Outer Banks Vacation: Wright Brothers National Memorial

Wright Brothers Monument

George and I visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a long weekend to celebrate our recent anniversary (14 years!). One of our favorite activities was visiting the Wright Brothers National Memorial, a national park in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.

We visited on a beautiful, unseasonably warm afternoon. We were looking forward to the park ranger's talk in the air-conditioned auditorium, but learned when we arrived that the auditorium was being cleared out for the upcoming 2-year renovation of the visitor center. We decided to take advantage of the park ranger's talk outdoors instead, and we were glad we did! We learned a lot about Wilbur and Orville Wright, and the history of their plane building and many flying attempts. Now I want to read David McCullough's book, The Wright Brothers!

If you ever have the chance to visit the Outer Banks, the Wright Brothers National Memorial is definitely worth a stop! You'll be glad you did!

The Gift of Spit

Earlier this month, I visited my parents in Alabama. It was a long drive for a short visit, but I'm glad I did it. They're getting older, and it's much more challenging for them to travel.

A few weeks before I left home for Alabama, I ordered two extra AncestryDNA kits, one for each of my parents, in hopes that I could get spit samples from both of them. My mom wasn't able to do it, but my dad was willing to do it. I was so excited, that I mailed the test out on my way back from Alabama to North Carolina! AncestryDNA estimates 6-8 weeks for processing, but I'm still checking practically every day!


I'm so thankful that my dad was willing and able to spit into the little plastic tube for me. I can't wait to see how his results compare to mine and tell me more about our family tree!

Are You Playing Pokemon Go?

Early last week, I downloaded the app for Pokémon Go, to see what the latest craze is all about. I didn't get into the original Pokémon craze, but I was intrigued by the augmented reality and GPS components of Pokémon Go.


My play started pretty slowly, but I've picked up the pace, as much as full-time work and other responsibilities will allow, and am up to level 13 now. Like others, this game has gotten me outside a bit more during the heat of summer, when I'm usually running from one air-conditioned place to another air-conditioned place. I've picked a team (Go Team Mystic!), and am catching the occasional new Pokémon. Mostly, the ones I catch are repeats these days, but part of the fun of the game is the anticipation of catching or evolving a different Pokémon to add to my PokeDex.


Will the gamehold my interest, long term? Good question! For now, though, I think it's pretty fun. I've joined a Pokémon Go Meetup group in my area, so it might be a way of meeting new people. I missed a recent event at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, where they opened it up for Pokémon Go players ("trainers") for a few hours on a weekend afternoon. I hope they do that again!

Stocking Up on Makeup

Over the past few months, I've been working on upgrading my makeup collection and techniques. It started when I noticed more wrinkles, but slowed down when I realized that nice makeup seems to be pretty pricey! While I still have some Mary Kay and Clinique products, my latest acquisitions have been Bobbi Brown.While money is definitely a factor, I've also found that customer service is a big issue for me too. I look for a salesperson who's patient, knowledgeable, efficient, and responsive. I've seen a pretty wide range of these characteristics over the past few months.

What are your favorite skincare and makeup products? What do you look for in a skincare/makeup line?


Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Outer Banks Daycation

George on the Beach at Kitty Hawk

George and I had a fun daycation at the Outer Banks of North Carolina last Saturday. George decided Flying Pirate Half Marathon, but wanted to pick up his race packet anyway, so we decided to make a day trip out of it!
not to run the

We started at the race expo, where we got chair massages which felt awesome! At the recommendation of one of the massage therapists, we went to lunch at the Black Pelican, which was a cute place with yummy food and a nice view. As luck would happen, there was public access to the beach, plus a bathhouse with bathrooms and outdoor showers, very close to the restaurant, so we did that next. The beach area was a little foggy at first, but cleared up before we left. It was so relaxing to hang out on the beach for a while and listen to the waves. All in all, a lovely day!

I've uploaded my photos onto Flickr, and they're available here.

Life After Graduate School

Spring Semester has started, and for the first time in three and a half years, I'm no longer a student! It still feels different, not thinking about assignments and homework, but it's a good feeling! I've started to think about other things, both professionally and personally, that I can develop.

One thing I did recently was buy a Yamaha alto recorder. I don't know how to play the recorder, but like to learn! Fortunately, decent recorders come fairly cheaply, and I got mine with a gift certificate. :-) The recorder is so portable, there's a recorder playing group in my area, to boot. I'm really wanting to plug back into my musical side. So stay tuned!

On the work end, one thing I'm doing is shadowing a colleague at the library's  Help Desk  once a week for a couple of hours. I enjoy working with KJ, who has a lot of energy and is eager to take advantage of teachable moments.

I'm also planning on attending three professional conferences this year, and am presenting at one of them. Busy, busy!

Grad School Complete!

I finished my last assignments of my grad school career a week ago today, and gave my final presentation (of library school) last Monday (December 1) in class. So hard to believe! I've spent much of the last week (beyond my full-time job) resting, catching up on errands and cleaning, and thinking about how I want to spend my newly re-found free time!

One of the things I want to do is cook more healthy foods at home. So recently, I picked out an easy, yummy looking chicken curry recipe, and went grocery shopping yesterday. A few minutes ago, I decided to go ahead and make the recipe for an early lunch, and learned that I have TWO bottles of expired olive oil (called for in the recipe) in the pantry! (On the flip side, I have three bottles of lemon juice in the refrigerator, all within the expiration date. Sigh.) I have a feeling I'll find a few more extras and expired items before it's all over, but I'm looking forward to giving our kitchen and pantry the reboot.


Graduation is next weekend! I'll post all about it later.

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Almost Done!

It's hard to believe I'm almost done with graduate school! All my assignments are due on December 1, when I have my last class period (and a presentation due that night). Graduation is December 13. These days, I'm tired and pretty stressed, but it's almost over. I'm looking forward to taking a big nap, then starting to catch up on things I've missed, like exercise, reading for pleasure, and learning how to cook more dishes. I'm also looking into taking up some new hobbies, like learning a musical instrument or new foreign language. Stay tuned!

The Year was 1963 (When I Was Born)

In 1963, A Stamp Cost 4 Cents

Lyndon B. Johnson becomes president of the US The atomic powered submarine, Thresher, sinks in the North Atlantic killing 129 A civil rights rally held by 200,000 blacks and whites, features Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech President John F. Kennedy is assassinated as he rides in a motorcade through downtown Dallas Betty Friedan publishes The Feminine Mystique, launching a middle-class feminist movement Michael Jordan, Quentin Tarantino, Conan O'Brien, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt are born Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series Chicago Bears win the NFL championship Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup The Beatles receive their first #1 hit single, when "Please Please Me" tops the charts in the UK Astroboy (known as Mighty Atom in Japanese) Japan's first ever anime was launched NBC expands its evening network news program to 30 minutes The television remote control is authorized by the FCC

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes!

Celebrating 100 Years

Papa Saying a Few Words

Last night, friends and family of George's grandfather gathered at Rey's in Cary, NC, to celebrate George's grandfather's 100th birthday! It was quite a dinner party, with great music and yummy food! I saw a number of people I'd met before, but also met a number of new people. I was impressed by how many people Papa has met from various places. There was a great energy in the restaurant all evening!

Happy Spring!

2014 has been a busy one so far!

I'm so glad that Spring is finally here, since it's a season that makes me smile. It's not too hot yet, and I don't suffer from allergies to speak of. It's also a very busy time of year, though, both at work and in grad school, so I'm not enjoying the nice weather as much as I'd like.  The good news is that I plan to graduate from grad school in December, so I'm hopeful that I'll be able to enjoy next year's spring even more!


Clipart from Clipartheaven.com 

2013 Coming to a Close!

It's hard to believe that 2013 is almost over! While other blogs are taking up some of my limited free time, I decided it was time to update this blog a bit! Here are some highlights from the past year:

1) My dad has had two strokes in less than 6 months. Needless to say, this has added a lot of concern and stress to my family circle. My dad is still in rehab from the second stroke, which he had on Halloween, and he's getting better. My sister and I have had to consider several eldercare issues on an emergency basis, which has been challenging. It's made me want to take better care of myself and get more organized. Unfortunately, I haven't had as much time for either as I'd like.

2) I've completed three more courses toward a Masters in Library Science. One of them, Health Science Resources and Services, remains my all-time favorite, even though I had a mean case of poison ivy at the time. I hope to graduate this time next year.

3) I've finally taken up geocaching, thanks to the geocaching app I downloaded onto my iPhone. It's been a lot of fun, and I've met some nice people along the way.

4) My 2001 Honda Accord, with almost 180k  miles on it, has become a money syphon. I'm wondering if enough things have been replaced that it'll last a while longer, or if I should cut my losses and look for a newer car. I'm hoping to wait until after graduate school is over to decide.

5) This is the first year in several that I haven't done at least one 5K (or longer) race. I hope that will change in 2014. I miss running a lot.

6) Oh, I turned 50 this year (earlier this month)! I was so busy with school and my dad's stroke recovery that I didn't have too much time to worry about it! The birthday itself was a good one, as my coworkers helped me celebrate, with gifts, cards, and birthday cake, so sweet! My family (including my sister, both parents, a niece, and G.) went out to dinner with me at the Washington Duke Inn, which as a big treat! The next weekend, George and I went to Asheville to visit the Biltmore Estate, which was lovely!

2012 Belk Bowl

Bank of America Stadium

As you may know, I'm a Duke football fan, so George and I had the fun opportunity to go to the 2012 Belk Bowl over the Christmas break. Duke played the University of Cincinnati at the Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers. It was my first trip to a pro football stadium, and my first trip to a bowl game in many years.

Georg and Lesley

I reserved a space in a parking lot ahead of time, and we attended the pregame Duke tailgate, which was fun! The weather was nice, but cold for the 6:30 game. Even though Duke lost the game, we still had a fun time!

My pictures from the 2012 Belk Bowl are here.

Happy Holidays!

George and I have had a busy, but fun stretch of celebrations this month!

First, we celebrated Hanukkah with his family over at Papa's house. Papa is 98 years old, the patriarch of their family. He really enjoys having the family fill his house, and it's fun, for sure. The kids are growing up so fast! We did something a little different this year for gift-giving. We each drew one person. I got George's mom, Tina, so we went to lunch at Mellow Mushroom, then to Paint Your Pot in Cary this past Saturday. It was a great time to catch up with her!

On Sunday, George and I threw a Festivus party! I was in the mood to host a Sunday night party, so I googled "December 23 holiday," and found out that it's Festivus, Who knew?! Great excuse to have people over, we decided!We cooked chili, and others brought food and flowers, and we played the original Trivial Pursuit. Fun times, great company! (Thanks to +Beth Bruch, +Nancy Mayer, and others for joining in the fun!)

Last night (Christmas Eve), George and I went to a Moravian Lovefeast at Christ the King Moravian Church. This is the second year in a row that we've gone to this service at Christ the King Moravian, so it feels like a tradition. It's such a nice service, with traditional Christmas hymns and readings, as well as the serving of coffee and buns, We really enjoyed it!

George, Lesley, & Marion

Today, George and I joined my Uncle Marion (who drove from Goldsboro) for brunch at Paparazzi, an Italian restaurant in Raleigh, for Christmas Day brunch. We had an 11:15 reservation, and didn't leave until nearly 3:00! Needless to say, we had a great time catching up and eating yummy food!

Once home, I called my parents in Alabama, and heard about their day. We wish we could've all been together, but it was great to hear their voices!

Tomorrow's a rest day for me, while George returns to work. It's been a great holiday season!

Election Day 2012

Today is Election Day across the country. It's a relief to many (including me) that it's finally here. I cast my ballot at an early voting location a couple of weeks ago, so I'm not part of the voting excitement today. (Since I'm home from work sick today, I'm kinda glad.)

This Presidential campaign season has had a different feel to it, at least for me. Part of it, for sure, is that I'm a lot busier than I was four years ago. I've added graduate school to my schedule, so I watch a lot less TV, and have less time to read newspapers and magazines for fun, so I didn't keep up through the primaries and final push like I did four years ago. It feels strange being so uninformed! But, I voted anyway, and I'm glad I did. It'll be interesting to see who wins.

Taking Better Care of Myself

After weeks (months?) of letting my health take a backseat, I went to a new-to-me doctor recently for a physical. I left with a pretty long list of marching orders that reminded me why I've been too busy to take better care of myself!

For starters, she told me to walk 15 minutes/day. It's been a good goal to stretch for, but some "old" running injuries (plantar fasciitis and a sore ankle) have flared up again. *sigh* She gave me a new blood glucose monitor, but the pharmacy has had difficulty getting me the correct test strips since running out of the samples that came in the monitor's box. She also wants me to buy a blood pressure monitor for home, but I've procrastinated after looking at the long list of possibilities on Amazon alone. (How do you know which one is best?! I think I'll look at the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist for suggestions.)

The doctor also wants me to look into a diet program like Weight Watchers. I've done Weight Watchers before with some success, but always regaining later. My issue with WW now is that I don't have time for the meetings, which cost money (which I'm using to pay for grad school and otherwise trying to save!) to attend. Some would argue that the "group therapy" approach to weight loss is helpful (it often is!) and that paying for something adds an extra element of motivation to the effort. I've decided to go a different route though, returning to SparkPeople.com. The website offers lots of information, teams (groups with similar interests), and a point system for clicking on different articles and such AND for fitness minutes. You earn virtual trophies for moving up the point ladder. The website also offers food, exercise, and weight tracking.

I've also made an appointment for my annual mammogram, always not-fun but oh, so important.

I return to the doctor in 2-3 weeks for a follow-up on her marching orders. How will I do? Stay tuned!

Post Labor Day Blues

After an especially nice Labor Day Weekend, I find myself wishing for a little more time! My plans were to get a lot of studying done, but instead, I had flashbacks to undergrad days, where I procrastinated doing homework sometimes by cleaning my dorm room and doing ALL my laundry! Now, all of this has a different view as a middle-aged, working-full-time, part-time-grad-student adult, of course. It does feel extra nice to have a cleaner apartment, all my clothes hanging in the closet or folded in drawers, and food in the refrigerator! In a way, I have fewer distractions and some peace of mind as I work my way back into the study groove. Sigh. I'm missing my free time just a little!

Okay, I've vented enough for now, thanks. Back to homework!

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Visit to the Farmers Market

I've been reading the book Eat to Live recently, and it's inspired me to go to the Raleigh Farmers Market this afternoon after my workout. I got some tomatoes, blueberries, and peas (I don't remember what kind of peas, but a variety I don't think I've tried before). I did get some cooking tips for the peas, so that's on my to-do list for this evening. Now I wish I'd gotten some squash and peaches too! I guess I'll have to go back soon. (Darn!)

Image from Barnes & Noble

Springtime in the South

Foster's Market Outdoor Seating

George and I decided to take advantage of outdoor seating for dinner at Foster's Market in Durham recently. It was such a nice evening, and surprisingly few people were there, considering it was Reunion Weekend at Duke. (Perhaps a lot of people were involved in campus events.) At any rate, it felt great outdoors (and in the shade), so we had a delightful dinner. What a nice way to start the weekend!

Happy 2012!

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm usually a bit nostalgic for the previous year on New Year's Day morning, but not so much this year. I bet it's because I have a lot to look forward to in 2012, and that's just the stuff I know about!

1) I'm in graduate school, working on a Masters of Library Science. Fall semester 2011 was my first, so I have several more classes planned for 2012 (and probably a couple of years after this one!).

2) I'm going to Anaheim in June for the American Library Association's Annual Conference. It'll be my first ALA conference, and my first time to Anaheim. (Where's Mickey Mouse?!)

3) I've signed up for two half marathons this spring, the Tobacco Road Half Marathon and the Flying Pirate Half Marathon. These races will be a stretch for me, mixing consistent training with graduate school and a full-time job. I'm kinda nervous, so wish me luck!

4) George and I will celebrate 10 years together in October!


With these things and more on my plate, I've decided not to set any "New Year's Resolutions" this year. I already have several goals and personal projects in progress, so this year, January 1 feels like just another day, but thankfully, it's a day for a little more R&R!

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com