Labor Day Weekend

A few months ago I would have told you that Labor Day weekend wasn't going to be any fun this year because I would be working.  Fortunately, work was very light and I enjoyed some fun in Charlotte with my parents.  The weekend began with a 5 hour bike on a 90 degree afternoon by myself- talk about a lesson in mental toughness.  After a much appreciated shower, we started the evening at Foxcroft Wine Co. for wine and munchies.  A glass of Riesling and truffle fries were the perfect recovery snack!

We dined al fresco at Napa on  Providence for dinner.  Their kale salad is one of my favorites, and the fillet of salmon I added paired perfectly with peaches, goat cheese, and pancetta croutons.

Since Whole Foods was a having a sale on fruit tarts, I picked one up for us to enjoy.  We had a slice each night and loved the fresh berries paired with the cream and tart shell.

Saturday I had anticipated spending the majority of the day operating, but was pleasantly surprised not to be needed.  Instead, I was able to partake in the family trip to Davidson.  Mom and I loved introducing Dad and Bailey to the Davidson Farmer's Market, Millstone Bakehouse and Provisions, lakefront homes, and Jetton Park.

Bailey was on her best behavior wandering through the farmer's market and basked in the glory of being told dozens of times that she was beautiful and a perfect dog.  Sure, stroke her ego and give her even more reason to believe she is the center of the universe!  She played cool by wearing her Nike sunglasses at the park.

Since we had a mid-morning breakfast of biscuits/scones and lattes, our late lunch was a bit more veggie-filled.  I love Luna's Living Kitchen for their creative approaches to raw and vegan cuisine.  Keeping with the theme of outdoor dining, we enjoyed our meal under an umbrella in Atherton Mill.  I had the veggie burger wrapped in a collard leaf with a side of waldorf salad.

Later that evening we opted for a quiet night on the patio.  Bailey spent time lounging in her personal bean bag recovering from her very busy day, and the humans sipped kombucha and wine.

We had an assortment of munchies as a late dinner, including veggies, cheddar cheese, bread from the farmer's market, pesto and hummus, popcorn, figs, and cotton candy grapes.  It was a perfectly lazy evening . . . until we saw a cockroach!

Sunday  morning I was yet again pleasantly surprised not to be needed at work and instead hit the roads for a long run.  On the schedule was a 2 hour run - by far my longest run since coming back from my stress fracture.  I ran the first half with Bailey and then looped back around to run with Dad for the second half.  The pace was conservative, cardio-wise I felt great, but by the final couple of miles I was definitely sore.  With just 4 weeks left until Ironman Louisville, it looks like two hours may just be the max I run prior to race day.

Meanwhile, back at home, Mom prepared a delicious breakfast of BLTs.  None of us eat meat very often, but the combination of applewood smoked bacon, heirloom tomatoes, baby lettuce, pesto, mayo, and Great Harvest bread was nothing short of incredible!

The remainder of Sunday included a chai latte from Central Coffee, shopping, housework (thanks, Dad!), wine and lunch at Vintner Wine Market, a matinee of A Walk in the Woods (fantastically funny!), and dinner at Cowfish.

Monday morning I said good-bye to Dad, Mom, and Bailey, and then proceeded to enjoy a rather Labor-less Labor Day (minus a two hour bike).  I'll certainly miss these wonderful Charlotte weekends, but look forward to discovering new favorites in Atlanta next year!