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What: #20 Pick up a bouquet of fresh flowers for myself 

Where: Saline Flowerland
When: April 12th
Why: Over the years, I have received flowers and they are always an inconvenience. That sounds bad, I know, but when I get them, it then becomes my responsibility to trim the stems, tidy up the fallen petals, refresh the water, arrange them in a vase, keep clipping the dead leaves, and mourn when they finally die. See, that's a lot of responsibility! It seemed to me that if I made the decision to actually get myself flowers instead of having them forced on me (I know, still sounds bad), maybe I'd be more invested in the whole process. So I chose today to test out this theory. One of my motives for choosing today is that it would have been my maternal grandmother's 104th birthday. Yes, she would have been older than the Titanic. My earliest memories with my grandma include walking around her old farmhouse looking at all the flowers and walking through paths in her garden. There were all types of flowers mingled together, and many were mirrored in the beautiful pieces of china and other heirlooms she had around the house. To pay homage to her love of flowers, I thought today I'd bring home a bouquet of fresh tulips. I chose yellow - what's cheerier than that? - and tulips because they just seem more natural than the highly dyed pre-gathered bouquets. So far, they are definitely putting a smile on my face, and I did enjoy the process of arranging them in a vase much more so than I expected. Plus, the lady at the flower store told me a secret, that if you make a small slit near the head of the tulip to let the gas out (no idea what gas, but ok), that helps them to stand upright without the weight of the blooms pulling them down. I'll have to see if this is true as they open up over the next few days.

Eight down...44 to go...

What: #100 Attend a service at the Zen Buddhist Temple

Where: The Zen Buddhist Temple of Ann Arbor

When: April 8th

Why: The entire complex is tucked away behind a wall, and isn't everything behind a wall something that rouses curiosity? I've always been interested in the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the ideas of Buddhism in general, and the concept of meditation has also always intrigued me. This seemed like a great way to get my feet wet - aside from a book of the Dalai Lama's that I read a few years ago. I had some trepidation about the meditation aspect because my mind does not quiet itself under any circumstances, not even sleep. So, I was a bit unnerved about how much time I knew would be spent in total silence and absolute stillness, and the silence was apparent from the moment we walked in and removed our shoes. From there, we were given a brief intro to meditation ("focus on your breathing") and sent in to begin. The first portion is total silence for almost 30 minutes. Eyes closed, no noise, sitting in one position...it's a little intimidating to do, but after the first 10-15 minutes of feeling awkward and clueless, I actually really got into it and found it relaxing. Following the first sitting, everyone gathers their cushions together to repeat some of the Korean sayings and also to chant. Honestly, I really liked the chanting! It was "ma-um" which means mind and body. The blend of everyone's voices, the rhythm of the syllables, and the overall pattern of the notes was really easy to absorb and made the process much easier than sitting in silence. And then once our chants were done, we went back for a shorter sitting, followed by a lesson. One thing I really liked from the lesson - and that honestly would have helped me in my meditation - was this: in this moment, there is nothing to worry about; in this moment, there is nothing lacking; in this moment, there is something to be grateful for in your life. I liked that, and can see using it as a sort of mantra when I get stressed or overwhelmed.

   The true test is if I go back again. I'm a person that would rather be outdoors thinking spiritual thoughts than sitting in a church wishing I was outdoors, but this experience in this environment was one that just might draw me back again...

   Update: I've taken a few workshops now on Mindful Meditation, which has its roots in Buddhist practices. Right now, I'm reading "How To Train A Wild Elephant" that helps me to practice being more mindful. I highly recommend it!

Seven down...45 to go...

What: #22 Buy a lottery ticket

Where: Random local gas station
When: March 27th
Why: It is one of those questions I always ask friends, "What would you do if you won the lottery?" and lately, it has been a common refrain in discussions about my future: "Well, if I won the lottery..." Turns out, that could be a lot more likely (and by this, I mean my chance increases from 0 to 1/175,000,000) if I actually take that step of purchasing a lottery ticket. So, with my friend Brittany's encouragement, I decided to check this one off today. I learned all kinds of lingo like "easy pick" and "megaplier," and I learned that the nice lady at the gas station was previously an elementary school teacher turned principal in her home country. Somehow, I'm taking this as a good sign. In fact, I've been on the lookout for all kinds of lucky charms the whole day. And I even put in a lot of thought into my numbers that I chose: 3, 16, 22, 33, 34, and 50. Anyone that can take a stab at where any of those came from is welcome to give it a try. And for those "Lost" fans out there, no, these aren't *those* numbers. :)

In part two of this story, I also wanted some more immediate gratification from my foray into the world of the lottery, so I also bought a scratch off card and guess what, I won!! That's right, I am a "Wild Time" lottery winner! I chose to use the specific method my friend uses to reveal her potential winnings. Hint: scratch everything off all at once...this is incredibly fun!...and only then should you go back to read the specifics and determine if you've won. Which, did I mention, I DID! (In the interest of full disclosure, I won $4, and paid $2 for the card, but still, I'm claiming a victory here!).

So, the big MegaMillions jackpot is at $363 million, and who couldn't use a bit o' spare change like that to make their day just a bit brighter? Granted, I've already committed a portion of it to Brittany for her support today, and to a few other friends along the way, so you better get in your formal request soon if you want a piece of my massive fortune!

Definitely winners! :)

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What: #24 Eat at Blimpy Burger in Ann Arbor

Where: Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger
When: February 21st
Why: As someone who has spent most of my life in or near Ann Arbor, I was constantly dealing with shocked looks whenever it came up that I had never eaten at this local establishment. In my defense, I don't eat burgers, and I'd heard horror stories of the mockery that ensues if you aren't ordering in the right manner, so I guess those two factors pretty much kept me away all these years. Finally, my friend Elizabeth and I were planning an outing around that area, and we did need to eat dinner beforehand, so as two total newbies to the Blimpy Burger scene, we embarked together into the greasy world of Blimpy Burger. For those unfamiliar, here is a video to help you get a second-hand experience! It turned out that day that there was one really big problem; the deep fryer was broken.

Come on, if there is one thing we expected, it was a lot of grease. And as a non-burger eater, I was looking forward to fried veggies and french fries. Alas, I had an egg sandwich with cheddar cheese on a pumpernickel roll. Not too shabby, and a super good bargain!

Another successful new thing that I survived! And, I think we are brave enough to give it another try!

Five down...47 to go...

What: #46 Attend the Salle d’Etroit Fencing Academy

Where: Salle d'Etroit Fencing Academy
When: February 20th
Why: I have no idea. Other than to blame Zorro, both an early George Hamilton version and more recently, "The Mask Of Zorro" with Catherine Zeta-Jones. So when it came up as a Groupon awhile back, on a whim, I went for it. I'm attending a series of lessons at a local academy and I've learned a lot of the basics. En garde, lunging, attacks, use of the foil, and how to get into the outfit including a glove, full head mask, weird plastic brassiere, and a bodysuit that zips in a rather awkward manner.  There is such a wide range of people taking the lessons - kids, adults, families, a group of friends, etc. We partner up and practice hits and touches, and truth be told, a "touch" actually hurts more than it should. I recognize that it isn't like being pierced with a weapon, but it is unpleasant. So, it helps to learn faster footwork and more precise moves to actually avoid an attack.

It is done with a lot of attention to detail, but it is also a lot of fun. And a great workout, which was really unexpected, but I truly work up a sweat, and it takes a lot of leg strength (just ask my right leg...it is still sore after my lesson from two days ago!) and quick repetitive movements.