Self-Care

In a year where I'm working on taking better care of my health, now the COVID-19 (coronavirus) is making the news. There have been a lot of cancellations in my area to help prevent the spread of the virus. I'm hoping that all the precautions being taken will help!

As for me, I'm taking extra vitamin C, trying to eat well and get enough sleep, and (of course) washing my hands a lot! I'm also trying to relax at home and take a break from the coronavirus (and stock market) news.

How are you taking care of yourself?

All the Books

I've been on a mission lately to whittle down some of the many Kindle books I've purchased, that are just hanging out on my Kindle and Kindle app. SO many books! Some were on sale. Some were recommendations or passing interests. But they're there, almost begging to be read, and I'm growing hesitant to buy MORE books before I finish some of the Kindle books I already own.

For quite a while, having so many Kindle books "on hand" didn't bother me. They were a comfort, in fact, much like having a bookcase full of interesting books to choose from without gathering dust or (in theory) running out of room. Last year was so challenging personally, since both of my parents passed away. I never knew what I'd be in the mood to read, so it was nice to have a wide variety on hand.

Now, though, I'm ready to add some newer books to my Kindle arsenal, but not without dusting off some older purchases and taking them out for a spin. It's taking some effort sometimes, almost like reading for a class assignment or something. It's all good, though, because I'm making progress, and keeping track on Goodreads.

Want to follow my progress on Goodreads? Click here.

Boning Up on French

Over the past several months, I've been reviewing/learning French on a website and iPhone app called Duolingo. Duolingo makes the language learning process pretty fun! There's a little green owl called Duo that pops up periodically with words of encouragement, which I find cute.

I've also tried my hand at Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and most recently Latin, on Duolingo. The French is easiest for me, since I had French in elementary school, junior and senior high, and a semester in college.

I hope to use my French some day during a trip to France!

My 1,000th Geocache Find

Lesley with Steely Dan

I took a vacation day last Friday to make it an extra long weekend (with July 4th on Thursday). The highlight of the day was finding Steely Dan, my 1,000th geocache! George was a big help with bushwhacking through the woods and navigating to the cache.

This (1,000 geocache finds) has been a goal for several years. Goals are good. So what's next?

Easter Weekend Trip to Delaware

A few weeks ago, I decided it was time for a weekend adventure--a nice change of scenery, as well as something to reset the brain. Work has been good but challenging, and my sister and I have been planning our father's graveside service and interment of ashes. All important stuff, but I needed a break. I thought about it, and made a hotel reservation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Why Rehoboth Beach? First of all, a beach location sounded great! Next, I've never been to Delaware. And it was driveable. Another big lure for me--finding a geocache in a "new" state!

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

My boyfriend had planned to join me, but wasn't feeling well late last week. So, with his blessing, I got up early on Saturday morning and headed north toward Delaware! Between home and Reboboth Beach was a big bridge-tunnel that I was a little nervous about, but looked to save me some travel time. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is 17.6 miles long. I thought I'd be nervous about it, but once I got started, it was really nice! Each side of the bridge (north and south-bound) was two-lane, with plenty of room. The two tunnels were one-lane each way, and little more nerve-wracking for me at first. By the time I came through south-bound, though, the tunnels were a breeze! Whew! The views of the Chesapeake Bay from the bridge were lovely, to boot.

Old Northampton, VA, Courthouse, Eastville

On the way up, I found a geocache in the pretty little town of Eastville, Virginia. The cache was located in the area of the old Northampton County, Virginia, courthouse.

Once in Rehoboth Beach,  I checked into my hotel, found my first Delaware geocache (yay!), then went to dinner at the Pickled Pig Pub (cute name award!). Back at the hotel, I hit the sack early.

Sunday (Easter) morning, I got up early, and decided I couldn't leave without seeing the Atlantic Ocean and the famous Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk. I drove there after checking out of the hotel, and arrived about 7:30 in the

Korean Noodle Stirfry at the Pickled Pig

morning. It was so pretty and peaceful, it was a perfect thing to do! I'm so glad I made the effort.

Afterward, I found another geocache nearby, and then headed toward home.Along the way, I found two geocaches in Maryland and another in Virginia.

This trip was just what I needed, some much needed time away, with the challenge of geocaching. That being said, I was very

glad to get home, which was a good sign!

Planning a Graveside Service

My sister and I have been planning our dad's graveside service for our dad, who passed away in January 2018. The planning has been draining, but also cathartic. I'm mostly excited about visiting with the people who are coming. My aunt from England wins the "farthest distance" award, and I can't wait to visit with her! After my dad's memorial service in January 2018, we had a visitation at the house, and that was definitely my favorite part. So here's to bringing family and friends together!

Cleaning Out the Financial Cobwebs

For a long time, I've been thinking about streamlining my finances. They aren't too complicated, but maybe more complicated than they need to be. It feels good to research better interest rates and makes positive changes to my personal saving goals. (SmartyPig and CapitalOne are my favorite online spots for saving so far.)

I'm also enjoying (for the most part!) learning how to invest. I'm using a couple of online brokers right now, trying to figure out which one I like best. Some of the terms are still fuzzy to me, but I've decided to wade in, a little at a time. My purchases so far have been mostly S&P 500 index funds.

Our Trip to Charleston

George and I visited Charleston, South Carolina, for the few days leading up to Christmas, and we had a fun time! It was our first time there, which made it even more special.

We stayed in the lovely Belmond Charleston Place, a great introduction to Charleston hospitality. We got a room on an upper level,which qualified us for the Concierge Level food and drinks, which was nice!

We ate at several nice restaurants, including Hank's Seafood, High Cotton, and 5Church. We also enjoyed a horse and carriage ride through town, as well as a boat tour of Charleston Harbor.

It was a great time, and I hope we go back for another visit! My photos are here.

What Kind of Friend Am I?

You Are the Optimistic Friend

You are the friend who always sees the bright side. Your friends turn to you when they need a little cheering up. You give everyone a chance, and your friends feel like they can be themselves around you. You aren't judgmental or critical.

You are an easy person to be around with and rarely complain. You feel like it's almost impossible to have a bad time if you're with your friends. While you are glad that your pals appreciate your positivity, you'd like to see some in return. Life isn't as bad as people make it out to be. 

From Blogthings

A New Camera in the House!

I'm excited about my new camera purchase, a Nikon D5600! I've been saving for about a year and a half for it, and finally purchased it last weekend. I was going to buy it from Amazon, but had a good recommendation for a local camera store, Southeast Camera.

I first called the Carrboro store to see if they had this camera in stock, and they did not. I called the Raleigh store next, and thank goodness they had it.

Alas, it's still in the box, but I hope to break it out soon. Maybe I'll even have it working for our upcoming trip to Charleston!

Milestones

Today's my birthday, and it's the first one without both of my parents. My dad passed away in January, and my mom passed away the day after Thanksgiving. This is the first of many firsts without them. What's normally a day of celebration is a sad one, too. It's nice to be remembered, though. And it'll get easier. One of my Facebook friends posted Happy Birthday wishes, along with the hope that the next year doesn't suck. Me too. There you go.

Meanwhile, here's Mom's obituary, which my sister, brother-in-law, nieces, and I worked on collaboratively.

Big Game Weekend

George and Lesley at Wallace Wade Stadium

George and I went to TWO Duke sporting events over the weekend! On Saturday, we went to the Duke-UNC game, on a pretty, but nippy fall day. Duke won, 42-35, in an exciting game (especially for Duke fans!).  At half time, we got to visit with former Duke classmates Jennifer and Debbie, which was fun.

Yesterday afternoon, we went to the Duke-Army basketball game, which Duke won 94-72. It was an exciting game, too!

Who's Still Blogging?

I've been thinking about blogs and blogging lately, as I jumpstart this blog and hope that it draws

some readers and a community of sorts. When I first started blogging, it seemed like a hip thing to do, and I was riding the wave. I blogged often (between several blogs) and enjoyed following and commenting on others' posts.

Nowadays, I wonder if blogging is a thing of the past, not so hip anymore. Some of my favorite blogs have been officially retired, and some blogs just seem to be dead, their writers busy with other phases of their lives. I know that's happened to me. Some of my blogs (like the one about going to graduate school) are done, because I don't do that topic anymore (like graduate school or running).

So, I'm looking for new blogs and bloggers to follow. Any ideas? What are your favorites?

Duke Lemur Center Visit

Jacquie and Lesley

Recently, a coworker and I went to the Duke Lemur Center for their annual Lemurpalooza! We got to tour the Lemur Center, which is mostly outside. It was a pretty warm late afternoon, but we still enjoyed seeing the lemurs and walking around. They had some nocturnal lemurs inside a special building, so we checked those out too. Both of us adopted lemurs for a year, and have received information on our adopted lemurs. I adopted a Blue-Eyed Black Lemur, and Jacquie adopted the Grey Mouse Lemur. They're so cute!

If you ever have the chance to visit the Duke Lemur Center, I'd recommend it! Aside from special events, they typically require reservations to take one of several tours (which fill up fast!).

What's Your Favorite Sandwich?

BLT with Fried Egg at Foster's Market

Early last week, I visited a local restaurant, Foster's Market. It's a great place that's not on my normal route, so I don't get there often. I noticed a BLT on the menu, and decided to get it with the fried egg option. it was so yummy, I went back late last week for another one!

Over the weekend, George and I went to Carolina Ale House before the Duke-Virginia Tech football game. I noticed a BLT with pimento cheese on the menu, so guess what I got! Bam!

BLTs haven't always been my favorite sandwich, but they are right now. Mmm!

Duke-Virginia Tech Football Game

George and I went to the Duke-Virginia Tech football game Saturday night. It was the third home game of the season, and the second night game this season. (I love a night game under the lights, especially when it's not too cold!)

After starting the season 4-0, we were hopeful for a Duke win on national TV (ESPN2). No such luck, though. With a bye this coming Saturday, I hope the team can rest up, and otherwise do what they do to get ready for the next game.

We're enjoying the location of our new season tickets, the first I've bought on my own, but I sure miss talking with Dad over the phone about the games. Love you, Dad.

The Meaning of the Name Lesley (according to Blogthings)

You Are Peaceful and Content

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are lighthearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.
You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.
You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.
You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.
You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. 

From Blogthings

Hurricane Florence

Hurricane Florence is coming in! It's been both fascinating and stressful to keep track of Florence's path toward North and South Carolina. In addition to my own news sources and research, my sister has been tweeting me articles and helpful hints from her home in California. (She and her husband have a second home in Emerald Isle, so she's rightfully concerned, as well.)

My work has instituted the Severe Weather Policy for half of today and all of tomorrow. That normally doesn't happen until the thick of winter, when ice is in the forecast. I'm glad we're able to go home and stay home tomorrow. The huricane's path is predicted to go farther south now, so we might just get rain and wind in our area. Still, there's a chance of power outages, so I'll be getting prepared for that. I think we'll have enough food and groceries to get through.

Duke-Army Football Game

View from Our Seats in Wallace Wade Stadium

George and I attended the Duke football season opener last Friday night! The Friday night schedule was unusual for Duke, but sometimes TV scheduling takes precedence. The night game was nice, since it was a hot day.

I was a little sad thinking of Dad, and how this is the first Duke football season without him. I always looked forward to talking with him after each game. He'd ask who played well and how the attendance was. I choked up during the National Anthem too. But once the game started, I felt better and really enjoyed the game!

George and I sat in our new season ticket seats Friday night, and they're pretty good! (They're not the 50-yard line seat that Dad had, but they're good.) We met two nice women in front of us, whose family shares tickets for the two seats in front of us. They have a long family history at Duke, too. I shared this photo on the left of Dad from his Duke football-playing days.

I took the photo above to show my sister the view from our new seats. The Duke Marching Band was playing the National Anthem in their Duke D formation. I didn't realize until after I took the shot that I'd caught the pre-game flyover of some planes from Raleigh on the scoreboard video at the far end of the field.

Duke played a good Army team, and won 34-14, a great start for the Blue Devils!

Labor Day Weekend in Emerald Isle

View from the Deck

George and I had a nice Labor Day weekend with family in Emerald Isle, North Carolina. As usual, it was nice to get away. The weather was hot, but very pretty from the back deck. I'd love to go back and spend more time, but work always awaits!

One night, we ate ate CaribeSea for the first time. It's a fairly new restaurant in Emerald Isle, and we all enjoyed it! I had the shrimp and grits--yum!