Forty-three done ... 9 to go...

What: #13 Attend a new event at the Washtenaw Farm Council grounds

When: November 30th
Where: Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds
Why: Growing up, it was a big deal to go to the annual fair hosted by my city at the local fairgrounds. So big that we got out of school for the day to enjoy it. And we had a big parade, with tractors, and the high school's marching band. As I got older, I started to work at the fairgrounds, first running the concession stand with my Girl Scout troop during the Gun Shows (yes, I'm serious), and then as an errand girl (unofficial title) during the Antiques Markets. Over the years, I attended other events, but recently I had not been back to the fairgrounds for any of it...not the annual fair itself, nor the antiques shows. I decided I wanted to see what else happened at the fairgrounds that I might not know about, and so I sought out a calendar of events and discovered that a train show was scheduled. 

Growing up, my dad had a model train set. In a box. In the attic. That neither my brother nor I were allowed to touch. Or see. So, to me, there is some mystique surrounding model trains and over the years, I've often been drawn to these miniature sets. Recently, I saw a really incredible set in Chicago. The sets at the show today were not that intricate, but we did get to talk with one of the guys in a local train club and hearing about the detail that goes into creating even a small diorama was really impressive. 

I walked out without purchasing any train sets, but definitely with a deeper appreciation for these collectors and enthusiasts of model trains. 

I think my interest made this guy's whole day...

All Legos! And his shirt...awesome...

Forty-two done ... 10 to go...

What: #72 Mix a real drink for friends

When: November 21st
Where: My own kitchen!

Why: I'm not a hostess. This is just a part of my personality that I accept. I love being with my friends, going out to eat or to events, even hanging out at their place, but it is a rare occurrence for me to invite people over to my place. I'm not sure why this is - there are likely many theories - but I wanted to try to be more open to having people over on different occasions. I started too big trying to host a whole themed party the year I started these lists, and so I've since dialed it back to having close friends over for TV nights once in awhile. Those have all been a success, so I was ready to take the next step and invite friends over for happy hour. It seemed fair that I'd make drinks for them, but I realized that all I basically know how to make are fuzzy navels (my fave!). For this particular happy hour - a prelude event to going to see the newest Hunger Games movie - I tried to find something a little bit more unique. It was an added concern that my one friend is about 6 months pregnant, so it had to have a fair amount of ingredients that would make it delicious even as a virgin-style drink. So, what's a girl to do but JFGI...and when I did, I found an amazing list of drink recipes inspired by the Hunger Games! I took one of them, tweaked it a bit, and headed to the store to gather up the ingredients.

After procuring 100% pure pomegranate juice, Vernors, fresh lemons (all good for my pregnant friend!), and vodka (good for the rest of us!), I then had one last step: making simple syrup. The name is quite accurate, and after looking this up in my friend's car prior to heading to the store, I realized that even I could create simple syrup. After a few samples of my concoction prior to their arrival, I went to work as a bartender in my own kitchen. It must have been a huge success because I finished the night making 7 drinks for the 3 of us! And I'm happy to have leftover fixings to make another one or two for myself this weekend!

Forty-one done ... 11 to go...

What: #62 Use a urinal

When: November 16th
Where: Ohio
Why: Why not?

Ok, I guess there is a better reason. Many years ago, I had to go to the bathroom at an event and, as is usually the case, there was a line of women and a totally empty men's room. So, my friend guarded the door while his wife and I took turns using the empty and totally unisex (minus the sign) bathroom. This happened again at a bar a few years later, this time with my friend guarding the door while we took turns using it, and again, a totally unisex bathroom. Still, I wondered what would happen if one of these times, I was faced with only a urinal. Now, I'm not unfamiliar with crazy toilets. I've used Turkish toilets in many various countries across the world, altho I'll admit that I wasn't expecting my first encounter to be in a train station in Italy. 

Now, I know someone that uses a "pinkie" (her nickname for it) and takes it most places, and it has come in handy on many instances where "Option B" was the only option. Option B, by the way, is a term I picked up from my safari driver in East Africa when I was told that there was no restroom near me and I'd have to step out of the comfort of our rover and use "option B". So, using a urinal is a bit better than fearing for my safety with my pants down around lions and hyenas. 

I did not watch any tutorials or read any how-to guide about this; I figured it was better if it wasn't too premeditated. This wasn't, however, my first attempt. My first try at completing this was at a truck stop. In Kentucky. Need I say more? I couldn't go through with it from sheer stage fright, so I jumped on this next chance at an old train depot in Independence, an aptly-named town for my small step at breaking down a small gender barrier. 

Now, without too much detail (trust me, the less, the better), I'll just say that I didn't do it right, but I was effective. Mission accomplished.

Going in...

Well, this happened...

Forty done ... 12 to go...

What: #30 Stand on the roof of a tall building

When: November 9th
Where: Chicago
Why: Have you seen the show "White Collar" starring Matt Bomer (*swoon*) as a criminal informant? It's one of my favorite shows right now and there are a lot of rooftops used as filming locations, so I think it has made me want to get up on a cool rooftop to see what all the fuss is about from up so high. Having a free evening in Chicago - and hoping to keep it low key because I was pretty exhausted from my previous night of singing, dancing, and clubbing my way through the city - I decided to get up on top of one of the downtown buildings to see what I could see. Heading to the Magnificent Mile, we found a hotel for the night that came with a roof with a view! It wasn't the tallest building in the city, but at 29 floors above the streets, it was tall enough to get the job done!

Only 2 flights up from our room!

So I walked...

View at night...

Rooftop in the morning light

Thirty-nine done ... 13 to go...

What: #55 Make my own ice cream

When: November 8th
Where: Sonia's kitchen
Why: This past New Year's Eve, I was with friends discussing the results of my 2013 list, and doing so over homemade ice cream that my friend Amanda's husband had made from scratch. He said it was pretty do-able (altho, he is a very skilled dessert maker at a much higher level than I'll ever be), and he suggested that I add it to my new list, so I included it and finally got around to checking it off.

Sonia's kitchen has also been the location of a previous cooking venture and so I was familiar with the basic lay-out and materials I'd be using. This time, I had done all of the grocery shopping myself based on an amazing recipe she found for an ice cream flavor that she wanted to make for her husband, Mighel. I was honored - and quite nervous - to be the "chef" (or would it be more like dairymaid?) preparing this dessert for him, and others who were visiting for the evening of watching Michigan football.

The custard part of the ice cream took about 30 minutes to make, then it had to chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, and then Mighel got out their KitchenAid mixer (in an awesome bright orange color!) and the ice cream maker bowl and attachment, and after about 30 more minutes, it was ready to serve. Allison, another Michigan fan/friend, was visiting and brought Nutella-filled cupcakes (as incredibly delicious as they sound!), and those paired extremely well with the ice cream for a wonderful post-game dessert!