30 Before 30: Item 14, Part 1

I've seen a few "Classic" films in my day. Grew up watching Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Ben Hur and The Quiet Man to name a few. Of course I've seen a lot of the 80's classics like Sixteen Candles, Can't Buy Me Love, Christmas Vacation (best movie ever!), and Back to the Future. 

However, aside from Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany's and a handful Christmas movies (White Christmas, Holiday Inn, etc), I haven't seen many of the real old "Classiscs." I'm talking Jimmy Stewart, James Dean, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Audrey Hepburn super-movies that have shaped the cinematic world we live in today. And so, with quite a long introduction, I added Watch 5 "Classic" Movies to my 30 Before 30 list as Item 14.

The first film on the line-up was the James Dean & Natalie Wood classic, Rebel Without a Cause. I immediately fell in love with the movie during the opening credits when a drunken James Dean lied on the ground to play with one of those cymbal-banging monkey toys. And my heart swelled even further when he looked at the camera with those crystal blue, twinkling eyes that held the oh-so-heavy weight of teenage angst. 

Telling the story of 17-year old misfit, Jim Stark, who is looking for a new start in a new town, Rebel Without A Cause depicts him finding the right girl, Judy, who naturally runs with the wrong crowd and the resulting action-packed battle. Filmed in 1955, I've read that the movie was meant to capture the moral decline of American teenagers and the generational gab between them and their parents....it apparently caused quite a stir for the time. For me, the 1 hour and 51 minutes flew by as I ached for Jim while he overcame his home, school and emotional problems. In addition, thanks to digital remastering, I truly could not believe I was watching a movie that was 55 years old.

I'm a sucker for romantic movies (what girl doesn't love a good ro-co?) and the movie followed the typical love storyline of significant/traumatic event, silly behavior, the first kiss (usually in a unique setting) and the moment the characters realize they've fallen in love. And, as classic movies often do, it left a few loose ends dangling that we can just assume worked themselves out. 

Overall, in my non-professional, totally girly, and now James Dean-obsessed opinion, the movie was amazing! I recommend watching it to anyone who hasn't see it yet (even the spouse really liked it!) and let me know what you think as soon as you see it.

I'm excited to see the next classic film on my list....Some Like It Hot.

30 Before 30: Item 25, Part 1

When I was 19, I walked myself from White Hall down to the Union at the University of Wyoming and signed up to donate at the fall blood drive. I answered all the questions, signed off on a few documents and plopped down in the reclined chair, ready to give. After twenty minutes or so of prodding, stabbing and pushing both of my arms, the nurse gave up and told me my veins were simply too small to give. Bruised (emotionally and physically), I left disgruntled and haven’t set foot near a blood drive or bank since.

Over the years, the painful memory from that day has subsided. I've told myself that the experience was likely a fluke and I certainly could donate blood. Small veins, large veins, they must have seen them all. So, Item 25 was added to the list: Give Blood.

Last Tuesday, I woke up to a sunny and lovely day in Fort Collins, CO. I dressed myself for the warm weather and set my sights on crossing an item off my List. I called the Poudre Valley Hospital and inquired about blood donation times, locations, etc. No appointment necessary and a whole lunch hour to kill, I decided that day was the day I'd try to donate again.

Upon arriving, I explained my desire to donate and got to work answering questions about recent trips and all sorts of other things. A nice lady pricked my finger and determined I was not anemic. Good to know. She set me up in a teal recliner, explained the process (that I had planned to document here but have since decided is really quite dull) and cleaned my arm for the inevitable poke.

Well, she poked me. And then poked me again, and moved the needle (by the way, those things are ENORMOUS) and poked and moved again. Looking a bit disheartened, she called over the pro-phlebotomist, let's call him Joe, for assistance. He took at look at my untapped vein while pushing on my arm and telling me to squeeze the stress ball they'd provided.

Up until now, I had been pretty quiet about the pain I was feeling because I thought I was being a sissy. I concentrated on keeping my aching howls between my pursed lips as he determined that the left arm was not going work. I breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled the giant piece of pointy metal out of my arm, only to gasp the breath back in when he said, "Well, lets try the other side."

At this time, I felt compelled to tell him about my previous encounter with blood bank personnel and my very tiny veins (which I think made him nervous). He studied my right arm for several minutes and stated that a smaller needle would be most appropriate (huh, really??). Once again, they cleaned, provided me with a stress ball and started stabbing away.

Suddenly....success! I started flowin' into the plastic apparatus they'd strung up below me and all seemed to be in working order! I cheered! Joe cheered! The lady who stabbed my left arm cheered and some folks who were observing that day commented on the overall enthusiasm for blood donation in Fort Collins.

About a minute of excitement passed when suddenly my well went dry. Uh, oh. Joe started prodding and poking again, shooting pangs of determination into my arm. Sure enough, I started to get light-headed and for seemingly no reason at all, I became very aware of the inappropriate height of my stilettos for 1:30 in the afternoon.

As I contemplated passing out and proper blood donation footwear, Joe continuously moved his torture device asking if "that" or "this" felt any better. Giving up completely on my tough-guy attitude, I always answered, "Um, NO!"

Finally, after what seemed like ages, four minutes went by and it was decided that my rate of blood flow was not going to be a sufficient amount for the twenty minute window of donation time. They removed the smaller, yet still vicious, needle from my right arm and told me I could come back in two months if I wanted to try again.

What? You think I'm going to try again?? I sat there covered in cold sweats staring at the man who'd just bandaged up my non-flowing veins in bright purple and green tape. He looked at me with utmost confidence proclaiming he could definitely get the other arm next time. I looked down at both of my bandaged appendages thinking, how many arms does he think I have?

He then brought me juice and a cookie, which naturally put him back on my good side. Once the sweating, lightheadedness and nausea finally passed, I looked from my bruised arms to my ego-bruised phlebotomist and, while munching on my chocolate chip cookie, promised to give it one more try. I know it's not thier fault that I wasn't able to donate so I've decided to give it another shot since the office was full of really nice people.

So, lucky blog readers, you'll once again get to read about blood and almost fainting shortly after October 5. I've gone ahead and crossed Item 25: Give Blood off the list because, darn it, I gave it a good try and faced my fear. Hopefully, I'll be able to muscle up enough mojo to fill that torturous little bag that will potentially save someone's life one day.

If you are interested in donating blood (since I made it sound so appealing), PLEASE DONATE! There is a blood shortage and donations are very important! Check out the links below to find a blood bank in your area!!

United Blood Services

Red Cross

Pandas & Prop 8

I was recently told that I am better at writing than I am at speaking. Hmmmm…..I was initially insulted, but it only took a moment for me to absorb the backhanded compliment and reluctantly agree.

I’ve determined that the reason that the statement is true is because in writing I can always rewrite, edit, crumple up the page and start over. It’s easy to write exactly what I want because I can revise it countless times to ensure it’s perfect (or as perfect as I can make it).

However, when speaking, as soon as the words are out of my mouth, it’s over. My foot has been inserted where the word-vomit spewed out and I can’t revise it and I can’t delete it.

At first, I was disheartened by this as I compared my poor speaking skills to life. It made me think that the bad decisions and mistakes I’d blurted out over the past 29 years would forever be captured in my life’s story with no way to retract them.

Then California & I had a great week…..

Back in June, I went to San Diego for the first time ever. Delighted to visit the city with “perfect weather” and an incredible downtown, I couldn’t wait to get there (even for a work trip) to see the beautiful blue ocean and take in the California sun. Unfortunately, the trip was anything but good. Bad weather, ruined plans and work-stress added up to a negative experience and poor review of southern CA.

Due to a series of events, I was given the opportunity to visit San Diego again this week. With my expectations low, I flew from my Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean hoping to have at least a slightly better experience.

Upon arriving in CA, I was ecstatic to feel the warm sun and see it bouncing off the blue harbor waters, a HUGE improvement over the gray sky and matching ocean from my previous trip. I checked into my hotel and quickly went to work on our tradeshow booth (the purpose for the excursion). I finished my work in record time and found myself with 2.5 hours of free time to spare. It only took a few seconds for me to decide what to do….and I made a beeline for the Panda Line at the San Diego Zoo.

After a surprisingly short wait in the famously long line, I stepped into the Panda’s lair with gleeful anticipation. Upon seeing the black and white bamboo-eating giants just beyond the railing, I was instantly overtaken with a peaceful calm and overwhelming gratitude. Quiet and elated, I watched three of the majestic creatures nibble on trees and bask in the sun. I snapped picture after picture of the beautiful bears so very thankful for their existence, my own existence and the experience to witness the incredible artistic hand of nature.

Very high on life, and with time left before I had to get back to work, I was able to take in the rest of the incredible zoo (at a pretty quick pace…that place is HUGE!) and see the big cats, elephants, giraffes, polar bears, silly monkeys and adorable koalas that our amazing planet has provided.

In addition to the Zoo, San Diego included drinks with a rugby friend I hadn’t seen in seven years, sun-filled runs along the harbor and even a really good work experience.

I left CA with positive memories and a new appreciation of San Diego, replacing all the negative emotions and sub-par reviews I’d previously given the city. I arrived back in CO just in time to learn of something else that California had done this week – Overturning Prop 8.

The initial passing of Proposition 8, in my mind, was a black mark on American history and an unconstitutional neglect of equal rights for all. On Wednesday, August 4^th, the ruling was finally overturned. My favorite excerpt from one of the many articles written on the monumental event is “eliminating gender and race restrictions in marriage has not deprived the institution of marriage of its vitality,” with which I whole-heartedly agree.

So, what do visiting Pandas and Proposition 8 have to do with each other?

They’ve taught me that wrongful decisions can be overturned and disappointing adventures can be revisited. That being said, can’t inappropriate actions be apologized for (and forgotten)? And although bad choices can’t be unmade, they can allow us to revise the way we make the next choice. All of this has led me to the conclusion that that life is exactly like writing.

Sure, what has been done will always be stuck in the first draft, but its only a first draft. The final copy can be edited along the way, characters can change, old chapters can be revised and rewritten, current pages can be pulled out, crumpled up, and thrown away to clear the way for clean sheets of opportunity.

I embrace the compliment that I’m better at writing than I am at speaking. Rather than thinking of life as a one-time shot of blurting out the right thing, I apply the “draft, revise, draft, revise” approach, composing a story that can only end as perfect as I can make it.

30 Before 30: Item 11

Since 2004, I've lived in the fabulous city of Fort Collins (recently ranked No. 6 on the "Top 100 Places to Live" list in Money magazine). In all that time, I've never once gone tubing, rafting or floating down the Poudre River, which is literally 20 minutes away. Every summer that has passed, I've looked back regretfully on yet another missed opportunity to whitewater raft or kayak down the clear, cool waters of the Poudre Canyon. Determined to enjoy this favorite local pastime, I was certain to add Item 11: Ride the Poudre in a Sea-Bearing Vessel to my list.

Early in the morning on the 5th of July, my spouse and I awoke to perfectly blue Colorado skies excited for our long-awaited Cache la Poudre adventure: Whitewater Rafting! Booked through Mountain Whitewater Descents, we drove to the base of the Poudre Canyon on the north end of Fort Collins and checked in for our morning "plunge".  

I apologize for the poor quality of the photos in this post, darn underwater cameras.....

We started off the trip with a short informational session; a rafting guide disclosed to us the many dangers of whitewater rafting as well as situations to avoid (i.e. falling out). We were then given helmets, life vests and splash jackets (the lovely blue number I'm wearing below) and directed to our transportation. Packed with all the necessary life-saving gear and instructions, we crammed into a school bus full of family vacationers, a whole team of softball-playing teenage girls, and adventurous couples....just like us!

Taking note of the guide's stories of potential river injuries and mishaps, I have to admit I was a little nervous as I slid into my seat and hooked my foot under the single strip of plastic that would supposedly keep in me the boat if we hit.....er, when....we hit a rock. Thankfully, my nervous energy quickly faded as I took in the breath-taking beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park and we pushed off the riverbank to start our 12-mile watercourse. 

Bryan, our red-eyed, unshaven guide, had a surprisingly cheery disposition and excited us all with detailed accounts of what to expect from the Class II, III and IV rapids we would encounter on our adventure. He named each of the most tumultuous rapids, explaining the rock locations and water depth, while preparing us to be launched from our seats and thrown into the water at any moment! Promising to not have any "swimmers" on his ship, he let our excitement takeover and the whole boat of passengers rowed eagerly towards the white waves ahead.

We hit the Class II and III rapids first (the easier rapids....thank goodness) shrieking as the cold water plunged over us and laughing as we bumped and splashed our way down the mountainside. While cascading between rocks and over whitewater currents, our hilarious guide regaled us with stories of previous rafting trips, random skiing adventures and his favorite, local hippie-hangouts. 

After a short time of the "easy" stuff, we began to hit the Class IV rapids with exciting dips, drops and plunges into layers of crisp, Colorado runoff. Adrenaline pumping, fear tickling the back of our necks and smiles shining, we went up and down the rocky, white peaks of waves screaming with delight and clinging to the raft as Bryan instructed us to row and to hang on!! 

True to his word, Bryan's boat was successful in keeping all passengers on board (thanks to John's one-handed catch of an 11-year old who flew out of her seat). The boats around us.....not so lucky.....

Between exciting moments of thrashing waves and avoiding rock collisions, we had a fair amount of welcome down time to catch our breath and soak up the sun. On the break pictured below, we had a good laugh at the rafters who had to abandon ship onto the rocks as their guide attempted to get their beached boat back in the water.

Overall, I give Mountain Whitewater Descents an A++ with an extra special thanks to our guide, Bryan. We had an absolute blast whitewater rafting and can't hardly believe we've lived so close to such fun for six years and hadn't tried it before now. It will definitely be on the summer activity list going forward. Just look at these happy customers :)

I Can't Cook But Even I Can Make: 'Smores Bites

My favorite four-year old is turning FIVE this week and to celebrate his birthday, his mom and dad threw a camping-themed bash last Saturday afternoon. Burgers on the grill, tents, sparklers, a fire pit and Boone's Farm (for the adults only, of course) transformed their backyard into the quintessential campsite; complete with 'Smores-Making Kits as party favors.  

Inspired by the party theme, I thought up a special treat for the birthday boy and party-goers that I've dubbed 'Smores Bites. 

As described in my previous cooking posts Here and Here, I'm not exactly skilled in the kitchen. However, these little treats are easy, easy, easy. If I can make them, you can too. Extra Bonus for those of you intimated by the knobs on the oven: The only cooking required is pressing buttons on the microwave! 

You Need:

• Melting Milk Chocolates or Milk Chocoloate Chips
• One Bag of Large Marshmallows
• Graham Crackers
• Toothpicks 

And Action:

Pour the melting chocolates or chips into a shallow bowl. Heat in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring the chocolate in between heating until melted and creamy.

Put 3-4 graham crackers in a plastic, ziploc bag and crush into crumbs until they are nearly dust. Pour them out on to large plate and spread evenly.

Poke a marshmallow with a toothpick on its flat side. Roll it in the melted chocolate, coating the entire rounded portion. Then roll the chocolate-dipped 'mallow in the graham cracker crumbs until covered.

Plate on its flat side and let sit for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate starts to harden. Serve & try not to eat the whole plate yourself.

If the summer plans don't include bonfires or marshmallow sticks, you can replace the classic campground treat with these little bites and the only thing they'll leave you craving is....well.....s'more :)

30 Before 30: Item 9

Item 9: Try Pilates. Not the most ambitious of goals, but hey, I've always wanted to try it and thought putting it on the List was a good way to get it done. 

A self-proclaimed "cardio junkie", I just don't feel like I get in a good workout if I don't go running (or swimming or biking). So, much like in my first post on yoga, I went into Pilates a bit skeptical about the intensity level......and got in a 3-mile run at lunch, just in case.

On Wednesday evening at 5:30pm, still flying high from the miraculous US win over Algeria to advance in the World Cup, I took myself over the 24 Hour fitness to take my first Pilates class. As always at 24 Hour Fitness, I was greeted by a friendly receptionist. I trotted over to the group exercise room, picked a good spot on the floor and spread out my trusty yoga matt. 

In hopes to capture pictures of me in some kind of bendy-flex move, I shared my blogging adventure with the instructor so she could snap a few shots while I was mid-workout. Excited to be a part of something posted publicly (hahahaha....public...as if people read this), she eagerly agreed and thanked me for selecting her class. That's her, below.

The class started out, as expected, with deep breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth, raise the chest, suck in the tummy, etc, etc. Feeling very relaxed (and glad I'd already run that day), we moved into abs....where the relaxation quickly melted into agonizing pain.

After what seemed like hours of shaking, sweating and an overwhelming certainty that I was going to tear a stomach muscle, we finally took our first break. I relished in the sweet, stretchy release of Child's Pose, glancing quickly at the clock to verify that we were at least half-way through the class (if it wasn't already over).

With pure shock, I took in the time: 5:42pm. Slowly, I realized that I had only been in the 60-minute session for 12 minutes. I stared with disbelief at the red digital numbers wondering if perhaps I could have participated in an earlier class and not realized it? Did we start early? Maybe it was day-light savings this week? Stunned by the undeniably tough workout I'd endured for a mere 12 minutes, I suddenly felt as though I may not be able to finish the class.

Determined to succeed in my goal, I took a deep breath. Well, I took several deep breaths, focused on the instructor, picked up the hand weights, and pressed on into the arm routine. 

Surprisingly, the intensity level slipped back into neutral! We used the small weights to do several arm exercises, moved on to our stomachs to work the back, and got in a bit of a leg workout. The rest of the class included great strengthening poses, fantastic stretching techniques and a few challenging planks. When remaining 48 minutes came to an end, I honestly found myself ready for more!

Overall, I'd give Pilates at B -. The core workout is nothing to scoff at, in fact, it was possibly one of the better ab workouts I've done. Next-day soreness wasn't nearly as horrific as I expected, and being a masochist of sorts, I'm a little disappointed to not be cringing in pain every time I laugh or sneeze.  Pilates surely has its advantages and I'll definitely integrate the ab-work into my regular exercise plan, but overall I think I'll stick to yoga and running for now. 

If the ab-wrecker story inspired the masochist in you to give Pilates a try or if you're looking for the lower intensity, sculpting workout that we did for most of the class, I found a few videos that are fairly short and intro you to the basic Pilates moves. Check 'em out: Abs, Legs/Butt, Overall Sculpting

30 Before 30: Status Update

In efforts to achieve Item 22 (Stop being a Procrastinator), I've been working on a few tasks for the 30 Before 30 list this week. The most important one was to purchase the plant that I plan to keep alive for 6 months (Item 2) because June 9 was exactly 6 months before my 30th birthday (I guess I'm not doing too good on Item 22 just yet).

So Wednesday was June 9th, which I found it to be a particularly good day overall. After a visit to Sprouts to get some veggies and fruit, I drove over to Lowe's and found my way through grills, tools and paint to the Indoor Plant section. My attention quickly turned to several little plants in pink and white pots labeled "Exotic Angel Plants." I started looking at all the different types of green, leafy seedlings when my eyes came to rest upon one with dark, waxy leaves. Intrigued, I read the little shrub's tag and gasped as I took in the title, "Coffee Plant." A coffee plant! It had never even occurred to me that I could have my very own plant capable of producing the sweet, sweet nectar of coffee beans. I couldn't think of a better plant for me, a true coffee connoisseur.

Thrilled with my little shoot, I texted my sister a rambling message about coffee and shrubbery and beamed all the way to the check out stand. Just to be on the safe side, since my history with house plants is littered with hundreds of dried-up, brown sticks shooting out of ceramic pots, I also grabbed a small bamboo because I hear they're hard to kill (although I have successfully murdered a bamboo in my dark days as a greenery serial killer). Plus, now I have one in my home office and one at my regular office.

A few other items I've been slowly working on include printing off and filling out my registration form for the Boulder Backroads Marathon on September 19th (Item 1)! I'm six chapters in to Catch 22, my first of 5 "Classic" novels (Item 4) and I'm 37 pages into the Bible (Item 19)....that is a looooong book. A couple weeks ago I signed up on the wait list for a Self-Defense class (Item 18) and I made arrangements with my friend Amy to learn to knit (Item 16)....pics of handmade washcloths coming soon.

Introducing: The Kilted Pig!

In honor of my wedding anniversary, I dedicate this blog post to my hubby and personal chef of 4 years and best friend of the last 10 years. Love you, Breezy! 

On Sunday, we hosted a backyard Memorial Day BBQ to kick off summer and introduce John's latest cooking endeavor, competition BBQ. We invited as many friends as our house can hold, unveiled John's steel-baby and announced his BBQ competition team name, The Kilted Pig! 

For the last two weeks, my spouse has been welding, cutting and slaving away into the wee hours of the night, building the structure you see below. One engineer, 700 pounds of steel, countless hours of grinding and careful measurements resulted in a monster of a smoker that produces the best BBQ I've ever had!    

John's first practice run with the new smoker and competition quality 'Q was a HUGE success!! Starting at 11pm the night before our bash, he put on an 18-pound brisket while we toasted to his efforts and successful build. Throughout the night and early hours of the morning he tended to it carefully, watching the temperature and adding charcoal. 

Sunday morning, he added the pork shoulder, ribs, chicken and fatty. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term "fatty" as a reference to some kind of food (rather than what you become after eating it), a "fatty" is a pork tenderloin and peppers rolled up in ground sausage and then wrapped in bacon. The partial-vegetarian in me shutters at the thought, but I've heard its the very best thing a carnivore can put in their mouth.

By Sunday evening, you could smell the deliciousness of spices and hickory from blocks away (per our hungry neighbors). We and 35 of our closest friends enjoyed John's home-made sauces; one sweet, one spicy and one just a bit vinegar-y (my fav) and the assortment of finger-lickin' fare while toasting spritzers and home-brew. Everyone raved about every last bite, but I think the brisket was the winner of the day.

Thanks to everyone who came to our BBQ and chipped in for John's competition banner! A special thanks to John for his motivation and awesome cookin' skills! And thank you in advance to everyone who will support us July 17 in Laramie, WY! I'll post pics of the sanded, painted and named smoker soon and follow up with details on the competition in July!!! 

30 Before 30: Items 20 & 28

I've crossed two items off the list! Honestly, I knew I'd be going on vacation when I made the list, so it was a little like cheating, but only a little.

Item #20 - Take a Cheesy, Kissing Photo on the Beach with my Spouse!

Despite his reluctance to pucker up to me on camera, I managed to grab my hubby for a smooch on the beach in Cozumel! If you go to Cozumel, I have a recommendation. DO NOT hang out on the western side where the cruise ships dock! Go directly to Mezcalito's on the eastern side of the island, and if you never leave, I'll completely understand. The eastern side is a beautiful stretch of rocky beaches with ultra-low-key bars scattered every mile or so down the shore. The best way to visit this side of the island is find a cab-driver and negotiate a 3 or 4-hour rate to have him drive you around all afternoon. We had a blast bar-hopping, taking gorgeous pictures and enjoying the unbelievable ocean as it stretches out over the horizon to, well, Cuba. It goes to Cuba, but you can't see it. Watching the teal waves crash on the tan surf, feeling the light breeze blowing through the green palm trees and tanning in the golden sun as you relax in a hammock will result in one of the best days you'll ever have (at least I can say it was one of the best days I've ever had).  

Item #28 - Go Deep Sea Fishing!

Except for the Dramamine overdose which resulted in me sleeping most of the 4-hour tour, I loved Deep Sea Fishing. 

We left for our journey from Puerto Aventuras at about 9:30am, excited to catch loads of fish, drink some Sol and enjoy sailing on the open sea. We rolled over the waves under the hazy blue sky, chatting about buying a restaurant in Playa (dream job!) while waiting for a bite. And we waited and waited and......fishing takes a lot of patience. (BTW, I'm the one on the right in the photo.....he he he).

About 30 minutes in, something happened! We all jumped up and watched as our friend Vierk reeled in a fish. He was fighting and pulling and out popped.....a mackeral. Holy Mackeral! Horray for a fish! I couldn't wait for my turn to attempt the exhilarating experience of reeling in my very own sea-creature. Unfortunately, I was 4th in the line up......so we had a lot of fish to catch. 

Three hours, several Sol and quite a few naps later, we finally hooked our second fish! This time Larson fought the strong swimmer all the way in! Turns out he got a Wahoo...which we promptly ate at Gringo Dave's for lunch. Wahoo = Yum! Only two fish, but a lot of fun memories and some great naps made for a very fun and memorable day on our vacation! I'd recommend deep sea fishing to anyone who can remember to buy non-drowsy Dramamine and likes floating on the ocean while drinking cerveza's.......come on, who doesn't like that. :) 

The 30 Before 30 List

Well, here it is....the 30 things I'd like to accomplish in the next 7 months. Some of it is semi-serious (really do need open an IRA, the 401k isn't cuttin' it)....some of it is silly (I've always wanted to sing karaoke solo but knew I wasn't drunk enough) and some of it is terrifying (uh...sky-diving).

Many thanks to my friends Kelly and Jesse for introducing me to this list of wishful items! And thanks to the bloggers out there who have documented their list publicly, online and motivated me to steal their idea and do the same. I look forward to sharing my progress with anyone who will read this. Wish me luck!

1. Run a marathon

2. Keep a Plant Alive for 6 months

3. Join Junior League of FC

4. Read 5 "Classic" Novels

5. Plant a Tree

6. Go Vegan for a week

7. Sing Karaoke Solo

8. Take Writing Class/Workshop

9. Try Pilates

10. Go Skydiving

11. Ride the Poudre in a Sea-bearing vessel

12. Learn to cook John's favorite Gourmet Meal

13. White a Children's Book

14. Watch 5 "Classic" Movies

15. Volunteer at Church

16. Learn to Knit

17. Watch the Godfather Trilogy, Beginning to End

18. Take a Self Defense or Karate Class

19. Read the Entire Bible

20. Take a Cheesy, Kissing Photo on a beach with my Spouse

21. Write a Non-Profit Business Plan

22. Stop being a Procrastinator

23. Host Fancy Dinner Party & Cook John's Favorite Meal Previously Learned

24. Ask for and/or Receive a Raise

25. Give Blood

26. Open an IRA

27. Achieve a "Flat" Stomach

28. Go Deep Sea Fishing

29. Relearn the Piano & Master One Song

30. Try Kickboxing