Sunday Funday aka catch-up day…*
It’s been awhile since I have been able to blog about more than simply a link or a quick note about something I want to share, so I am going to try and catch you and myself up to speed on the latest in my life and anything I have done lately that I think is worth checking out.
Well, to begin with some personal good news, I got an official promotion to “Office Manager” this week! It only took me 8 weeks to work up to this level and I am proud and pleased to be able to share this news with everyone!
My other good news is that I finally received my “Simplify by Dara” business cards, so I can officially start marketing my skills as a “Professional Organizer”! I handed out my crisp, new cards at my monthly book club meeting Friday night (The Charlotte Whine Club). Yippee. So if you know anyone in need of my services, please send them my way!
Moving on…since I last blogged about the places that I have eaten or experienced, I would like to add a few more to my list of where to go and what to do’s…I met with Patrick’s insurance agent (Bob Frazer of Marathon Insurance) at Hickory Tavern on Providence Road…the atmosphere was great, as was the company, the appetizers were decent and the service was excellent. I would never recommend this for a date night, but to get together with the ladies or, in particular, the fellas, or to watch some really top-notch sports on TV, and Hickory Tavern would be a great spot!
I also need to give props to my aesthetician, Jennifer Bradford, for expanding her business to accommodate clients who cannot make it to the salon during business hours. She has designed new business cards, with the help of Erin Merricks, and named herself “Marie Antoinette’s Head”. Please seek her out if you are in need of a wax or facial. She is the best of the best, which is why I have been a client (and friend) of hers for about 12 years now. (Allow me to mention that Erin also designed my logo and it turned out superb!)
Casino Night was again, a night to remember! Great atmosphere, great food and drinks and great company! We definitely feel like we got our money’s worth at this wonderful event and they raised $18, 000 for their charity. (It may have been a little more, but I am in the ballpark!) Congrats to Care Ring for pulling off yet another successful event! Extravaganza Depot was again the perfect, accommodating spot to have catered to this event. Please visit their website and that of Care Ring to find out more details about the sponsors or to consider sponsoring, donating or attending again next year!
After CN, we cabbed it over to WOK where we enjoyed an upbeat atmosphere with delicious smelling food and moderately priced drinks. I would definitely be interested in returning at an earlier hour to give their menu a whirl. But like any big city restaurant, it turns into a bit more of a nightclub after hours. For those of you who want a one stop evening on the town, this seems like an ideal spot!
After WOK, we walked over to a Charlotte classic, RiRa’s Irish Pub to see the 2nd Drink Band perform. Unfortunately, we arrived on a break and missed their performance (but I hear they rock). So we plan to make a night of just seeing them next chance we get. RiRa’s is a great after-work spot, but since their unfortunate fire a few years back, it just doesn’t have the same unique feel it once did. I think it’s the fact that they closed in the upper level and have made the upstairs seem a little more like a club than a pub. Anyway, if that is your cup-of-tea, then by all means, check it out, but my last two experiences there have been about a C+.
Between evenings out and about, we have had the pleasure of spending time with mine and Patrick’s families making care packages for our soldier, PFC Andrew Bell, celebrating his mom, Charisse, and my dad, Joe’s, birthdays’. We had delicious food and good quality family time. What more could you ask for? We also we able to review the wedding videos that Patrick was so kind to take for my sister and were able to watch, relax and laugh about that weekend.
If you are a shopper, and want to check out a very nice area, please treat yourself to Blakeney. It’s located in the Ballantyne area off Audrey Kell and Rea Road. I just had my 5th (?) time shopping out there last weekend with my friend, Poodle, and the atmosphere, service and availability of stores was great! I have eaten at 131 Main (thumbs up) and Newk's (thumbs so-so) and shopped at Target, Homegoods, Marshall’s, Try Sports and Victoria’s Secret. Those are just to a name of few of the nice places to check out in that area. The only other place I can comment on out that way is Cosmo’s Ballantyne, which I only recommend to divorcées ages 40-60 or to women or men who like people a lot older than them. That place is a total, crowded, disappointing COUGAR DEN! There I said it, and everyone I know that has been there agrees! Now, I cannot take away from the beauty of the place itself, or the menu, because as is with the uptown location- yum, yum, yum! But unless you fall into one of the “stereotypes” listed above, I would stay far, far away from this place late-night, especially on the weekends!
The last three things I want to mention are: Tavern on the Tracks, February’s Whine Club meeting and an unfortunate situation that occurred at my job.
Let me begin with the job thing because I do not want to end this blog on a Debbie-downer note…but after working with animals for 7 years (and owning my own for 13), I have never had this displeasure of knowing the “human” side of medicine. Or shall I say the up-close and personal, down-side to human medicine, until this past week. I may have mentioned before that I work with children, couples', and everyone in between in need of mental health assistance with a focus on opiod addiction. But opiod addiction is not the only classification of patients we see each day. One of my severely depressed clients, attempted suicide this week and if you think its breaks your heart to know that an animal is sick or has crossed the rainbow bridge, let me tell you how heartbreaking it is to now that someone feels so down on themselves and so hopeless, that they actually want to die. I tell you this only because, if you ever feel like things are bad, don’t wait until it’s to late to ask for help and most importantly, be kind to everyone, because you never know whether something you say or do can be life-altering for that person. This above mentioned client is, thankfully, still with us, I wanted to make sure to mention that they confided in someone and are now seeking the much needed help that will hopefully change their life view. And with all that being said, if you are in my life, and you ever feel down and out, please reach out to me, I will always make time for the people I care about and I will also make an extra effort to be kinder and less judgmental towards everyone I encounter each and every day.
Let me begin with the job thing because I do not want to end this blog on a Debbie-downer note…but after working with animals for 7 years (and owning my own for 13), I have never had this displeasure of knowing the “human” side of medicine. Or shall I say the up-close and personal, down-side to human medicine, until this past week. I may have mentioned before that I work with children, couples', and everyone in between in need of mental health assistance with a focus on opiod addiction. But opiod addiction is not the only classification of patients we see each day. One of my severely depressed clients, attempted suicide this week and if you think its breaks your heart to know that an animal is sick or has crossed the rainbow bridge, let me tell you how heartbreaking it is to now that someone feels so down on themselves and so hopeless, that they actually want to die. I tell you this only because, if you ever feel like things are bad, don’t wait until it’s to late to ask for help and most importantly, be kind to everyone, because you never know whether something you say or do can be life-altering for that person. This above mentioned client is, thankfully, still with us, I wanted to make sure to mention that they confided in someone and are now seeking the much needed help that will hopefully change their life view. And with all that being said, if you are in my life, and you ever feel down and out, please reach out to me, I will always make time for the people I care about and I will also make an extra effort to be kinder and less judgmental towards everyone I encounter each and every day.
On a brighter note, I made my second visit to Tavern on the Tracks the other night and it was a pretty cool place (I must admit, it’s been years, so my memory of the last visit is a blurry one). The place was not very busy, for a Thursday night, but the service was good and so were both the appetizers (fab spicy queso dip) and the drink specials! Definitely a good place to go after work! From what I inferred, they are connected to the Gin Mill (which I went to and LOVED last St. Patty’s day), so if you want to keep the party going, this is a great spot in South End.
To round it all out and cap off the last couple of weeks…Thank you to Michelle Smith for hostessing, yet another, successful meeting of The Charlotte Whine Club! We covered “The Glass Castle” by Jeanette Walls and enjoyed some great discussion led by 2nd time Whiner, Julie Brandt. I think it is safe to say that everyone that read the book enjoyed it and that and to those who didn’t, they will now want to. It is a “memoir” about Jeanette Walls’ childhood and definitely a story that will make you appreciate your own life. I love our great group of ladies and look forward to next months’ meeting and book!
Until next time…peace…
Dara
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