2011 Belk Bowl

Over Christmas vacation, my mom and I went to the Belk Bowl (NCSU vs. Louisville - woop NCSU won!!!)

Quick summary of events: It was freezing and windy. I got to spend time with my mom and caught up with some dear friends of the family and a friend from college. I drank a lot of beer. And ate some pizza.

Here are a few pictures of the evening, since it has taken me almost 1 month to actually getting around to posting about this, I will keep it short! OOPS!

He is an NC State fan too...

Me and Sarah

Holy moly, crowd!

Me and my mom... brrrr

Me and Sam - you can't see it but I am making the Wolfpack hand!

The view from our seats, not too shabby for the cheap seats!

Wine Tasting and 'Dinner'

On Wednesday night, I went to a wine tasting and 'light dinner' after work. It was an event organized by the women's employee resource group. I had really high hopes... It wasn't all that bad. I really enjoyed the company! The food and organization of it all, not so much.

It was in a wine shop, that also sold random gift-y stuff. It had lots of various rooms with tables and seating areas. We were at a table all by ourselves, and felt a little isolated. It seemed everyone knew everyone else - and the three of us are relatively new, so we just kept to ourselves. It wasn't set up where you could mingle. They could have done a better job with that - maybe having pre-arranged place cards to 'mix it up.'

The point of the event was to have a wine tasting, along with appetizer, 'light dinner,' and dessert. They were heavy handed when they poured the wine, but not with serving the food. Each 'taste' was like half of a glass! I had to drive back to Charlotte afterwards, and really could not consume that much wine. I was hoping to get my money's worth ($15) out of the food.

That did not happen. The portion sizes were not all that big. Not big enough for any of us anyway.

The appetizer was delicious - too bad we only got one. It is some flaky dough stuffed with brie, dried cranberry, and sliced almonds.

The 'light dinner' basically sucked. Allegedly it was chicken piccata and eggplant parmesan. It was served buffet style, and didn't want to look like a pig by taking a huge portion... although by this point, I was real hungry. I am glad I didn't. Some of the pasta was under cooked. It seemed randomly put together.

Dessert was amazing, and again we were not served enough. This was like 5 bites. Chocolate gelato, warm brownie, and caramel sauce. I could have eaten like 8 more...

We determined we were still hungry. I was over the wine (we were on the reds anyway...) so we left after the fourth 'taste' and dessert. We proceeded to go to a local pizza place for a few slices. We were just all hungry and unsatisfied.

Dinner #2 was wonderful. Veggie pizza on whole wheat crust and 3 garlic knots (not pictured). I got a two-slice combo, and had the second slice for lunch the next day. Delicious!!! I hadn't had pizza in a while, so this really hit the spot.

Any good suggestions on wine tastings in the Charlotte area? 

5K Day

Me and 17,000 people ran/walked the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure today. Check this video out... pretty cool. They raised $1 million dollars through this Charlotte race alone (thanks, Mom for your donation!). It felt good to be running for such an important cause.



Between all the people, survivors, and supporters, and me realizing 'whoa, I am actually going to run a 5K,' I got emotional before the race.. I held back tears but I could hardly control them! It was pretty crazy - I have done a few 5K's before, but for some reason this one really just hit me.

On a less serious note, let's back up to earlier this morning. Of course, I did a pre-race photo shoot (please excuse the crazed look in my eyes - it was 7 AM), and ate a piece of peanut butter and banana toast for fuel!

Today was the day that I have been 'training' for for two months. My own personal couch to 5K program, and I am very proud to say that I did it. I finished the race in 40:50... my goal was to finish in 40 minutes or less and to walk as little as possible, so I got pretty close. I made it about 2.5 miles before I had to take a 1/2 song walk break. This was right at the very end after going up a killer hill. I got a cramp. But I saw that 3 mile flag and finished the race strong. I sprinted to the finish line so I could finish under 41 minutes. Not too bad for a first time 5K run.

I still can't believe I did it - I never thought in a million years that I would be able to run a 5K. Feels so good to have accomplished something I have worked so hard for.

My reward? A (free) pumpkin coffee from Dunkin' Donuts (I found a coupon) and a 4 hour drive to Atlanta... the 4 hour drive isn't so much a reward as it is a way to get to the reward! I get to spend the weekend with great friends (and Taylor Swift, NBD).

Speaking of, I better get moving or else I won't ever get on the road! I have a big day of shopping and eating ahead of me once I arrive.

My first real 5K - Race for the Cure

Alright, so I signed up for the non-competitive portion, but we all have to start somewhere, right? I have done two other 5K's in the past, but never had the intention of trying to run one.

In my last post, I made a verbal commitment to a new life goal. I received an email today through work that they are organizing a team to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K. So I signed up! I was not going to set a goal to raise money, but I really do believe in this cause and decided to set a very small goal of raising $50.00 to go towards breast cancer awareness. Since I have this very public forum of a blog, I figure I might as well put the request out there. I frequently hear from a few loyal readers (thank you!), but I know there are more out there - so I am not sure how much of an impact I could even make. This is a great cause. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. This is a reminder of how important it is for us women to make a commitment to health; getting regular checkups and performing self exams. Even if we aren't old enough to get mammograms... It is our job to remind our mothers, grandmothers, and other women in our lives over age 40. Prevention is part of the cure! Being aware of our own bodies is so important in keeping ourselves healthy. Speaking of, I have a dermatologist appointment tomorrow to get my skin checked out by a professional... Don't forget the importance of these doctor's appointments, please!!!

Back to Race for the Cure: from my page, you can donate via credit card. Any small amount would help me get to my goal! If you are in the Charlotte area, from this page you can also join my team for the race! You will get a shirt and some other goodies provided by my company. While I don't necessarily anticipate being able to run the entire race (I just started running in the beginning of August in case you are a new visitor), I am surely going to train in preparation (and hope for minimal hills).

Speaking of getting involved, I am thinking about joining the Young Affiliates of the Mint - basically a social club here in Charlotte. You basically are a "donor" to this museum and then become a part of this group! I think it will be a good way to meet people and get involved in the community while having fun. To anyone that is reading, what do you think of this organization? Have you ever been to any of their social events?

Ok, time to get on with my evening. Making a pasta primavera with veggies that really need to get eaten and I have my first group meeting of the semester at 9 PM. I hope it goes well - I have a good group, and we are all graduating in December so we have the same level of motivation... well, I surely hope they are all motivated more than me! But we are all in the final push to meet our end goal.

There's no place like NC

The past few days have been quite an adventure! Let me recap my weekend. I'll consider it starting on Thursday night, since Friday I worked for a few hours - but it was basically a travel day.

Thursday night:

Elizabeth's Birthday Party at Route 20 (on Route 20) just outside of Freeport... The restaurant was surrounded by cornfields - no homes or anything anywhere to speak of. Lucky girl was in Freeport for her 30th and got to celebrate in style. While all I wanted was a good burger (and had been saving up for it... not getting one elsewhere), it turned out to be just 'eh.' The pickle chips and homemade ranch on the other hand... nom nom delicious! Food so great you will want to lick your plate? I may or may not have done that with the ranch. Don't judge me... wait, never mind... judge away!

Route 20, see it's on Route 20 on the way to Freeport!

Me in a cornfield

Friday:

Woke up early in Freeport, worked until lunchtime and felt very helpful! Enjoyed my 2 hour drive to O'Hare - I surely have logged a lot of 'windshield time' in the past few weeks.. Thank goodness I had XM Radio in my rental car. Really, I am not sure how I would have survived. Security at the airport took forever (yay Friday) but I made some friends in the security line that helped past the time with some chit chat. I was like an hour and 45 minutes early, so I decided to pass the time with a few glasses of wine - and wandered the airport until I found my spot. Wicker Park - they served sushi. Airport sushi, I braved it... and survived. It was good, hastily put together, but not as good as the sushi I had in Freeport.

Alaskan Roll and Yellowtail Roll

2 glasses of wine later... I was in a great mood and it was time to board the plane!! I was provided more wine by the lovely and oh-so-friendly US Airways flight attendants (read: not friendly.) About 2 hours later, I was finally back in Charlotte - oh, it had been a long two weeks and one day (not that I was counting or anything...). Hung out at the airport for a little while while I waited for Christine to arrive from DC for the night. She made it! And we cabbed it back to my apartment - so happy to be back at my apartment!

We went to Tavern on the Tracks across the street from my apartment - I got the black bean burger with pepperjack (I forgot to take a picture, but don't worry... it's my favorite thing on the menu and I eat there like 4 times a week). If you live in or near South End Charlotte, you must check this place out. The food is all homemade and delicious - I haven't had a bad thing on the menu, and I've tried a lot of it. I keep mentioning ranch dressing - but they have a chipotle ranch that is just divine - I could basically dip anything in it and be happy. They had a live band that was mildly entertaining - food and company were great :)

Cheers! Beer for me, margarita for Christine

We then went to the bar next door called The Gin Mill. The bar was pretty quiet - maybe it's because it was Friday? But... they had cheap drinks, good people watching - they have a rooftop bar where people were playing cornhole. It was fun! I'll definitely go back - maybe on a Saturday night it will be more lively!!

Saturday:

Saturday started with me not knowing where I was when I woke up (no, it wasn't all the wine...). I was very confused not to be in a hotel, but much to my excitement I realized I was waking up in NC!!! Which, no matter where I am in the state - it is my favorite place to be. I took Christine to the airport so she could continue on her weekend adventures. Then I went to the Farmers Market, World Market, and Target. The Farmers Market trip was very successful, and until our farmshare starts up - I plan to visit here at least once a week to pick up fresh produce. The rest of my Saturday was not that entertaining - so I will spare you the details.

Here is my creation with Farmers Market veggies: baby spinach, baby bella mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, and ham. Also, featuring homemade ranch - it looks like there is a lot on there, but it's pretty thin dressing (and super low in fat/calories). If I used a recipe for it, I would share it... but basically I take low fat or fat free sour cream, add in a tiny bit of low fat mayo, and enough milk to my liking for the consistency, then add a packet of buttermilk ranch dry mix, some garlic powder, and lots and lots of black pepper - this can be modified in almost any way and still taste delicious.

Farmers Market Salad

Today:
Today was a good day for a drive. Spent the day in Knoxville - usually when I am in the car for more than... oh 10 minutes, it gets dangerous because I start thinking about everything. But, today's drive was really good - for some reason it cleared my head. Anyway, why the heck did I go back to Knoxville? Katie, you complained about living there for 11 months...

Well, my friend Sehar who lives in Nashville and I came up with the brilliant idea to go see the Glee 3D concert movie together. Yes, we are Gleeks that couldn't face the prospect of going to the movie without each other. Knoxville was the only logical meeting place. The movie was great and the company was as well! I once again live in a different city than (most of) my friends - so it's nice catching up with ones that used to be your neighbor!

The movie was what I expected - it was basically like seeing the New Directions in concert... and while I don't usually get all philosophical, I really did like the message of the movie. In between concert scenes, they featured three real life Gleeks that each had an inspirational story. At first I was like "ugh, show the characters - that's why I came to see the movie!" But in the end, their stories tied in to the concert "experience" nicely and it was a bit like watching Glee + True Life: I'm a Gleek/midget/gay/have aspergers.

Gleeks in Glasses

All in all, this has been a great weekend filled with great food, great friends, and lots of travel! Looking forward to just pushing through this week and what next weekend has in store (and staying in NC for once!!)

Hint:

Chocolate is the cure for Monday's

It's officially been over a year since I wrote in this blog. I've been inspired by other bloggers I have read on the internet, and decided to pick this back up again. Hopefully I can make this a regular habit. I have more time on my hands these days. A lot has happened since I last blogged! Check it out:

- I moved from Knoxville to Atlanta. Lived there for a year. I just moved to Charlotte (back to NC!!)

- I joined Weight Watchers, so I didn't have to go through my weight loss journey alone. I have lost 18 lbs! Give or take a few that I may have gained in the last week or so... and I have met and bonded with some great people along the way. While the title of this post contradicts it, I have really adopted a (mostly) healthy lifestyle and feel really good about my decision to become a "Weight Watcher." It is a lifestyle and a commitment - not just any old diet.

- I am no longer a "recent college graduate." Is that weird? I was in Chicago this weekend visiting friends - some kid started chatting me up, he asked where I went to school... He was working in Chicago on an internship. Boy, did I feel old.

- My hair is long again. Current dilemma (as recent as this morning's throw-it-into-a-ponytail/bun routine) - do I cut it off again? My hairdresser remains in Atlanta, so I guess I can't decide until my next trip there is finalized.

- I graduated from my rotational program at Newell Rubbermaid. Now I have a big girl job... it is basically the same job I did my first year, but with a different team, in a different location. It all worked out for the best - because the job is NC, and a Katie in NC is a happy Katie.

- I am now one class away from graduating from ECU with my MBA. One class?! Even I can't believe it. The past two years have been a struggle - but I now can truly see the light at the end of the tunnel. 129 days until graduation. I can't believe I am almost in double digits!!

I think that summarizes my main life changes. I am ecstatic to be back in North Carolina - closer to family, friends, and the beach. I love my apartment. I decided to live in the city. Of all the apartments I have had (SC, TN, GA), I have always lived in the 'burbs. While my Atlanta apartment was gorgeous and in a great location with respect to work, it wasn't in a prime social scene. Not that I had time to socialize anyway when I lived there. Things are about to change! I moved on June 30th, but things have been pretty crazy in my life. I was in the middle of summer school, starting a new job while still doing my old one, traveling back to Atlanta for work... I really haven't had time to explore Charlotte. I focused on getting settled in to my apartment. Looking forward to getting back there and meeting some new people, and spending time with old friends. As much as I love Raleigh, I am trying not to use it as a crutch to fall back in to old habits. I could easily go back every weekend, but I remind myself - I live in Charlotte now, I need to learn to love it too!

For the past week and a half or so I have been in IL for work - a small town about 2 hours west of Chicago. It has been nice - I was able to travel back to Chicago the past two weekends and see some friends. I love Chicago (in the summertime). I had to remind myself of the blizzards in the wintertime and how much a Midwest winter really stinks - or else I would totally move to Chicago... The summertime in the Midwest is just so picture perfect. Also, the food doesn't hurt either. The town I am in is very small - so I don't have a plethora of restaurant choices; however, I did find a delicious sushi place only a few miles from my hotel. I have been frequenting their takeout option most nights - it is a light, healthy choice compared to some of the other things I have been eating. Deep dish pizza tonight, whattt?

A pro and a con to traveling for work is that you have to eat out - while this is fun and games for the first few days, I am dying for some home cooked goodness. Ready to get back to Charlotte and my beautiful kitchen (pictures to come). Also, my coworker and I are splitting a Farm Share. So ready for that to begin so I can get fresh and delicious seasonal fruits and veggies every week. The upside to this is that breakfast at the hotel is basically disgusting, so I have been getting Subway breakfast every morning. I will never, ever complain about eating this. It is one of my favorite things, ever - and I tell everyone I know to try it. On your average day, I will get a muffin with ham, egg white and pepper jack cheese topped with spinach, peppers, onions, tomatoes, S&P, and a drizzle of their chipolte southwest sauce. That sauce is the ticket. On particularly hungry days, or days where I am picking it up for brunch - I will go crazy and get the 6" flatbread or two muffins (egg white and cheese only).



I will get off of my soapbox for Subway Breakfast, but seriously though - if you haven't tried it... I dare you. The muffin is the best $2.00 you will ever spend! Let me know how you like it!!! The flatbread is only $3.00... you really can't go wrong. It is also much more healthy and nutritious than alternative fast food breakfast choices - super filling too. I have found through my very non-scientific survey of people that certain people fill up on eggs, and other people fill up on oatmeal (and that will hold them over until lunch). I am an egg girl. If you are an egg girl or boy, this breakfast will absolutely hold you over until your next meal. I have tried making it myself - is it good? Yes. Is it as good as Subway's version? Hell no. Ok, I'll really stop talking about this now. But I promise, it won't be the last you've heard from me on this subject!!

I also recently started pinning. Have you heard of it? I discovered this phenomenon via reading other people's blogs - I admit, I was a skeptic but now I am hooked.

I suppose I should bring this post to a close. In light of my impending weekend at the beach - I invited myself on my parent's mini-vacation... technically I invited them to Charlotte and got rejected - so my mom invited me to the beach with them - here are some inspirational words that really are so true (if I were artistic, I would add chocolate to the pretty painting). Happy Monday!