Nine done ... 43 to go...

What: #59 Watch turtle racing

When: March 28th
Where: Big Joe's 2 & 6 Pub 
Why: I feel like this isn't the first time that I saw something on "Rob and Big" and decided I wanted to try it. I'm not sure what that says about me, but I'm still comfortable admitting to it. This time, it is turtle racing. I've done horse racing, but that is so obvious; turtle racing has a lot more unknowns to make it thrilling, and has the potential to last a lot longer, too. So, with plans to be in Chicago on a Friday night, watching turtles race became the next item to cross off my list.

When we arrived, we saw a long line of people outside the bar. As we approached the line, a large group of about 8 people left, complaining about waiting too long. It was really cold (this polar vortex is the gift that keeps on giving!), but come on, it's TURTLE RACING. So, we got into the line and soon realized it was a "one out, one in" policy due to a recent visit by the fire marshal. We missed the first two races of the night, but were in well before the third race and had plenty of time to amass some tickets in the hopes of getting to be a part of the race. Having earned our raffle tickets, we made it over to the arena area to get an up close and personal view of the event. 

One thing I learned: drunk people can not read numbers off a raffle ticket. The race organizer had to turn away 3-4 people on every ticket he called because they had their numbers wrong. It was astonishing. Eventually, the 6 racers were chosen, assigned a turtle, and the turtles were set in the center of the arena. The first one out to the red edge wins...here's what happened. 

Starting in the center...

Uhh...those two turtles did not have racing on their minds...

The winner!!!

      

Eight done ... 44 to go...

What: #11 Buy cheese from Morgan & York

When: March 8th
Where: Morgan & York 
Why: For the past few years, I've driven past this store and wondered what was going on in there. There are nearly always a few customers in there receiving personal attention, and the whole store looks quite sophisticated. Wine seems to be the central focus from the store front, and not being much of a wine drinker, it didn't seem that it was a store I'd find much use for in my life. Until, one day, a few months ago, I attended a luncheon that had sandwiches from this store, and the Caprese sandwich was *delicious* and had incredibly tasty cheese on it. So, that moved this item onto my list. 

Entering the store, it is predominantly stocked with wine in the large front room, then as one moves into the sandwich and cheese (and olive oil!) room in the back of the store, the noise level grows and the lighting changes, signifying that things are about to get good! The salesperson behind the counter was so enthusiastic, incredibly helpful, and super patient as we tasted different samples, beginning with a very dry and crumbly cheddar from the UK, then a much softer white cheese with a nutty flavor, and eventually landing on my choice, a Vermont cheddar. This cheese has been a perfect complement with crackers, and I bet it will be great in an omelet one of these mornings!

Seven done ... 45 to go...

What: #7 Go curling

When: March 1st
Where: Kalamazoo Curling Club 
Why: Apparently, every 4 years there is a major upturn in the popularity of curling. This is called the Olympic effect. This year, I missed every minute of coverage of the Sochi Olympics, so I can't blame the Olympics for my desire to curl. Instead, I blame the proximity of my hometown to Canada, and the fact that in my formative years, we often watched the CBC's coverage of sports, and that included curling. The similarity between curling and shuffleboard (altho many others compare it to bocce ball), also captured my attention because I loved playing shuffleboard with my grandparents when I was growing up, and doing it on the ice during the winter seemed like a fun twist. And let's be honest, this winter has been rough, so anything that can be done to have a bit of fun during these long cold months is worth it!

Prior to our time on the ice, we were treated to an introductory video. That was supplemented with some first-hand knowledge passed on to us by a local curler, including the details on the quarry where they cull the 42-pound curling stones. Armed with this new knowledge, we took to the ice to the tunes of bagpipes, ready to give it all a try. 

As beginners, we were given stabilizer bars, much like training wheels, in an effort to support us going down the ice in the lunge position. Once set up in the hack ("starting block"), the other foot is placed onto a Teflon-coated sole to help us better slide down the sheet of ice. Then, in a tripod stance, you launch out of the hack and then turn the handle ever-so-slightly as you let go of the stone. This all seems ridiculously easy, but it was insanely difficult. To be honest, I had the balance to get down the ice without falling, which wasn't the case for many others, but then I got cocky and tried to do it as the pros do; using only the "broom" instead of the stabilizer bar, and this was the result. 

After getting over my wounded pride, I went back to using the stabilizer bar and improved my skills. It was hard to get the stones down to the house (the target at the end of the sheet) without pushing them off as you release, which are you NOT supposed to do. The whole movement takes a lot of finesse, and then the sweepers get involved. That was a hot and stressful part of curling, everyone awkwardly yelling "Sweep! Faster! HARDER!", but as the Skip for my team, I was excluded from it after the practice round, and instead I was calling the shots for my team and devising our winning (aka losing) strategy. It all ended well; as the losers, we earned drinks from the winners, so we headed off to Bell's Brewery to "stack the brooms" and enjoy the rest of our night!

Good form!

Action shot!

Six done ... 46 to go...

What: #17 Check off a country I’ve never visited

When: February 17th
Where: St. Kitts
Why: To say I have the travel bug is an understatement. Thus, I don't really need the extra encouragement that is provided by this list to motivate me to get to new countries, but it helps me feel like I'm accomplishing something. My most recent adventure took my total up to 18 countries that I have had the enjoyment of visiting, this time finding new nations in the West Indies that I had previously not visited, the first of three being "The Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis", also known as St. Kitts & Nevis. My time there was spent on the isle of St. Kitts. Our guide took us through the main areas that were once sugar plantations, including Romney Manor which is now a very lovely botanical garden. On the site, there is also a batik workshop selling beautiful pieces in vibrant colors. Another destination on the island was the Brimstone Hill Fortress with amazing views across the sea to other islands dotting the horizon. 

Five done ... 47 to go...

What: #18 Go to a new national park

When: February 16th
Where: St. Croix, USVI
Why: Last summer, I finally purchased my very own National Parks pass. I love our parks! I grew up hiking and camping and visiting many across the country and admiring the vistas and the architecture (like Colter's Watchtower at the Grand Canyon and Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone) and the people like John Muir who protected these lands for generations to come. It's a yearly goal to go to at least one new-to-me national park each year, in addition to frequently revisiting my favorites like the Great Smoky Mountains. This year, I made my first visit to a very unique park: Buck Island Reef National Monument. Most of this park is underwater, surrounding Buck Island up to three miles in every direction in the waters off St. Croix. It was set aside to protect the elkhorn coral reef that grows here, and if memory serves, it was President Kennedy who proclaimed it a national monument, part of the national park system. There is an underwater "trail" to follow through the reef with information posted about the various formations and fish species, so donning my snorkel mask and fins, I embarked on a fun day in the sea and explored yet another great place protected by the National Park System!