1. Go on a picnic.- Surprisingly, I never did this.
2. Eat a rutabaga.- I cooked it unconventionally by frying it and thoroughly enjoyed it.
3. Sing at a karaoke bar.- I dreaded, dreaded, dreaded this task. But, with the help of a friend, I completed it by singing “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.
4. Take a morning yoga class that meets before 10 AM for a month.- I could not find one of these. But I did take a Pilates class.
5. Read an entire book without skipping any pages in one week. (Must be over 150 pages).- I tried and failed at least twice. Thank you, grad school.
6. Meet a celebrity.- I met two and offended one. Sonny Shroyer (Enos from “Dukes of Hazzard”) and Gavin DeGraw
7. Go horseback riding (when cleared by doctor).- I decided it wasn’t a good idea just yet.
8. Memorize 99 Luftballoons (in German).- The farthest I got on this one was putting the English version on my blog and listening to the song a few times.
9. Introduce myself to a random stranger.- I introduced myself to the person sitting next to me on an airplane and it ended up being one of the most interesting and educational conversations I have ever had.
10. Go 1 month without eating any fast food.- It is amazing how much better you feel and how much thicker your wallet it if you kiss fast food goodbye.
11. Audition for something.- I auditioned for a play and got the role! (Nikki in “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940)
12. Create a work of art.- Would you count my Master’s Thesis as a work of art?
13. Smile at a stranger.- I was nervous about this one, but it was much easier than I expected.
14. Memorize how to say "hello" in ten languages (not including English, Spanish, French, or Pig-Latin).- Bengali and Welsh were two of my favorites.
15. Watch The Wizard of Oz to the Pink Floyd's" Dark Side of the Moon" album.- I never did this. Maybe this one will go on next year’s list.
16. Teach someone how to do something.- I taught a bunch of nondancers how to dance in this summer’s musical.
17. Learn how to play a new game.- A professor taught me and a classmate how to play Boccer Ball.
18. Go on a road trip.- My aunt and I went on a spontaneous road trip to Florida to buy health food.
19. Do something completely spontaneous that no one would ever expect me to do.- I hit on Josh Groban. Twice.
20. Secretly make someone's day brighter.- Completed.
21. Go on a good date.- Completed.
22. Eat an entire grape tomato.- Turns out, I still hate tomatoes.
23. Memorize the entire Animaniacs Country Song.- I got about 1/5 of the way through to Scandinavia, then got overwhelmed once again by my grad school duties.
24. Write a letter to a person in the military.- This was one of my favorite tasks. I went through a group/website called Cup of Joe for a Joe. I highly recommend this site, it lets you buy a cup of coffee for a soldier and send them a note of encouragement, as well.
25. Go two weeks without buying anything other than necessities.- I feel like I have been doing that since I have been on Christmas break, but as of yet it is technically not completed.
26. Have a jam session.- I played piano with a guest at the bed and breakfast where I live (who happened to be an amazing piano player) out of the blue one day.
27. Learn how to play chords on the piano.- I have been teaching myself this over the past few months.
28. Visit someone in a nursing home.- Sadly, this is incomplete. I really want to do this though. I’m thinking this one will show up on next year’s list as well.
29. Show someone appreciation by more than just saying "thank you."- Through the genius of a fellow castmate, out cast and crew said “thank you” to our director and musical director by singing “To Sir With Love” before the final show. You can see proof on my Facebook videos.
30. Make a loaf of Challah bread.- Incomplete.
31. Volunteer.- I volunteered as a judge’s assistant’s assistant for the International Folk Fair. I helped with the international youth inventor’s competition. Quite interesting, I must admit.
32. Win.- My uncle and I beat my grandmother and aunt at a card game.
33. Lose.- I lost to a Thumb War.
34. Tie.- I tied a game of Tic Tac Toe.
35. Tell someone the truth even though it is very difficult.- Completed.
36. Babysit.- Babysat three girls this summer.
37. Master the Moonlight Sonata. All of it. Up to speed.- In progress, thought the “up to speed” part has a LOOOONG way to go.
38. Perform (not including karaoke).- I performed in a play and in a musical.
39. Make myself look stupid on purpose.- I let the Navy embarrass me in front of hundreds of people.
40. Go somewhere secluded and yell at the top of my lungs.- Check.
41. Learn how to belly dance.- Thank you, FitTV.
42. Go to a rock concert. – Went to my fourth Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert, but was the closest I had ever been (5th row!) with my mother.
43. Learn how to whistle.- Check. Apparently, it is not a genetic trait.
44. Go to a lecture on something other than psychology, dance, or the arts and stay awake for the whole thing.- Incomplete. Grad school owns me.
45. Go to bed before 10pm four nights in a row.- Incomplete.
46. Ride in a grocery cart.- Check! My friend pushed me around in the WalMart parking lot until we got in trouble by a cart attendant.
47. Learn how to play backgammon.- Incomplete. Does anyone know how to play backgammon? What exactly is backgammon?
48. Eat escargot.- It was not as gross as I expected, but it was difficult to keep myself from thinking, “Ew! I just ate a snail. Don’t gag.”
49. Eat a piece of sushi previously thought of as revolting.- I ate a rainbow roll with raw salmon on it and a caterpillar roll with eel in it. I liked the eel much more than the raw salmon.
50. Learn how to yodel.- I never fully accomplished this one, though I did watch a few instructional YouTube videos and practiced in my car on long trips.
51. Beat a video game.- I beat some computer game about a boat ride in South America.
52. Touch all the bordering (ocean-based) bodies of water in America within 6 months of each other.- I touched the Gulf in May and the Atlantic in July (I think?), but I never touched the Pacific. I was trying to find someone to bring me some Pacific water in a water bottle, but that was unsuccessful.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
We'll drink a cup of kindness yet for auld lang syne.
The year is almost over. Where did it go? I've come to realize that the older I get, the faster time flies. Many friends have expressed the same realization. This year has been full of new experiences, both due to my to do list and completely separate from it. I feel like this was the year I grew up. To be completely honest, growing up scares me, but I have come to think of it almost like a task on my to do list. It's not a task of necessity as much as it is a task of new experience.
Speaking of my to do list, I successfully completed 33 of the 52 tasks. I partially completed about 8 tasks, which brings the total to 41. Not too shabby, if I may say so myself. The goal of this list was originally to try to accomplish all 52 tasks, but I began to realize that the attempt was more important to me than the actual completion. I can at least say I tried to yodel and I tried to touch all the bordering salt-based bodies of water along the continental US (I touched 2 out of 3-The Pacific was a little far away...).
Some tasks were simple, like eating a rutabaga or going on a road trip. And yet some tasks brought about great anxiety. Singing at a karaoke bar literally caused a stress response equivalent to undergoing major surgery. I learned a lot of new things, such as what it was like for someone to grow up in Ghana (#9), how to offend a celebrity (#6), and that smiling at a stranger is not as scary as it seems (#13).
It is officially 3 1/2 days until 2011, so I am trying to figure out my goal/to-do list for next year. Should I keep the same format, just with different tasks? Or should I try something different, such as blogging about something unexpected that happens to me each week? Thoughts? Comments? Angry words?
Speaking of my to do list, I successfully completed 33 of the 52 tasks. I partially completed about 8 tasks, which brings the total to 41. Not too shabby, if I may say so myself. The goal of this list was originally to try to accomplish all 52 tasks, but I began to realize that the attempt was more important to me than the actual completion. I can at least say I tried to yodel and I tried to touch all the bordering salt-based bodies of water along the continental US (I touched 2 out of 3-The Pacific was a little far away...).
Some tasks were simple, like eating a rutabaga or going on a road trip. And yet some tasks brought about great anxiety. Singing at a karaoke bar literally caused a stress response equivalent to undergoing major surgery. I learned a lot of new things, such as what it was like for someone to grow up in Ghana (#9), how to offend a celebrity (#6), and that smiling at a stranger is not as scary as it seems (#13).
It is officially 3 1/2 days until 2011, so I am trying to figure out my goal/to-do list for next year. Should I keep the same format, just with different tasks? Or should I try something different, such as blogging about something unexpected that happens to me each week? Thoughts? Comments? Angry words?
Monday, December 13, 2010
Ode to Perfect-haired Guitarists
Two nights ago I went to a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert (Task 42). This was my fourth TSO concert, but I left feeling just as awed and shocked as the first time I saw them in 2007. This was the closest I've ever been to the stage though. My mom and I sat on the fifth row and could see their sweat, eyeliner, eyecolor, and inside jokes. I even remember seeing the conductor/guitarist say something to one of the singers, which made her lose her composure to the point she couldn't finish the song without laughing. But there were other singers covering for her. It was pretty funny.
Some might argue that Beethoven would roll over in his grave if he heard TSO's rendition of Moonlight Sonata or Requiem. I disagree. He was a rebel, an envelope-pusher. TSO is the same- they take timeless genius, such as Beethoven's music, and push the boundaries a bit more, all the while remaining true to the music. The viruosity of each musician's technique is jaw-dropping. I am still shocked by the perfection shown by the organ/piano player from the Ukraine (Vladamir?). He took perfect technique up a notch by adding personality. I had never heard the 2nd portion of Moonlight Sonata played that way before, and I will never hear it the same again. As a piano player, musician, and music-affecianado (or however on Earth you spell that), I am forever changed.
On a more superficial, fangirly note: the long-haired guitarists, bassists, and vocalists in their rock-tuxedos and chains made me giggle. One of the vocalists, Jeff Scott Soto, (a long-time favorite of mine) has super-long curly hair. During one of his epic solos, my mom leaned over and said, "You two could do a duet with your hair." Yeah...
And then he sang a song which almost made me cry called "Dreams We Conceive." Which brings me to my next point:
TSO is for all people. Granted, I would not recommend bringing your 6-month old to a concert. (Believe me. It happens.) And, some people might need to be briefed that this is not your stereotypical orchestra (TSO is listed under "Metal" on iTunes). I think the people behind me had no idea what they had gotten themselves into... But the music, the lyrics, the storyline behind each album and within each concert resonates with all different walks of life. As an artist soul, I often find myself getting lost within each album, crying over a lyric, and mesmerized by a new take on a familiar melody.
So, all of this to say, if you get a chance, go see them. You won't regret it.
Some might argue that Beethoven would roll over in his grave if he heard TSO's rendition of Moonlight Sonata or Requiem. I disagree. He was a rebel, an envelope-pusher. TSO is the same- they take timeless genius, such as Beethoven's music, and push the boundaries a bit more, all the while remaining true to the music. The viruosity of each musician's technique is jaw-dropping. I am still shocked by the perfection shown by the organ/piano player from the Ukraine (Vladamir?). He took perfect technique up a notch by adding personality. I had never heard the 2nd portion of Moonlight Sonata played that way before, and I will never hear it the same again. As a piano player, musician, and music-affecianado (or however on Earth you spell that), I am forever changed.
On a more superficial, fangirly note: the long-haired guitarists, bassists, and vocalists in their rock-tuxedos and chains made me giggle. One of the vocalists, Jeff Scott Soto, (a long-time favorite of mine) has super-long curly hair. During one of his epic solos, my mom leaned over and said, "You two could do a duet with your hair." Yeah...
And then he sang a song which almost made me cry called "Dreams We Conceive." Which brings me to my next point:
TSO is for all people. Granted, I would not recommend bringing your 6-month old to a concert. (Believe me. It happens.) And, some people might need to be briefed that this is not your stereotypical orchestra (TSO is listed under "Metal" on iTunes). I think the people behind me had no idea what they had gotten themselves into... But the music, the lyrics, the storyline behind each album and within each concert resonates with all different walks of life. As an artist soul, I often find myself getting lost within each album, crying over a lyric, and mesmerized by a new take on a familiar melody.
So, all of this to say, if you get a chance, go see them. You won't regret it.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Snails.
To begin this post, I must confess that I get grossed out fairly easily. In college, my guy friends would have competitions to see who could gross me out the most at lunch. In the second grade, while the rest of the gifted kids were bonding with their parents whilst dissecting cow's eyes, I was trying not to lose my breakfast all over my mother. In grad school, I almost passed out when a sheep's brain, covered in dura mater, was placed in front of me (look it up if you dare). So, task 48 was not going to be an easy one.
This past weekend, I went to dinner and a Christmas play with a friend. We ended up going to a nicer restaurant I had never been to before, and I was thrilled to see that escargot was on the menu. I ordered some crab bisque along with it, just in case I couldn't keep the slimy things down.
When the server brought it out, I was shocked. First of all, it looked like a pot pie.
Second of all, there were no shells, for which I was very grateful. They had tucked the little bodies inside mushroom caps. I was pleasantly surprised to find they weren't as rubbery as so many people had warned me. Maybe they were overcooked, but I'm just glad I did not have to spend 5 minutes manducating the equivalent of a slug. The flavor was actually pretty good, but it took a lot of concentration to avoid thinking "I am eating a snail."
34 down. 18 to go.
To end this post, I would like to quote Dave Barry: "Escargot is French for 'fat, crawling bag of phlegm.'" And now, a video. I have no idea what the lyrics mean, as they're in French. All I know is I got a little sick to my stomach, when I realized I might have eaten the siblings of this poor little snail... (The trail of slime didn't help, either.)
This past weekend, I went to dinner and a Christmas play with a friend. We ended up going to a nicer restaurant I had never been to before, and I was thrilled to see that escargot was on the menu. I ordered some crab bisque along with it, just in case I couldn't keep the slimy things down.
When the server brought it out, I was shocked. First of all, it looked like a pot pie.
Second of all, there were no shells, for which I was very grateful. They had tucked the little bodies inside mushroom caps. I was pleasantly surprised to find they weren't as rubbery as so many people had warned me. Maybe they were overcooked, but I'm just glad I did not have to spend 5 minutes manducating the equivalent of a slug. The flavor was actually pretty good, but it took a lot of concentration to avoid thinking "I am eating a snail."
34 down. 18 to go.
To end this post, I would like to quote Dave Barry: "Escargot is French for 'fat, crawling bag of phlegm.'" And now, a video. I have no idea what the lyrics mean, as they're in French. All I know is I got a little sick to my stomach, when I realized I might have eaten the siblings of this poor little snail... (The trail of slime didn't help, either.)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
1,2,3,4 I declare a thumb war.
The dreaded Task #3 is done. About 3 weeks ago, I sang at a karaoke bar. I remained seated, it was a duet, and people could barely here me over the drunken 200-lbs-of-pure-muscle in the adjoining room. BUT I sang karaoke. Yes I did. One of my sweet friends from this summer's musical agreed to sing "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat with me. He has such a great voice and is an expert karaoke-er. He is like the Yoda of karaoke. After karaoke-ing it up, we made a late night/early moring trip to Wally World, to a) grab some paint for one of my actress friends costumes and b) so I could ride in a grocery cart (Task #46). My actress friend (who also helped coordinate this little task-completing get-together) pushed me in the almost-vacant parking lot, until we got in trouble by a cart attendant. Party pooper. I then proceeded to lose (Task #33) a game of Thumb War and tie (Task #34) at a game of Tic-Tac-Toe, thanks to my same dear friend who sang karaoke with me. So, although it's against my inital to-do list rules, I completed 4 tasks in one night/early morning. (It's getting near the end of the year, so I'm desparately trying to complete as many as I can.
As of next weekend, Task #42 (Go to a rock concert) will be merrily completed, as I will be seeing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra from the FIFTH ROW!!!!!!!!!!! Why yes, I am excited. This will be my fourth TSO concert, and I cannot wait. I'm considering making a sign that says, "Dear Angus Clark, I like your hair." Anyway, I hope your Christmas season going well. What is your Christmas wish?
And for a little TSO education... (4:35 is epic, but you need to watch a bit before that to get the full effect.) You just can't go wrong with "O Fortuna" and Beethoven's 5th (Requiem). (Creaves, you ready for this?!?!)
As of next weekend, Task #42 (Go to a rock concert) will be merrily completed, as I will be seeing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra from the FIFTH ROW!!!!!!!!!!! Why yes, I am excited. This will be my fourth TSO concert, and I cannot wait. I'm considering making a sign that says, "Dear Angus Clark, I like your hair." Anyway, I hope your Christmas season going well. What is your Christmas wish?
And for a little TSO education... (4:35 is epic, but you need to watch a bit before that to get the full effect.) You just can't go wrong with "O Fortuna" and Beethoven's 5th (Requiem). (Creaves, you ready for this?!?!)
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