Who is This Team?! And Where Have They Been Hiding?!

George and I spent last evening on the Duke campus, mostly in Wallace Wade Stadium, for Duke's footbal home opener against James Madision University. Duke's football program has been pretty lackluster for too many years, but with the hiring of new head coach David Cutliffe from the University of Tennessee and the University of Mississippi (between those two football programs, he coached both Manning brothers), we Duke football fans have been hopeful.

Before the game, George and I went to an employee appreciation picnic (which included free football game tickets for up to six people to encourage families to come, face painting and a few other things for kids), which had a great turnout. The food was standard picnic fare--cole slaw, potato salad, hot dogs, bar-b-que, and what I heard were veggie burgers (no more left when I got up to the front, so I had cole slaw and potato salad for supper, not the healthiest, but oh well! It was still fun!).

We also got to watch the football team's new tradition of marching from the Chapel to the football building, amidst a good crowd of fans. (We were near the football area, so I don't know what it was like between the Chapel and the area near Cameron Indoor Stadium and Wallace Wade Stadium, where we were.) They were led by Coach Cutliffe, and followed by members of the marching band and the cheerleaders. What impressed me most about this new tradition is that Cutliffe and the players were all dressed in suits and looked very classy! They were holding their shoulders high, most with big grins but a few with their game faces on already. Many shook hands with or gave high fives to fans in the front of the crowd. It looked like a team with a different attitude!

George and I ended up inside the stadium way early, but just relaxed and enjoyed watching the stadium slowly but surely fill with fans. It turned out to be one of the best crowds I've seen for a football game at Duke in a long, long time! The players came out for some pregame warm ups, and it was impressive to see everyone out there. About an hour before the game was supposed to start, two parachute jumpers landed on the football field. We were impressed, but wondered why they were jumping in the middle of warmups by both teams. It turns out that they landed in the wrong field! They were supposed to land at the UNC-McNeese St. game a few miles away--it happened to start an hour before our game (was supposed to start)! Oops! Read more about the wayward parachute jump here.

The game started about an hour and a half late due to weather, but we were relieved that it wasn't cancelled. (George and I bought ponchos to wait out the rain.) The players and football staff came through the tunnel flanked by fireworks (see left), but the big inflated football helmet they used to run through onto the field was gone. (Now that I think about it, that big helmet thing was a little cheesy!)

Here's a sampling of the home crowd--lots of Duke blue! It looked like a big crowd of ticket purchasers, in addition to the relocated student section on the west side of the stadium (about time!), and the general admission section which included all the employees who came out. They offered prizes for student living groups with the best attendance, as well as raffle prizes for grad students and employees who swiped their IDs to register.

Before the game started, Coach Cutliffe came over to the student section, I guess to thank them for coming out in such great numbers. Nice gesture. He seems to have worked on (and gotten) their support. The game finally started around 8:30, and here are the Duke and James Madison teams about to start the first play of the new season.

Duke made the first touch down of the game, was ahead at the half, and won the game 31-7! (Left is the final scoreboard.) I really enjoyed watching them play, and even George (not a sports fan in general) had a good time. They ran the ball well, started getting their passing game together, kicked very well, snagged some interceptions, and made several fourth down conversions. The total package was impressive for the Duke football program.

At the end of the game, many of the players came over in front of the student section to high five and cheer with the students. Nice, very different from many previous games of late, where the players have walked dejectedly toward the locker rooms after a loss. In the background, the goal post was brought down with long pole thingies by staff members (same with the other end). Cutliffe had asked that students not storm the field for the goal posts this time, since he wants everyone to start expecting Duke wins. Goal post hopping, he said, could wait for a bigger game.

After the victorious game, fireworks ensued.

Geocaching

On my long run at Shelley Lake this morning, I was able to catch up on several podcasts, including one called Fat2Fit Radio, hosted by Russ Turley and Jeff Ansley. I subscribe to this podcast through iTunes, and have been enjoying it for quite a while. I've been putting off listening to a particular episode for a while, thinking I might not enjoy it as much, as it's about geocaching. I decided to listen to it today, and honestly, it sounds like a lot of fun now. From what I gather, you use a GPS to find geocaches by going to the geocaching website here. I haven't signed up for a free account yet, but apparently you can enter a zip code, find lists of geocaches in the area, plug in the coordinates into a GPS device, and go find it. Usually, there's a container at that spot with some little treasures in it, and maybe a paper log to record that you were there. The guys on the podcast mentioned taking some little something to drop into the container, in exchange for the trinket you take back with you. Once home, you record your geocache find on the site.

This sounds like it could be a fun hobby, and a neat way to learn the area even better. I don't have a GPS device, though, other than my Garmin Forerunner 205, and I can't put coordinates in it, I don't think. Any recommendations on GPS devices? Anyone reading this into geocaching? If so, I'd love to hear more!

The Eyes Have It

Lately I've been noticing the lack (most of the time) of eye contact by people in the service industry. Part of it, I think, comes with experience and training. But some people have learned it somewhere else, perhaps from a family member or mentor.

At the grocery store I ususally go to, I tend to gravitate toward this one cashier, a high school teenager with a winsome grin AND good eye contact. I'll get at the end of a longer line for her to ring up my groceries. I don't remember the name on her nametag, but I really appreciate her demeanor. The good eye contact was what impressed me first. When she's not there, I give other cashiers a try, thanking each one (as well as the bagger) for their service. This one girl is the only one who consistently gives good eye contact and a smile. She often asks me how I'm doing (again, with good eye contact), and occasionally will comment on something I'm purchasing to spark a short conversation, something like, "Mmm, that looks good. Have you tried it before?"

Over the weekend, I was included for dinner with George's family at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Several people in service roles there gave us good eye contact (as well as great service!). I would wager that good eye contact is either part of the training at Ruth's Chris, or people working with customers there already have that skill down pat. It's probably part of what got them to that level of restaurant service.

During college, I worked as a waitress, and come to think of it, I can't remember if the importance of eye contact was taught there or not. I'm sure my high school debate coach brought it up during debate class in the early 80's. I can't remember where else I learned it, perhaps from my parents, who are both great conversationalists.

After I'd been on the Rice Diet for several months, one of my coworkers at Duke and I were talking about the weight loss, and she commented that she could see my eyes better since I'd lost so much weight. That's one of the best compliments she could've given me, and she probably didn't know it!

MoonPies and Mama Dip's

As a Worship Associate at Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship this morning, I delivered a 5-minute (or so) reflection on the meaning of membership at ERUUF to me, to go along with the theme of the service. I compared membership to MoonPies! I enjoyed being part of this morning's service. It was my third time as a worship associate, and I think it was my favorite experience so far. Although I continue to be a little nervous when I do it, it's getting more natural to me, and I enjoy interacting with the congregation. I got some chuckles from the congregation over my MoonPie analogy, and some people said nice things afterwards, which was encouraging.

Part of what made this morning's service special was that my parents and sister, who were in town already, came to listen! It was fun to have them there, the first time they'd been to ERUUF.

Afterward, we went to eat lunch at Mama Dip's, a restaurant in Chapel Hill, joined by my sister's husband and two daughters. Although the service was slow, we had a good time catching up. They all spent last week together in Pine Knoll Shores, a town on the North Carolina coast. I didn't go because my department was in the throws of settling into a new building. So, it meant a lot that they came to support me this morning, and lunch at Mama Dip's was a lot of fun! (This particular picture includes my mom, sister, brother-in-law, and nieces.)

New Discoveries

In an effort to help my aching muscles, I picked up a bottle of Kiss My Face "Active Athletic" Shower Gel at a grocery store in Cary (the Lowe's Foods at the corner of High House and Cary Parkway)last week. Now, I just happened upon this product--I wasn't looking for it, but I'd just finished a run at Bond Park, and it looked like it would really hit the spot! I've used it several times, and while I'm not sure how much it's helping my muscles, which have been in continuous soreness since Saturday, but I love the smell of eucalyptus and mint! It makes for a great hot bath!

The photo is from the Kiss My Face webstore.

I found a wonderful cereal recently at Sam's Club in Durham, of all places! It's Kashi's Cinnamon Harverst, which is similar to Spoon Size Shredded Wheat, but with no sodium and a sweet cinnamon flavor. And Sam's Club being what it is, I was able to get a BIG box! Inside are two sealed bags, so you can eat from just one half of the box at a time. This morning I had some with blackberries, and it was yummy! I'm not a milk drinker, so sometimes I just eat this cereal as a snack right out of the box. (The picture is from the Kashi website.)

Back from Vacation

George and I had a really nice weekend in the Winston-Salem area! I enjoyed seeing several former co-workers at the Professional Center Library at Wake Forest (plus lunch with several of them at Coppola's), lots of hiking at Pilot Mountain State Park, an interesting tour of Old Salem, and lunch with cousin Lisa in Greensboro on the way home. George and I took lots of pictures, and I look forward to posting some of them, along with some commentary soon.

We did all of that on less than a tank of gas, and I lost three pounds, to boot! :)

Small World

Tonight was a long one--but a good one!

I finally left work around 7, after getting a second wind and getting a lot done. When I got to the car, I realized that I'd left my iPod back at my desk, AND that one of my tires was going flat! Yikes! I drove carefully and slowly to the back of the library, and was able to retrieve my iPod. Then I called Southpoint Honda, who said they could fit me in, but it might take a couple of hours. Eeekk! One my way to the Honda dealership, I stopped at Sam's Club, as I remembered they sell tires, so I thought they might check mine out and maybe fix it. But the bay doors were closed at Sam's Club, so I drove around to the discount tire place across the parking lot, but they were closed as well. I headed on to Southpoint Honda, and made myself at home in the lounge.

About an hour and a half later, I learned that they couldn't find a leak anywhere, so they just put some air in the tire and sent me on my way. It was a little frustrating spending an hour and a half AFTER work at the car dealership, but I feel like they did a thorough job of trying to find a leak, AND they didn't charge me anything. It felt like a small town gesture.

I left the dealership at 9:30 tonight, and decided to stop by the grocery store. Inside, I passed a lady and we stopped and looked at each other. We pointed at each other in a "Where do I know you?" sort of way. We laughed and started trading work places, schools, etc. We just couldn't think of it, so we went on to separate sections of the store. It finally hit me in the soft drink aisle that I knew her from my days as a Mary Kay Consultant! I raced back over, saw her over by the red grapes, and said, "Mary Kay!" She lit up, and we had a really nice time catching up! We talked until we realized it was 10 PM and probably closing time. It turns out she shops at that grocery store often, so perhaps we'll run into each other again. I hope so!

By My Bed....

Although I don't NEED another running book at home, I decided I really wanted to check this book, The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On With Your Training, out for a little extra motivation. I'm about 30 pages into it, and while I generally like the author's writing style so far, I must say that the title doesn't really jive with that mindset I'm working on. I AM a runner, even if I'm not a very fast one. I LIKE running, always have (though I was away from it for a number of years).

Should I call myself a runner or a jogger? Does the term depend on how fast you run? Whether or not you've run in a race? What do you think?

Getting Roadtrip Ready

On Tuesday's daytrip to Merhcants Millpond State Park, I noticed a big sign (hard to miss) about ticks, which included not only a picture, but tips for avoiding them. I made me think about what I would do if I found a tick on me while I was still on the road. I didn't have any tweezers, not to mention a full-fledged first aid kit, with me in the car! I started thinking about what I should have on hand in the car for future trips, whether daytrips for the NC Odyssey Project or longer trips/vacations. Here's a list I've started:

First-aid kit
Bug Spray
Change of clothes
Flashlight and extra batteries
Current American Automoble Association (AAA) card
Medium-sized cooler and ice packs
Umbrella
Spare key(s)
Spare cash ($20?) tucked away in car
Jumper Cables
Notebook and pen
Blanket
Car charger for cell phone
Spare trash bag(s)
GPS for car (don't have one built in--any recommendations?)
Sunglasses

Okay, so this is what I've come up with so far. Can you think of anything to add to the list? What items have come in handy for you while on the road? Is there anything you've wished you had while on the road?

Visit to Merchants Millpond State Park

Yesterday I continued my quest to visit all 100 counties in North Carolina by seeking out and finding Merchants Millpond State Park, which happens to be in Gates County. I'd been wanting to visit this state park for years, so it was exciting to finally visit and walk around for a bit. to the left is one of my favorite pictures of the day's journey. The green stuff at the bottom of the trees isn't grass.....

I drove through Halifax County on my way to Gates County, but didn't cross it off my list of counties. I only stopped long enough to take this picture, in Garysburg. I'll be back to Halifax County.

I'll post more about my visits to Nash, Northampton, Gates, and Hertford Counties (including pictures) soon on my North Carolina Odyssey Project blog. Stay tuned!

My First "Co-op"

I got a confirmation email from REI this afternoon about my membership with the store. Yes, for $20, I became part of their co-op. It just seems like an excuse to get a discount or cash back down the road, so I don't quite get why REI calls it a co-op. It reminds me of the Barnes and Noble membership thing, though with a different discount schedule.

At any rate, I'm glad I joined, since it's just a one-time fee, and REI is a cool store, indeed. It kinda fascinates me, as the store near Southpoint looks pretty unassuming from the outside, but it has all sorts of neat things on the inside. Part of the attraction for me, I think, is that for a number of years now (maybe about 15 or so!) I've thought it would be really cool to hike the Appalachian Trail. Being in REI inspires me a bit more. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy purchasing Gu Gels, SportsBeans, and little gadgets and gizmos I may find there.

Homegrown-Homemade

A couple of evenings ago I went to hear Joe Newberry speak about his book Homegrown/Homemade: Art Roads and Farm Trails at the Regulator Bookshop in Durham. A co-worker, who gets regular emails from the Regulator about upcoming events, tipped me off about this book reading and signing, and I'm glad she did! The book chronicles places to go in rural North Carolina that deal with local arts, crafts, and food, and Peggy had heard the story about my quest to visit all 100 counties in North Carolina, so she thought I might enjoy it. I love any excuse to go to the Regulator, so off I went.

In addition to reading some from his book, Newberry also showed some slides from travels to write the book, which was edited by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension and the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. He saved time for some Q&A at the end, and also played some tunes on his banjo, guitar, and fiddle (though not all at once!). All in all, a neat way to spend an hour on a warm summer evening.

10 on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Moments in Your Country's History

When I saw this meme in my inbox this morning, I thought it was a cool one! However, I'm having a hard time coming up with TEN favorite moments! Can you help? Here's my list so far (in no particular order):

July 20, 1960-Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon

December 1, 1955-Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus

August 28, 1963-Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech

July 4, 1976-U.S. Bicentennial (fun summer holiday with some added umph that year)

August 6, 1984-First women's Olympic marathon, won by Joan Benoit

April 19, 1967-Kathrine Switzer became the first women with a numbered entry to run the Boston Marathon

Happy Father's Day!

Today's been a happily social day! I enjoyed talking with my dad and mom most of all, but it's also been a social day in other ways.

George and I went to ERUUF this morning, and it was the first time there's just one service instead of two. This is our new summer schedule, and I went to coffee hour afterward in hopes of meeting some "new" (to me) people who normally attend the earlier service. I ended up meeting two guests, and that was a treat. Each person was interested in hearing about our covenant group program, so I enjoyed giving my two cents there.

Afterward, Amy and I met for lunch at Saladelia's, and George joined us after he finished up with coffee hour training. We ended up eating and talking for over two hours! While we were there, some Scrabble players came and set up in the back of the restaurant with some fancy twirling boards (like a Lazy Susan) and timers (at least I think that's what they were). It was fun to watch them from our table out of the corner of my eye (I was trying not to be rude to Amy and George!).

This evening we're meeting George's family for Father's Day dinner (plus Henry's birthday) at Biaggi's. I've never been there, so I'm looking forward to trying a new place.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Friday the 13th never has bothered me, mostly because I like Fridays! I've never been particularly superstitious, though I do like good ghost stories and the idea of (good) haunted houses. I've never "seen" a ghost, but Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.

Plans for today? I've already worked out, and I'm heading to work shortly. Being mid-June, we are busy trying to finish the fiscal year. I'd hoping to get home a little earlier tonight, as I've been working late all week, and I'm feeling a bit weary. I'm looking forward to a relaxing evening at home with George.

Getting Ready for Tomorrow

Last evening I finally made it to Fleet Feet in Carrboro before it closed at 7:00. I was glad to find they did indeed have a small water bottle that I can carry in my hand for long runs. (On my last long run, I tried a hydration belt with a bottle in the back, and it drove me nuts!) I also received my new wicking t-shirt in the mail a couple days ago (something I found on Amazon.com--amazing what they have on their website now!), so I'm hoping I'm ready for tomorrow's 8-mile run with the Galloway training group. I've never gone 8 miles on my own two feet, so I want to be ready (especially with the predicted heat!).

I enjoyed riding around Carrboro for the first time in quite a while. It reminded me of the summer I lived in Carrboro while going to summer school at UNC. I strained my brain to remember what was there 20+ years ago, and what's new. One place I saw that I want to return to is Weaver Street Market. Last evening they had a band playing out front and lots of people sitting in lawn chairs and on blankets, enjoying the music. (There were also a number of people hula hooping to the music!)

What I've Been Reading

I've enjoyed reading more lately, something I've been meaning to do for a while but have let my free time be gobbled up by other things. Earlier this week, I finished the book, The House at Midnight, by Lucie Whitehouse. It's her first book, and for a debut novel, it's a good one. Once I got into it, I really enjoyed it, and right after I finished it, I thought, "Good book!"---but with some nagging something or another. I think I was expecting a little more character development and conflict resolution that didn't quite happen like I was hoping. For instance, I never quite figured out why the book has its title. Yes, the house gives the protagonist a sense of forboding throughout the book, and the house seemed a little creepier at night, but I don't recall midnight being a magical hour, or the time stamp of a riveting scene. There were a few instances like where some of the connection seemed to be missing. (Maybe that was supposed to be part of the suspense.)

One reason I picked it to read is that I'd seen it was compared to Donna Tartt's The Secret History, one of my favorite books. The House at Midnight wasn't quite up to that standard, but I can see the comparison, since it revolves around a group of college friends and include big houses (The house doesn't play as big a role in The Secret History.)

A Busy Sunday

After church today, George and I joined members of the congregation for ERUUF-wide picnic at Eno River State Park--the section off of Roxboro Road. I'd forgotten how nice it is there, and we had a nice time. The food (potluck) was varied and yummy, and we enjoyed catching up with friends as well as meeting new (to us) people. One couple actually visited ERUUF for the first time today, saw the news about the picnic in the bulletin, and came on out. I was impressed by their willingness to jump right in and get to know the congregation outside of the normal Sunday morning routine. I also enjoyed talking with them about South Dakota, their home state. I've actually been there, and it was fun recalling memories of Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Custer State Park, and Wall Drug.

After George and I got home, I decided to drive to Chapel Hill to stock up on Hansen's Diet Pomegranate at Trader Joe's, and they were all out! Wahhhh! I even asked at the customer service desk, and they'd gotten a new shipment in last night--sold out! Hello! I hope they increase their order for that flavor. While I was there, I did get some diet rootbeer (again, by Hansen's) for George--that's his favorite flavor, as well as some diet gingerale (guess who) for me. I'll be back for the pomegranate!

New Blog for My North Carolina Travels

I decided to start a new blog for my project to document visits to all 100 counties in North Carolina, which I started late last year. I've dubbed it the North Carolina Odyssey Project, and I've visited 6 counties so far. Initially, I was putting the posts about my little trips on this blog. When I decided to start a different blog, I experimented with transferring the posts over to the new blog. It took longer than I expected to switch one post (Alamance County) over, with all the pictures, so in the end, I decided just to supply the links for the other county posts. Then I started fresh with my trip around Orange County last Sunday afternoon.

Read all about it here. And if you have any suggestions of places I should visit, I welcome interesting ideas.

Clean(er) Closet

I got on a big roll this afternoon and started weeding out clothes from my closet. At first, I thought I'd just add to a pile I'd already started, but the pile grew into a mountain! Wow! Some of the clothes, all too big for me now, were easy to discard, but other pieces were harder to give up, for various reasons. I piled everything into 5 large trash bags, and loaded them into the car with George's help. Then I took the bags immediately to the nearby Goodwill store.

My closet looks so much better now, not as good as this closet (not mine)on the left, but better than before.

I am the Cookie Master

This afternoon, George had some bananas that were sooo ripe ("how ripe were they?!") that I just had to revisit last Sunday's cookie recipe. This time, however, I added cinnamon (at George's good request) and walnuts (my bright idea), and they're even better than last week! Now, there may be something to the fact that being in the middle of a holiday weekend that makes nearly everything better, but we'll see! ;-)

Sunday Afternoon Baking

I decided to make some cookies this afternoon. It seemed like a fun Sunday afternoon thing to do! I tried a new (to me) recipe for banana-oatmeal cookies. I wish I could remember where I got the recipe, but I saw it somewhere online in passing, and decided to put it in my virtual recipe box on desktopcookbook.com. Today was the big testing day. They taste good, and made the apartment smell even better!

Here is the recipe (which is oh, so simple!):



Ingredients
-3 Ripe Bananas, mashed
-2 cups rolled oats
-1 cup raisins or craisins
-1/3 cup oil
-1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions
Mix all ingredients. Let set 15 minutes on counter. Drop by teaspoons on parchment paper or ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 350 degrees 15-18 minutes. Will be brown (lightly) on bottom - tops don't usually brown. Makes 3-4 dozen small cookies.

Monday morning update: After trying them warm, and again this morning, George and I think they turned out well, but adding cinnamon, and maybe chopped nuts (walnuts? almonds?) might make them even better. I'll make them again and experiment.

Lunch in Graham

Yesterday, George and I found ourselves in Alamance County. We stopped in Mebane (population about 9,000) first, where I joined the credit union that George joined last week based on where he works. Although I already do the credit union thing from my own job, I decided it wouldn't hurt to have a little cashola tucked a little (but not totally) out of reach. It also gave us a chance to open a joint savings account, which was a step in the right direction for our financial future as a couple. (We've been together five and a half years, living together for the past 11 months.) Our opening balance in the joint account is minimal, as we haven't decided how we're going to deposit money in it, what we're going to save together for, anything like that. We have time to decide, though. Not stressing over it.

Afterward, we went to nearby Graham, another small town. (With a population of about 14,000, it's not the largest city of the county, but it is the county seat of Alamance County.) George has been there for lunch a couple of times, and he wanted to show me around. It's a quaint little town, at least what we saw of the downtown district. The courthouse stands in the middle of the round-about traffic circle, with various side streets and businesses around. We ate in a cute little place called the Graham Soda Shop. It's a quaint place with that old soda shop appeal. I got a salad and a baked potato, a pretty healthy meal. My only gripe is that the salad came with bacon bits, which weren't listed as an item on the salad, or I would've had them leave the bacon bits off (not a big fan).

Afterward, George and I walked around and poked our heads into a couple of places. On our way back to the car, I decided I wanted to get a shot of the Graham Soda Shop sign, so I asked George to stand beside it. I was pulling out my camera when a lady walking by offered to take a picture of us together (the picture above). That was very thoughtful, so we agreed. Other than needing a comb for my hair, not a bad shot! :-)

What I've Learned (So Far) From Cleaning Out the Pantry (and the Freezer...and the Refrigerator)

Well, I'm into my third day in a row of not going to the grocery store for more food, cleaning supplies, or toiletries. I've discovered several food items that I'd bought to try, but they'd been pushed to the back by the foods I've gotten into the habit of eating. For instance, I'd bought several cans of Eden canned beans, as they are organic and don't have any added salt. I've eaten them for several meals this week, often added to my rice, and I've really enjoyed them.

I've also enjoyed some fresh squash from the Duke Farmers Market that I had in the refrigerator, though I had to toss a tomato from a previous DFM visit that had gone bad. Blah, I don't want to keep doing that! (I love tomotoes and can't believe I let a fresh one go bad!)

It's been nice going straight home after work, too, though I have been staying later at work, so I haven't been getting home any faster. Although the grocery store I frequent most is right across the street from my apartment complex, so it's not out of the way, I suppose I'm saving a little gas, and some extra cranks of the ignition.

Cleaning out the Pantry (and the Freezer...and the Regrigerator)

After glancing over my grocery store purchases of the past few weeks, I've decided to try to minimize my trips to the grocery store for the next two weeks, purchasing only things I run out of and must replace. I've discovered I've become a little hoarder of sorts with the food and beverage items I prefer, so now I have several bags of rice for example. I stocked up on canned pineapple over the weekend as well. Lots of it! (Okay, so I love pineapple.) I also bought a bottle of ground cinnamon, thinking I was about to run out, but it turns out I already had a spare bottle in the cabinet. (Of course, that's what I get for not checking before I left home!) Now, a bottle of cinamon is less than $3, and I will use it in time, but I didn't need it now. Purchases like that add up.

I'd like to become more mindful of my food shopping like I'm becoming more mindful of my eating.

I'll post an update later.

Happy Mother's Day!

Late this afternoon, we met up with my parents, and joined George's family (which included his grandfather, parents, Henry, Phil & Heather plus their two children, and Elaine) at MacGregor Downs Country Club in Cary for the buffet dinner. The food was yummy and the company even better! Afterward, we went by Pappa's home for drinks and more conversation. It was such a nice time! My family and George's haven't had much interaction, so I'm glad it went so well.

Mom and Dad also got to meet Pappa's helper, Thomas, who is from Zimbabwe. Mom and Dad visited Zimbabwe eight years ago, so they all enjoyed talking about the country.

Holy Cow!

I had the "Today Show" on this morning as I got ready for work, and they had the Duggar family on with their 17 children! During the interview, the parents announced that # 18 is on the way--holy cow! I've seen segments about the family on the Discovery Health Channel, and it is fascinating to see how they run the household, homeschooling all of the children. (Not sure what the 20-year-old oldest child is up to, school-wise.) In addition to helping maintain the home, each child seems to have hobbies, and all of them learn how to play the piano and the violin. I was fascinated by all of that.

In sports news, an 8th grader has been offered a basketball scholarship (once he graduates from high school) to the University of Kentucky. Part of me thinks, "Holy cow! That's so young to commit to a school and a basketball program!" On the other hand, he's got a goal in hand that should really give him some focus through high school--not a bad thing!

In personal news, tomorrow's my first training run with the Galloway training group. I'm very excited, but a little nervous too. I'm wondering how things will be organized, and if I can keep up with my pace group. When I think about being able to run a half or full marathon come November, I think, "Holy cow!" again! :-)

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Places I'd Love To Travel To (That I Haven't Gone To Yet)

I thought this sounded like a fun meme! This list is in no particular order, and is shorter than I'd like for it to be. There are so many places I'd love to visit!








Grand Canyon
Paris
Great Britain
Prague
Canada
Istanbul
Italy
Machu Picchu
Carribean
Vietnam


Other places I'd love to visit: Alaska, India, an African safari, Iceland, Scandinavia, Australia/New Zealand, Key West, Israel, and the Great Wall of China. I know this list will continue to grow!

Jeff Galloway Training Program

I went to hear Jeff Galloway yesterday morning at the kick-off for the 2008 Galloway Training Group in Raleigh. It was very interesting and inspiring. At the end, I decided to go ahead and sign up! One of the interesting little side benefits of signing up there was that I got one of Galloway's training books (among other things), and was able to meet him and have him sign the book. Better yet, I met some really nice people while waiting in the line to see him!

For a more complete count of the morning's activities, check out yesterday's post at my running blog.

The Life of the Party

Yesterday I checked out some pictures posted of a March farewell party for a colleague who was moving to another department. (The party took place the week after I fell and broke my nose, but before I had it reset and bandaged up.) Lo and behold, I made it into one of the candid shots, though I wish I hadn't! I'm in the middle of the picture here, with the teal top, black jacket and khaki pants. If you click to enlargen the photo, you can see the scrape down the side of my nose and on my chin. The expression says it all, though. I was pretty uncomfortable; I can't believe I even went to the party, feeling like I did! (I guess I was looking for a diversion.)

Boy, am I glad that's all over (the hurt face, not the party)!

Rewards

I decided last week to start rewarding myself each time I get lose weight and surpass a number ending in 5 or 0. Earlier this week I passed a number ending in a zero, so I ordered three books from my Amazon.com Wish List. They arrived yesterday, and I've been having fun with them already!

One book is called Start Your Own Newsletter from Scratch, by Jim Terhune. I got this book because I'm planning to start a newsletter for my McLamb family line. (Genealogy is one of my favorite hobbies.) It's a fairly short book; in fact, I finished it last night! It has lots of good suggestions, even if it is a little dated in terms of technology. (It mentions modems for getting online.) I got the last copy in stock, so I'm glad I went ahead and ordered it.

One of the books I got is a cookbook called 366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, And Grains. I've already earmarked several recipes I want to try! I love the fact that nutritional values (including sodium) are listed at the end of each recipe. Sodium is often left off of nutritional charts of recipes, it seems, so I'm thankful for it in this book.




The last book I got is about running! It's called Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports, and it's an autobiography of Kathrine Switzer, who was the first woman to register and get an official number for the Boston Marathon, but the race officials didn't know she was a woman until she was running in the race (a race offical actually tried to run her down!). This was in 1967,when women weren't allowed to run in marathons! I'm a couple of chapters into this book, and I think it'll be a good read! I'd love to run the Boston Marathon someday, and am thinking about signing up for a marathon training program (thanks for the link, Susan!) that starts next month.

Small World

Last evening, I went to Trader Joe's after work to pick up a few things. This is the third time I've been to the Chapel Hill store, and the third time I've been impressed by the speediness of the check out line. Amazing! I picked up some more of their yummy low-sodium marinara sauce (under the Trader Giotto's label), and got some more Diet Hansen's. I decided to try a new flavor, so I picked up some mandarin lime. I tried it this morning, and it was yummy, but low and behold, it turned out to be regular instead of diet. :-( I'll look for it in diet next time.

As I was leaving the shopping center, I pulled up behind the cars in the turn lane at the red light, and the car in front of me looked like one of Mom and Dad's cars. My eyes went to the license plate, an Alabama tag from Dallas County, and I realized it was my mom in the car! She and Dad have been in town for a couple of weeks, and Mom had been over at Talbot's, which is across the parking lot from Trader Joe's. I honked and waved, and she finally recognized me! She called my cell and we had a nice talk, laughing about the coincidence. She and Dad own a place in Durham, and it's a nice place for them to stay while they're in the area. We'd just had lunch a couple of days ago. They're heading back to Alabama today.

From the Archives: Cherokee, NC

I just ran across this picture of George, which I took in October 2006, when we visited the North Carolina mountains. We had lunch in a city park in Cherokee, NC, where this shot was taken. This is one of my favorites of him.

An Afternoon in Raleigh

Yesterday, George and I had Sunday brunch at Irregardless Cafe, a restaurant in Raleigh. I had a yummy garden (i.e. veggie, including tomatoes and avocados) frittata, and George had the chef salad. It was the first time we'd been there, and I really enjoyed it. It's colorfully decorated, and had live music. From there, we went to see the musical "Spamalot," which won the 2005 Emmy for best musical. The tickets were an anniversary present for George, who grew up on Monty Python. I did not, but we both enjoyed the show a lot! We saw friends Melissa and Robert there, to boot.

Afterward, we drove home and had a few minutes to power down before heading back to Wake County, where we celebrated Passover with George's family in Cary, a neighboring city of Raleigh. It was good to be with everyone, and I especially enjoyed talking with George's 14-year-old cousin, Jake. I first met Jake when he was every bit a 9-year-old boy. For the first time, we found a common interest in running, as he's joined his school's track team, and plans to run the Peachtree Road Race with his father this summer. It was nice to finally be able to talk with him about something besides his school. ("What grade are you in this year? What's your favorite subject?")

After being home sick since Thursday, it was nice to be around people, but there wasn't much down time, and I returned to work today a little worn out. It's been an especially long afternoon, and George and I have a covenant group meeting tonight. *sigh*

Cool Satellite Launch

ICO, the company my brother-in-law is president of, launched a satellite from Cape Canaveral earlier this week. Lisa, my brother-in-law, and the girls all flew down to watch. Found out today that the launch is on youtube.com! It's very cool to watch! Fast forward to about one minute before launch.

Sick Day

I started getting a sore throat yesterday afternoon, but I tried to ignore it (hoping it was allergies or something). This morning I woke up convinced I had strep! I slept in, and got to the doctor about 8:15. They did a throat culture, which came back negative for strep, so she said it's probably a virus. (They did a second culture to send to the lab just to make sure.) I was relieved not to have to take more antibiotics! I stopped by the store on the way home and stocked up on items to relieve the symptons, and have been puttering around for the rest of the day.

Although I hate being sick, and there's much to do at work, I have enjoyed getting the extra rest, and eating soft foods (though I've stayed away from ice cream, one of my old vices!). I've also gotten some reading and genealogy done, as well as laundry.

I just hope I'm good to go for the weekend, as we have a busy one. Saturday we're scheduled to help paint a building at church with our covenant group. Saturday and Sunday night we have Passover dinner with George's family, and Sunday afternoon we have tickets to see "Spamalot" in Raleigh.

Back into the Race

I had fun running (and walking) the Cary Road Race 5K this past Saturday! My race report is here.

10 on Tuesday: Favorite Actors/Actresses

It's been a little while since I've done a "10 on Tuesday" list. I thought this was a good one. The list below is in no particular order, and it's a moving target. Names could move into and off of my list later today or next week. Here it is for now:

Lucille Ball
Jodie Foster
Alan Alda
Julie Andrews
Meryl Streep
Dakota Fanning
Tom Hanks
Dustin Hoffman
Robert DeNiro
Denzel Washington



Who would YOU list as your top ten favorite actors and actresses?

Looking Forward to: A New Hairdo

I've had a busy few days, and have missed blogging. On the "funk" front, I made an appointment with a master hairstylist/colorist to get a new do the end of April. (I called a week or two ago, and I couldn't get in until the last week of April! Yikes, he's busy!) My experience over the past couple of years with new hair stylists is that I go to someone new, get a great first cut, but then they go downhill from there, and my hair just goes blah. I'm wondering if you really do get what you pay for when it comes to a haircut. Anyway, I'm not getting my hair colored yet, just a cut, and quite possibly a new style. The person doing my hair comes highly recommended, so I'm excited! I'll post pics after the appointment!

Looking Forward to What?

I've been in a bit of a funk today, so I went for a walk after I got home and figured out part of it. For a number of months I've had a rolling list of things to look forward to, and now I'm looking-forward-to-less! I don't have anything kinda big that I'm really looking forward to. There are little things out there, like having lunch with my niece tomorrow and with a co-worker on Friday. I even look forward to each day in a general way. I look forward to seeing George at home after work. But I'm missing some big things to look forward to!

I was looking forward to several road races until my groin strain, followed by a broken nose. I missed a couple of races that I'd signed up for and was really looking forward to. Now I've got another race coming up in a couple of weeks, and I'm a bit nervous about it. I've signed up for a half-marathon in November, but that feels like a big question mark now.

I looked forward to treating George to Easter brunch at Brasa (which was a secret until we pulled into the shopping center), and that was fun! I was looking forward to getting my nose splint off. It was a relief when that happened, but my nose still hurts a little.

I'm thinking I need to plan something, make a goal and start working on it, hopefully something sooner than the November half marathon. Better yet, map out several goals in different areas of my life, not just running races that count on me being injury-free. Some goals for me, and some with George.

On the Way to Work....

I spotted this little vehicle to the left, which was barely big enough to sport the website for Myers Motors, on the way to work this morning. Turns out it's an electrical "car" with three wheels! It's a cute little thing, isn't it? I would be concerned about safety, but for economy, it sounds hard to beat.

If you were to get one, what color would you want? I think I'd choose the teal or the dark aqua.

Nose News

I went to the doctor today and finally got my nose splint off-yay! My nose is still tender and a little swollen, and keeping my glasses on for any length of time will be a bit of a challenge, but one I'm willing to work on. :) I can start exercising gently, but it's better than nothing!

I took a self-portrait this morning, so that I could remember what it was like to have the splint and tape on my face, and I took another one after I got home. It's a big change, and it's also a reminder of how I didn't bother to wear make-up (what was the point?!) or fix my hair during these nose splint days. Simplicity was key, and actually washing and drying my hair daily was ordeal enough without adding hot rollers to the mix.

In addition to returning to exercise, I'm going to reschedule my physical therapy appointments, make an appointment for a new hairstyle, and think about getting new glasses or contacts. I'm ready for a new look, though anything is an improvement over the masked nose look!

It felt a little strange to walk out of the clinic without the splint on, since I've been aware of the white stuff in my line of vision for a week and a half. I've really enjoyed being able to scratch my nose since the unveiling, and I can't wait to wash my whole face tonight for the first time in a week and a half!

Part of Why I Do It

I just noticed an article on Yahoo about the various celebs and politicians that Obama, Clinton, and McCain, can call cousin. I find this stuff interesting, how people are connected, and it's part of why I'm interested in genealogy. I started working on my family tree some seventeen (count 'em!) years ago, thinking I'd be finished with the tree by Christmas for my parents' Christmas present that year. Funny thing is I've never stopped, at least not for too long.

Last fall, when I got a new computer, I test drove a couple of genealogy programs, picked the one I liked best (RootsMagic), and started researching and entering data again. In January, I accidentally merged someone else's whole database with mine (instead of just one family), and since I'd done too much editing without backing up when I did that, I've spent the past couple of months cleaning up my family database! Yikes! It has helped me get familiar with my larger family tree again, never a bad thing, and now I have a little over 21,000 names in my database, covering both my parents' sides of the family.

I haven't found any politicians that I'm related too, but I do have a Huckabee line that I haven't researched in a few years. Who knows, maybe Mike Huckabee is a cousin! The closest thing to celebrity that I've found is that I'm related to Sarah Ann and Adelaide Yates. Wondering who they are?! They were sisters from Wilkes County, North Carolina, who married Eng and Chang Bunker, the conjoined twins from Siam--the "original" Siamese Twins. The sisters are my first cousins, 6 times removed, as well as second cousins, 5 times removed.

I have a lot of double cousins in my family tree! In fact, my sister and I are also fifth and seventh cousins! :)

Service with a Smile

Since I fell and broke my nose (with accompanying facial scrapes), then had it reset and added the nose splint, I've been a little grumpy, though I've tried hard not to let it show in public. While many co-workers noticed the initial scrapes (so they knew I hadn't gotten plastic surgery after the nose splint appeared), and all have been sympathetic, it's been interesting to interact with the general public and observe how others react. A rare few customer service people have gone out of their way to give me an extra smile and say they hoped I'd feel better. Most have looked away like they're trying not to notice this big white bandage in the middle of my face! Many of those people I've exchanged money with recently (I go to the same grocery store a lot for little things--I'm not very good at shopping for a week's worth of groceries) have no idea how making eye contact and giving me a smile when they handed me the receipt would've lifted my spirits over the last couple of weeks. This particular grocery store I go to has little bells at each cash register for people to ring when the cashier gives good customer service, and I've been looking to ring that bell. Haven't yet.

I'm definitely not dependant on other people for how I feel about myself, but it's made me hyper-aware of good customer service, as well as how I react to other people, whether friends or strangers, when they have some sort of injury. A smile goes a long way!

A Recent North Carolina Sunrise

One morning last week, I grabbed my camera on my way out the door for work and took these shots of a pretty sunrise. Usually, I'm at the gym for the sunrise, but since my nose is in a splint, I've been called off the exercise equipment until this coming Wednesday. Although I can't wait to start exercising again, catching this sunrise was nice!

Out and About

Today has been a busy day! George and I went to get our taxes done at H & R Block, and our appointment was delayed, so we tried a new (for us) restaurant in Cary for lunch, the Tangerine Cafe. I enjoyed the Organic Salad, and followed it with the Thai Vegetable Curry. Both were very tasty!

After our tax appointments, we drove back to Durham, and stopped by Panera Bread to read and relax before attending a surprise birthday party for our minister at ERUUF. It was a big birthday for him, so it was fun to share in the celebration. I'd had a yummy banana pecan bagel at Panera, so I wasn't tempted by the birthday cake. I did have a lot of folks ask about my nose and offer sympathy. One of the most interesting conversations I had was with a little boy and his mother. I noticed the little boy (maybe 3-4) looking at me and asking his mother something. She replied, "Well, let's go ask her." So they came over, and she said that her son wanted to know what happened to my nose. I explained it all in a matter of fact, but non-technical way, that I'd tripped and broken my nose, that it was much better, but that the doctor wanted me to keep the bandage on for a few more days to protect it while it finished healing. It turns out that the mom had sinus surgery about 10 years ago, so we commiserated about the nose packing, which was irritating at best, and a bear when the nurses pulled the stuff out last Monday. I was glad that the mom encouraged her son by modeling how to ask nicely and compassionately "what's wrong."

From the birthday celebration, we drove back to Cary, and hung out for a little while at another Panera (no bagels this time), while we waited to join George's mother, brother, and grandfather at Lucky 32. I first enjoyed Lucky 32 in Greensboro, and this was my second time to enjoy the Cary location. This time I had the mixed greens salad and black bean cakes with star pasta and green beans, all yummy! Unfortunately, I couldn't even start on the last black bean cake, as I'd eaten so much all day.

Tomorrow, I'm treating George for Easter brunch/lunch (though I haven't told him where yet--it's a surprise!), and then it's back on track with the diet!

10 on Tuesday: 10 Things I'd Take a Tourist to See in My Hometown

Although I live in Morrisville now, I'm still in Durham County, and I spend most of my days working in Durham, so I'll compile this list for Durham:

1) A Durham Bulls game
2) Duke Chapel
3) A Duke basketball game in Cameron
4) Nasher Museum of Art
5) Locopops
6) Sarah P. Duke Gardens
7) Eno River State Park
8) Magnolia Grill
9) North Carolina Museum of Life and Science
10) 9th Street

What would you include on your list of things to show a tourist in Durham, or wherever you live? Have I left something especially good off?

Healing

Today I went back to the Duke Clinic and got the packing taken out of my nose. What a relief to be able to breathe through my nose again-wow! I decided to take the rest of the day off from work and rest. It's been a long weekend, between the extended headache and mouth breathing. Solid sleep had been short lived at best.

I'm planning to be back at work tomorrow, even with the nose splint, which is a cute look! :o)

Broken Nose News

I had my appointment yesterday afternoon, and no suprisingly, it was all about the nose. (So I didn't get to talk with him about a post-weight-loss tummy tuck or anything like that!) I'm going under general anesthesia at Duke Hospital tomorrow to have my nose reset, packed, and splinted. I was able to have my pre-op appointment by phone this morning, and I'll call this afternoon for my operating room appointment. Fun, fun!

UPDATE: My surgical appointment is at 9 tomorrow morning, not too early, not too late. This little bear needs to be there at 7 AM to check in, but considering I can't wear makeup or anything, that shouldn't be a problem. George is going to take me, and Tina's going to meet us at the hospital so relieve George so he can go to work. I'm feeling better already.

Another Appointment

I had another physical therapy appointment this morning at Duke Sports Medicine for my strained muscle. It's getting better, thank goodness. I got some more stretches to try between now and my next appointment on Friday.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with a plastic surgeon about my broken nose. Since it's at Duke South, I'll be able to walk to the appointment, which helps a lot. I googled the doctor I'll be seeing, and found this interesting (to me) Q&A about him:


Q. Where did you go to med school? Undergraduate school?
A. University of Berlin and Munich, Germany

Q. How long have you been a Duke physician?
A. Since 2000 with a 1.5 year break to complete PhD thesis at the University of Heidelberg, Germany

Q. Where did you work prior to coming to Duke?
A. Attending Surgeon and Plastic Surgeon, University of Heidelberg Germany

Q. Have you received any awards or honors? Do you sit on any boards or journals? If so, please list them along with a brief description.
A. Reviewer for Plast Reconstr Surg since 2001
Invited Visiting Professor:The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (Canada), Topic: “Noma – Reconstructive Opportunities” June 2001
Two-time participant in the Biomedical Sciences Exchange Program (DAAD sponsored) between Germany and the USA
Third place residents competition: Erdmann D., Zamboni W.A., Hussmann J., Bergman B.A., Cooper M.D., Smoot E.C., Russell R.C.: Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment improves the outcome of Streptococcal myositis in mice. Annual Scientific Meeting Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, June 1995, Palm Beach, Florida
Best poster award: Sundin B.M., Erdmann D., Moquin K.J., Young H., Georgiade G.S.: Vascular delay in unipedicled TRAM flap reconstruction of the breast: a review of 76 consecutive cases. 70th Annual Scientific Meeting American Society of Plastic Surgeons, November 2001, Orlando, Florida
Best paper award European Federation Societies Hand Therapy, Colditz J.C., Erdmann D., Levin L.S.: Lumbrical tightness: testing and stretching.Congress EFSHT, May 2002, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Best paper award American Society Hand Therapists, Colditz J.C., Erdmann D., Levin L.S.: Clinical implications of differential testing and stretching of the interosseous versus the lumbrical muscles of the hand.Annual meeting ASHT, September 2002, Ottawa, Canada
Best video award American Society Surgery Hand, Heitmann C., Erdmann D., Germann G., Levin L.S.: Intrinsic flaps of the hand: anatomical study, clinical applications.ASSH Annual meeting, October 2002, Phoenix, Arizona
Best scientific paper award World Society Reconstructive Microsurgery, Heitmann C., Khan R., Erdmann D., Levin L.S., Klitzman B.: Sutureless anastomosis of a vein graft using magnets.Kongress World Society Reconstructive Microsurgery, June 2003, Heidelberg

Q. What led you into the practice of aesthetic surgery (or the field in general)?
A. Basic and fundamental techniques of Plastic Surgery are applied in Aesthetic Surgery

Q. What are your areas of specialty and how have things changed since you entered the field?
A. All aspects of aesthetic surgery including liposuction and post-bariatric surgery (gastric bypass procedures); and general reconstructive surgery including microsurgery.

Q. Are you involved with any clinical trials or research studies? If so what are you examining?
A. ‘Engineering’ of new bone tissue (animal studies); outcome after repair of decubitus ulcers (pressure sores); bone grafts for spinal fusion, and others

Q. What is the focus of your current research?
A. Clinical outcome studies; ‘engineering' of bone tissue

Q. How will your research contribute to the field of medicine?
A. Improvement of current operative techniques and postoperative treatment; replacement of lost bone due to operative resection (e.g. after tumor removal) or trauma

Q. What are some things you’ve discovered during the course of your research?
A. Expression of ‘growth factors’ in tissue, many other

Q. In a couple sentences please describe what you love about your work.
A. The two most important things for me in life are (1) make other human beings happy and (2) be happy with yourself. My profession certainly helps me to achieve both every day.

Q. Do you have any special stories to tell about your experience as a physician?
A. I participated in several Interplast missions to third world countries providing plastic surgery to children and adults with severe congenital or acquired deformities of the face, trunk and extremities. I enjoy the happiness and gratefulness of the patients and I feel very lucky to live where I live and to be in an environment like Duke.

Q. What do you think sets Duke Aesthetic Center apart from other Aesthetic practices in the area?
A. One of the rare Academic Aesthetic Centers in the country, higher safety, profound training of surgeons

Q. Do you have any personal hobbies or interests that you would be willing to share?
A. I like sports like working-out, soccer, swimming, tennis; I like to spend time with my family and children; history and arts


OK, it's me again. I'm intrigued by the fact that one of his specialties is post-bariatric surgeries, since I've lost a lot of weight and will be losing more.

Broken Nose!

Last evening I tripped up and my face met up with a concrete sidewalk, scraping up my face and breaking my nose! Ouch! The tumble also hurt my right knee. George got me to Urgent Care, where they checked me out and cleaned up my face. The nose appears to be the only broken bone, thank goodness. I have a couple of prescriptions to start taking today (the pharmacy was closed by the time we got out of the doctor's office). Monday I'll make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor for a couple weeks down the road to see what needs to be done about my nose, if anything. This morning it's swollen and skinned up, but I can still tell it's crooked. Pretty! :-P

Meanwhile, George's new nephew, Evan Asher, was born yesterday--great news!

Heard on NPR: Harriet the Spy

This morning I listened to a delightful NPR podcast, the "Story of the Day" from yesterday, about Harriet the Spy, a very cute book written by Louise Fitzhugh and published in 1964. If you have a few minutes to listen, check it the podcast here.

When I read the book as a kid in the '70s, I remember thinking Harriet was cool (partly because I wanted to be a writer too), gutsy, confident, and real. I wished I had a friend like Harriet.

I never saw the 1996 Nickelodeon movie--did you?

A Visit to Earth Fare

Yesterday I visited Earth Fare, which bills itself as a "healthy supermarket." There's a store in nearby Brier Creek, so I was eager to see how it compared to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, which I've been to recently. I found a few goodies at Earth Fare, including some Westbrae Natural Stoneground Mustard with no salt added (woohoo!) and some Eden's Organic Beans (with no salt added) in cans, and a book called The Runner's Yoga Book, which I'm going to order online. But all in all, I found Earth Fare's prices to be more expensive (especially compared to Trader Joe's), and the staff not as friendly as at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.