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What: #29 Visit Fort Wayne in Detroit

When: July 30th, 2016
Where: Fort Wayne (NOT in Indiana)
Why: Many years ago, I went to Fort Malden, and for one of the first times, I really found myself interested in a historic war. The intriguing part of it was that it was told from the British perspective, rather than the American viewpoint, and that gave me a deeper understanding of the War of 1812 (which, I think before that point, I probably thought had to do with Mexico or something; I'm seriously disinterested in war history, so neglected to ever brush up on it outside of memorizing dates for AP History in high school). Learning about the War of 1812 hit home more than the Civil War - altho I've seen my fair share of those hallowed battlegrounds and memorials and forts in my travels around the country. But this war happened here, and dictated borders I cross and gave rise to the nomenclature of places and roads that I encounter every day.

In 2007, a few years after my visit to Fort Malden, it became more difficult to cross the border to Canada and so for any continued interest in this time period of history, I would have to seek places on this side of the river, and that's when I learned about Fort Wayne. At the time, Fort Wayne was simply a piece of property owned by the City of Detroit as one of its parks, and it had fallen into disrepair. Only recently has it been open to the public for visiting the site, and after visiting dozens of other forts in my time, it was very interesting to see the level of decay and to feel more like it was truly 200 years old without much restoration over much of the property. The use of the fort has changed with the times, and as late as the Vietnam War, it was used for inductions (my uncle was inducted there).

For now, there are efforts being made to restore and preserve the complex of buildings and grounds, hopefully starting with the visitor center!

Visitor Center lobby...yes, it's empty

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What: #75 See the Detroit City FC play a game

When: July 27th, 2016
Where: Keyworth Stadium
Why: In 2014, I was watching the World Cup at a bar in Detroit and a lot of the other patrons were wearing rouge attire. I figured out it was for Detroit City FC, and I've wanted to see a game ever since. Last year, they played at a high school stadium downtown, but this year, they had a home field in Hamtramck, and I managed to make it to their last game of the season. The stands were full of over 6,000 fans to cheer them on against Windsor, and the Supporter side looked like a crazy group to be a part of...tons of chants and songs and noisemakers (remember vuvuzelas?). For less than the price of a movie, this was a really fun way to enjoy an evening supporting a great Detroit team!

The crazy fans released so much of that colored powder...it make for an eerie sight!

 

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What: #14 Go to a national park that I've never visited

When: June 20th-25th, 2016
Where: Yosemite National Park
Why: My childhood was filled with camping and road trips, spending many vacations admiring the beautiful places and spaces that were preserved for us to visit throughout this nation. Moving in to my adult life, I've tried to keep that up, but with so many of my adventures focusing on international travel, I wasn't dedicating enough time to see some of the parks still left to see in the U.S. This summer, I wanted to finally see the iconic Yosemite National Park, so I started planning the trip almost a year ago.

I lived in California for a few years, so did a few of my friends. My family still gets out to national parks every year. Somehow, neither I nor my friends or family had made it to Yosemite. It's not easy to get to...about 5 hours from the nearest major city or airport, and a pricey flight to get out there. Lodging can fill up very fast for the summer, so planning ahead was really key. We wanted to stay in the park at one of the historic hotels, so that limited our options for lodging.

Summertime is beautiful, and crowded. Early mornings, getting out on the trails, and heading along the Tioga Road were perfect ways to escape the traffic and big groups. So, without further ado, here are a few of the pictures that will never do it justice!

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What: #48 Ride a Segway

When: June 19, 2016
Where: San Francisco, CA
Why: For the past few years, Segway tours have popped up in droves among the various tourist cities I've visited and as dorky as they seem in a mall setting, it also seemed like it would be a really fun way to see a city. When a trip to San Francisco was in the works, I decided it was the perfect place to finally do this. As a visitor there many times 15 years ago, I know that the hills there are pretty intense, so now, 15 years older and heavier, I figured that 2-wheeled, motorized transport would be a lot more fun.

The company we chose starts each tour with a lesson, and that is a must. It takes awhile to get the hang of how to balance one's weight on the machine, and how NOT to yank on the handlebars despite that being your natural inclination. The hardest part for me was doing a quick save-the-squirrel stop. This move - very important to master in San Francisco traffic - is done by basically ducking and shoving your rear behind you to send your weight backwards, despite your brain telling you that this will most certainly fling you off the back of the Segway. It doesn't, and after finally getting that move under my belt, we were off to see the sights.

We chose the tour of Chinatown and Little Italy as a way to see some of our favorite locales from a different perspective, and for me to see Chinatown for the first time. I loved learning about Chinatown and seeing it at night, and we saw the lights on the Bay Bridge, and the scenes of Fisherman's Wharf, all while having a blast on the Segway. The tour guide was entertaining, regaling us with tidbits about the history of the city through our headsets as we rolled along the streets and alleys. I would definitely recommend this as a fun way to see a city!

My Segway's name

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What: #70 Try Oil Pulling

When: June 11, 2016
Where: The kitchen
Why: A little over a year ago, I had a friend telling me that she was doing this, and I had so many questions, mainly "What?!" As I heard her say a bit more about it, I was intrigued. About a year ago, I bought a jar of coconut oil to give this a try with some friends during a weekly TV night. At some point, we figured out that we'd have to be totally quiet for 20 minutes while we performed the ritual of oil pulling, so that didn't fit with our plans, which required us to make a lot of comments during the TV show we watched together. So, for many months, that jar sat unopened in the pantry. Until tonight.

For the past week or so, I've had a reminder on my calendar that I keep putting off (not uncommon, unfortunately), and today, I finally decided to just do it. Armed with a 1/2 teaspoon, I started the process. What I know is that it works best with a tablespoon, but there was no way I could put that much gelatinous coconut oil in my mouth. So, I took two scoops with my 1/2 teaspoon and tried not to gag. Seriously, the instant sensation is not pleasant, and for the first few minutes, I almost felt panicked trying not to swallow and to keep swishing and to just chill out. Finally, I settled in to it as it really liquified, and went about doing some laundry to distract myself, which also helped me to slow the swishing and loosen my jaw a bit.

And that's the odd part. It's supposed to be good for people like myself with TMJ and similar jaw problems, but I can't figure that out because my jaw was stiff and sore the entire time. It is also supposed to be good for skin conditions, which is also puzzling, and a variety of dental issues, which makes a lot more sense.

Not quite the full 20 minutes...

Back to the process. I had read that the oil eventually enlarges in your mouth (uhhh...), and it did seem to increase in volume, at which point I started to really get uncomfortable with it and finally spit it out. Into the sink. Which I had read multiple times one should not do because the oil can cause issues in the pipes. Ugh. I was just so ready for it to be done that I got to the nearest drain instead of finding a trash can or plastic bag.

After I rid myself of the oil, I rinsed with warm salt water, then brushed and flossed. I'm sure it's in my head, but my teeth did look whiter! I'm hoping to keep this up for the week and see if I notice any substantial effects.