37 down ... fifteen to go...

What: #93 Shop with the assistance of a personal shopper 

When: November 10th
Where: Somerset Collection

Better than trick-or-treating!

Why: Shopping is not my favorite thing. It is the combination of the effort involved in sorting through racks and racks of articles of clothing along with the actual high price of fashion. I tend to stick with a couple stores where I can walk in and pick out essential pieces. This, however, lends itself to creating a wardrobe of predictable attire, and at this point in my life, I'd like to be a little less predictable. When I spoke with the personal shopper at Nordstrom to set up this appointment, she asked basic questions: shirt and pant size, color preferences, general style, reason for wanting to update my wardrobe, etc. If any of you have spoken to me on the phone, as this individual did, would you peg me to be an 80-year-old woman who craves to dress just like any member of the Golden Girls clan? Well, this is apparently the vibe I put out in my description of my dream clothes. I'm not uber-trendy, but I keep up with my Glamour magazines and watch TV shows from this decade and so I'm quite certain I knew what style I was describing, and yet, there I was, faced with a room filled with Bea Arthur's wardrobe. 

Definitely a "don't" in my book!

Weirder yet, even after the shopping assistant met me and saw how these clothes looked on me, she continued to bring me more of the same! Eventually, we both had to get a little more direct in our requests ("less long weird sweater tunics, please" and "more things with coral colors, less things with accessories sewn onto them"). The whole process started to click and we worked up a sweat trying on these new clothes! Then the reality set in and we had to start asking how much something was before putting it on, because believe me, you do not want to find out the best pair of boots that you've ever put on in your life costs $1,000. Luckily, she was pretty good about sticking to the price point she was given for articles of clothing, even boots. Still, there was some rationalizing to be done before making the final purchase. We looked at individual pieces and said things like "If I keep this for 5 years and wear it once a week, that's only like $1 each time!" or "Well, I could have spent this on a plane ticket and have nothing to show for it; this I'll get to wear as long as I want!" or my favorite "If I clean off my bookshelves and sell 100 books on Amazon, it'll definitely pay for this!" Despite our reservations about the sums of money we spent, our personal shopping assistant informed us that most customers spend an average of $2,500 up to $20,000 on a typical spending spree. Jaws dropped. I assure you, neither of us spent that much, not even combined, but we'll still look like a million bucks!

36 down ... sixteen to go...

What: #27 Go to a chiropractor

When: November 5th
Where: Restorative Wellness Center

Why: I've seen people in back pain. It is not a pleasant sight. I've worked really hard to keep my core muscles strong enough that I can avoid injuries despite my variety of activities (yoga, climbing, and general horseplay) that require use of my back. Months ago, however, I started to notice a feeling in the middle of my back, like I wanted to crack my knuckles, but instead of my knuckles, it was my spine. I figured that couldn't be a really good sign, and when I saw an opportunity to have my "imbalance" corrected (did NOT love being told how imbalanced I was, for the record), I took it. This is basically how it went...check out the video at 40 seconds. As with many things, I started off pretty skeptical about the possible results, but actually, my neck felt better than I realized it could, and the turning radius of my head increased. I didn't even know that I was hindered in that department!! Anyhow, I still might stick with massage as my main back treatment method, but now I know what to expect if I find myself in need of a chiropractor again in the future!

35 down ... seventeen to go...

What: #100 Go inside of a B-17 Bomber

When: October 26th
Where: Willow Run Hangar 1
Why: The history in this area of Michigan is really interesting, and mostly automotive, but a piece of WWII history took place in the Willow Run bomber plant. The Yankee Air Museum maintains a collection from this time period, and one of the planes in the collection is a B-17 bomber. They keep it in condition to still fly it, which is quite an impressive sight in the skies. I had the opportunity to see it and be inside...it was amazing!

34 down ... eighteen to go...

What: #98 Play bocce ball

When: October 19th
Where: Mackinac Island
Why: I grew up playing a lot of games, typically traditional board games and card games and doing puzzles and lawn games (badminton, Frisbee, croquet, etc.). I've had the opportunity to try feather-bowling, and bocce ball looked quite similar. When the chance arose to play it on the lawn of the Grand Hotel, I jumped at it. It was a wet afternoon, so I think that my technique lacked a bit because I was wearing damp gloves trying to keep my hands warm and dry, but overall, I did well enough to elicit some cheers from the passersby strolling the grounds!

33 down ... nineteen to go...

What: #99 See Lynyrd Skynyrd sing "Sweet Home Alabama"

When: October 13th
Where: Maryville, TN
Why: Somewhere along the way, I tapped into my hillbilly side. I listen to country music, love the sound of crickets, find cornfields to be beautiful, choose to drive down dirt roads, and so forth. When I heard about the Foothills Fall Festival, I was convinced it was an event I'd want to attend, especially when I heard about the musical acts: Blues Traveler, Rascal Flatts, and Lynryd Skynyrd! One of my favorite songs to blast with my windows down on a dusty road during a summer evening is "Sweet Home Alabama." So, given the chance to see them - and spend time in a lovely part of Tennessee - was an easy choice to make.