground. Poor kids today have no clue what they were missing!
The merry-go-round at Harmon Park could entertain a kid for hours. You could put a dollar on it that some kid would ALWAYS get sick, thrown off or drug under this merry-go-round; someone was for sure going home hurt- no doubt about it…. Again, poor kids these days for missing out on the merry-go-round.

4. Reading Rainbow – “Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high. Take a look, it’s in a book – Reading Rainbow. I can go anywhere! Friends to know and ways to grow – Reading Rainbow.” I still can’t figure out why I loved Reading Rainbow. I think the theme song has some kind of hypnosis in it because lets be serious…the writer of that song was smoking something when he came up with those lyrics. He was hoping to “go somewhere”. Anyway, Reading rainbow was produced to get kids to read…that’s right, kids have to watch a TV show to get them to pick up a book. Yes, it’s counter-intuitive but Reading Rainbow was the shit, especially when they showed it in our classes at school during snack! Be honest with yourself, you loved LeVar Burton’s high tops too!

5. The Kernersville Dairy Queen – There was one dairy queen in Kernersville right near our church. We always went to church on Wednesday night for Wednesday Night Live. This was dinner with our friends and families and then sessions like Sunday school after. The food at Wednesday Night Live was always hit or miss. I swear sometimes that stuff would kill you – worse than cafeteria food! Therefore, the nights that the smell would make you gag when you walked into the fellowship hall, mom and dad and Joan and Earl would give me, Blair, Sarah and Katie money to run down the street to Dairy Queen to eat instead. We thought we were so cool because they let us go on our on. Something about Dairy Queen Blizzards were amazing! That dairy queen was so good until one day when it started going downhill and after only a couple years it closed. it closed not because they did not have business; not because their sanitation grade was bad; not because they re-located, but because it was a drug dealing establishment. Drugs were grown and sold through the back door of the Kernersville Dairy Queen. RIP DQ.

Makes My Mouth Water

Follow Up:
The two recipes below turned out pretty darn good.

They are VERY easy recipes but somehow I still managed to mangle one of them! HA HA BUT....it still turned out fabulous, maybe even better!
Here is what happened....

The Harris Teeter had the whole roasted chickens on sale for only $2.99 for the ENTIRE bird! So...instead of buying chicken and boiling it for the Chicken Spaghetti I cut up this little, already cooked, beauty. Since it was already cooked, I bought a can of chicken broth to boil the noodles in. Welllllll....after the noodles were done boiling, I strained them and dumped out ALL the broth. (Not cool since the recipe calls for 2 cups reserved chicken broth from the pot) So, to fix my mistake, I grabbed a can of cream of chicken I had in the pantry and added it to the mixing bowl along with a can of water (close enough to chicken broth, right?!)
I threw all this in the pan and finished with the rest of directions.
IT CAME OUT AMAZING!!!! yum! It's fool proof! My fave!

I am also picky about green beans; ask mom. I used to eat only Maw-Maw's green beans and, now that mom makes them like Maw-Maw its moved to only Mom's green beans - UNTIL NOW. This Spanish green bean recipe was to die for. It was extremely easy, cheap and low maintenance. See, I am not as picky as everyone thinks I am; I'm growing up!

It's Dinner Time

I am cooking dinner tonight for a pretty critical audience :) and I needed something with common ingredients but a little twist. I will let you know tomorrow how it turns out!

Let me introduce you to the menu:

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
1/2 cup finelly diced onion
1 - 4 oz jar diced pimentos, drained
3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into two inch pieces
2 cups reserved chicken broth from pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 additional cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cook 1 chicken and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil.)


"Spanish" Green Beans


Ingredients:
4 Cans Whole Green Beans (or 1 - 2 lbs. fresh)
2 Cans Whole Tomatoes
1 Medium Onion
1/3 Package (5 slices) Bacon
Cayenne Pepper


Slice the bacon up into 1 inch pieces and start cooking them in a large skillet or dutch oven. Keep cooking until bacon turns brown. Meanwhile, dice 1 medium onion. When the bacon is begining to turn brown, drain some of hte fat and then add the onions. Cook, stirring now and then, until bacon and onions are both turning a nice golden.


Drain the green beans and add them right into the pan with the bacon and the onions. Next, throw in the two cans of whole tomatoes with their juice. Stir around gently and then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 45 mintues.


When they are finished cooking add Cayenne pepper to taste, up to about 1/4 of a teaspoon for a hotter dish. Stir gently and serve!

Come Back Halloween

Halloween . . . . . .

It loves me.

It loves me not.

It loves me.

It loves me not.

Right now I have a love/hate relationship with Halloween. I feel like I am at that weird age for Halloween. For obvious reasons I can’t go trick-or-treating, but . . . I can’t hand out candy which I LOVE to do because “kids” don’t seem to stop by Eastover Ridge to trick-or-treat unless they want to borrow some beer.

Therefore, since it is a “holiday” the pressure is on to do something fun which entitles either a friend’s Halloween house party or hit up the downtown scene at the bar. The only problem with that…you have to dress up. It’s inevitable. If you don’t, you will be “that girl.”

Therefore, we move to my next reason why I am just not a Halloween fan at age 25. Halloween is the one night out of the year for the female race to wear the sluttiest outfit to draw ultimately negative attention to herself and the male species to either show how arrogant or corny they really are. The worst part is…everyone spends “boo”-coos of money on a costume to wear it ONLY this night (because lets be serious, you can’t be seen on Facebook two Halloweens in a row wearing the same costume ! lame-o!) and…to top it off… no one remembers the next day what you were anyways due to the massive amounts of alcohol they had to consume to stay warm and feel better about themselves in their sluty costume.

Halloween.

Just not one of my favorite holidays. Slightly over rated for the individuals that are over the age to trick-or-treat but under the age to have a kid to take trick-or-treating. Oh what to do…..

What happened to the days when Blair and I would carve pumpkins on the back porch and mom would bake the pumpkin seeds? What happened to it always being so cold on October 31 and no matter what you wore you were totally miserable in your costume? What happened to the days when all the kids in the neighborhood would meet on the lawn at the Pizzulo’s house and have McDonalds Happy Meals for dinner before scattering to ring doorbells? What happened to dressing up like Cherry Merry Muffin, Big Bird, the three little pigs with Sarah, or a bag of Jelly Beans? What happened to the times when Halloween was fun?!

Come back Halloween!

Special Weekend

It was a special weekend for so many reasons.

Sister and Sam celebrated their one year anniversary yesterday! Love you two and congratulations! Your marriage is one we all only hope and dream for!

Here is the slideshow of their wedding pictures if you missed the actual event! (Turn on your sound- good music!)


Their wedding took place on Bald Head Island with 120 of their closest family and friends.
http://clients.loganwallacephoto.com/higgins_howard/

And on that note: more good news . . .
Sister also went to the doctor today and she and Sam are expecting a little one on June 4th! Ahhhhh I can’t wait to be Auntie Blain!!! This kid is going to be loved more than it will ever know!!!

click pictures to view larger

And…
Happy Birthday Ryan Lynn!!!! Yesterday Ryan celebrated her 26th Birthday! Ryan and I met in Kindergarten and have been friends ever since. Ryan is a friend you can ALWAYS count on. She is always there, honest, and supportive. I wouldn’t trade her for the world!!!! Love you Hays!

And…
I spent the weekend in Wilmington with the girls celebrating Bullard’s Bachelorette Bash! I was so blessed to meet the most amazing friends in college and you can guarantee to pee in your pants when you put us all together. I have never laughed so hard in my life….hopefully pictures from the weekend will follow soon. Congratulations Ash! You and Mr. Lackey are going to be so happy together; I am excited to share in this occasion with you!!

Why....

I started to cry and then got angry.

For the second time in a week.

A message I didn't want to hear.

Another friend.

I don't know how to feel.

It's so unfair.

Why worry about eating healthy?

Why worry about exercising on a regular basis?

100 years ago those were the only things you had to do in order to see your 102nd birthday.

But today...

I am convinced that unless you live in a bubble, no matter how many organic fruits and vegetables you eat, no matter how many miles you log on the treadmill, your chance is as good as anyone.

No matter what.

It's a toss-up.

It's honestly a gamble.

Cancer.

It is not fair.

How does it select its victims?

Why does it select its victims?

I am having a hard time realizing how it fits into God's plan for us?

After finding out last week that the dad of a good friend was diagnosed with stage four cancer of his lungs and lymph nodes, I found out yesterday that a family friend has been diagnosed with breast cancer and cancer of the lymph nodes.

It's unfair.

Everything today is linked to cancer.

How do we stop it?

What do we do?

It makes me so angry, sad and scared all at the same time.

It's "too close to home."

It's affecting my friends.

Make it go away.

Make it stop.

Leave us alone.

Please keep Mrs. Karen Gosselin and Mr. Gildea in your every prayer

Goodbye "Summer Camp"

I.

Am.

Out.

Eastover Ridge, it has been a pleasure…but there are bigger things waiting for me in uptown!

You have taught me how to never let go of that college kid in all of us.

You have allowed me to meet some of the most amazing people I will call friends until the day I die.

You have given me many Saturday and Sunday fun days by the pool and at my neighbor’s apartments playing rock band and watching TV.

You have introduced me to two total strangers who turned into amazing friends and roommates.

You were there to experience with me what it is like to be 100% independent and truly living on my own for the very first time.

You have hosted bachelorette parties, dinner gatherings, Friday night movies, sleepovers with friends, and pre-game night out events.

You let me go on my very first day in the corporate world and watched me take my first step into grad school.

You have provided me shaded safe sidewalks to run and a family friendly neighborhood all around.

You have experienced it all with me.

You are the place I lived when I finally called Charlotte “home.”

Eastover Ridge, you will be missed. I have lived with you longer than any other place besides my childhood house. You hold some of the most precious and dear memories over the past three years that I will never forget.

We experienced this time together.

Goodbye “Summer Camp”. I love you.

Flavor of Friday #2

It is the second installment of Flavor of Friday. I am always so thankful for Friday’s to come and it makes me think of the everyday simple things in life. Therefore I have compiled my second list of top 5 simple things in life right now.

1. The little tear that ran down my face this morning when I heard that my lifelong best friend found out she is expecting twins! A tear of joy. Congrats Sarah and Adam!

2. The smell of lemon scent pledge. It reminds me of being a kid on a Saturday morning as mom cleaned house with all of the doors and windows open.

3. The ability of dental Floss. I don’t care if I have not showered in six days, if I can floss my teeth, I feel clean!

4. A morning BBM from sister telling me to have a fantastic day

5. Prayer. It is a simple everyday thing. But at the same time a big everyday thing. Today, my simple every minute thing is to pray for Pat’s dad who was diagnosed this morning with stage 4 lung cancer. Keep him in your prayers please.

The future Mother and Grandmother of twins!

(click to view picture larger)

Sha-ney-ney

I was blessed.

I had the most amazing, absolute amazing, ridiculously incredible roommate my freshman and sophomore year of college.

At first, I knew who she was but did not really know her. She was from Kernersville; we just went to different high schools.

We both had plans to attend NC State the fall of 2002 as freshman and neither of us had roommates.

A mutual friend, Leslie Routh, introduced us and the rest was history. (A wonderful love story I know!)

Shannon and I met for the first time at TJ’s deli in Kernersville and immediately began making plans about school, classes, and of course the décor of our dorm room!

Over the next several weeks we exchanged conversations over the phone and agreed to meet at Belk at Hanes mall to pick out matching bedding. With our mothers help we purchased matching bright colored comforters. We decided on lofts for our beds and a futon on the floor. The vision was there.

The day we moved in, we both arrived with our “life” in our hands and the help of our parents and sisters to move it into Lee Hall. Our parents were very similar with “over caring” mothers and dads who wanted to just “get it done.” We came from very similar families, similar backgrounds and we both had a sister we had spent the last 18 years making our best friends.

Our stuff was moved into 410C Lee Hall by mid afternoon and we were officially college kids. It was time for our parents to head back to Kernersville with sore backs and beads of sweat running down their temples. After tears from everyone and short lectures from both sets of parents about locking the doors, staying together and never-leaving-one-another –without-knowing-where-the –other-is-at, we watched from the balcony as they headed to the parking lot.

Shannon and I stood there without saying a word or moving a muscle. After several minutes we both turned to walk back down the hallway and as we faced each other our eyes were identical; small pools were forming on the bottom lids.

We entered the room, climbed on our lofts, and the tears began to flow like Niagara Falls. Neither of us said anything…but we didn’t need to. I knew what she was thinking and she knew exactly what I was thinking. We were on our own, but at least we were doing it together!
Over the next year, Shannon and I did everything together. She had her quirks and I had mine but we appreciated them in each other. That’s what made her who she was. Shannon was a neat freak, honestly almost OCD, but I loved that about her. It made me a better person! You could always bet our room would be PERFECT no matter what time of day you walked in; she was a girl of my own heart! I loved at night waking up at 1am and finding Shannon typing away on her computer below as she was talking up a storm on AIM. I loved coming home from a mid-morning class and finding her wrapped up in the NCSU blanket on the futon napping EVERYDAY. It’s hard to get along in such a tiny space but we made it happen and I enjoyed every minute.

After our freshman year we decided we still wanted to live together but somewhere off campus. We joined forces with Kelly Schwartz and Leslie Routh and got a townhouse at University Suites. Shannon and I shared the downstairs and we enjoyed yet another year as roomies! We had almost all the same classes so I knew I always had help right across the hall. Shannon was extremely smart and talented and I knew I could always depend on her.

We parted ways as roomies when I moved into the sorority house our junior year but the friendship with Shannon didn’t disappear. I love that child with all my heart and I will never forget all the memories we made together. College would not have been the same if she wouldn’t have been in the picture.

Shannon is now married to one of the most precious guys who loves her deeply and they are living back in Winston-Salem.

This morning as I was walking into work, I heard someone yell my name through the parking lot. I turned around and it was Reggie, Shannon’s father. I was so excited to see a familiar face. Sometimes I feel lost in a sea of 900 in our building but to see Reggie brought a smile to my face so early in the morning. Reggie works for Duke at Allen Steam Plant but was at the Energy Center working on a project today. We stopped and talked for awhile as we caught up from the last time we saw each other several years ago at Shannon’s wedding. I asked if he would send me Shannon and Justin’s home address and he said he would email it to me this morning. I received the following email a little bit ago:

It was nice to see you. I just talked to Robin and told her I ran into you. I also told her there was no way that just a few short years ago we were helping move that young lady I walked in with this morning into a dorm and then an apartment! Ya’ll have all grown up so fast, and done so well. We are all so proud of you kids (I can still call ya’ll that, can’t I?) I can only imagine being down here when I was your age, but you’ll do well. I know that it’s been tough on Shannon, but I truly believe that she’ll come through this much better than she can imagine. Shannon and Justin’s address is as follows:

Shannon Grubbs
** address deleted for privacy
Winston-Salem, N.C. 27107

Don’t know if you are going to K’ville this weekend, or not, but we’re having the Chicken Stew Saturday beginning around 5:30 or 6:00 P.M. We’d love for you all to come, tell your mom and dad, they’ll know most of the folks there. Again, it was good to see you, take care.

It made me miss Shannon more than ever but also made me realize what a blessing it is to have met her my freshman year and to have had her as a part of my life!
She is an amazing friend and I would not have survived or become who I am today if it were not for her!

It's Just Not Worth It

Yesterday I was in procrastination mode so I called Dustin. Dustin just bought a house. It’s a cute little house but it definitely needed some paint and furniture (I’m sorry, I meant “handsome” house. I learned you never call a guy’s house “cute”.)

Anyways, Dustin bought an entire bedroom, living room and dining room straight out of IKEA’s. It is great furniture for a good price but….

When you buy furniture from IKEA it comes in 100000000 different pieces. It really is annoying but I love this kind of stuff. I love to build and assemble. Each piece comes with picture instructions (they can't put words on their instructions since they sell it internationally). Most people hate this kind of stuff but I get super excited about it!

So... Dustin and I started out and got his bedroom done -2 dressers and a night stand; piece of cake. He then wanted to hang the panels he bought to use as blinds/curtains in the living room. Now, I love working with Dustin because he will admit he gets confused over this stuff so he sits back, lets me look through the instructions, figure it out and then give him instructions about what and where we are going to put it. After finishing the dressers and night stand with ease I think both of us had gotten big heads and thought we could tackle anything. NOT! The panels and sliding track were a slap in the face. They were awful. Tiny little threaded pieces only to be screwed in with a small, small, small, small, small allen wrench. It was a nightmare. Everything was sold separately and in separate boxes. Everything needed to be measured and hung level in a straight line. An absolute nightmare. The panels even had to be assembled. Again, a freakin nightmare.

The final product looked really nice against Dustin’s lime green wall but….it wasn’t worth the hassle. I would have paid the extra bucks to purchase these already assembled. The two hours spent on hanging those stupid panels I will never get back.

Below is what I am talking about: don’t waste your time! (and at the top were the pieces that attached to each pannel)

Flavor of Friday

As soon as I woke up this morning, the first thing I thought was...Thank Goodness Its Friday.
Its was all I thought about as I was in the shower.....T.G.I.F
As I was drying my hair I began to think of the other things that made my day besides it being Friday. The first five things that popped into my head were (prepare yourself, some of these are very random but remember, it was 4:30am)

1. Clean, warm sheets right out of the dryer

2. My home..and not my home in Charlotte. I LOVE it that my parents still live in the same house I grew up in. It's rare and it really brings a smile to my face everytime I think of home.

3. The five minutes I have to myself in the morning during the drive to work. Sunroof open, no radio and complete silence all around the city. ME time.

4. The windows open at night in my room as I listen to late night tennis players on the courts outside.

5. Yankee Candles in Christmas Tree and Christmas Wreath scents. Yes, we do burn these year round in our apartment. Its Christmas everyday in 336!


What are your everyday simple things of life?

You Don't Need A GPS

Have you ever gotten lost? Made a wrong turn that put you out on a street you had never heard of? It’s not hard to do in Charlotte because of the fantastic lay out (ha ha) of every street turning into something else, dead ends when you least expect it and huge intersections of at least five roads.

Well I am one of those people that does not own a GPS. I don’t want one. We can’t rely on computers for everything. I will give the credit to my father; he gave me a pretty decent sense of direction. I can’t tell you if I am going north or south at any point in time, but…99% of the time I know exactly where I am and what streets are parallel, perpendicular or coming up. I also don’t like written directions. I like to see an overview of a map (like the maps on Google). Let me look at it for two minutes; let me get an “overhead” view of where I am and if I need to make rights or lefts onto the next street and I am good to go.

Well yesterday, my iPod got the best of me. I was 100% distracted while running and singing “Even if the sky is falling down? Down, Down” (thank you Jay Sean!). I love to go for a run around 6:00 because I get distracted by the large houses in our area and the families that occupy them; it takes my mind off running. It’s like jogging in a little fairy tale picture book of tree lined streets. With the iPod going, my curiosity for new homes, I turned into Forest Gump, “I just kept on going.” I was running through new neighborhoods that I had never before explored when the sun started going down. I then realized I honestly had NO CLUE where I was. I had been making rights and lefts like it was my job, weaving my way down sidewalks until I was clueless where they headed.

I’ll be honest, I slightly panicked. Sure, I don’t look like a serial killer so any of these people would have let me walk up their driveway and ask for a ride back to Eastover, but...my pride was too good for that. That’s when my “overhead map” of Charlotte popped into my head. I knew I was somewhere in the square of Wendover, Providence, Fairview and Sharon Road because the only other major road I had crossed over was Sharon Lane. The next street sign said Arbor Way. Never heard of that before, so I kept running…passed Beresford Road. Nope, never heard of that either. I thought to myself, "Eventually I would have to recognize something." Red Fox Trail – BINGO. I have seen this street sign before. My only choice was to make a left and I was on foot again. I eventually got to Foxcroft Rd. Sweet! I have heard of this too. Looking down Foxcroft I could see cars going faster than if they were in a neighborhood. Yes, a major road! I ran that direction and popped out on Sharon Lane. Whew, I knew exactly where I was but I was not even close to Eastover! It’s ok though, I made it out. Only 3 miles until home!

Moral of the story, you don’t need a GPS, I promise. Pay attention to street names when you are driving. Have an idea of where you “sit” on a map at all times. If you always know your location on a map you will never be “technically” lost. You just have to make it back to a major road which will lead home. You might not be taking the fastest route but, I promise you, you will learn so much more than relying on a British accent to tell you five times “turn left in 1.2 miles”, “turn left in 1.1 miles”, “turn left in .9 miles.”

As Close To A Jail Cell As It Gets for Me

It’s 10ft x 10ft, 3.5 ft tall and navy in color. They are connected side by side and are everywhere. They are any “corporate” person’s nightmare. They are: THE CUBE.

Now, some cubes might be 10ft tall, 8 ft tall, or even 6ft. But oh no, I have the joy of having a cube that I am able to sit in a chair and see EVERYTHING (a little sarcasm; maybe). There are 24 of us in the room, all with open cubes. We can see each other ALL DAY long. TV’s are available in the front of the room for our viewing pleasure, but this is the only perk about having the luxury of the 3.5 ft cube. Otherwise, not only can you see everything, but you can hear everything! Zero privacy in this place. Work conference calls, personal phone calls, personal conversation, and work conversation, whatever it is, if it comes out of your mouth, we all hear it and its now public information. Now don’t get me wrong, this environment is conducive to a lot of the work done here on the trading floor but…..do you ever feel like you know a little too much about your co-workers? It sometimes resembles a jail cell.

To be able to concentrate on any kind of personal work, you either need to have a lap top and totally remove yourself from this room or, you log into this little lifesaver…. http://www.grooveshark.com/

I listen to this at least 60% of the day as I try and concentrate and not let my co-workers conversations and little personal habits make me want to shake the shit out of them. I have made playlists depending on my mood, the time of day or even the project I am working on. This little website has saved me more times than none from going over and literally being ugly to a coworker if he would not stop talking about fantasy football or his drastic weekend where he “got totally wasted off 24 beers.”

I plug my headphones in, select my playlist or the “most popular” selection and away I go knocking out all kinds of mundane tasks that have to be accomplished in a typical day.

Thank you Grooveshark for saving my patience!

click to view a larger pic of my personal cell

Want to trade places?

Vote Now

Doc Hendley is a 2005 Graduate of NC State and has been named a Top 10 CNN Hero. The Top 10 Heros were voted on by a panel of judges which included Gen. Colin Powell, Phil Jackson and Ted Turner. Doc is the founder and president of Wine To Water which he began in 2003. Wine to Water is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit aid organization focused on providing clean water to needy people around the world. Over 1 billon people in the world today lack access to adequate water and sanitation. Wine to Water is devoted to fighting the epidemic.

In 2003 Doc dreamed up the concept of the organization while bartending and playing music in nightclubs around Raleigh, North Carolina. In January of 2004 the first fundraiser was held and by August of that same year Doc was living in Darfur, Sudan installing water systems for victims of the government supported genocide.

When Doc returned home in August of 2005 the haunting memories of what he had seen in Darfur drove him to continue building the organization he started two years before. In 2007, after working two jobs and volunteering his time for over three years, Wine To Water became an official 501 (c) (3) and Doc's dream finally became a reality. "When the idea came to me to start Wine To Water the only real world job experience I had was tending bar. I dreamed of building an organization that fought water related death and disease using completely different methods than anyone else. So I started raising money to fight this water epidemic the best way I knew how, by pouring wine and playing music."

Doc's dream, and now the goal of Wine To Water, is to quench the thirst of the needy in a way that sets them apart from the rest of the world. "If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." (Mathew 10:42)

Vote for Doc Here:


And check out this video:


Also, see how Wine to Water began and where they got their name from; Great Story!: http://winetowater.org/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=2

Check out the full article here and more inspiring videos:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/30/heroes.doc.hendley/index.html


And....if you know me, you will know why else I think this guy is totally awesome....not only does he have a heart of gold but he has tatoos!! Fabulous mix :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURA!

click picture to view larger

My friends are everything to me. I depend on them more then they will ever know and Miss Laura Faust is no exception!


Laura and I have only been good friends for the past couple years but we would have anyone fooled. After she moved to Charlotte and became roomies with two of my buddies Ted and Thunda, things with Laura and I just started clicking and I could not be more thankful that we have become good friends. I would say we think alike and have the same little quirks which help us understand each other. She has definitely become someone I turn to in Charlotte when I need anything. Laura possesses a quality that few have. She knows how to listen; something everyone desires in a true friend. Laura truly cares about others and puts her whole heart into her friends. Today we celebrate Miss Laura's 25th birthday!!! -put your party panties on! You all know me and how important birthdays are to me; they are THE most important day of the year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FAUST!

The Most Important Day Is Today

I woke up with a little bounce in my step (which rarely happens at 4:10 am) and something was just telling me to get-a-move-on because today is going to be fantastic…and it’s crazy because it absolutely has been and the day is not nearly over with! I have so much to look forward too ;)

Since it is such a great day…I want to share with you something I have printed off at my desk that I read every morning. It is a blog post written months ago by my pastor. It is just a simple reminder that I think we could all refer to every now and then!

Happy October 1st friends! It’s a Special Day!

Strength for Today

posted by: Pastor Steven Furtick

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow…Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!

Please tell me you know that hymn. It’s one of my favorites. I was singing the third verse of Great is Thy Faithfulness the other day, and I had a relatively profound thought: that’s exactly how it works in the economy of God.

Not the other way around.

God gives strength for today, and hope for tomorrow.

Sometimes we get it backwards. When we worry about the uncertainties of tomorrow we’re bound to bend and break beneath the weight of anxiety. God doesn’t give strength for tomorrow’s tests. He only gives strength for today. Like manna. Each day has enough trouble of its own .

God’s only provision for your future needs is hope. The certainty of His sovereignty is your only guarantee. Make a note though: God doesn’t give you hope for the needs of today. He gives you strength for your immediate needs-and He expects you to do something about them! I’ve met people who waste time hoping things will work out…when God has already given them the strength to make a change and take a step. You can’t substitute hope for hard work, expecting God to do something for you that you can do for yourself.

Do you a have need today? Walk confidently in the strength of your God for the needs of your now.

Do you have a concern about tomorrow? Tomorrow’s strength will be deposited in your account first thing tomorrow morning…not a moment before.Until then, put your hope in Christ alone.

Great is His faithfulness!

Yeah Wolfpack !

So I usually do not do two posts in one day but I have to brag a little bit.
I was reviewing this year’s Princeton Review for the 100 Best Value Colleges for 2009 and NC State ranks #6 in the top ten Public Universities! Go Wolfpack!

Here is the little “blip” that was written about us:
(and check out the rest of the article here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/best-value-colleges.htm)

North Carolina State University

About the School:
Science and technology are a big deal at North Carolina State University, which also has nationally reputable major programs in architecture, design, textiles, management, engineering, agriculture, humanities and social sciences, education, physical & mathematical sciences, natural resources, and veterinary medicine. The College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences form the backbone of the academic program. Professors are generally well prepared to work inside the classroom, and students must often be prepared to work outside the classroom; an important part of NC State’s undergraduate curriculum is its cooperative education program, which allows students to work in the real world for college credit. The university’s First Year College is also notably good at helping undecided students select a major.

Students are a very open, friendly, and tight-knit group, especially considering they attend one of the nation’s larger schools. Of course, when upward of 30,000 graduate and undergraduate students congregate in the same place, it’s a given that great people who have common interests will get along. Atlantic Coast Conference sports are a major part of life. On-campus food and dorms aren’t that great, but a majority of NC State students live off campus and almost all of them go outside of campus to find fun things to do. The campus is big but not too spread out, and its location in the heart of Raleigh allows access to lots of shopping. The bars on Hillsborough Street are also very popular. Raleigh is home to many local bands; hence, students enjoy a happening music scene.

School Stats:
Undergrad enrollment: 22,070
57% male and 43% female
4.12 Average high school GPA
16:1 student to faculty ratio
9% classes taught by TAs

Bang For Your Buck:
At North Carolina State annual expenditures for research and industry-sponsored programs exceed $440 million. The university is ranked 16th among national research universities that conduct nonfederally funded research and 35th nationally in its total expenditures for research and development. It is also ranked 2nd in total state and local research funding among (big-time) research universities. The bottom line is that there is a lot of research going on and a lot of money funding it.

Despite recent tuition increases, NC State continues to be a bargain. The average scholarship and grant packages have increased along with tuition; perhaps more importantly, the average loan debt of students has decreased. Tuition for residents is incredibly low. Out-of-state tuition rates are good, but not great—NC State is not always affordable for nonresidents with a high financial need. The university offers a number of merit-based scholarships, including about 50 Park Scholarships. These scholarships cover full tuition for four years and are awarded on the basis of scholarship, character, leadership, and service. In addition, several hundred merit scholarships are awarded to undergraduates each year, many of which are based on your major. Financial need is a requirement for the allocation of a large percentage of scholarships and grants. The philosophy is to offer loans as a last resort and to first exhaust all scholarship, grant, and work funds.

The Bottom Line:
A year of tuition, fees, room and board, and books is approximately $12,682 for residents and $24,980 for nonresidents. Financial need notwithstanding, there is a huge difference between what residents and nonresidents will have to pay out of pocket. Maybe that’s why only 7 percent of NC State’s domestic undergraduate students hail from outside the Old North State. About 50 percent of all NC State students take out loans—students who borrow money graduate with an average loan debt of roughly $14,930.

CONGRATULATIONS NC STATE!

A Hodge Podge

It’s been a busy little weekend/week so far. Sister came to play with me this weekend and I had more fun with her on Friday night then I have had in a long time. If you don’t have a sister, let alone a twin sister…I am sorry; there might still be hope that your parents lied to you and you have a long lost twin out there…but until then “naa-naa-na-boo-boo” because I already took the best one.

Anyway, Blair and I took our time getting pretty on Friday as we caught up on gossip about all our friends (I mean, I have to be serious, but don’t worry . . . it definitely was all good stuff until we got to some of you crazy cats and you already know who you are!) We then proceeded to the patio of Rock Bottom where we shared a meal and a bottle of wine. Yes, it does sounds like an intimate little date but it was the best date I had been on in a long time even if I did have to pay for myself! The rest of the weekend was a blur with a night out with the girls, Kirsten and Reese’s engagement party, and many “dates with life” which included paying bills, grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, etc etc etc. I finally feel slightly caught up today minus an outstanding paper to write which is due Saturday. Ugh.

But…other than that I always say to myself: “Be happy so long as breath is in you!” SO TRUE!

I went shopping last night with Miss. Laura to transform her into a hot diva for her birthday outing this Saturday. I think we have her hooked up (if she will take my word for it!) I did find out one exciting shopping tidbit: Always pay attention to signs posted around the register. I usually see little signs around the register as clutter or the last desperate effort in trying to get me signed up for their credit card but…at Forever 21, they give 10% discounts for students on all full priced merchandise; all you have to do is show them your student ID! Of course they don’t offer this to you when you are checking out but they did have it posted on a tiny sign mixed in with a rack of jewelry! Pay attention and save some $$$$!

I also tried a new recipe that I want to leave you with as well as one I will be attempting here in the near future. Try them yourself and Enjoy! They are amazing!!!

Stuffed Mushrooms
24 ounces white button mushrooms, washed and stems removed and finely chopped
1/3 pound hot breakfast sausage (or Italian sausage)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool.
Add onions and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat.
Pour in wine to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate.
Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir together with Parmesan cheese.
Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together and refrigerate for a short time to firm up.
Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not piping hot.

Rosemary-Onion Bread with Blue Cheese Topping

1 tablespoon butter
1 large yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt (more to taste)
Freshly chopped rosemary to taste (be generous!)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Saute sliced onions and minced garlic in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Cook them until brown and caramelized, about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
Pour warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top. Add sugar and olive oil, then stir gently with a fork until combined. Set aside.
Combine flour and salt in a separate bowl.
Add flour mixture, onions, and rosemary in alternating ingredients, stirring gently until dough is combined. (It’ll be sticky!)
Generously flour a flat surface. Knead dough 15 to 20 times, adding flour generously to make it easier to handle. (Keep it sticky, though!)
Drizzle olive oil in a separate bowl, then add ball of dough, turning to coat. Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm spot for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Divide dough into eight portions, and form a rough round from each piece. Place on a baking mat or parchment paper, then cover with a towel and allow to rise for 15 to 20 minutes.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until brown. Brush with butter halfway through baking time.To top with blue cheese, either place crumbled blue cheese on completely baked rolls and allow it to soften naturally, OR remove the rolls with five minutes baking time left, top with cheese, and return to the oven to bake/allow cheese to melt.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Divine!

I Love Charlotte

Last night as I was driving to Jenna, Lauren, and Brandon’s to have a Grey’s Anatomy night with the girls, I got super excited about how clear the sky was and how amazing the skyline of Charlotte looked from the stop light at 3rd and Charlottetown. If the light would not have turned green so fast I would have a picture to share but…this lady in her little BMW SUV was probably late picking her son up from soccer practice and started honking at me! Anyways, it made me realize how much I love living in Charlotte (not the crazy lady, but the uptown skyline). I honestly love this city and everything about it. It has grown on me over the past two years and I am 100% excited to call it home…even maybe for the next 10 years before I get an itch to try Boulder, CO or something fun!
Anyways, in honor of my new found glory for the city I call home, I leave you this Friday with a little tribute!



Oh, sister is coming in town this weekend and I always LOVE it when I get to spend time with just me and her! Thanks mom, dad, and the man upstairs for giving me a sister – I couldn’t have asked for a better one!

HAPPY FRIDAY FRIENDS !

Catalyst Uptown

Curiosity killed the cat today. I had to do it. They just finished building a new condo building right next to our office building. They are the only high rise condos in Charlotte that are for lease. I’ve been online and checked out the floor plans and have been dying to see the inside of one of them.

So the cat died as curiosity kicked in this morning. It has been a little slow in the office so one of my co-workers and I decided we were going to go for a tour. As we were introduced to the leasing agent, I played the role of the girl looking for a two bedroom for me and a roommate and my co-worker was coming just as a second opinion. I filled out some paperwork (with absolutely no intention of ever leasing one of these units) and we were swept into an elevator and up to the 17th floor to a 2 bedroom, 1092 square foot condo with 2 baths. All appliances were nice and new, the paint and carpet smelled fresh, and . . . . . . . . That was about it. It was downhill from there!

$1600 per month would get you two tiny as* bedrooms, only one with a so called “walk in closet” (that is if you had steps the size of a two year old) and the other with a closet that would maybe hold three pairs of pumps and ten dresses (but that still might be cramming the hangers in a big tangle). It would get you a hall closet with a stackable washer and dryer (no air drying room here!) and a living room that would hold a loveseat and a wall mounted TV.

If you had enough money left over after rent to even eat, you could use the dining area that would require you to borrow your little cousin’s tea set and plastic playschool table just so you would have enough room to maneuver to the “master” 11 x 11 bedroom!

$1600/month also gets you a 64 square foot balcony which is highly useful if you are a stand-up smoker, but other than that, unless you enjoy the view of dump trucks and the sound of jack hammers constructing the office buildings next door, not a place you want to come home and relax. I discovered the only storage closet in the entire apartment out on the balcony, but after some questioning, found that it is a mechanical room and you are not allowed to keep stuff in it. Oh fabulous, more shit that’s going to go under the bed!

The kitchen was one wall of cabinets and an island, and…..that’s it. You have it; the nice new apartments of the Catalyst in uptown Charlotte!

Oh wait, I forgot two things, $1600 per month also gets you some “unfinished” ceilings walls that look like backer board (If you don’t know what that is check out this picture http://www.jupiter-contractors.com/images/c-shower-wall-backer-board-lg.jpg) because supposedly that is the new look (or the contractors were just too busy staring at women on the street (refer to my post several days ago!)).

And last but not least in your final list of fabulous apartment features, you get overhead lighting outlets on the ceilings in every room with caps so that you can buy and install your own overhead lighting or ceiling fans! Oh how nice of them to let me pick out and purchase my own fixtures that I will NEVER need again unless down the road I lease from another cheap property owner!

Ok maybe I was a little harsh about the inside and features of these apartments, but I had plenty of time to think about it as I walked outside of the building, down a long covered walkway and into a poorly lit six deck parking garage open to the public that the leasing agent admitted to recently having several car break-ins. BUT, don’t be alarmed because there are several security cameras located randomly throughout the garage that can catch the 5’10, 150lb male dressed in a black hoodie with jeans. He probably stands out in a crowd anyways! So, don’t worry about locking your car as you make 10 trips from the parking deck a block over up to your apartment on the 17th floor with groceries in hand; your car will be safe with Catalyst Properties!

Lease from Catalyst today! (Oh, and did I mention, you do have the possibility at this place to be a real idiot....you could buy one of these bad boys! ha)

Another Day, Another Dollar

When I meet someone, there is always one thing I am the most curious about….

What do they do? Are they an architect, accountant, stay at home mom, construction worker, sales representative? 99.99% of the time my guess is wrong and I am usually shocked to hear of their real occupation. (I find I usually don’t give people enough credit!) I still see it scary that my graduating class is in the real world making serious decisions that affect our health, economy and government. We are helping run the world, and I don’t know about you, but this scares the poop out of me! Companies trust us – crazy!

I enjoy listening to my friends tell me about their jobs. It makes up so much time of their life and helps me get to know them better and where they are coming from. I have a lot of friends ask me all the time what I do and usually I just answer, “I am an engineer at Duke Energy.” It is the easiest way out. But then those curious peeps dig further, “Well, what kind of stuff do you do?” And then the cat is out of the bag and I know a 30 minute conversation is in front of me. Majority of the time no one understands what I do because they cannot grasp the concepts of electricity and how it is generated.

Therefore, here we go, a little explanation of what I do at my job:

I work for Duke Energy as a short term load forecaster.

First off, some quick definitions:

Load: demand on an energy producing system

Peak load, peak demand: these two terms are used interchangeably to denote the maximum power requirement of a system at a given time, or the amount of power required to supply customers at times when need is the greatest.

Generating Unit: these are the individual units at each coal fired plant, nuclear plant and hydro plant. Each unit operates independently and most energy production facilities have more than one unit (i.e. Marshal Steam Station, McGuire Nuclear Station, Belews Creek Steam Station http://www.duke-energy.com/power-plants/franchised.asp -check it out, educate yourself!)

Now, using historical data, mathematical models, temperature forecasts, humidity forecasts, holiday and school calendars, and some of my own common sense, I produce a seven day hourly forecast for Duke Energy’s Generation and Bulk Power Marketing floor. Therefore, I put out a forecast that gives our unit commitment individuals an idea of how much energy we need to have on our system each hour to meet our load demand for our service territory. With my forecast, the unit commitment turns around and “fires” our system of individual units to meet this demand. The key here is to “fire” this system economically. Each of our generating units operates at various costs depending on many factors. Therefore, if another utility is selling power for only $30/megawatt and the cheapest we can produce it at with some of our units is $45/megawatt, then it is a more economical decision to buy power from the other utility instead of turning on another unit and producing it ourselves. The whole thing is a huge balancing act. How can we meet our needs at the cheapest cost? So I work with the power traders, meteorologists, and unit commitment guys to make these decisions.

The load forecast is an hourly curve of energy consumption by the customers in the utilities service area. A utility has to make sure they have enough power on their system to meet their peak load demand, but also be able to regulate that generation down during off-peak hours so not to overload the system.

For example: In the winter, the highest peak demand is at 8am. Why? Because everyone is waking up; your lights are coming on, hot water heaters kick in for you to shower, you are turning the heat up so you don’t freeze when getting out of bed, and offices and schools are opening up. You are nearing a morning peak demand. As the sun starts to come up, street lights turn off and the sun starts to heat things up and your heat systems start to regulate down. Then energy consumption continues to fall as the day gets warmer. Therefore, it is my job to forecast that peak number at 8am and the other 23 hourly numbers on either side of that peak to make sure we have enough electricity on our system so that you can go through your morning routines.

I do this for seven days out, every hour. I then monitor and update this seven day forecast on a real time basis ensuring we are continually running our system economically.
That’s it, that’s what I do. How did I get into this….I don’t know. But…it’s a job, and I am doing it.
What about you? What do you do?

Runway 5K Run

Open Invitation!

Several of us are going to run in the 3rd Annual Runway 5K Run on October 31st at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The run is held as a benefit for LifeSpan’s Community Activity and Employment Transition Program. The run/walk starts at 8am and will probably conclude around 9:15. The course runs around the airport and alongside one of the Airports runways which will provide views of planes landing and taking off.

I want to extend the invitation for anyone that would like to run with us! That afternoon is also the NC State vs. Florida State football game and then of course it’s HALLOWEEN! So if you are from out of town, feel free to hang around for the night and the evening activities!

Register now and run with us!
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Airport/CLT+Runway+5K+Run.htm

click to view larger

My 5 Favorite Things

I had a girl at the bar last weekend randomly approach me and start spitting out questions. Three questions she asked were:
1. “How do you get your hair to stack up like that in the back, what do you put in it?”
2. “Where did you get those shoes?”
3. “Who cuts your hair?”
So then one of my girlfriends suggested I do a post on my blog every couple weeks about my “favorite things” so everyone could get to know some “personal” little things about me.
Well…I am up for the challenge so here are my first 5 favorite things!

#1 Cross Canadian Ragweed
The first time I heard this band I believe I was a freshman in college in 2002. They immediately stole my heart. They are such an easy listening band and majority of their CD’s you can pop in and listen to all the way through. I had recently put them on the back burner until I was on a road trip two weeks ago to GA and found one of their CD’s hiding out in disc changer #2! My road trip was then complete. This would be the band I would become a groupie of and follow like Kate Hudson follows the band Stillwater in the movie Almost Famous! (Thank goodness I did not grow up in the 70’s; I would have been in trouble!)

Listen to a couple of their songs here and see if you do not agree!
Alabama: http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Alabama/1160464
Constantly: http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Constantly/857417
17: http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/17/8772695


#2 Nashville Music Marathon

I love to run. It’s my “get-a-way” and every time I am done I feel 10 times better and I am more confident in myself. I also love to run with people. Recently Dustin and I have been running together a lot and I truly enjoy it. I don’t like to talk to people while I am running but just having someone there to help pace you and keep you going is fantastic! But, I want to “run towards something” so…my next new adventure…..

The Country Music Marathon and ½ in Nashville next April.

I have done 5K’s and 10K’s before and love the energy that everyone has while running together. I think it is time to move on now and go for something a little bigger! Two of my girlfriends did this marathon last year and said it was a lot of funs so . . . this year, Nashville, prepare yourself because here I come!!!
http://nashville.competitor.com/


#3 John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing crème

My hair is crazy. It has a mind of its own, honestly. I HAVE to dry it every day with a big round brush to keep it straight and I try my hardest to shy away from a hair straightner because those things just kill your hair. But without a hair straightner I constantly feel like my hair is out of control until I found this…

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing crème

This little baby is a miracle.

Here’s a little overview:
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme replaces natural oils lost during blow-drying or everyday stress and abuse. Transforms puffy, parched hair into a perfect smooth, supple texture.
A revolutionary concept in hair styling and moisturizing, Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon finishing creme provides all-day styling, moisturizing, conditioning and glossing action. Supplementing hair's own sebum, it lightly lubricates hair leaving it supple, smooth and shiny, not parched, puffy or dull. Truly unique, this quick-acting formula utilizes a triggered release mechanism to provide immediate as well as continuous 24-hour coverage. Unrestricted microdroplets of moisturizing oils instantly permeate each hair shaft, without leaving the surface greasy. Replenishing oils lost to blow-drying, it tames flyaways and static. Contains sunscreen to help protect hair from UV damage.

#4 Snooks by Nine West

These T-Strap puppies will become a staple in my closet this fall season! I have ordered them from NineWest.com and cannot wait to rock them out with my skinny jeans and gold jewels! The best thing about these shoes is you can wear them with anything because the heel is only 4”! . . so, even with a dress they don’t look like you just stepped off the stage at Uptown Cabaret and headed out for the night!
Ahhhhh, aren’t they so pretty!

#5 Postcards from Borders Books

I love real mail – like mail delivered by the mail man. I love checking the mailbox and having something physical. No one does it anymore and it is ashamed. If it were not for flyers and junk mail, the mail man’s job has to have gotten a lot easier over the years. With email, texts, BBM’s etc. you lose that personal touch. Therefore, I fell in love with the $1.00 postcards at Borders Books. Every time I am in the Sharon Rd. area I stop in at Borders and pick up a collection of postcards. I keep them at my desk at work so that when I am thinking of a friend or family member, I pull one out, write them a little note and throw it in the mail! I cherish and value my friends and family and whatever I can do to let them know I am thinking of them I want to do. I hope these little notes bring as much sunshine to their day as receiving real mail brings to mine!

Ugh, Frustrating

It is everywhere.

Construction.

Orange barrels

Chain linked fences

Cranes

Dump trucks

Jack hammers

Roach coaches (mobile snack trucks that drive around to the different construction sites grilling up tacos and burgers etc. And in the meantime, transferring the roaches of downtown Charlotte from one location to the next. Ugh, they are gross!)

Roads closed

Bulldozers

Concrete trucks
And the list goes on….

If you look out the front of our office building….that’s all you see. To the front is the construction of the new Duke Energy building, soon to be the second tallest in Charlotte with 48 floors. To the left, a new 20 floor office building which will occupy HDR (an engineering company). To the left of that, The Catalyst, a 27 floor condo building. And in front of that are two new buildings for the arts/theater/museum departments. Therefore, within three blocks, five new buildings.

What does construction bring?….creepy construction workers.

Honestly, they are freaking everywhere!

To walk to Duke Energy’s second building on Tryon, to go out to lunch, to walk to the post office and even to my car in the afternoon, you have to go through these construction sites and today I finally blew a fuse. I went to lunch with Ariston and Aaron at French Quarter and on my way back with Ariston I honestly wanted to hit someone. I am so, absolutely so tired of being stared at. These buildings would have been done last winter if the time that all 10,000 construction workers used in staring at females was used in actual construction. They line the sidewalks during lunch making you swerve in and out of them. When you walk through the crowds of them, I have never been so uncomfortable in my life. These men don’t even try to make it the least bit obvious that they are looking right at you. The groups of men on these construction sites right now are the absolute worse I have ever seen in even making comments when you walk by. I don’t speak clear Spanish but I can make out certain words; I am not deaf! My biggest problem is I don’t know where to look while I am walking. I am most definitely not going to look right at them, but when they don’t even part the sidewalk to let you get through, how do I get them to move and stop looking at me? Where are these men’s manners? Do they never see women? Uptown Cabaret is right across the street….make it a date after work – a “company” outing! STOP STARING AT INNONCENT FEMAIL EMPLOYEES, SERIOUSLY! I cannot wait until this construction is done in a year. I don’t know how much longer I can take it!

Kate

(click any of the pictures to view larger)

About two months ago, through a prayer request from our Church, I learned the story of Kate McRae. My entire heart goes out to Kate and her family and she will be in my prayers every night.

Kate and her family found out several months ago that she has a large brain tumor. Holly (her mom) and Aaron (her dad) had been noticing through the last few months that Kate was not herself. They had taken her to the doctor and nothing was found. They took her in again on Monday June 29th for tremors that started in her right hand. They then proceeded to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for a stat CT of her head. At 5:30 that evening, Holly was taken into a room alone and told Kate had a massive tumor on the basil ganglia portion of her brain. As Holly stated on their website “I called her dad and our journey has begun. One we never would have chose to be a part of, but was chosen for us, and our sweet Kate.”
Here is what Kate’s mom said about her updates back in July:
“The good news is nothing has spread to her spine. The bad news is the location of the tumor. They think it has been a slower growing tumor; however in its growth it has wrapped itself around the major blood vessels that feed the brain. So the tumor is not completely operable. This was devastating. The surgeon said to attempt to remove the entire tumor (about the size of an egg) would be far too risky. She would have an extremely high risk of paralysis or a stroke. So this Friday they will be performing brain surgery to remove as much of the tumor as they feel is safe. They will then biopsy some of the tumor to determine what they are even dealing with. The surgeon believes it is malignant, but not all of it. After they have a definitive diagnosis, early next week, they will set a further treatment plan. This could include more brain surgery, chemo and radiation. Overwhelming, in all aspects.
Today Kate will be getting a PET scan, so please pray that it will be telling. Second, please pray for Dr DeMoss. He is Kate’s neurosurgeon, and supposedly one of the best in the country.. Please cover him in prayer, for wisdom, guidance, direction, and a steady hand. Please pray for Kate for peace, calm and a fighting spirit as this is just the beginning of a very long road. Pray that the tumor will have even more clear margins than appeared on the MRI. Pray that they will be able to remove most of the tumor, if not miraculously all of it. Pray that nothing, absolutely nothing else will be touched and that there will be no negative side effects from the surgery. Pray that whatever the course of treatment, she will end up tumor and cancer free! Pray that God will choose to miraculously intervene for Kate. Pray for Olivia and Will that we will be sensitive to their needs and be able to process it correctly with them. Please just cover her in your prayers”.

Since this post, Kate came through surgery and is now undergoing chemo. Holly posts on Kate’s CaringBridge website almost daily to keep everyone informed of Kate’s condition. These recent posts have been the hardest for me to read. I am embarrassingly naive. I have not experienced the horrifying effects and tolls cancer and its treatment takes on someone and their family. There is no way ANYTHING can prepare a person or a family to go through what Kate, her mom, dad and siblings are going through now. Their life is put on hold for this evil disease. Through reading Holly’s posts, their days consist of ER visits, fevers, throwing up, meds, scans, tubes, blood transfusions, clinical visits, stomach pains, low white blood cell count due to chemo and constant fear of the flu, disease, etc. I get exhausted even reading it; what an amazing, strong 5 year old to be living it! If anyone can give you motivation today it should be Kate. She didn’t ask for this and she is fighting it. I think that proves that all of us can fight through another 8 hours at work, that long meeting this afternoon with our boss, the endless homework for grad school. We know nothing of what pain, worry, anxiety feels like until we have walked in the shoes today of this little girl.

Right now Kate needs our prayers more than ever as tomorrow is a big day for her and her family. As Holly stated in her post today:
“Of course we are asking for your continued dedication in praying for the MRI, kidney function test and hearing evaluation on Wednesday. The MRI tells us if the tumor has shrunk at all from the treatments. The kidney function and hearing evaluation are to determine any detrimental side effects from the chemo. We are praying for amazing results...”

Please help me in praying for Kate McRae and her family so that they can get through this time and that God will chose Kate to be a living example of his power.
If you would like to keep up with her progress, visit Kate’s Caringbridge site here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate/journal

All About The Chicken

I was talking on the phone to mom one day last week and we were discussing how she and dad need to eat better and workout more. (And bless mom’s heart. . . She caught me on a “no sympathy” day where I wasn’t letting up on her.) Neither mom nor dad is overweight, but, eating healthier and working out could totally prevent some issues they are experiencing right now. I didn’t, and will never, let mom or dad off the hook when it comes to eating better and exercising because I want both to be around in 40 years to meet their great grandchildren. Just because physically on the outside they look like totally healthy individuals, who knows what is going down on the inside and we all know we can make better food and workout decisions every day. As mom tried to tell me “But Bean, I am so tired when I leave school, all I want to do is go home and lay down on the couch until I need to cook dinner and your father gets home.” Excuses, Excuses, Excuses. I promise you, the more activity you get the more energy you have and there goes the need to go home and lay on the couch. Just try it once!

Anyway, I feel I am somewhat savvy when it comes to food decisions. I check labels for ingredients and nutrition information. I try to shop only on the outside perimeter of the grocery. I eat organic as much as my checkbook can afford but, I found an article that had several points in it that were new information to me so I thought I would share with you so we can all make smarter and healthier decisions. I want all my family and friends around in 40 years! Make better decisions people so we can have fun together in our old age!

To sum up the article, now that most people are watching their wallet a little more closely when grocery shopping, chicken is being consumed more than fish or red meat. But there are some questions that need to be answered first to ensure you are making the best decision!

1. Is chicken that much better for you than meat? You bet. Compare a broiled skinless chicken breast to a broiled sirloin steak, with the fat trimmed to nearly nothing (a mere 1/8 inch): Ounce for ounce, the steak has a little less protein, about a third more calories, and four times as much fat, half of it saturated. Go chicken!

2. Are free-range chickens more nutritious than regular birds? Nope. Both get a feed mix that's designed to prep them for market, and there's no evidence that free-range chickens are more nutritious. Ideally, free-range birds are more humanely raised, but the USDA only requires that certified free-range chickens have "access" to the outdoors. "That may mean the birds got to stroll on a cement slab for 5 minutes a day," says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Nutrition for Women.

3. Is "pasturized" poultry tastier than free-range? Maybe. Pasturized birds -- think green pastures, not milk processing (that's Pasteur) -- spend most of their lives roaming around a field. Some cooks believe that makes their meat more flavorful. It certainly makes the chickens' lives nicer.

4. Are organic birds hormone-free? Well, yes, but all chickens are hormone-free. It's illegal to give hormones to poultry. Organic mainly means the chickens are raised on 100% organic feed and aren't fed antibiotics.

5. At McDonald's, are you better off ordering Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips or a cheeseburger? A cheeseburger. A five-strip order of Chicken Selects -- thanks to how they’re prepared -- equals more than two McD's cheeseburgers. The tab: 660 calories, 40 grams of fat, and a stunning 1,680 milligrams of sodium. Ouch.