The first of a trio of 'burgs

For Saturday's continuation of the Civil War on-site lecture series, an intrepid group of North Carolinians (comprised of both natives and transplants like me, but all claiming Union sympathies, regardless of the fact that our adopted state chose to fight for the--ahem--wrong side) stormed Gettysburg National Battlefield Park. This has long been one of my personal favorites, with its pastoral landscapes, vast acreage for roaming by car and on foot, and plethora of interesting monuments to inform and entertain.

The "class" enjoyed another bonanza of fascinating tidbits from our expert history teacher/fearless leader, but for me, the highlight came when we recreated the infamous Pickett's Charge, which happened on the final day of the conflict. Ordered by Robert E. Lee, the assault pitted 15,000 Confederate troops against General Meade's smaller Northern force, who were holding higher ground known as Cemetery Ridge. A questionable foray across an open patch of unprotected farmland, it resulted in massive casualties for the Southern army, a decisive Union victory--and also marked the last time Lee would invade the North.



Fortunately, we were spared the crushing heat and humidity suffered by the participants in July of 1863....but we did get to trudge our way through mucky terrain and traverse formidable puddles, thanks to last night's torrential downpours...so, kind of an authentic experience? (That's about as realistic as we'd like it to be, honestly...) Our imaginations were certainly challenged by the task of trying to visualize the carnage while surrounded by picturesque barns and rolling hills carpeted in cheerful yellow wildflowers, but we did our best. (Aided by the pictured Rebel-suited gentleman, who overtook us on the path and stopped to insert himself into the narrative for a while...)

Later, I also took some time on my own to stroll through the cemetery. ('Cuz let's face it, we're all well aware of my inexplicable obsession with graveyards by now, yeah?) It's a lovely, peaceful place--while also managing to convey a somber reminder of the horrific consequences that resulted from prolonged, brutal, bloody combat in the devastating War Between the States.

I'm not gonna lie--by the time we'd completed our programmed activities (7-1/2 hours and 20,000 steps after we started the clock in the morning, if you're curious) I was pretty beat. So I mindfully made the choice to pass the remainder of my evening in grateful appreciation of some very special modern conveniences and luxuries...such as television, air conditioning, hot showers, clean clothes, cold beverages, and restaurant food! After all, I knew I'd have to set an alarm for Sunday, so I could roll out bright and early (eh, or more likely "fairly sleepy and moderately grumpy", but whatever) to meet the gang at our next scheduled stop in Fredericksburg. And this would-be war correspondent needs some serious shut-eye, so for now, good night, Pennsylvania!

A weekend education

You might recall me telling you about the Civil War lecture series I attended in February, taught by one of Riley's High School teachers. Well, as a sort of culminating activity, he also leads a field trip for those who wish to visit some of the battlefields with a professional historian/exceptional storyteller. Sure, I've been to all of the locations myself at least once--but never with the benefit of a formal tour or a dedicated guide (who has devoted his life to studying world conflicts, it seems) to highlight some of the strategies, provide colorful details, give in-depth description, and offer intelligent analysis of the proceedings and outcomes. (Soooo much more entertaining than just reading the plaques, y'all!)

Anyway, can we agree that this seemed like the very definition of a no-brainer for me? So I signed right up, and prepared myself for a whirlwind experience. You see, we'd be covering 5 sites, in 4 states (not even including the the travel portion in NC), over 3 days. Whew! There's clearly no time to waste, so let's get started with Day 1: Harper's Ferry and Antietam. We heard all about John Brown's Raid, an ill-fated, poorly planned and recklessly executed attempt to gain control of the armory and, apparently, start some kind of "free black nation" if he was successful. Not only did he fail, but he was ultimately hung for his crimes. (The town itself--nestled in the mountains, on the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers--is quite lovely, though!)

From there, we motored over to Antietam (which I suppose I really should call Sharpsburg, after the Union fashion) to take in the sprawling battleground and listen to tales about the "bloodiest single day of the war", in which 23,000 young men were killed, wounded, or missing after 12 hours of brutal combat. I'll spare you the gruesome specifics, and sum up the takeaway from this particular clash between, among others, George McClellan and Robert E. Lee: the Northern general had several opportunities to strike decisively at the South's much smaller forces, cripple the Confederate army, and bring the whole ugly War Between the States to an end. In each instance, he grappled with indecision and declined to act, thus prolonging the agony of a divided America for another 2-1/2 devastating years.

Another thing I'd either forgotten after many years out of class, or never learned in the first place, is that although neither side could claim a clear victory, it was the first time Lee had been forced to withdraw from a confrontation. President Lincoln, feeling encouraged that the tide might finally be turning, then issued the Emancipation Proclamation 4 months later. Because of this action, European nations, who had already abolished slavery, would no longer recognize or trade with the Confederacy. And because of the damage this caused to their economic situation--in terms of both commerce and obtaining supplies for their troops and citizens--this ultimately signaled the beginning of the end for the aspiring independent nation.


Fascinating stuff, I tell ya. (Yeah, yeah, I know: Nerd Girl. I'm okay with it...) Having relived the terrible events of a nightmare day of bloodshed, we were done with the learning portion of our afternoon. All we had to accomplish after that was a relatively brief drive to Gettysburg, where we'd be bunking (not literally, thank goodness!) for the night. Easy peasy, yeah? Ha! Tell that to the capricious Weather Gods, who unleashed a MOTHER of a storm...which, apparently, we needed to navigate ALL THE WAY THROUGH to reach our hotel. Let me recap the relevant details: visibility? Damn near nada. Rain? Hmm...imagine trying to pilot one's vehicle through a carwash, (but without the helpful rails to keep you headed in the right direction. Just had to, you know, "make your best guess" as to where the lines, curves in the road, etc. might be. Super-exciting! And by that I mean "utterly terrifying" and "potentially deadly at any moment"!)


What else...right, thunder? Yep, like Thor himself was swinging that gigantic hammer of his (and not in a cute Chris Hemsworth way, either. Dang it...). Oh, and my favorite--lightning! In fact, one time it flashed right over my car, so close that I couldn't help jumping in my seat....and I could actually smell the burned ozone afterwards! Yaaayyyy! All of the...pandemonium...was so loud that I couldn't even hear the GPS, with my phone turned to maximum volume. Yeeeaahhh....that may very well have been in the Top 3 most harrowing jaunts I've ever taken, in all my years behind the wheel.

But here I am in--what state again? Right, Pennsylvania...where I'll join up with my group tomorrow morning to do the full-day Gettysburg shebang. It's been a loooonnnng day, and my bed is calling, so I'm going to turn in....and hopefully have peaceful, sunny dreams!

A few of my favorite things, 2019 Edition

After Derek's birthday ("family celebration pending") next up in the Team WestEnders queue is...why, that would be MEEEEE. So you might be wondering what a middle-aged woman does to commemorate another year on Earth. Well, let me tell ya, it's super-exciting stuff, so hold on to your hats while I clue you in to the momentous events that occurred in my pre-bday week o'fun:

--To kick off the festivities, we have my monthly consultation with....the chiropractor! Yaaayyyy! No, seriously, I love my new guy (to whom I was abruptly forced to switch allegiance, after the insurance-company-that-shall-not-be-named unceremoniously dumped my former practitioner without warning to either of us...). He's not only gentle (when popping my neck and back into alignment), but he also explains everything he's doing, the science behind it, and why it works.

And sometimes there are even bonus pearls of wisdom--for example, when we were just chatting, and I happened to mention that my heel has been hurting lately after I run, and I can't figure out what's causing it or how to alleviate the bruised feeling. He listened thoughtfully, asked a couple of clarifying questions, then whipped out a diagram of the pertinent musculature and showed me where he thought the problem lay. And his recommendation? Put a golf ball in the freezer, then roll the sole of my foot over it when I finish my workout. Yep, folks, this is what happens when you become a...ahem...Lady of a Certain Age: a productive healthcare visit becomes the best surprise of all! (Hahahahahaha!)

--Ooh, speaking of presents...oh, right, Husband and I recently made the Very Grown-Up Decision to replace our house's aged HVAC system...which pretty much covers several years' worth of: both of our birthdays, Mother's and Father's Days, hmm, what else...yeah, better throw in our anniversary too. But at least now we'll have a pleasantly cool and/or warm home, no matter what the feckless NC weather bring our way. So I suppose you could say it's like the gift that keeps on giving (while you continue to pay for it, of course, with convenient monthly installments)! Let's just go with that and move along...

--Another blessing has been that my intransigent left knee has finally agreed to cease being a royal freakin' pain and just calm the heck down, already. So, running has actually reverted to a pleasant way to spend time, rather than, you know, a "torturous activity". Thus I decided to participate in a gathering I'd heard about, but never attended: the weekly Fleet Feet runs that start and end at Ponysaurus Brewing Co. in Durham. I knew that several bootcamp friends tend go on a regular basis--and there's a 3-mile option, so I figured it could be amusing. Sure enough, it turned out to be an interesting route through downtown...which I would never have been able to trace on my own, so I focused on keeping at least one seasoned veteran in my line of sight the entire time, lest I become hopelessly lost in Bull City! Not a bad way to spend a pre-birthday evening, for sure!

--And then, notable only because it's something I DIDN'T do...last year the boys and I saw Avengers: Infinity War the weekend before my birthday (which was emotionally wrenching, and in retrospect perhaps not the wisest choice, but who knew?). In 2019 we have the arrival of Avengers: Endgame, possibly the most-hyped film in the history of cinema, not to mention one that everyone is losing their minds over, both before and after seeing it. But...Derek's away at school, Riley claims he's "over the Marvel movies" (words that don't even make sense to me, honestly)...and so I'm waiting (ever so patiently...YEAH RIGHT) until the college kid comes home to be my theater date. It doesn't help that he texted me at 1:45 a.m. after experiencing it on opening night, to say that it was "a whirlwind". It's all good. I can do this. Nine. More. Days. (And by the way, NO ONE tell me ANYTHING, 'kaythanks!)

--Finally, I took advantage of a gorgeous Sunday afternoon to check out a small event called Arts on Market, taking place in a nearby community and featuring various craft vendors. It was a chance to stroll around in the sunshine, admire beautiful things created by talented people...and of course purchase myself a couple of small tokens, in honor of my latest trip around the sun! (I mean, c'mon...sparkly earrings and a beautiful handmade coffee mug are kind of no-brainers for me...not to mention useful...and therefore guilt-free!) Husband and Riley also came through with the appropriate swag (you can never go wrong with Ghirardelli...and nature, amiright?). Even Derek remembered to text his mother (because he set an electronic reminder. So adult of him...), in the midst of his LDOC shenanigans (Last Day of Classes, for fellow members of the way-post-university crowd).

And what better way to start off my special day than with a big old cup of my favorite brew? That's right, today is all about doing what I want. So I think I'm gonna go read for a while...maybe break off some of that dark chocolate....and take a nap! Yeah...that's the ticket...(tomorrow it'll be back to business as usual, I promise!)

Late...but with a good excuse?!

A bit of nostalgia this week, as one member of Team WestEnders recently marked a birthday...his first one away from home (pause...sniffle...okay, continue). I mean, it's not like we normally throw blowout parties or perform...I don't know...complicated celebratory rituals...or anything. That's just not how we roll.

But it still felt weird to skip the events that we usually DO mark the occasion with, such as the ever-popular "choose what you'd like Dad to cook for your actual birthday dinner". Coupled, of course, with my unique contribution: "What kind of cake should I make you?" (No one else in the fam bakes, so that one's all me--yaaaayyy!) Oh, and let's not forget, "Here are your presents, which are exactly what you requested, since you're now technically an adult and therefore impossible to buy for without a specific list". And finally, "Where do you want to eat out, when it's more convenient, like the closest Saturday?"

Instead, each of us sent him a text that morning, wishing him a happy 19th...and then we all went about our regularly scheduled weekday. In fact, he'd told me he probably wasn't going to even notice or recognize his birth-iversary in any fun or meaningful way, because it happens to fall right smack in the middle of the "last wave" of tests and projects and whatnot before the end of his semester, and he had a ton of work and studying to get done. I remember thinking, "Aw, poor baby. Doesn't sound like a good time at all." (On the other hand, I'd apologize for the timing...but you're the one who decided to jump the gun and pop out 3 weeks early, so...sorry, not sorry!)

However, I did have what I considered a brainstorm when Riley and I--walking together along Franklin Street near UNC last weekend--passed a little establishment called Insomnia Cookies. It suddenly occurred to me that such a business probably exists in, oh, nearly EVERY college town across America...and they'd therefore be able to deliver some tasty treats to my distant celebrant. Aha!

Well, I thought it was a darn good plan...but it turns out the whole thing is somewhat more... complicated and time consuming...than I realized. Not the ordering itself--that simply involved visiting their website, choosing which delectable goodies you want them to stash in the box, entering the recipient's address, and completing the virtual payment. Easy peasy, cookies on the way, right? Ahem. You see, I was guilty of a fatal error in logic: I figured it was obvious that the baked bites would be sent out from the local store, near his university, making the "shipping" quick and painless. But...noooo.

Instead, the package is assembled and sent from a corporate location...which just happens to be in Pennsylvania...several states away...thus requiring multiple days of transport. Dang it! On top of that, I also committed a logistical miscalculation. Since I was laboring under the assumption that the whole transaction would be carried out in Columbia, and they'd be familiar with the UofSC housing arrangements, I used his actual dorm location and room number. (I suppose I was thinking of it kind of like a balloon-o-gram, or bouquet from a florist. That seems totally legit, yeah?)

And yet, apparently that's not the case at all, since the FedEx driver was turned away, without being allowed to leave his precious cargo. Siiighhhh. I then had to contact customer service, provide them his mailing address, wait for the stupid box to make its way BACK TO PA where it was accepted and accounted for, and then RE-SENT southward again. Fortunately, Derek knows nothing of  my plan, nor the whole debacle of its execution, so when he does eventually receive his very belated gift, it will be a complete surprise...and thus even more exciting? Suuuuure, let's go with that.

Honestly, in retrospect it would have been faster and less trouble to drive the freakin' thing down to him myself. Eh, for next year, I already know what to do, so this will all go soooo much more smoothly! (Plus, he'll be living in an off-campus apartment, so super-strict university postage rules be damned! Ha!) At least his CARDS arrived ahead of time (not that he ever checks his mailbox...unless I remind him...so he probably hasn't picked them up...ay yi yi...). And he sent me a photo the day after, with what looks like a pinata...featuring Queen Elsa and Princess Anna from Frozen (which he proudly lists as one of his top-rated Disney flicks of all time)...and the caption "Birthday celebrations got slightly out of control yesterday." So clearly he managed to squeeze in some entertainment amidst the homework....which should make for a doozy of a story during our next chat!

Speaking of which, during last Sunday's catch-up phone call, he and I did discuss how to formally handle the bday shenanigans--and we came to the conclusion that, given the timing of his semester-wrap-up and return to Casa WestEnders, it makes sense to postpone any official activities until then. Besides, it'll be just past his and my special days, and a little before Husband's, so Derek came up with the idea of: Combined Spring Birthday...Extravaganza....or what have you (official title TBD). There you have it--a new tradition kicking off in 2019...where we can enjoy a whirlwind tour of several favorite eateries, cook lots of beloved dishes, and have All. The. Cake. Hey, this plan (heavily-food-based--which is a recurring theme of ours, as you've probably guessed) kind of rocks. Yummm!

Lady of Leisure*

*Okay, that might be slightly misleading. What I mean to convey is that, in between all the boring-but-crucial errands and household management tasks and, you know, "searching for meaningful employment", I've been fortunate to squeeze in some of the more entertaining stuff lately. Here's a rundown:

I enjoyed spending time with two wonderful ladies--both of whom I've counted among my friends since waaaay back in the O.G. playgroup days (the gang that was formed by the Olney Mom's Club when Derek was just a wee babe of 5 months!). One had traveled to the area from her home in Atlanta for her son to take a specialized foreign language exam being offered in Raleigh. We made the most of their brief stay at Casa WestEnders by catching up on each others' lives, taking in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro scenery, and dining at one of my fave establishments (The Spotted Dog...any excuse to patronize this gluten-free and vegan-friendly joint, because...yummm!).

The other had come down from our old hometown in Maryland, to see a dance showcase at UNC, in which her Freshman daughter would be performing with the company. She picked up extra tickets and invited me, along with another family we both know, to come along...but first we took advantage of the glorious April weather to stroll along Franklin Street, people-watching, window-shopping, and soaking in the bubbly college-town atmosphere. Oh, and also lunching at another go-to, "Med Deli", where I know from (tasty) experience that the variety, freshness, and healthy options pretty much satisfy everyone.

Finally, after the dazzling array of pirouettes, jetes, arabesques, and....other graceful, lovely feats...we accompanied the hungry dancer to a restaurant of her choosing. (Hops--a new one for me, but the young lady, a fellow member of the Vegetarian Club, assured me they made a good non-meat burger...and she was right!)

Whew! That was a whole lotta...socializing...and eating out...for me! Switching gears: I've had the opportunity to get involved with a couple of awesome volunteer organizations lately. For example, there's TABLE, a non-profit that provides meals to neighborhood kids. I try to remember as often as possible to donate items that they request when they're running low. But this time I noticed a call for help on Twitter, for dropping off bags of food at nearby schools, to distribute to the students who need it. Yep, sounds like a worthwhile Thursday morning endeavor to me--put me in, coach!

Moving right along: I mentioned First Pages in a previous post, when I described their recent read-aloud fundraiser held in downtown Durham. Well, it turns out that the founder (who's also our bootcamp leader, incidentally) also could use help delivering boxes of books to the businesses that pass them along to needy children. Done! And--more amusingly--she also solicited participants to help sort, weed out, and organize the mountains of books currently residing...and taking up more than their fair share of valuable real estate...in her garage.

Thus a small but determined contingent of ladies found ourselves picking through, evaluating, and re-boxing cardboard, paperback, and hard-cover stories, keeping the best, ditching the outdated or damaged...laughing at the absurd (far too many potty tales, and one VERY disturbingly graphic narrative describing "God's plan for mommies and daddies"! Cringe...)...and reminiscing over some sentimental reminders (Awww...Click Clack Moo! We used to looooove that one!). To sum up: doing good + feeling good = Win/Win!

Next, in our Department of Culture (Sure we have one of those...it's just....um...down the hall. What? No one's there? Eh, maybe they're busy, I don't know...WRITING or something...check back later...), I'll be attending the latest installment of Pop-Up Broadway, to sing several of my absolute best-loved girl-power-car-karaoke numbers, Defying Gravity from Wicked and Let It Go from Frozen. (Memo to Me: time spent transporting snacks to schools in one's mobile Subaru studio can double as rehearsal before tonight's gig. Two birds, one stone, boom!)

And finally, since I relished the Civil War lectures so much (taught by a highly respected and locally renowned CHHS teacher), I registered for the second series, focusing on World War II. (Because, you know, "never stop learning", keep the old brain stimulated, and whatnot. Nah...who am I trying to kid? Going to class is just super-fun, y'all! Or is that just me? Eh, "nerd for life", what can I say?)

There you have it: the continuing adventures of Queen WestEnders during her precious goof-off/self-improvement time. But now, sadly, duty does call once more--in the form of a Costco list that begs to be addressed. Ooh, wait a second...more choral practice on the 30-minute commute! La la la la la la laaaaaa!

(Pre) College Prep 2.0

Today's tale feels an awful lot like deja vu at first glance...but features a slight twist on the memory. You see, it was yet another one of those "college visits" that became so familiar to Team WestEnders over the past couple of years as Derek tried to figure out where he wanted to receive his higher education. However, this was the first one initiated by the younger son, not as a tag-along, but solely for his own benefit.

Now, you might be thinking, "Isn't he only a Sophomore? It seems too early to be even thinking about this!" And you would not be wrong. But therein lies one undeniable advantage to being a second sibling: having gone through all the...school search hoopla....with his brother, Riley gained advance knowledge of the process, and a head start on figuring out how he wants to play it for himself.

So while Husband and I took the lead initially with Derek--because he needed a kick in the butt to get moving--Riley is already researching, evaluating, and planning his own strategic attack, if you will, on the task. For example, he asked me one day if he could modify the spreadsheet I created for Derek, which contains potentially appealing universities within a 300 mile radius or so, by adding, deleting, and/or updating information. (Um...YES, please do!) Then he mentioned that he was thinking it might be a good idea to go ahead and schedule a tour of N.C. State during his Spring Break, because it's so close, and easy to "get out of the way". (Again...you betcha!)

Thus he reserved our spots a couple of months ago, we marked our calendars, and last Friday he and I made our way to Raleigh for the...festivities. When we arrived, we first dutifully sat and listened to the welcome presentation--which we found both interesting and informative. (One fun fact to prove I was paying attention: NCSU is one of only 2 public research institutions in the state. They didn't say, but I'd bet a lot of money that UNC is the other...)

Then, due to the fact that it's a sprawling campus, we got back in the car to move to our next rendezvous point outside the student union building. During this journey, we happened to pass a veritable fleet of out-of-town buses and vans sporting the names of other schools from all over the country. (New England, the South, Great Lakes Region, Mid-Atlantic--there didn't appear to be any geographic rhyme or reason to the participants, and the whole scene was nuts, I tell ya...) The reason became apparent as we approached our designated parking deck, and heard the loudspeaker announcing upcoming events...in the gigantic track meet happening in the stadium 50 yards away.

This caused me a small amount of concern, given that neither Riley nor I is terribly fond of hordes, per se...or, you know..."chaos" in general. But when I made a comment to this effect, he shrugged and said, "Eh, I'm used to crowded hallways that are too small for the amount of students...so it actually feels like there's enough room for everyone here, and it doesn't bother me." Well, alrighty then! We followed our chatty tour guides around the grounds, taking in the sights and the wealth of data about academics, support services, residence halls, dining facilities, entertainment and leisure opportunities, etc.

I'd say it was a nice overview for a first-time visitor just beginning to dip their proverbial toe in the post-high-school waters and explore their college options. Once the official portion of our day ended, Riley and I set out on our own to hit a couple of extras of particular interest to him--such as the rec center...and the separate section known as Centennial Campus, which holds the dorms and classrooms for the Engineering program (after obtaining an iced coffee for me, at one of the 11 java-serving places scattered around the university, according to one of the coeds leading our group. As far as I'm concerned, this goes in the Plus column, for sure. Well done, State...).

After we'd seen enough to satisfy Riley, and were ready to wrap up our investigational field trip, I asked for his impressions. In his typical logical fashion, he summed it up by stating that based on our expedition and observations, he wouldn't rule out NCSU as a potential contender...nor would he move it higher up the list of his current favorites.

The only criticism he voiced was that the Centennial Campus--while certainly giving the appearance of being quite new, clean, and...I don't know...high-tech?--felt very disconnected from the rest of the school. He added that it looked to him like a bunch of offices, not like somewhere he'd want to live. His observation made me realize that since we'd driven into that section, we hadn't seen One. Person. No hustle and/or bustle. No teeming humanity...no activity whatsoever, as a matter of fact. It was quite a contrast from the lively, energetic buzz happening in the central area. And so...duly noted!

And with that, we bid Raleigh a cheery farewell and headed out into mild rush-hour traffic to return to our own Chapel Hill part of the Triangle. It was a successful kickoff to Riley's Great College Quest...and now with that experience under our belts, we can move on to tackling a more difficult one...but maybe during the Summer months!

Rising to the occasion....

So, it's Spring Break for the 10th grader, but rather than, you know, "resting" or something silly like that, he's had a pretty momentous week. First he and Husband made a brief sojourn to the other Carolina, to visit his GPs (as I've taken to calling the grandparents). While they were gone, Riley texted me that one of the (many) places he'd completed an (electronic) application to work had contacted him, requesting that he call them.

Now, this was a potentially super-exciting development in what had been, up to this point, a somewhat frustrating job search for him. You see, although one is technically allowed to work at age 15, we found that in reality, most businesses won't even talk to you unless you've reached that magic 16th birthday. I mean, it's difficult to understand why--because adolescents are sooooo reliable, responsible, and mature, right?

(Yeah, I couldn't even type that with a straight face...) But still..how could you NOT want to trust a young man who's created a resume and cover letter (with Mom's assistance, naturally) detailing his very impressive status as...High School Sophomore...and describing his vast experience...as a volunteer for both a Summer camp....and a non-profit organization? (Oh...never mind....siiighhh...)

You might recall that this all started in January, when I'd helped him begin the process by Googling possible leads for establishments in our immediate vicinity that might be hiring. Then we also put in the time and effort for legwork--showing up at stores and restaurants that didn't have clear guidelines on their website, or wanted an actual paper form, to ask in person if they would consider a pre-16-er. Next, I walked him through his first couple of submissions...aaannnnd we commenced the "waiting in vain" portion of our program...for anyone to reach out and initiate the next step.

However, Riley had decided that he reeeaaally wanted to work, and so when he hadn't heard anything back from the aforementioned shop, several weeks after providing his information online, he emailed them to follow up. (Whaaaat? Self-motivation and initiative demonstrated by a teenage boy? I almost didn't recognize it...ha!) When he got in touch with them as instructed, they wanted to set up an interview--which would be his first real shot at gainful employment...so needless to say, there was much excitement amongst Riley's supporters on Team WestEnders.

At the appointed time, I drove him to his meeting, then left him and the manager to chat, and walked around town (trying to breathe deeply, while channeling hopeful and positive vibes). After 15 minutes or so I got the "all done" text. I retrieved him and casually inquired as to how it had gone...to which Riley responded that they definitely wanted to hire him, as soon as they could set up some training sessions in the coming weeks. Um...yaaaayyyyyy!

So, if everything continues to go smoothly from this point--and we're ALL going to keep our fingers crossed that it does, 'kaythanks--my kiddo will be pouring coffee and preparing biscuits in the fine town of Carrboro someday very soon. And can I just say: could he possibly have picked a more appealing venue? Heeeeyyyy...I wonder if they offer any kind of..."family discount"? Mmmmm.....

Some Saturday Shenanigans

Last Saturday Riley and I completed our traditional "first race of the season". For the past 4 years this has been the 5K for Education, which benefits local schools and is always held in March, beginning and ending on UNC's lovely campus. Now, since it's so close, and by this point we have the commuting and parking and whatnot down to a system, I figured we didn't have to leave our house until 8:25, for the 9 a.m. start.

So that morning I got up, dressed in my pre-Spring exercise layers, and puttered around the house waiting for our scheduled departure time. It did strike me as a bit odd that I didn't bump into Riley, since he's usually the naturally earliest riser of Team WestEnders, but I just assumed he was hanging out quietly in his room and not in the mood to talk quite yet. But at 8:23, I tapped on his door to issue our version of a sports "Two Minute Warning"...and found him seated in a slumped position on the edge of his bed, yawning and sleepy-eyed. When I told him we'd be rolling out shortly, he admitted that he'd only opened his eyes a few minutes ago, and added, "I thought you'd wake me up at 8!" "Um...dude, I haven't been your alarm clock since, oh, about 4th grade!" I replied, to which he agreed, but also remarked that for some reason he was feeling extra-tired that day.

Well, regardless of how bright-eyed and bushy-tailed we were, we had a date with 3.1 hilly miles, and it wasn't going to wait. Thus we found ourselves lining up with over 1,100 other chilly gluttons for punishment--I mean "fitness enthusiasts"--waiting for the starting gun (or, you know, "air horn"). As it turned out, own experience proved to be less-than-peppy and slower-than-usual on this particular day...but I finished, and that's really all that matters, right? And as expected, Riley cruised in waaayyy before me--but he thoughtfully stationed himself at the end so he could cheer his considerably pokier parent across the line.

When I asked how his run had gone, he gave a stereotypical adolescent boy response: a nonchalant shrug and "Eh, it was fine." Knowing him as I do, though, I asked a casual follow-up question, "What was your time?" to which he admitted, "19.06." Uh-huh...so, a sub-7-minute mile, then...nice (especially for someone who just rolled out of bed, yeah? I swear, teenagers...). What he didn't bother to mention, meaning that I had to find out later, by checking the official results on the website, was that he'd also come in 2nd overall with that time--earning him a medal that we didn't stick around to pick up, because he claimed he was cold and wanted to go home and stretch. (He might be the most attention-averse child EVER, y'all...)

Anyway, in a rare occurrence, I actually had another event later in the day: a...dramatic reading, if you will, to benefit our bootcamp leader's non-profit organization, which provides books to underprivileged kids in the Durham area. (Right? Exercise and education: two things near and dear to my heart!) Another of our esteemed workout buddies had set up the shindig, reserving a portion of a restaurant's outdoor rooftop seating section for us to present various classic and contemporary kids' stories to the friends and munchkins who showed up to listen.

Sounds fairly straightforward...except it ended up being QUITE the multimedia extravaganza, with everyone getting super-into their performance and going above-and-beyond your run-of-the-mill "say the words and turn the pages". For example, there was the duo who chose to deliver the rousing party tale called Dragons Love Tacos--while fully decked out in a taco costume and a dragon onesie. Then came Tienes un Pajaro en la Cabeza! (You have a bird on your head!), complete with finger puppets, a "nest", and plastic eggs to demonstrate the adorable narrative.

A speech pathologist lent her considerable skills to a spirited, language-enriched version of the timeless classic Where's Spot? Next a local author got the crowd involved in her own creation, Camp Wannatippatrashcan, by acting out a group of raccoons hunting for snacks...and mischief. And yours truly teamed up with yet another fellow SLP (because apparently we travel in packs) to treat the crowd...and The Very Hungry Caterpillar...to our very best read-aloud + ASL interpretation.

Honestly, I'm not sure who enjoyed it more--the tots in attendance, the parents who brought them...or the grown-ups who got to ham it up like big overgrown goofballs in front of an appreciative audience. It was not only a total blast, but with the donations collected from those who came to support the soiree, our fearless Champion of Literacy reported that she'll be able to purchase 50 books for the cause. Win...WIN!

And there you have it...an uncharacteristically action-packed Saturday o'fun. Thank goodness for Sunday--and that I no longer feel the need to spend St. Patrick's Day in bars--so we can rest up before we reset the treadmill and do it all again....ha! Here's to a quiet week...fingers crossed!

Beach + Bonus History Lesson = Happy (Nerd) Camper

For my second half-day at Carolina Beach, I began by strolling to a nearby java joint called Majik Beanz. In order to do this, I had to forcibly suppress, with great difficulty, my aversion to businesses that think they're being cute by deliberately misspelling words that are perfectly fine the way they're found...in nature...or whatnot. Only the promise of freshly made morning-caffeine-nectar could have tempted me to violate my own strict personal policy of avoiding such establishments. These issues notwithstanding, I will say that things got off to a promising start, as inside the cozy shop, I was warmly greeted by the barista/cashier, who interrupted her animated conversation with another customer (clearly someone she knew personally) to welcome me. After receiving my coffee (which did turn out to be delicious), I sat at a table and sipped it while scrolling absently through social media.

Meanwhile, additional entertainment was being provided by a toddler whose mother followed closely behind him as he ran amok through the obviously familiar space, picking up and moving around toys they apparently keep in the back for just such a...small child invasion. A few minutes later, a father entered with another little boy and exclaimed, "Look, buddy, Richard is here!" (I swear, it was like Cheers...for the preschool set!) It had become abundantly clear that I was the sole out-of-towner currently inhabiting the building...which was confirmed when I got up to leave, and the employee stopped what she was doing again to wish me a nice day...and the father apologetically remarked, "I hope we didn't ruin your quiet time!" Okay, okay...I admit that the local hospitality made up for the grammar faux pas--all is forgiven.

Thus fortified, I made my final pilgrimage to the beach, to meander along the shore for a while and soak in the ocean vista. The weather was shaping up to be gorgeous again--a bit breezier than the previous day, but still delightfully warm and sunny. This boded well for my last planned activity: a history field trip to a Civil War battlefield I'd never even heard of, prior to looking up "Stuff to Do in Carolina Beach" online before my getaway. I couldn't believe this had somehow escaped my notice up to this point, so I was intrigued. (And also, of course, super-excited about the prospect of learning something new along the way...yaaaayyy! What? This isn't everyone's idea of a perfect weekend excursion? Huh...)

Besides, it was only 5 miles from the hotel where I'd spent the night, so I figured it was a low-risk venture. If it was lame, or boring, I'd just hit the road and head back home early. Fortunately, though, Fort Fisher turned out to be neither of those things, but rather a scenic and fascinating site complete with descriptive plaques detailing its importance in the War Between the States, beautifully preserved fortifications that helped you visualize how the conflict played out...and cannons. (I'm such a sucker for those things, I tell ya...no idea why...)

Here's the Cliffs Notes version: with fewer railroad lines in the South, waterways were absolutely vital to the Confederacy, for maintaining trade relationships and transporting supplies to where they were needed. Thus the Union carried out a prolonged campaign of blockading port cities, because every one they captured hurt the Confederacy's chances of winning the war. Wilmington, NC was the last port open in 1865, in part because of its unique topography--there were 2 avenues of entry on the Cape Fear River, allowing small, quick boats to more easily evade the Union ships that were stationed there to bottle up the city.

In fact, this worked for a while, as blockade-running crafts slipped by time and again. However, in January of 1865, a concentrated land and sea attack finally breached the fort, and it fell to the Union forces, effectively ending the Confederacy's ability to move trading goods and war materials by water routes. Not coincidentally, the war came to an end two months later with the South's surrender.

As I mentioned, all of this was news to me... and while it's no secret that I love this kind of gratuitous educational opportunity...in this particular case, it certainly didn't hurt that you could still catch glimpses of the sea while wandering around all the informational displays!

Anyway, when I'd had my fill of "grown-up school" for the day, I hopped back in the Subaru for the return journey to Chapel Hill. While I felt content that I'd maximized my short time at the coast, I always find myself a bit...melancholy when it's time to leave the beach. So it was both amusing and...I don't know...eerily apropos?...that I spotted this sign on the way out of town: "shake sand off your shoes...not off your soul". Dude, I'm not even totally sure what that means, but I think I need a t-shirt, ASAP! For the time being, hasta luego a la playa!

Intro to Carolina Beach

So, we had Derek home for a couple of days, but it was kind of weird, because now that he's in college, his Spring Break isn't going to coincide with Riley's anymore. They did get to hang out a little bit over the weekend...but then Riley went back to his school and homework and weeknight bedtime routine...and that effectively put an end to the brother bonding, at least for this brief hiatus. Besides, Derek was only planning to stay until Thursday, at which point he'd be joining some of his SC buddies in Carolina Beach at one of their family's vacation houses.

Of course, this required him to be chauffeured to the rendezvous...Husband volunteered, earning him a side-eye from me, while I gave him ample time to think about the ludicrous thing he'd just proposed. I mean, in what universe does he imagine that I'm going to pass up a chance to visit my favorite relative...ahem..."Mother Ocean"? (Thank you, Jimmy Buffett...) Sure, it's March, when you never can tell what weather personality you're going to get--hot sun, thunderstorms, biting wind, even snow, who knows? But no matter what, there will be surf, and sand, and that's good enough for me.

Thus I made my own arrangements, to stay overnight after dropping Derek off with his friends, and the two of us hit the road. Once again, it was delightful to have him all to myself, for 3 hours of car convos. (It's not like I had to pay much attention to the actual, you know, "driving", since you literally take Route 40 East from Chapel Hill, all the way until you hit the coast...and it's ohhh sooo flat, straight, and boring. I just realized that tomorrow's solo trek back will likely be super-tedious...ay yi yi...but first, beach!)

As we pulled up into the driveway, we were greeted by a heartwarming "Norm" moment, when the boys chilling outside on the porch (appropriately blasting the surf-vibes tunes of Kenny Chesney) spontaneously yelled a collective "Deeerrrrreeek!" and raced down the stairs to welcome him. Alrighty, then....clearly he didn't need his mother any longer, so after exchanging pleasant small talk for a few minutes, I left the teenagers to it, and set out to find my own hotel.

But first, I did have to linger a few moments while I pulled up the address on my phone...and when I happened to glance up after finding it, I was startled to see the whole gang outside once more, enthusiastically waving me goodbye. Perhaps it was simply a "Dude, can we get rid of your mom, already?" gesture, but there was something sweet about it, too. (These are nice guys, that Derek has fallen in with...thank heavens!) Anyway, I was a little nervous about the venue, since I'd booked an unknown place (the chains being ridiculously expensive, even in the off-season), but it turned out to be fine ("quaint" I believe sums it up...). Oh, and also: Right. On. The. Water. (Yaaayyyy!)

(The one downside I'm noticing is how loud it is, with various noises easily penetrating my walls--such as each and every time someone locks their car...a small yappy dog that keeps barking at random times...or the live music being played at the tiki bar 50 yards away, which sounds like a personal concert happening right in my room. Yeeeahhh...we'll see how much sleep I get tonight...)

As soon as I dropped off my stuff, I hightailed it back outside, to stroll along the water for a bit. Aaahhhh, the sea breeze, the briny air, the...toasty temps? You see, it was about 10* balmier than the forecast had predicted, and I felt warm in a light long-sleeve shirt for the first time in...well, months, for sure. After reacquainting myself with la playa, I decided to do something else on my list: the nearby state park, where the big draw is apparently that it is one of the few places containing Venus flytraps in their natural environment (In the "you learn something new every day" category, these plants only grow in the wild within 60-70 miles of Wilmington, NC. Now we're all smarter, right? Cool...)

Now, it was undeniably pleasant to stroll around the grounds, appreciating the scenery and all. But I've gotta say....as someone who's not particularly...botanically gifted...I would have loved, oh, I don't know, SIGNS of some sort that pointed out these unique carnivorous specimens. I kept my eyes peeled, and was quite proud of myself for spotting one...kind of brown and shriveled...example. Perhaps they need to regrow after the Winter? Or I just flat-out missed all of them. Without some helpful markers along the trails, I guess I'll never know...

Then it was time for some food (Flaming Amy's Burritos...where I had a salad, go figure...) to fortify me for my last activity of the day: one more meander on the sand before sunset. I didn't intend to cover quite so much ground, but you know how when the landscape is very level, and there's nothing in your line of sight to judge distances, you might tend to...underestimate how far away things are? Well, instead of a 20 minute ramble, I ended up power-walking more than 2 miles...each way...to the jetty I was using as my target. Oops! (Oh well, it's been a while since I've had a 25,000 step day, so it's all good...)

Whew--now it's time to relax and rest up for tomorrow's continuing adventures: more beach time, and a historic stop, before heading back to Casa WestEnders. Keep your fingers crossed that the band across the street has a curfew! Zzzzzz....