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! ;-)