Breezing through Charlotte

Sometime last week, Derek asked if I had any objections to him heading to Charlotte to spend the day with a couple of his college friends. No problem, honey! But...here's a thought: instead of you taking Dad's car all day, effectively stranding him in the house without any means of transportation, why don't I give you a ride, drop you off at G's house, and have myself an excursion in the Queen City?

He agreed to this plan, so we carpooled down, before splitting off for our respective field trips. The boys had decided to spend their 8 hours or so at Carowinds, the nearby amusement park. As for me, I had carefully curated a selection of "potentially interesting activities" to work my way through, until I had to return at the designated pickup time. My first stop was a historic plantation...or at least, that's what they'd like you to believe. It turned out to be nothing more than a restored house--which you couldn't actually go inside, unless you chose to pay the $11 for a guided tour--surrounded by a couple of pretty plants. Yeah, that was a bust...but this is why we have a LIST, people, so we can cut our losses and move right on to the next option!

I figured it was time to proceed further into town, so I GPSed an urban green space I'd thought sounded cool during my pre-visit research phase. Romare Beardon Park turned out to be a cute little oasis in which to hang out. You could walk around and examine the architectural features (like the statue shown above), rest on a bench in the shade and admire the lush flowers, or even catch a break from the heat by splashing in the waterfall wall (also pictured, to the left), which invited people to take advantage of its cool spray.

The little gem also happened to be nestled right next to another attraction...BB&T Ballpark, home of the Charlotte Knights (Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, playing in the International League along with our Durham Bulls). While I wasn't able to get into the stadium, I did a circuit around it to take in the sights--which included banners displayed along the side of the building, depicting famous athletes who made a stop in Charlotte on their way to the Majors. And let me tell ya, folks, there were some big names there...such as the one that caused me to come to a screeching halt as my mouth dropped open and I yelled, "No. WAY!" That would be Cal Ripken, Jr., in case you were wondering. (And if I looked/sounded like a crazy person there for a moment, the locals kindly left me in peace...with my incredulity.)

At this point--have I mentioned the scorching temperatures yet?--I was dripping with sweat, baking in the relentless rays of the sun, starving, and parched. Thus my wandering took on a new purpose: to locate and obtain sustenance in an air-conditioned venue, STAT. It just so happened that my sneakers took me past an establishment I'd seen mentioned (I can't recall exactly where, but probably on a website I visited during my prep work), called (amusingly) Not Just Coffee. Frankly, an iced java sounded soooo perfect right about then, so into the shop I went. One high-quality cup o'joe and Big Spoon Roasters Cherry Cashew bar later, I was rejuvenated enough to continue exploring.

Now, one of the things I really appreciate about this city is that, because it's so walkable, it feels like there are things to see around every corner, even when you're just meandering, without a particular destination in mind. Such as The Green, a cozy enclave I stumbled into when I noticed the bronze sculptures made to resemble stacks of books. For a bibliophile like myself, this acted as a homing beacon, beckoning me nearer, to discover what other treasures might be hidden inside. And...it's just adorable. There are games set into the sidewalk for kids to enjoy, literary notes installed in the cobblestones, enticing you to read them as you follow the paths, and quirky signs pointing you to different author-named towns all over the U.S. Plus, a fish fountain whose spouts alternate in a pattern, so you can pause while waiting for the next plume of water...or simply go in and get wet if you so desire!



Next, I traveled to my one repeat locale of the journey: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, which technically lies in Belmont, a suburb about 20 minutes outside of Charlotte. I'd been there once before for a special night-time program when it was all decked out with twinkling lights for the holiday season, but I'd never seen it with, you know, live greenery and whatnot. This time there was also an artistic installment throughout the grounds, consisting of impressively large blooms...made of blown glass. So, besides the bonanza of lovely natural flora, everywhere you turned, there was a larger-than-life, stunningly crafted, brilliantly colored representation of a beautiful flower, sparkling in the sunshine. All I can say is, if you elect to spend time in the Great Outdoors on a sweltering Summer day, you'd be hard pressed to find a more delightful place to do so. 

Finally, I returned to the city to attempt to find an actual meal, and to kill another couple of hours before retrieving my roller-coaster renegade. This time I told Maps I wanted to go to the Spectrum Center (aka the Hornets' basketball arena), because it's right smack in the middle of the action, and after several jaunts to Charlotte in recent years, I feel like I can navigate my way around that area fairly well as a pedestrian. Sure enough, after parking the Subaru I almost immediately found the 2-story open air shopping-palooza called Epicentre, where I was able to score a sandwich at Firehouse Subs (veggie, not gluten-free and definitely not healthy, but when in Rome...or whatever...). Then I just...let my feet take me where they wanted...and window-shopped...and people-watched...until it was time to say goodbye to C-town and navigate our way back northeastward to Chapel Hill.

It was a super-loooong day, y'all. But both Derek and I had a blast with our respective entertainment, so it was well worth it. Bonus: no one got sunburned, or suffered dehydration, or succumbed to heat-exhaustion, so I'm gonna have to call that a big old W-I-N. Now I need to go sit down somewhere...and not move...for quite a while. Can someone bring me a tall, frosty glass of tea? Thankyouverymuch!

While the mice are away, I'll...play with cats? I don't think that's how it goes, exactly...

The Male Trio made their Summer Sojourn to South Carolina last weekend, leaving me with a few days to savor my favorite treat in the whole wide world: Alone Time...with a bonus helping of Peace. And. Quiet. Of course, that's not to say I shunned the rest of humanity entirely, and hid in the house until they returned--there was ample opportunity for both solitude and mingling on my agenda.

For example, I finally took a field trip to a place I've been wanting to visit almost since we moved to Chapel Hill. Carolina Tiger Rescue is a non-profit organization that takes in wild animals who've been removed from their previous--usually unsafe, inappropriate, and/or abusive--homes and provides them a comfortable, caring environment in which to spend the remainder of their lives. On the tour, the volunteer guide shared a multitude of horror stories about how the creatures were found or came to be placed there, many of which involved either an ill-conceived "pet situation" or a sketchy roadside zoo that was shut down for its inhumane conditions and practices.

On a related note, he mentioned that only a handful of the big cats are actually on display; most of them have to be kept behind the scenes, away from people, due to their "aggressive behavior". One can only imagine how they were treated by their former handlers...such as the specific female tiger he told us about, who reacts with fear and anger whenever she spots any man wearing sunglasses and a hat. It's utterly heartbreaking...even more so because of the fact that these majestic beasts have no chance whatsoever of being released back into their natural habitat after knowing only captivity and human intervention, since as he put it, "They have no idea how to actually be tigers" (or lions, or what have you) and they'd therefore perish very quickly if left to fend for themselves.

However, the upside is that they are loved, nurtured, fed, protected, and kept healthy in a 55-acre sanctuary where nothing can harm them...and throngs of adoring fans can come admire their beauty. And if you're so inclined, you can donate service time or food to help out the residents--we were told that they eat mostly chicken, bought from the grocery store since "we just couldn't seem to get any 'volunteer pluckers'!" Even better: you might have heard me rant about the endless hordes of deer that run rampant in NC? Well, apparently during hunting season, some of the folks with licenses--and good aim, I suppose--will bring their...trophies...to the center, to be made into fresh venison for the caged carnivores.

Oh, and every day, the staff administers "enrichment"...basically, either something to simply play with, for amusement and exercise, or a kind of puzzle to solve, like when the keepers hide their meal inside a container that they have to work to break open in order to receive their edible reward. Or after the December holidays, when people can donate their Christmas trees for the curious felines to scratch, chew, bat around, and shred to their hearts' content.

Still...while they're distantly related to the tame kitty companions with whom we share our houses, it doesn't take long for them to remind you that...they would eat you in a heartbeat if they could. Such as the "orange tiger" (so designated by our leader, laughingly) who perks up considerably when small children stroll up to his habitat. You can only wonder what he's thinking, but in my mind, it's something along the lines of, "Mmm...SNACK SIZE!" And then there was the Siberian tiger who, the moment our group approached, stood up and began pacing the length of his enclosure, right next to the fence. I mentioned this to an extra volunteer who was tagging along on our excursion, and he quietly answered, "Yeah, he's social. Not friendly, mind you, but he likes the attention."

Noted. Although I soooo want to stroke his magnificent fur and scratch his ears, I'll stay back here, on the non-buffet side of the chain-link! This message was only reinforced for me when he came right up to the spot where I was parked with my camera--only about 3 feet away, mind you--paused his perambulation, and Stared. Right. At. Me. for like 30 seconds. Yikes! I mean, nice tiger! You're stunning, really. Love those stripes. Now how 'bout you move along, there's a good boy...hey, I think there's a kid-nugget right over there, why don't you go check it out? (Just kidding...there were actually several to choose from...kind of like a Whitman sampler...for predators. Ha!)


Anyway, despite the tragic tales of how they all came to be at the wildlife preserve, I greatly enjoyed getting up-close with the animals. (I realize I gave them short shrift, but there are also smaller rescues, like a leopard, bobcats, servals, and caracals...and the huge, super-lazy lions who lay in the sun and declined to participate in our nonsense while we watched them. Also gorgeous....just boring!) And it was reassuring to see them all looking so well-tended and...as content as they can be, I guess, given their lack of freedom to roam the Earth the way nature intended. I still have an overwhelming urge to rub some bellies...maybe next time!

Putting his HGTV viewing to good use?

So, I may have previously mentioned that--while I love him dearly--my older son is...hmm, how shall we put this delicately..."not known as Mr. Go-Getter", shall we say. In the proverbial River of Life, he tends to float cheerfully along, paddling only when absolutely necessary, and not particularly vigorously, assuming that everything will just work out the way it's supposed to,...eventually. It's a hallmark of his uber-laid-back personality, to be sure...but it tends to make his Type-A mother just a wee bit...well, bonkers.

And on occasion, as you might imagine, we butt heads about it--such as when I feel he's not directing an appropriate amount of effort towards something, while he believes that the situation doesn't really warrant his maximum attention. For example, when he was home for part of his Spring Break in March, I mentioned that it might be wise to start thinking about a job for the Summer, especially since he'd be available a whole month before the High School kids finished their classes. I figured he could get a jump on the competition, in terms of filling out applications early. Sound logic, yeah?

To his credit, he did complete online forms to the local grocery stores (although if we're being totally honest, here, he probably did it to avoid being hounded by yours truly). However, he hadn't heard anything by the time he returned to SC...and without the aforementioned...um..."parental nudging"...he forgot all about it and failed to follow-up.

Thus he found himself back after his Spring final exams, without having secured gainful employment to rebuild his bank account and provide him productive activity to take up some of his endless leisure time. He half-heartedly revisited some of the applications he'd already submitted, updating them in case they expired after a certain length of time. Then, after nothing happened for a few weeks, I (firmly) suggested he start checking a couple of the job board websites for new possibilities, which led to a couple of additional leads...aaaannnd a lot more waiting around.

Then, on a day when I happened to be scrolling through those very same sites for myself, one particular post jumped out at me. It stated that a home improvement store would be holding open interviews for part-time positions, in 2 days' time. Well...I barged right into Derek's room (waking him up at the cruel and inhumane hour of...about 11 a.m.) and announced that he should give this a shot. He was (sleepy and) decidedly skeptical about the whole thing. "I have ZERO experience with...tools and hardware and...stuff" I think is how he put it.

But I suspected that--since the ad specifically stated "seasonal help"--their standards would be more forgiving than usual...as in, "we understand that we're getting college kids for 2 months or so, and we're cool with that". And anyway, at this point, what did he have to lose? (Oh, right: possibly the freedom to lounge in bed all morning long. But..."paycheck"....eyes on the prize, buddy...) He dutifully typed in the required information so they'd be able to access it when he showed up--and went in without high expectations.

He returned home afterwards, though, with a bemused expression and the following report: "One of my buddies from (prior fast food job) was there also. The lady we talked to said she'd call both of us tomorrow with salary offers, and we can accept it if we want." Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, I responded with a tentative, "Oh...kay....sooo this means you're going to work there?" He shrugged, "I guess so!"

Well, alrighty, then! Of course, this apparently being a much more serious organization than the sandwich chain, he had to wait for the results of his drug test and background check to come through.  (Welcome to Grown-Up Land, young man! Now go pee in this cup while we see if you have a police record...) In the meantime, I helped him wade through the official papers employers are required to file with the federal government...all of which were completely unfamiliar to him, since he'd never been asked to do them at his last job. (Ay yi yi! You've gotta think that's probably-not-even-a-little-bit-legal...also No. Longer. Our. Concern...thank goodness...)

Next, he had to attend a TWO DAY orientation/training, which according to him consisted of an overwhelming amount of important facts and minute details (none of which he expects to actually recall) being thrown at him from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. When he was hired, it was implied that he'd work in the garden department in some capacity, since this obviously is a super-busy area in the Summer months, and they are happy to have a squad of youthful, strong folks to carry out manual labor, honestly.

However, when he went back for his first real day of duty, they stationed him at: one of the cash registers. (What, no hauling bags of mulch to people's cars, as he was led to assume? Eh, it's a safe bet that he knows more about money than plants, anyway...) Incidentally, they also told him he could be anywhere in the store, depending on the needs of the day, and he wouldn't know until he arrived what he'd be doing for his shift. Now, I thought this sounded interesting, not having the monotony of doing exactly the same tasks each workday. Derek had a different take on it, though, "It means I constantly have to...learn stuff, and I'll never totally know what I'm doing." (Ah, there's my "path of least resistance" kid!)

Nevertheless, although it took a team approach, more time than anticipated, and an unforeseen twist in terms of location, the elder child has secured his temporary spot in the Rat Race. Now, does anyone need any lightbulbs...nails...painter's tape...etc? 'Cuz I know a guy!

June jumble...

Well, folks, since June seems to be shaping up into a month of...mini-anecdotes...here's a sampling of what's been happening for Team WestEnders since our last update:

--Husband disappeared for 10 days on his annual required work trip to California. (What a shame, right? To be forced to spend time in a Hilton on the Torrey Pines golf course? The only tragedy, here, is that I couldn't figure out how to stow away...) I only mention this because it's so amusing to me, with 2 self-sufficient teenagers in the house these days, how little the temporary absence of a parent affects our routine. I mean, Derek drove him to the airport, so we could keep the extra car around while he was gone...both boys foraged for their own dinners every night, with minimal input from me...and everyone basically went about their routine. So...yeah, it was pretty much business as usual around here.

--Riley finished out his academic year (halfway through High School, yay! Or rather...whoooaaa...) with a new, decidedly-NOT-improved final exam schedule. You see, he had one test each morning, then "review sessions" for other classes every afternoon--regardless of whether he actually, you know, had an upcoming assessment for the course in question. I'm sure this isn't how they planned it, but the current structure would have resulted in a whole lot of hours sitting in a classroom trying to study while surrounded by the distraction of other students...and whatnot. So when he requested to come home and do his work here, in the peace and quiet of his bedroom, we allowed it. (Unexcused absences be damned...)

--Meanwhile, the college dude had been at liberty for about a month...living his best life of sleeping until 11:30 (and it's not even like he stays up that late! The boy just needs his 11 hours per night, apparently...), watching ESPN, playing FIFA19, exercising occasionally, hanging out with his posse when they're available, eating at all hours...and generally being a "shiftless layabout" (one of Husband's favorite terms of all time, although I couldn't tell you where he picked it up). Oh, and to his credit, he has been doing some leisure reading (thank goodness for that, at least).

And speaking of free time: one day he and I were talking about Disney movies, for some reason (perhaps because Frozen II is coming out at Thanksgiving, and we're both super-excited about that) and he mentioned that it might be fun to re-watch some of the classics we haven't seen in a while, as well as newer releases we never got around to catching in a theater. This offhand suggestion quickly became somewhat of a...Quest, if you will. First, I recorded Moana, Zootopia, and Finding Dory, all of which had shown up on regular TV.

Then we hit up the library (slinking into the Children's Section, without a tyke in tow, like we were renegade cartoon-ophiles on some kind of unauthorized...DVD heist, or something. THAT was kind of hilarious...) To date, we've raided their collection for: Brave, Incredibles 2, both Wreck-It Ralphs, The Princess & the Frog, Coco, and Tangled. Holy animation overload, Batman--that's a heck of a binge! Only 7 more on our To Do List, with 8 weeks to go until he needs to be returned to UofSC. We can do this!

--Then, more entertainment: I enjoyed a brief visit from a Maryland amiga (and her spouse, who I felt like I should know after our many years of friendship, but had never met IRL). We got to catch up, dine at one of my preferred Carrboro eateries, and even join the bootcamp crew for a misty Sunday morning walk (and Whole Foods breakfast, which is always the reward for a workout-well-done...or whatever, honestly; we don't judge, and we certainly don't stand in the way of the coffee or buffet!)

On another java-related note, I also had a chance to meet a local pal for a calm, uninterrupted cup o'caffeine, before the Summer Madness descends on her household. (Her offspring are younger than mine; hence the very real possibility of 2-1/2 months of unstructured mayhem. Yikes...) And finally, I attended the regular Wednesday night pub run, which is only notable for the fact that I completed the 3 mile loop...WITHOUT PAIN! Whoo hoo (let's all keep our fingers crossed that the arsenal of tricks I've been employing to wrangle the..."fascist plants" tormenting my foot...continue to be effective. 'kaythanks...)

--And finally, 3/4 of the fam took in our first Durham Bulls game of the season. (Riley opted out, since we chose to go on the last day of school, and he was in R&R mode after the big end-of-term... hoopla.) The only slight wrinkle to the agenda was the unexpected, unexplained power outage we experienced that--bright, sunny--afternoon...stretching into evening. We therefore left our younger son alone, hoping that the electricity would be restored at the promised target of 6:30 p.m., so he'd be able to feed and occupy himself in our absence. (Fortunately, it was, and he managed just fine, left to his own devices.)

At the stadium, we were treated to a stunningly gorgeous, surprisingly crisp night, as well as an impressive interlude of quality baseball. The home squad roughed up a visiting Major Leaguer (Jordan Zimmerman, rehabbing a strained elbow) for several innings, on the way to a solid 6-3 win...and I actually had to don my jacket...in NC...in June. So all-in-all, we really couldn't ask for a more perfect first trip to the DBAP for 2019.

And there you have it: all the current events that are fit to report. But now that both kids are "on vacation" for a while, we'll see what kinds of...shenanigans...they (we?) get up to in the coming weeks. Stay tuned...

The Big Run 2019 (featuring one tortoise and one hare!)

After another week of diligently combining and applying elements of the comprehensive "recovery protocol" I cobbled together using input from the orthopedist and chiropractor (rest, ice, tape, stretches, NSAIDs), in a personalized mix-and-match format, I felt sufficiently safe to test the foot again with another run. Well...it wasn't like I really had a choice anyway, since I'd signed Riley and me up for a 5K, before all this nonsense started! Besides, it was to commemorate Global Running Day, and I wasn't about to back out of the opportunity to join my community in celebrating such an occasion.

Adding to the appeal, the location was a new one for us--on the campus of a local Catholic church--and the course was described as a "cross-country type loop". Hmm...intriguing. Not surprisingly, when we arrived I quickly spotted folks from the Wednesday night group I sometimes train with, as well as a few bootcamp friends. As usual, Riley wished me a good race, then took his place in the front of the pack so he could set off at his usual speedy pace, unimpeded by the rest of us sloggers. (I mean, look at the picture--he doesn't even appear to be working very hard. Damn sporty teenager with his freakish energy and boundless aerobic capacity...)


Meanwhile, as for me...something about the combination of hills and humidity (this being an evening event, kicking off at 6:30 p.m.) combined to produce an effect like I was trying to plow through...I don't know...marshmallow fluff, maybe?...while also wearing a thick, wet blanket. Suffice it to say, after finishing the first lap, I heard alarm bells in my head, going "Oh, no....we have to do that whole thing AGAIN?" I'm not gonna lie...it was...not pretty, y'all. (Although it somehow doesn't appear that way in the "during" photo...I guess I was wearing my Game Face...otherwise known as "WOW, I'm tired; let's get this over with"!)

But, it eventually got done, and that's really all that counts, right? And although by the time I finally approached the blessed finish line I felt like....oh, let's say a soaked rag that had been wrung out, yet was somehow still dripping...it was all good when I was greeted--and handed my super-cool participation medal--by the familiar smiling face of a young lady from our neighborhood. (Hey, I certainly didn't WIN anything, but I toughed it out, and sometimes that's the best you can do...I'll humbly and gratefully accept the swanky hardware, thankyouverymuch!)

While my overall time was anything but...um..."sprightly"...I ended up almost exactly in the middle of the field. Riley, on the other hand, clocked in at 18:42 (a PR, he believes), for 4th place. As usual, he refused to stay for the awards, since my introverted mini-me shuns attention of all kinds. So he just had to settle for a private high-five from Mom--and a shout-out on her blog, of course! (Shhh! No one mention it to him, 'kay? He never needs to know...) Oh, and when I checked the nationwide stats the next day, he'd apparently come in 84th...out of 9,300 participants across the U.S. Yeeeahhh....not too shabby...

So, our first Summer race is officially in the books. Now all we have to do is ramp up the warm weather workouts to increase our heat tolerance so we're ready for the next one we have our eyes on...in August. Sweat-sprints, here we come!