Eleven done ... 41 to go...

What: #39 Visit with a Facebook friend I haven't seen in real life in over 3 years

When: April 8th
Where: Washington, D.C.
Why: The first year I put together this project of doing new things, I included this one as an item because I try to use Facebook for good, not evil. By this I mean that I try to use it to keep in touch with important people in my life, to spread joy instead of cynicism, to post interesting and smile-inducing articles or updates, to celebrate the successes of those with whom I'm connected (instead of stalking those with whom I am no longer connected). All of this hopefully helps me to keep up with people that otherwise would be a part of a past moment of time. I'm not saying I always succeed at this goal, but I do try to use Facebook as a vehicle for meeting up with friends who are truly friends, but from whom I've been separated by either time or distance and sometimes by both. Initially, I had intended to visit my friend Star at the cute country inn where she and her husband worked in middle Virginia, but circumstances aligned and allowed for us to have a day together during my visit to DC. We met up at a great tapas restaurant for lunch, together with her two daughters, reminiscing on past times and sharing news of our lives now. We discussed plans for our futures, business ideas and travel destinations, and shared news of friends we'd lost touch with over the years. The day was warm and sunny (and a bit breezy), so we strolled around the tidal basin to see the monuments and people watch along the way. We were joined by her husband, Neal, who recommended a great place for dinner near where I was staying in Alexandria, so we all went out to eat together, talk more about our dreams for the future, and cap off a really great day with delicious food, wonderful conversation, and a renewed friendship. Thanks, Facebook! 

Ten done ... 42 to go...

What: #32 Read a novel I haven’t read from Modern Library’s list of 100 Best

When: April 3rd
Where: Various furniture in my living room

Why: A few years ago, I was in a short-lived book club, but I really liked the idea of having someone to engage with during the experience of reading the story. Also, I love to read new stories, but often am not sure of good books that will capture my attention, so having a list telling me some of the best books made my choices a bit easier. Last year, the book I chose was recommended by Steph, and she and I created our own virtual book club to share thoughts and questions while we read. This year, we did the same thing for E.M. Forster's book A Room With A View. I selected the book this time, reading a synopsis about it and feeling that the combination of travel and romance was right up my alley. Sadly, the book is written by a man who has no idea how to write about things that a woman wants to read about when she is lured into a book by travel and romance. This brief clip of the movie version pretty much gives a picture of how absurd the telling of the story is; and how confusing and disjointed it is in the telling of it. Still, the general storyline was pretty interesting once you are removed the nauseous way he wrote it. And the commentary on the times is fascinating, especially all the societal rules everyone had to follow. However, if you are looking for a good story about good relationships in ye olde times, I'd recommend anything by Jane Austen!

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!