"The List" 2013/2014

"The List" is a compilation of 100 things that I have not done before (*or haven't done in recent years), but would love to accomplish.  My 2013/2014 goal is to complete a quarter of the list.  I feel like I've been in a rut these past few years, supporting the aspirations of those around me, without giving proper thought or attention to my own goals and hopes for the future.  I'd love for this list to help me define some new self aspirations, and I don't know, maybe even help me identify a deeper purpose and vision for the direction I'd like for my life to head.  I mean, is that really too much to ask? (heh).

"The List" was inspired by my friend MK, who was, in turn inspired by a friend of hers.  MK has described her own list experience as life changing, and I am in awe of what she has completed. In fact, she's about to embark on year 3 of list tackling, certainly a testament to the power and inspiration the list can kindle.  MK's list-inspired accomplishments have truly moved me, and I can only hope to be so lucky with my own list. 

*Update: Originally, I wrote this list specifically for 2013, with the intent to stick to it and to write a new list every year. In fact, I completed quite a number of the items on my 2013 list...and I even have a whole bunch of draft write-ups of the items I completed. But, I got hung up on actually finalizing and posting my success stories. And then I got very busy and a little bit bummed out and a little bit demotivated (excusesexcusesexcuses) and my little blog started to feel like a burden, so I ignored it. But, I did not forget it and now that I'm closer to that proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel" (still a ways to go, but hey, at least I can see the glimmers!) I've been thinking about making a come back. So, today on March 21, 2014, I have decided to revive my list (with some edits. I do what I want!) Here goes something...*

So....here it is - my revised 2013/2014 list!

1. Take a Spanish class*
2. Take a Saxophone lesson*
3. Make scallops
4. Make Lobster
5. Take a knife skills cooking class
6. See Book of Mormon
7. (Re)read all the Shakespeare comedies
8. Complete a triathlon
9. Visit Italy
10. Visit Croatia
11. Go on Safari
12. Go Raw for two weeks
13. Go Vegan for two weeks
14. Go Vegetarian for a month 
15. Participate in a murder mystery dinner party
16. Attend a Zombie Pub Crawl
17. Play in a jazz band
18. Teach a financial wellness/financial freedom class
19. Shark dive
20. Write a Goodreads book review 
21. Be an extra on The Walking Dead
22. Attend a taping of the Big Bang Theory
23. Train Timmy or Little Cloud to be a certified therapy cat
24. Participate in a pen pal program
25. Play Trivia at Brits
26. Volunteer to help with a race
27. Visit Duluth
28. Rent a cabin “up north”
29. Go to Summerfest in Milwaukee
30. Go ice skating*
31. Golf 18 holes 
32. Get out of credit card debt...once and for all!
33. Walk 10,000+ steps a day for a consecutive 30 days
34. Take a Khan Academy class 
35. See the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
36. Take the GRE 
37. Blog “consistently”  (average 1+ entry a week for at least 8 weeks)
38. Go downhill skiing*
39. Go cross country skiing*
40. Join a wine of the month club
41. Visit wine country
42. Visit my sister in El Paso
43. Start an herb garden
44. Practice yoga “consistently” (average one or more class a week for at least  8 weeks)*
45. Complete 21 Day Sugar Detox
46. Get professional (but fun) headshots taken
47. Take a creative writing class
48. Gift myself an “expensive” piece of jewelry (that I will presumably own and wear for a lifetime). (=$500+)
49. Hold plank for 5 minutes
50. Complete the 200 squat challenge (you can read about what that is here)
51. Spend the night in a castle
52. Run a destination race* (any distance 10K or greater, at least 50 miles from Minneapolis)
53. Make a list of my top 10 songs that have impacted my life in some way
54. Make a list of my top 10 books that have impacted my life in some way
55. Make a list of my top 10 movies that have impact my life in some way
56. Read a biography of a US president selected at random (I asked B to pick a # between 1-44.  He did not know the purpose. And... he selected “19.” Awesome.  I’ll be reading the biography Ruthorford B. Hayes - UPDATE: I asked Brian to pick another number, he said "27" - William Howard Taft. OK, those are my choices!)
57. Ride a ride at the Minnesota state fair
58. Post a video on YouTube (or other video sharing site)
59. Create a Gif
60. Go to NYC for fun (NOT as a part of a business trip!)
61. Buy something at a Farmer's Market
62. Take CPR certification course
63. Go on a holiday light tour
64. Take a ballroom dance class (with B)
65. Upcycle my mom’s old jewelry box
66. Take a trip to Boundary Waters
67. Go to bed (lights out) by 930p for a full ‘work week’ (Sun eve thru Thur eve)
68. Get a plot in a community garden
69. Get my antique ring appraised
70. Somehow help MK achieve one of her 52 New (And get a mention on her "thank you" list!)
71. Get a hot stone massage
72. Make a snow angel*
73. Buy a pair of cowboy boots (preferably in TX)
74. Take a hip hop class
75. Write a letter to my congressman
76. Travel by Nice Ride
77. Volunteer as an animal socializer
78. Attend a Summer beer fest in MN
79. Lake Minnetonka boat cruise
80. Buy coffee for a stranger
81. Send photo Christmas cards
82. Lunch with Brian at GM
83. TV free for a week
84. Try a Doritos Locos Taco
85. Refinish a piece of furniture
86. Sell something on Craigslist
87. Host a game night*
88. Lose 25 lbs
89. Become a certified master recycler in Hennepin County
90. Volunteer in a foreign country
91. Post something inspiring on a public bulletin board
92. Trip to DC*
93. See Aziz Live!
94. Take an art class*
95. Pay off my car
96. Get a cactus 
97. Spend a night on the town in St. Paul
98. No Diet Coke for a month
99. Get Hitched!
100. Decorative window paint

101. BONUS: Run RAGNAR
102. BONUS: Visit the Southern Hemisphere

Going the distance

After nearly 4 weeks of travel, I'm back in the "Minnie Apple" for the foreseeable future. I spent a fantastic 2.5 weeks in Michigan visiting friends and family, with a brief stop back in MN before departing on a long weekend to Vancouver BC to run the Seawheeze half marathon and have a kick ass weekend with a great group of runner gal friends, new and old. Incidentally, this also checks the box for #52 on my "100 Things" 2015 List to run a destination race.

The race itself was simultaneously a high point and a low point of the weekend for me. The course was breathtaking (and not just because I was running!), with the first half winding through the vibrant and eclectic Vancouver city proper, and with the second half scrolling along the perimeter of the rocks, trees and cool, deep turquoise waves and mist that define the Stanley Park seawall. In hindsight, I wish I had taken photos of the spectacular course during the race, not to mention the awesome entertainment along the course (synchronized spinners! bands floating on platforms in the harbor! bubbles! dancers! mermaids!). However, just completing the run took an intense slice of my focus and effort. Unfortunately, despite my consistent and diligent 10 weeks of training leading up to the race, I fell severely short of my time goal and finished the race in a disappointing 3+ hours.

Prior to this race, I've never been the victim of the dreaded "runner's stomach." Unfortunately, I can claim that feat no more. I felt great for the first 12 or so kilometers, but disaster grumbled and threatened soon after. Let's just say it felt like a true gift from the running gods to spot, right before the start of the seawall portion of the race, a full restroom facility with NO LINES, shining like a lighthouse beacon to this lost sailor, visible just beyond a lineup of porta potties. Strangely enough, I also witnessed a stream of runners waiting for said potties, because HELLO, there was a REAL BATHROOM with NO WAIT just 50 steps over yonder! What are you crazies doing in that long line to enter those stinky caves of despair?!

I'll leave out the dirty details (runners know what I'm talking about)...but I will say that little side trip not only added several minutes to my time, but really zapped my energy and my confidence for the remainder of the race. After dealing with my stomach woes and rejoining the race, I became keenly aware and overly focused on my flaring plantar fasciitis, my aching joints, my hunger, that super loud talker behind me who wouldn't shut up...and my inner monologue took a turn to the dark side.

I won't lie, I almost (almost) broke down and cried during those final kilometers of the course, disappointed because I couldn't go the distance. Until I realized that wasn't true at all, I just wasn't going to be able to do it according to my original plan, training and vision. Instead, I knew had to reinvent my vision to match my current circumstances. In this case, that meant to turtle-style the remaining kilometers of my run...slow, steady, breathe in and out, one foot in front of the other, even if that meant a slow walk. I gave myself the best pep talk I could muster, allowed myself to receive energy and inspiration from the beauty of nature that surrounded me, and I managed to very slowly chug along for another 3k or so before giving into an even slower shuffle/walk for the final 5k.

Sometimes sh*t happens (and sometimes it literally happens...ahem...oh, eff it all, I should delete that but I'm NOT GONNA). Let's try this again...sometimes life has a funny way of not giving a crap (oops, I did it again) about our carefully laid plans. And when that happens, we can choose to roll over and give up...or we can choose to adjust our plans and go the distance anyway.

I chose to go the distance.

LM and me (pre-race) in front of the Olympic Cauldron at the Vancouver Convention Center, 

sporting our freshly applied Lulu race tattoos. (photo credit to CWK!)

That's me! Day before the race, with the seaplanes and the Vancouver Harbor as the backdrop.

## Hashtag BLESSED (and also hashtag sorrynotsorry for that obnoxious hashtag) ##

Greetings from the Mitten State! I do apologize for not putting up my "out of office" so to speak, and leaving my blog to collect dust for a couple of weeks (as if that hasn't happened before!) I'm nearing the end of an 18 day Michigan trip, bouncing around along the I-94 corridor. I haven't been "home" to MI for a stretch this lengthy since I moved away to Chicago 9 years ago, and it has been such a pleasure to have more than a second to spend with my MI friends and family - and it still doesn't feel like enough time!

Brian joined me for the first half of the trip. We drove to MI together, with a quick overnight stop in the CHI to pick up our friend Matt. I dropped the fellas off in New Buffalo, a cute little beach town just inside the MI border, where they met with 8 of Matt's friends in a rented "beach bungalow" for Matt's bachelor weekend, complete with plenty of steaks, golf, boating, gambling and beach time. During their dude bro weekend, I spent some time near South Haven to camp with my sister and brother-in-law in their beast of a camper, and to celebrate my sister's birthday at their campsite, along with a gaggle of family members. I'm rather impressed with myself to say that, during my time camping with them, I successfully managed to slow down time enough to enjoy a beach side sunset, and a sunrise run the next morning before heading south down the lake to pick up B.

I picked B up on Sunday, and we spent a better part of the week at my Mom and Step-dad's in Portage. B had to work during the day, but joined in the festivities in the evening. My mom and I made him carrot cake cupcakes for a belated birthday celebration that night (they were pretty delicious!!) The next evening, B and I trekked back out to S. Haven to have dinner with my sister, brother-in-law and dads. The next day, I was in S. Haven AGAIN, sans B this time since he was working, but with my mom and step-dad, to enjoy one last get together with sis and bro-law before they packed up their camper to make the long return to their home in TX. And for our final evening together on the Westside, I took B on his first trip to Bell's Brewery (home of OBERON), and we treated my two early twenty-something cousins and their gorgeous gals to brews and dinner.  Of course, we also had plenty of trips to Meijer throughout the week - one of my strange addictions every time I come home to MI!

The two of us headed to A2 on Thursday to celebrate my mom-in-law's 65th birthday with dinner at Pizza House. We also spent some time enjoying dinner with one of my BFF's and her husband, and the next morning, we also squeezed in a 5K that this same friend organized, before heading to the D to attend a #geekwedding of a neighborhood friend of B's from childhood. The wedding was plenty of fun, with a geek theme mashup of everything from Dr. Who to Star Wars to Video Game couples. Bonus, the in-laws were also invited to the wedding, so it was a great chance to continue to enjoy some extended family time.

After dropping B off at the airport on Sun, I had the pleasure of grabbing brunch with a friend from my childhood, who I haven't seen in ~17 (!!!) years. Serendipitous circumstances made our brunch possible -- neither of us lives in SE MI, but we both happen to be in the area at the same time, and it was such a treat to catch up.

Following brunch, I headed back to the Westside, to again stay at my Mom's for a quick stop-over. My mom, stepdad and I gabbed way into the night while enjoying a couple of beers. Although our late night beers (and the wild rainstorm that night!) made for a somewhat extra challenging 9 mile run the next morning, it was well worth it.

I'm currently at my Dad and step-dad's in Gun Plain, and I will be here until tomorrow evening before I head off to a girl's weekend near Holland, at a lovely home right on Lake MI. We've been enjoying plenty of QT here in the "country", including some time on Pine Lake Beach, a private little beach that is only for the use of those who live in my Dad's neighborhood, along with some kayaking and also some running around the lake. We've enjoyed a few nice meals, including dinner out with my aunt and cousin last night at a little Plainwell Brewery. And today, my dad and I went into Kzoo to volunteer at the Food Pantry, where I helped to bag groceries for those who came in for food. Tomorrow, we'll squeeze in a final kayak around the lake in the AM (and maybe I'll fit in a run), and a trip to the movies in the PM to check out the new Amy Schumer flick.

I cannot express how wonderful it has been to spend time with so many different loved ones over the past few weeks. Clearly, one of the voids I've been feeling has been related to the absence of family, and my heart is now so full.  #BLESSED, y'all! I cringe cringe CRINGE when I see people type that trite little ##, but EFF it, right now I can think of nothing more fitting. Life is damn good!