5 down ...forty-seven to go...

What: # 42 Take a martial arts class

When: January 17th
Where: Quest Martial Arts
Why: At this point, I'm saying "yes" to pretty much any sort of physical activity that's offered. It's all in an effort to keep myself active and find new ways to engage my body and brain in movement. Some things I've tried in the past year have stuck with me (climbing for sure, loved the trapeze, and I'd definitely get on the pole and/or trampoline again!) and others were not my cup of tea (I'm talking to you, fencing). 

One thing that seems to set me up for success is how closely the thing I'm about to do relates to the idea of it in my head. Fencing was not as cool as Catherine Zeta-Jones made it look in "The Mask of Zorro," thus its downfall. The trapeze was even cooler than it seemed in SATC. So, I went to my first class of martial arts armed with my preconceived notions acquired from a certain movie franchise: "The Karate Kid"; but ready for a shock? I'm talking about the remake. Before I go on, I know I'm supposed to have a spot in my heart for the original, but somehow it was not nearly as influential as this particular version. If I hadn't been watching it with friends, I'm certain I would have been off of the couch trying out some moves. Moves that, I'm quickly learning, are way too advanced for me. 

The gi is an outfit that is 

neither sexy nor flattering

I'm about to earn my white belt, which essentially indicates that I'm a pure beginner with no previous experience whatsoever. Notice that I haven't even earned it yet. My first class was filled with lots of new information that I'm still digesting. Philosophies, movements, combinations. I still need to practice my cross punch, lead punch, and stomp kick, which are actually pretty fluid motions to get in the habit of doing, but the "HEY!" I have to yell while doing each throws me off. Luckily, I'm taking the class with a friend, so I get to partner up with her for most of the practice period and that makes it a bit less awkward. What is really awkward is being paired up with one of the little kids who is also a Level 1 student. But kinda fun and adorable, too. :)

My white belt test is coming up next week, and as I practice for it, I realize the thing I'm most nervous about is actually the warm-up portion of class. There is a call-and-response segment (I have no idea what they're saying or when to say it), and last time it was followed by ten rapid crazy push-up/burpee movements that made my shoulders sore for days. Looks like this will be a great way to build up some muscle tone and have a little fun while doing it!

4 down ...forty-eight to go...

What: # 53 Go to an event at Ford Field 

When: January 12th
Where: Ford Field in Detroit
Why: This stadium was built in downtown Detroit to bring the home of the Detroit Lions' football team into the center of the city, rather than their former placement in the far northern suburb of Pontiac. It was exciting to have both teams - Lions and our amazing Tigers - right next to each other on Woodward, near the theaters, new restaurants, and other wonderful by-products of having an injection of people in this area. I've spent many a lovely evening (and some really cold nights and some really hot days) at the baseball stadium - Comerica Park - but have yet to make it to Ford Field. It's partly because professional football holds no appeal for me. I'm a huge college football fan - GO BLUE! - and will cheer until I'm hoarse for my Wolverines, but something about the NFL isn't nearly as exciting. So, going to pay a sum of money to watch the Lions (lose) isn't high on my list, but seeing this cool newer stadium was. Enter the Monster Truck Jam. Now, this first half of my post is written before I've actually gone, but I imagine it will be loud (taking ear plugs), filled with dads and their sons, and lots of awful neon green and mud and dust and terribly tacky screen-printed t-shirts and jackets. Oh, and so much excitement that I find myself jumping up and down squealing like a little girl. I'll finish this post upon my arrival home to see if I'm even close.

11:09pm: I've just returned home from my first and only Monster Truck Jam. I much prefer a good ol' down home demolition derby, which I thought this would be like, but instead, they only drive these behemoths one at a time to tackle obstacles. Altho trust me, the sheer mechanics of these vehicles is awesome. There were definitely moments of me clapping, gasping, and cheering for the drivers, and also laughing at the hilarity of the whole scene, but in general, there was much too much down time. Luckily, there was some decent people watching: lots of dads with kids, an incredibly diverse audience, and a very weird family in the row ahead of us. 
 

My very own neon green earplugs!

 

3 down ...forty-nine to go...

What: # 38 Go to the trampoline gym

When: January 8th
Where: Sky Zone

Why: Always looking for new and fun ways to stay active, this seemed like just the thing. Thanks to Groupon (some of my best ideas are from there), my friends and I found a place nearby that is a huge indoor trampoline gym! It was a random week night, and there were still a lot of people there, both kids and adults. There was even a whole aerobics class that is done on the trampolines, and those women looked worn out by the end of their session. At first, I was barely working up a sweat because I was really nervous about jumping too high because coming back down felt like free-falling from the sky. I'm not being dramatic, it was really a shock to my system! Eventually, after catching glimpses of a 12-year-old who was totally putting us to shame, we started to get a bit more daring. By the end of the evening, I even landed a full front flip! And, the ab workout you get from laughing with childish enthusiasm only adds to the level of exercise, which was actually intense. I think I was out of breath for almost the entire hour, and I was definitely perspiring (girls don't sweat). 

In addition to just jumping, I even tried to slam dunk a basketball (harder than it looks) and took a dive off a trampoline diving board into a huge pit of foam blocks (nearly impossible to get out of alive). My friend Elizabeth proved this when she did an awesome spread eagle jump (see photo) and then almost drown in the foam. It was hilarious/scary at the same time. Mostly hilarious for Sara and I as the observers safely on hard ground. I think my abs are still sore from laughing so hard!

2 down ...fifty to go...

What: # 28 Pop the cork on a bottle of champagne

When: January 5th
Where: Stef's kitchen
Why: There just haven't been many occasions I've been a part of that called for a bottle of champagne; or maybe to clarify, we just didn't ever have one on hand for all the awesome moments. So, I felt that celebrating with a big "POP" of the cork from the bottle was a mark of a really good time. I got my chance as a group of us toasted my friend's birthday. I'll admit that I was quite nervous that I might: break a window, bust a light fixture, hit someone in the eye, give myself a black eye, burst the bottle, and the list goes on. But, I went for it, definitely shrieked a bit when it finally flew off, but had a blast doing it! 

1 down ...fifty-one to go...

What: # 36 Eat at a restaurant I’ve never been to

When: January 5th
Where: Red Rock BBQ
Why: As many of my friends know, I'm a very selective eater, so trying new food (and drink) isn't really that interesting to me, but I've tried to be better about opening up and enjoying the experience of a new atmosphere and every once in awhile, even tasting something I wouldn't normally try. So, while a barbecue joint is not usually my first choice, it was my friend Stef's birthday and her selection, and I was so glad to be a part of the evening as the super awesome "seventh wheel!" Some perks of the place: it was packed, so good people watching; it was warm, which is a big deal in my book; and finally, it smelled good, not overly bbq-ish. If you are in town, try their macaroni and cheese with cornbread - delicious!