Thirty-six down...16 to go...

What: #71 Ride the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point

When: Oct 20th
Where: Sandusky, OH
Why: I've visited this amusement park nearly every summer since middle school, and as new rides were erected (and yes, after looking at this ride all night, I chose that term carefully...), I'd always go for the challenge of experiencing the next new thing. At a certain stage in life, I think my awareness of the risks started to diminish the thrill of faster and taller. Thus, this one ride - Top Thrill Dragster (420 feet tall and 120 mph) - was a bit more than I was willing to try.

Until now, because this list is about doing new things and coming out of my comfort zone. So, during the annual Halloweekends at Cedar Point, I finally got the opportunity to check this off my list. Unfortunately, it was a rainy windy morning and they are very specific about the weather conditions to run the ride, which believe me, when you watch it, is something I'm very grateful about for my safety. So, my friend and I had to come up with a new plan while awaiting the reopening of the dragster: ride all the wooden coasters! We took on all three, stopping for a very ill-advised fried cheese stick after the first two rides.

Luckily, we had a 2-hour wait to digest our snack before getting on the dragster. It is an intense ride to hear and feel and watch, but after waiting that long, you just wanted to get it over with, so we got into our seats and braced for the fastest 20 seconds we'd ever experience. I'll admit, I was anxious about flying up that first hill because I don't love heights, but unexpectedly, the initial 4-5 seconds of accelerating at such a crazy rate were actually the scariest for me...it just felt like I was really out of control, not a feeling I much relish in any area of my life.

After returning back to earth, we were on such a high we decided to take on the Mantis, and feeling so brave we went through both "Carn-evil" and "Blood on the Bayou" where monsters and spooks and all sorts of frights were creating as much of a scream-fest as possible. To wind down, we finished off the evening on the coolest carousel.

Thirty-five down...17 to go...

What: #18 Dance in the rain

When: Oct 17th
Where: Outside in the rain, obviously
Why: I have fond memories as a kid splashing around in puddles on the sidewalk, holding my umbrella covered in squiggly rainbow colored fabric. It seems that the propensity to be so carefree diminishes as one grows up, and being in the rain or doused in puddles loses its appeal. I do have a higher tolerance than most, having just sat through a full Michigan football game in the rain, and earlier this summer, I did take a very rainy hike in Kouchibouguac National Park in New Brunswick, and while we didn't let the intense downpour drive us from the beautiful scenery, there was definitely no dancing about our predicament. So, this item had remained on the list until today. I recently won a bet that involved being taught how to polka, and as it was to be my opportunity to gain this skill on a very rainy evening, it seemed a match made in heaven that I would learn how to polka in the rain.

There was a sound system set up to provide us the soundtrack needed, and in our bare feet, we hopped around, back and forth, even tossing in a couple spin moves. The rain was cold, it was probably a bit silly, but for me, it's a new memory I'll always have to look back on and smile...

Thirty-four down...18 to go...

What: #45 Take a pole-dancing, belly-dancing, or tap-dancing class

When: Oct 10th
Where: Vixen Fitness
Why: As a naturally lazy person, I always have to find new and exciting ways to keep me interested in exercising. Variety helps. A lot. And, while I've gotten back into rollerblading, and continue running (not as often as I should) and climbing (not as often as I want), I still needed something to replace going to the gym. And based on how sore I am, this might be it! I chose this workout idea based on a Groupon; I wasn't intentionally seeking out a new profession or anything like that. And, I went with a friend, which could be awkward in some cases, but I think it made it much easier to act a bit over-the-top in my moves and then turn to laugh about it with someone. The whole idea is a tad ridiculous, so it helps to not take it too seriously, which at times it bordered on that, and it made me a little uncomfortable because it should be FUN. And definitely funny. I mean, no one looks graceful on their first swing around a pole. Trust me. There are enormous mirrors in there confirming what I'm telling you. And the outfit is not sexy; running shorts paired with insane heels...it's a crazy combination. 

Still, my abs, my thighs, and my shoulders are feeling the impact, so it really was a great way to get some exercise. Now, where does one find a pole to keep up with the workouts at home? Any suggestions are welcome!

Thirty-three down..19 to go...

What: #81 Start and maintain a campfire long enough to make s’mores 

Where: The Noel family cottage on the shores of Little Glen Lake
When: October 7th

The fire pit I had my eye on...

Why: As you may have guessed if you've spent any time reading other segments of this blog, I love the outdoors, and camping is a huge part of the way I get back to nature. I grew up camping, have done everything from car camping, tent camping, backpacking, camper camping, camping for one night to camping for more than a week at a time. So, it may come as a shock to know that at no time did I ever build a campfire. Even as a Girl Scout, I'm pretty sure I got put in charge of something else and let a fellow scout build the fire. I'm not sure why this happened, but as the years went on, I developed awesome skills at other aspects of camping (pitching a tent, navigating hiking trails, packing a car/backpack, etc.). So, I felt that I was always missing out and wanted to give fire-building a try. Turns out, it is much harder than I anticipated! I made my first attempt earlier in the summer, but the damp evening conditions, the prior day's rain, and the minimal dry kindling we could find combined to make it a no-go. This time, I had just the right kind of kindling.

It was dry. It was small. It was the perfect combination of lumber chunks and rolled-up magazine pages...I think that's the secret ingredient! 

Also, another bonus was that it was a very windy evening on the lake, as often happens in this part of northern Michigan, and so in addition to great fuel, we had great air flow. I managed to construct the teepee/cabin just as I had seen my friends and family do all these years, and despite a few worries early on that the large logs were not catching on fire, it eventually did get hot enough to do just that, and with just two large logs, it was a perfectly sized fire to make s'mores and keep warm on a brisk fall evening.

Thirty-two down...20 to go...

What: #2 Do that headstand pose from my yoga class

Where: My bedroom and living room
When: September 29
Why: Awhile ago, I was in a yoga class that was a bit more advanced than usual, and one of the poses was the headstand. There were many variations. Some did it slowly and controlled from the tripod pose, others did it as a full hand-stand, and others used the wall to keep their balance. I couldn't do it in any form. At the time, I blamed my wrist for being too weak (it had recently been injured and I was still hesitant to put too much pressure on it), but then I found a video tutorial on YouTube that let me use my forearms, so I tried it today and after letting my body adjust to the idea of being inverted, I was successful at it. Then, to confirm my success, I shared it with a friend via Skype.

The first one I demonstrated was the one on my forearms, but then I tried another one on my hands and head and it actually was easier. It probably looked cooler, too, but we didn't get a picture of that one.