Going into work this morning

For some strange reason, I had the urge for a $5 cup of coffee this morning. There’s a Starbucks in the American Tobacco District near my office, so I decided I would stop in and get a cup of mocha joe and a breakfast pastry. As I stood in line, I noticed a woman picking up her coffee. I wasn’t the only one who noticed her – everyone in the place did. She was about 6 feet tall, blonde, and thin. She wore 3 inch heels with a perfectly tailored camel colored wool bias cut skirt. Her jacked looked like something from Neiman’s – it was frilly, but still wool, cut perfect to her frame, and the pinnacle of winter fashion. She wore dark sunglasses (in the building), and she sauntered off to her office, looking at no one who looked at her, after receiving the cup of coffee she coached the barista to make.

I looked down at my Levi’s, my Oxford rugby shirt, my brown jacket from Sam’s Club, and lastly, at the brand new Van’s I wore for the first time today. They are brown with a pink stripe. I found them at TJ Maxx for about $12. These are some cool shoes. I’m wearing no make-up and have my hair in a ponytail. I am probably about 3 or 4 years younger than the tall blonde, but our worlds couldn’t be more different. We work down the street from each other, but she’s in the ultimate office apparel in supermodel shape while I am in nonprofit land with the figure of an almost 30 year old, well, non-supermodel figure. I forget sometimes that the places I choose to work are very different than a lot of places in the world. I don’t seek out the jobs where you have to dress up or have “the look” to make the deal. Sometimes I forget that.

As I pulled into the parking lot behind my office building, I saw a homeless man pulling an old suitcase down the sidewalk behind my building. It was cold this morning. He probably slept in the cold or just left the shelter down the street. I got my stuff together and suddenly felt guilty for spending $5 on a cup of coffee and a danish. The man behind my building should have the $5 cup of coffee – but he went around the corner too fast. I didn’t see where he went. So, I went up to my office and drank my coffee – which wasn’t very good. In fact, I’m craving a cup of the stuff we usually make in the office. And the danish was stale. For $5. What a rip.

Voting Facts for NC

The North Carolina Primaries are coming up in May, so to get you ready, here are some facts and general information about voting in NC. This copied directly from an e-mail for NC for Obama.

Need to register or re-register: Print out a registration form and mail it to your county board of election http://www.ncdp.org/register

Find your polling place (or make sure your registration is accurate): http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/votersearch/seimsvot.htm

What if you've moved since you last voted? Then you need to re-register at your new address. More info here: http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/NCSBE/VR/vr_update.html

Registering voters: At no charge you can get blank voter registration forms from your local Board of Elections. Find your local board here: http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/NCSBE/about/directors.asp

What's the deadline to register in NC? The deadline is technically 25 days before an election. However, now you can still register in NC if you miss the deadline (April 11th for the primary). You must go to an early voting site (in the two weeks before an election), register with proper identification, and vote immediately. This is known as same day registration. However, you can not register to vote on Election Day (May 6th). So essentially, the deadline to register is now May 3rd, which is the last day of early voting. More info here: http://ncdp.org/sdr

Can independents and Republicans vote for Obama in NC's primary? Yes and No. Independents (called unaffiliated in NC) can vote for Obama by requesting a Democratic ballot when they vote. Registered Republicans cannot request a Democratic ballot. So tell your "R" friends and family they must re-register by April 11th if they want to vote Obama in NC! (They cannot change their party affiliation after April 11, even through the same day registration program).

Other facts about voting in NC: It is state law that 17-year-olds who will turn 18 by Nov. 4th (and therefore be eligible to vote in the General Election) may register and vote in the primary. Also, many ex-felons do not realize that they can register to vote in NC (in some states they are disenfranchised forever). They must have completed all the terms of their sentence and be finished with parole before they re-register. College students can register at either their school residence or other home residence but they must chose only one (preferably wherever they'll be on election day).

Missing Pit in Durham

For my Durham readers, please see below. I do not know these folks personally, but the information was passed on from a friend. If you have any information, please call the number on the flyer! Thank you!

Oh Crap.

I just found out from my final project adviser today that I need to turn in a full first draft of my final project by March 1, although February 23 is preferable. I have 6 pages done. I have a lot of writing to do in a very short amount of time. You will have to excuse me if I am absent for a while. Yikes.

Veggie Life in the Triangle

This week's Independent Weekly focusing on vegetarian dining in the Triangle. I haven't flipped through it yet, but I look forward to doing so this weekend. I had to copy and paste the Indy's reason for doing the issue - I just love the exchange they had with the waitress. It's amazing what people think is veggie and what is not (or what is vegan and not)!

Slim pickins' 02/06/08

At a lunch meeting in a Durham restaurant a few weeks ago, Indy Editor Lisa Sorg and I sat down to plan this week's Dish issue. Our waitress caught Lisa's attention with a yummy, vegetable-filled description of the soup du jour. A longtime vegetarian, Lisa knew to ask: "Is it vegetarian?"

"Oh yes," the waitress assured us. "It's made with chicken stock, though, so it's vegetarian but not vegan."

Exchanges like that are one of the reasons we decided to examine local dining options for vegetarians, vegans and even those carnivores among us who occasionally crave a meatless meal.

Our diagnosis: We could use a few more options. More veggie-only restaurants. A wider variety of regular restaurants that offer truly "veggie-friendly" fare. Waitstaffs that know the vocabulary. Chefs who embrace the challenge of non-animal-based cuisine.

—Jennifer Strom

I also must agree with the "wish list" below: - my comments are in yellow

Vegetarians'
Wish List Café

(A restaurant that doesn't actually exist in the Triangle)

TODAY'S SPECIALS

Soup not based on chicken broth
(this is actually hard to find at most places!!)

Beans without lard or ham hocks
(I must admit, this is one of my 'don't ask, don't tell' moments at Mexican restaurants - although I am sure that slight nausea I feel after a meal may have something to do with refried beans. I am trying to get better about requesting black beans - which in most Mex restaurants are made meat free - but it is tough to make the switch)

A variety of sandwiches featuring something other than portobello mushrooms
(may I also add that we also don't always want eggplant at an Italian restaurant, either)

House-made veggie burgers cooked on a meat-free grill

(please please please stop serving Boca burgers - gross)

Side orders fried in veggie oil
(again, I usually don't ask...)

Salads without bacon bits
(bacon bits are the least concern - next time you go to a restaurant, see how many salads - besides the house salad - that aren't topped with meat. when did that switch happen???)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well, Happy Chinese New Year! February 7, 2008 begins the Year of the Rat. Go celebrate.

You said WHAT?

Mike and I were shopping in Target the other day when Mike stopped in the middle of the aisle and said, "uh - what are they saying?" He was pointing to a display in Target's photo department advertising Kodak photo printing. What is this married couple saying to us? Should I be offended??

Off on an adventure

Well, I don't know how much of an adventure it will be, but it will be interesting nonetheless. I am off at noon today to attend the North Carolina Main Street 2008 Conference in Rocky Mount, NC. Self-Help is one of the sponsors of the conference, so I will be tabling, attending seminars, etc about downtown revitalization in North Carolina. It should be a lot of fun. I will touch base with everyone when I get back!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

...to the James Joyce Irish Pub in Durham. Last night was the official 10 year anniversary of the Joyce, and Mike and I were grateful to be included in a private party for the "regulars" last night. I don't know if we should brag about that or take it as a sign we need to go to the Joyce less...

Anyway, congratulations to 10 years of being a great place to be with friends, have a few drinks, play some trivia and meet new people.

Mike and I have a lot of fond memories at the Joyce - our Sunday night chats sitting at the bar to catch up with each other and discuss what was going on in our lives (before we dated), weekly trivia with so many of our friends (when we were dating), and even our engagement itself took place there.

We aren't the only ones who reserve a special place in our hearts for the Joyce. That was very evident last night with all the familiar faces that made their way out to share in the celebration. Congratulations, Jason and Fergus! Here's to another 10 great years...

Please go vote for Scout!

I think you have to register for the site, but if you wouldn't mind, go log in and give a vote for my boy Scout as "Cutest Pet in the Triangle"!!! http://share.triangle.com/node/12606

What to say, what to say

Sorry I haven't posted in a while - I have been at a loss for words. I also feel somewhat guilty if I write an extensive amount here while my Masters project remains at 1.5 single spaced typed pages.

A few updates -

There was a recent loss I would like to take the time to mention and talk through. My former real estate agent, Lista Yarbrough, passed away last week at the age 0f 34 (click on her name to read the obituary). Nathaniel e-mailed me with the news, and I was struck rather hard. I had lost touch with Lista over the past few years. The last words I said to her were probably even not that kind, I was antsy about selling the house N and I used to own. Lista was such a kind soul - I remember that when we closed on our house, it was her last day of chemo that morning - she took it as a good sign; and so did we. In 2003, she managed to lure me into running in the Susan Komen 5K race in Raleigh and joining her team. It was my first (and only 5K) to this point (click HERE - I was #383 - hee hee; it was less than 10 minutes a mile - not bad!!). I am making it a goal to run again this year and raise funds under Lista's name. When her hair started growing back after the chemo, she got it cut into the style shown in her obituary - it was a shock to her to have short and sassy hair, as it was always long and styled ever so purposefully before the chemo. But after the haircut, I think many of us agreed she was the white Halle Berry with her awesome cut. As trite as it may sound, I always think of here when I consider chopping off my hair - "Could I pull it off as well as Lista?" The answer is always no - I'm not as brave as she was.

My heart goes out to her husband Kevin and the rest of her family - I cannot imagine what they must be dealing with right now. Losing Lista was a great loss to not only her family, but many other people in the Durham community as well.

There is probably more to say - Mike and I have started wedding planning, but I will mention that in more detail when there is more to say - we are super excited and ready to do this. We wish we could do it tomorrow, but we really want to throw one heck of a party. The invite list grows a bit every day - at some point we will have to say "NO MORE!" But, I will let you know how that goes. (Let's just say we are well over 100 people now, and that's pretty much just locals and family.)

Okay folks, I need to hit the gym and get to training. Let's see if I can get under 9 minutes a mile this time around...

What's wrong with this picture?

I got a snack out of the vending machine at work the other day. This is what I found inside.

Durham MLK Events

This weekend, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rev Martin Luther King, Jr. Many of us have the day off on Monday, and I encourage each and every one of you out there - whether you are working or not, to take some time and reflect on the legacy of Dr. King and the work of others in the civil rights movement. If you are in Durham, there are several fantastic events going on around campus. Some are posted here:

January 20, 2008
Marian Wright Edelman to Speak at Duke's 2008 MLK Commemoration Time: 3:00 pm - Location: Duke Chapel - Duke University Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund and civil rights lawyer, will be the keynote speaker at Duke University's 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. The event, which begins at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, in Duke Chapel, is free and open to the public. Parking is available in the Bryan Center parking garage; directions are available in the campus map.
January 21, 2008
Triangle Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Time: Times vary by project - Location: Locations vary by project The Triangle United Way has organized the Triangle Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. As one of the sponsors, Duke University invites all Duke Raleigh employees to participate. Volunteers are needed for a variety of community projects in Orange, Durham and Wake Counties on January 21. Visit www.trianglemlkdayofservice.org for a list of projects in your area. Pat Kramer, DRAH United Way Chair, and the DRAH Diversity Team would like to gather a group of DRAH volunteers to help out on a Wake County project.
African Children's Choir Time: 3:00 pm - Location: Page Auditorium The African Children's Choir performs throughout the world bringing hope and joy to everyone they meet while shining the spotlight on the plight of children in Africa. It is comprised of children ages seven to eleven. Each child in the Choir, has lost one or both parents to poverty or disease. The Choir members are ambassadors for all children in Africa who have become orphans because of the AIDS pandemic. They are their voice to the rest of the world.
Durham: A Self Portrait Time: 7:00 pm - Location: Griffith Film Theater "Durham: a Self-Portrait" is a documentary film on the history of one of the South?s most remarkable communities. The Durham story mirrors America's own amazing journey over the past century, in all its glory and vexation. It includes more than 70 original interviews, and rarely seen film and photo images, about the "real Durham." A city that has lived the American story of race and class, and just may once again have something to say about where we are going as a nation.
January 22, 2008
Martin Luther King Jr. Observance and Prayer Service Time: 11:30 a.m. - Location: Duke Raleigh Hospital Chapel Rev. Adrian Dixon will lead an observance and prayer service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
January 23, 2008
Million Meals Time: 6-8 pm, 8-10 pm - Location: North Carolina Central University This coming year on January 23rd Duke University, Durham Rotary Club, North Carolina Central University, and the international hunger relief agency Stop Hunger Now will be participating in the Million Meals project. We plan to have students from the universities work towards the goal of packaging 80,000 nourishing, dehydrated, rice-soy meals. The meals the volunteers package for Stop Hunger Now will then be sent to crisis-burdened areas and school lunch programs to feed children in developing countries such as Ghana, Bolivia, and Haiti.
January 24, 2008
Breaking the Cycle of Prejudice: Taking a Closer Look at Discrimination, Prejudice & Stereotypes Time: 12:00 Noon - Location: Room 144 - Trent Drive Hall Conference Room On April 5, 1968, the day after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. third grade school teacher Jane Elliot decided to change her lesson plan, and changed the lives of her all white third graders forever. In response to Dr. King's assassination, this teacher in a small, all-white Iowa town devised the controversial and startling "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" experiment by dividing her third-grade class based on eye color and giving them a daring lesson in discrimination. Come view an excerpt of the powerful film "A Class Divided" that documents the experience of these third graders and the enduring impact that this simulation had on the student's lives. Judy Seidenstein, Duke's new Director of Diversity & Equity will facilitate a conversation on this "classic" diversity film and explore the impact of The Cycle of Prejudice by identifying the roots and relationships between discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes. Join the dialog and learn what you can do to help break the cycle of prejudice. Brown Bag Lunches Welcome. Space is limited. RSVP to Jean Toomer Friday, January 18, 2008 - 681-6435 or email jean.toomer@duke.edu
"4 Little Girls" Film Screening Time: 6 p.m. - Location: Schiciano Auditorium On a Birmingham Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, while attending Sunday school, four little girls were brutally murdered when a bomb ripped through the basement of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Dead were Addie Mae Collins (14), Carole Denise McNair (11), Cynthia Wesley (14) and Carole Rosamond Robertson (14). A terrorist attack, orchestrated by Robert "Dynamite Bob" Chambliss, the bombing was one in a series of racial attacks against Black people across the country, but one that had a tremendous impact on America. Told through the eyes of people who were there--survivors, witnesses, defenders and prosecutors, this account records a senseless act whose supporters once thought they would be able to put an end to integration in Birmingham. Instead, it fueled the movement further when it robbed 4 innocent children of their lives and their place in the world. Sponsored by the Black Graduate and Professional Students Association.

Every morning at our house...

It seems like that as the weather gets colder, the kitties get much friskier. Therefore, the following video is a mild representation of what we endure each morning. This was passed onto me via e-mail, and I have no idea where it came from. If anyone knows, pass on the info so I can give the creator some credit!! ENJOY

It's beautiful

What's beautiful? Life. Today, Mike and I celebrate our two year anniversary of being together. It is an exciting day to think about the future and to reflect on all the memories. It has been a wonderful two years. Sometimes it seems like we have always been together, but every once in a while, when I learn something new about Mike, it reminds me that we are still very early into our relationship. As we celebrate 2 years today, I can't help but think about the many more years we have begun planning as well.

Also, you know what else is beautiful? This is:

photo courtesy of Grimball Jewelers
(they took this photo for us this weekend to do the appraisal)

Gorgeous. He picked such a "Michelle" ring. It is me all the way around. I don't just love it, I adore it. I can't stop looking at it. The great thing is that he can't stop looking at it either. It stands for so much and it gets us both so very excited!!! Stay tuned, folks, the planning is already in progress...

Guess what??

I have debated posting this here, as there are so many people I want to share this news with in person - so so so many people - which is proving to be quite overwhelming. So, I am going to say it here, and I promise, I can't wait to tell everyone I know in person!!!

We're engaged!!! Mike proposed on Tuesday evening, and I happily, graciously and bubbly accepted!

The moment of acceptance!

The story is such: Mike and I play trivia at the James Joyce every Tuesday, less one of us is ill or we are out of town. We have been playing for the duration of our relationship, and we can gladly claim that we now bring with us each week anywhere from 6-12 additional folks that are now trivia regulars themselves. It's a great way to spend each Tuesday evening.

This Tuesday, we went to trivia like normal, and we had a big group there - two full teams worth (12 people) plus all of our other friends who were playing on other teams. We go through trivia - nothing is amiss. Until the bonus question. At that point, Kyle says over the mic, "Friends, we have a special guest for the bonus question this evening. Mr. Mike Brady, will you please take the mic?" So Mike grabs the mic and says wonderful beautiful things to me over the microphone (hardly any of which I can remember because I was in shock), and he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I flung my arms in the air and exclaimed, "Yes, of course!!!" The bar went crazy - applause, tears, hugs and shouts of joy. It was wonderful and beautiful, and it was made doubly fantastic that we were able to share that moment with so many of our close friends. It was a beautiful moment. Since so many people were there, we got to have instant engagement party. Thanks to Jason and the James Joyce, we had champagne and a great time. We didn't win trivia, but I think won the best thing in the world - the $75 bar tab can wait :-)

More soon on the developments....

Racist Much?

Click on this link and watch the Andy Rooney clip here.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3680218n

They actually pay this man to talk on television?

Restaurant Review: Ninth Street Bakery, Durham

http://www.ninthstbakery.com/
136 East Chapel Hill St.
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 286-0303

This place is a gem in downtown Durham. Since I work in downtown, I often go out for lunch on the days when I don't want to face my leftover stirfry in the fridge, or just to get out of the office. While the number of lunch places is expanding, I only have a couple standbys. One of those two is the Ninth Street Bakery. Most folks have never seen the place - it's tricky to find. In downtown, where Main and East Chapel Hill split heading into downtown, the bakery is in the back of what appears to be a loading dock (which it is - for the bakery). You will see a sign hanging above that door, and that's where you go in. During the day it usually isn't too hard to find some on street parking next to the bakery.

In the mornings, it is a hotspot for downtown workers to grab a cup of coffee and a fresh baked scone, croissant or other pastry. At lunch time, custom made sandwiches, pizza, and some killer black bean chili are on the menu. The breads are all organic. And the smell in there is just fantastic - who doesn't love the smell of freshly baked bread?? Go on certain days, and "day old" bread is available for a ridiculous price.

My favorites? The Vegan sandwich (not on the menu HERE but posted in store - hummus, romaine, cucumber, red pepper and tomato) and the totally non vegan Egg Salad Sandwich. All sandwiches come with your choice of Sun Chips, potato chips or carrots. When it's chilly out, nothing beats the black bean chili. I haven't yet been able to sample the gazpacho, but I look forward to when that's in season. If you are feeling saucy, grab one of their giant cookies for dessert (I prefer to go get a cookie at 3pm when I need a last push to make it through the work day!).

One note: the bakery prefers you pay in cash, for they are evidently getting screwed by their credit card company in how much they have to pay per transaction. They still take cards, but you may get a mini lecture. It's worth it though - either pulling out the cash or getting the lecture. This little deli is fresh homegrown food that makes you full and happy!

A Quick Update

Hello, everyone! Sorry it has been a while since I have posted any text, but the holidays provided a lot of time away from the computer, and since returning, there has been lots of work to do. Here's the quick rundown on the past few weeks:

I got sick around December 19 and ended up spending half days out of work the Thursday and Friday before Mike and I left for Tampa. I got a serious cold/flu bug that really knocked me out for the count. Mike and I still headed down to Tampa on Saturday, and unfortunately for Mike, he ended up doing all the driving on the way down since I was still feeling puny. We made the trip in about 12 hours - traffic was terrible between the SC and GA border, so we ended up in a parking lot for a while.

We had an enjoyable stay in Florida. The weather was nice and warm, and I am assuming it helped me in my healing. Christmas day was very nice - Santa was very gracious to Mike, Mama Brady and myself. I got some perfume (Ralph Lauren Pure Turquoise), some cool clothes (a fuzzy sweater and a velour track suit), as well as lots and lots of books (school and fun), gift cards and holiday decorations. Let's just say the car was probably more full on the way back to Durham than it was going to Florida. I missed being with my Mom and Dads, but it was also very nice to spend Christmas with Mike. It was difficult being away from him last year, and the year before I made the stupid decision to spend Christmas by myself in North Carolina (never again - I felt like it was some sort of price I needed to pay for separating from the ex - let me tell ya, Christmas by yourself in that circumstance was the loneliest feeling I have ever had....anyway).

We left Florida the morning of Friday, Dec 28 and headed to Atlanta to spend some time with Ed, Amy and Owen. I am so glad we decided to make this side trip. Mike and I had a wonderful time playing with Owen, and I think he enjoyed his time with "Uncle Mike and Aunt Michelle." It was also just as wonderful to spend quality time with Ed and Amy - chatting about the past and the exciting future (the arrival of the next Baby Grega!). We left with heavy hearts on Saturday morning, but we were soon cheered by a visit to Ikea. Mike and I managed to fill up the rest of the remaining space in the car with our Ikea finds, and we made the trip back to Durham.

Upon our arrival in Durham, we found that the kitties were VERY mad at us, and Scout had begun to use our bed as his personal litterbox. LOVELY. Luckily, everything was washed and repaired, but we learned one heck of a lesson on that one. It was back to work for the both of us on Monday, but luckily we had Kyle's awesome NYE party to look forward to (see the last post for pictures from that event). We had a great (and late) time at the party, getting home well into 2008 - about 4 hours into the New Year! January 1 was spent in recovery, and Mike and I both finished the work week.

Wrapping up this week was planning benchmarks for my Masters project. I have to have my final unbound draft turned in no later than April 8, 2008, and my exit interview is scheduled for April 18, 2008. That means I have about 13 weeks to crank out my Masters project. YIKES. That is scary. Hence, this weekend will be spent rearranging my office to be in the best shape possible for writing. From here on out, Sundays are dedicated to school. School and laundry. Trust me, that's not the ONLY day I will be working on the paper, but that will be the big chunk weekly that I will sit down to really crank some stuff out. Wish me luck.

That's it for now, folks. More photos from the trip coming soon - promise!

Happy New Year's!

Here's a big thanks to Kyle for hosting an amazing New Year's party. And since my head is banging with the remnants of champagne in my blood, we will just let the photos speak for themselves. Here's to 2008 - it will be fantastic!!!!