Brainpower - Day 15

An irony... my life has never seemed so structured and disciplined... yet, two weeks have gone by, and I haven't taken the time to blog.

The above statement is actually fairly representative of how my life is going right now. There are two or three areas that are more disciplined than they have been in the past, yet, several other areas of my life seem to have fallen off the radar. 

Work, eating and exercise (to some degree) have certainly gotten more ritualized in the past week than is the norm. Here's a quick synopsis of each of those three to set the context:

1. Work: Due to some valid administrative reasons, I no longer can work as an employee AND a contractor for MindWare. What that means for me regarding workload is that in the short term, work that I may have taken on as a contractor, I need to now fit into my work schedule. I first anticipated that meaning 60 hour work weeks, but last week turned out to be right around 50... manageable.  The great news is, I have been given the go-ahead to hire a new employee who would start May 1st. That means only a month and a half at these hours... and maybe another week or two in training the new person. But, once they are in the swing of things, I could get back to normal with my work hours.

2. Eating: The BrainPower book threw a curve ball at me. I was fairly disciplined the first week with each meal. I would follow it to the T, and spend each evening preparing my meals. However, when the first week ran out, I still had many of the original ingredients left over, and didn't want to toss them out and start week two with a new grocery list. Therefore, I repeated some of the meals, and tried to stretch the ingredients out as long as I could. This was good economically, but it got me further and further off of the regimented eating schedule that I was on. The good news here is that I continued to eat in the 'spirit' of the book, but I strayed from my original purpose, which was to follow the book, all four weeks, to the letter. Either way, I was able to start up again this past Saturday, on track with the 'official' beginning of week 2 (whereas in reality, I'm in my third week of this). In addition to getting back on track, I prepared ALL my week's meals on Saturday (over 7 hours in the kitchen). Therefore, I was able to assess the leftover ingredients, and allocate them to meals for Laura and Addie.

3. Exercise: I have been 'mostly' good about this one. I've let a couple days go here and there, and a few of the exercises the book has me doing, I simply feel like I cannot do. Tonight for example, one of the exercises is essentially hopscotch for five minutes! (um, no). I could hop for about 7 seconds, and then I'm spent. I'm willing to work up to 15 seconds, but that's where I draw the line. All in all though, I've been fairly consistent, and have spent a good deal of time on the treadmill. If weight loss is any indication, I've lost about five to six pounds since the 'official' day one (and about ten pounds since a month ago).

So, those are the successes... or more accurately... the 'continually regimented activities'. I hesitate to call them successes, because in context of my every day, it's hard to call one element a success, when it has a negative affect on other elements. The name of this particular game is: 'balance.' I'm struggling a bit with finding a good balance. Where I'm regimented in eating, I've actually found myself enjoying life less, because I've practically lost my enjoyment for eating. That's probably rooted in a deeper pshycological issue having to do with control, but the reality is, I miss the spontaneous nature of saying... "hey,... I'm in the mood for... (fill in the blank)". (I've actually really been in the mood for a hamburger, but that's beside the point, I suppose).

So, as I continue on this "4-week" (...or 5, or 6 week...) 'study,' I am going to try and put more effort into balance. I will continue to try and follow the book, but not at the cost of time with my family, or even my sanity. I trust the regiment of the book, but maybe I don't trust my own capability to throw myself into this sort of regimen. 

All this to say, at this stage in the game, I need to figure out what the key to sustaining something like this is. At this point, I just about 'hate' it (and I don't often use that word). I feel somewhat enslaved by it, rather than liberated by it. So, wish me luck as I continue on the course, but look deeply into how I could 'own' this sort of lifestyle and make it my own. That's really the trick, isn't it? 

Brainpower - Day 2 (Deep Thoughts by Adam Turner)

I've recently been challenged/inquired upon as to the focus of this present 4-week challenge. And, rightly so. I read recently that 55% of communication is conveyed by the body language we use (eye contact, gestures and facial expressions), 38% is conveyed in the voice, and only 7% is conveyed in the words we use. With that said, these words that I have chosen in my blogs apparently only convey 7% of what I have to say in this arena... leaving lots of room for interpretation and speculation.

With that said, I will attempt to be as clear as possible with this 7% that I can be... specifically concerning the heart and motivation behind my 4-week Brainpower experiment, as well as the blogging itself.

Blogging, in my opinion (along with most social media), serves one of two purposes: 1. ego inflating, or 2. helpful informing. With that said, the perception that I may be giving off is that this 4-weeks is all about me... ego inflating. And, there's probably some truth to that. However, it's genesis actually lies in the lives of those close to me, and the blogging of it was a response to a request of a friend.

I am fairly selfish, there's no denying that. I'm actually one of the most selfish people I know. I suppose, if there's an upside to that, it would be that I, at the very least, have identified that in me. With that said, I am able to begin looking outside of myself and identifying need.

For my previous 30-Day experiment, my objective in identifying serving opportunities was that one, if not both, of my family members would be able and inclined to join me. The only food shelf that would allow Addie is 'Feed My Starving Children.' As time would have it though, we ended up going to New York the week that we were signed up. So, as far as serving goes, the Polar Bear Plunge ended up being it. (I'm attending a meeting this Tuesday to serve the local refugee community, but aside from that, I have yet to look into retirement homes, etc.).

All of that to say... when looking at places of need, I didn't need to look any further than my own family. I've been recognizing more lately how personal health affects those who we're closest to. For example, I've taken for granted my mother's health. With respect, I won't mention her age, but I should say, for her age, she's in great health. And I'm grateful for that. Her mother, as well, is doing considerably well for the years she's logged in. Both Laura's parents also have invested time and effort in keeping both physically and mentally healthy.

As I become more educated on the affects of dimentia, memory loss, etc., I have decided that I don't want Laura to have to deal with that in me later in life. She will need everything I am to attend to her. I actually concluded that it would be selfish of me NOT to do this 4-week study, and that it's in the interest of stewardship that I proceed.

So, with all of that said, please continue to challenge me if you feel I lean too heavily on the 'me' aspect of this 4-week challenge. Again, it is very easy for me to dwell on myself, and lose sight of why I was inspired to do this in the first place. Honestly, I intended NOT to blog about this particular journey because of it's ego-centric undertones. However, a friend requested that I share a journey like this so that others can benefit from the lessons learned.

I'd like to address one element that seems to be lacking from these blogs: the spiritual element. Many of you know me as a spiritual person, and may find it odd that I haven't dove into that realm in these blogs. I mentioned earlier that I want to be in good mental and physical health as I age. Well, I certainly want to be in good spiritual health as well. However, in regard to blogging about it, I'm not quite there yet. I want to begin with things that provide common ground with all those I encounter throughout the day... not just those who share my faith with me. That's not to say I won't in the future, but for these four weeks, my focus will be on the physical and the mental.

Regarding future blogs, I think it's fairly safe to say that I'm comfortable with being somewhat transparent, and sharing life's journey with others (in blog form, anyway). My continued goal is to open my own eyes a bit wider, but at the same time to inspire others to explore change and growth along with me. I've completed the initial challenge of taking steps out of my comfort zone. I am now in the midst of a challenge that gives me a taste of what healthy living could look like. Perhaps the next challenge is a new service opportunity twice a week to focus on being more selfless. And there's certainly an opportunity to commit a 30-day experiment to faith... deepening it and challenging it. I'm open to suggestions.

I conclude with reiterating the above: I truly am open for suggestions. Although I have somewhat strict guidelines and boundaries of what this particular blog will be for the next four weeks, I am completely open to ideas/concepts for additional 30-day/4-week 'adventures.' And, I truly don't mind if they are deep, light, spiritual, academic, physical, etc., etc. (I had even considered blogging about trying a different sport every day for 2 weeks straight... if I could survive it). I'm discovering that the more I try, the more people I meet, and am able to 'somewhat' identify with. So, continue with the input, the challenges, the agreements, the condemnations, the encouragements, the ideas and the epiphanies. It's a new road of pushing boundaries for me, and I'm just glad to not be traveling it alone.

Brainpower - Day 1

I'm calling this new four-week challenge "Brainpower." Not to get confused with the original "30-Day Challenge."

Starting Brain Q Quiz score: 89/200 (that's a big 'F')
Problem Solving: 15/15 (100%)
Memory: 12/35 (34%)
Diet: 23/50 (46%)
Exercise: 14/50 (28%)
Memory Fitness, Stress and Socializing: 25/50 (50%)

Starting Weight: 210.5 lbs

Body Fat: approx. 26% (Tape Measurement Method)
Neck: 17"
Height: 72"
Abdomen: 41" (need to work on that one)
According to The American Council on Exercise, 26% and up in men, is considered obese. So, I'm obese. To get to 'Acceptable,' I need to be between 18% and 25%. To get to 'Athletic,' I need to be between 6% and 13%. Well, honestly, I'm not too concerned about what label I possess, although it does seem odd that I'm considered obese. However, I am very concerned about my overall health and my 'brain health.' And, as I attend to those, I imagine my body fat will go down, and I may someday be 'acceptable.'

Generally, I'll blog in the evenings, but today is Saturday, so I have time this afternoon. Also, I won't be blogging every day. One thing I learned from the last round of blogging is that the blogging itself became a prison of sorts... I felt committed to having to blog every day. However, this time, I'll blog maybe once a week, highlight some of the meals, exercises and brain games.

Today, so far, I have made both breakfast and lunch. I went grocery shopping for the first time in a long time... that took about an hour and a half, and about $150. That's just for one person, for one week! (to be fair, I think much of what I bought will last for a long time... spices, etc.)

For the brain game, I was asked to name the colors of words of colors that weren't the color they said they were. Understand? For example, the word 'blue' was actually the color red. There was a list of them, and I needed to say them as quickly as possible.

The second challenge was to take on something new. Sound familiar? They suggested trying something like blogging. I think I have that one well under way.

The third, and final, challenge was a list of several numbers. I was asked to 'repeat' and 'reorganize.' They suggest that when given a whole lot of numbers, one great way to help remember them is to break them down into smaller 'groupings.' Much like a social security number or a phone number.

I took the challenge about two hours ago. Here is my best attempt to repeat the numbers that I memorized:

529
25186
4295014
317492706
1528469537

I'll check the book to see how many I got right...BAM!! Nailed it! I just checked, and it seems these memory techniques actually work.

Will need to start prepping for dinner in a little bit, and I'm going to go change into my workout clothes for the suggested workout. But, before I sign off, here's the lunch I had earlier:

Grilled Veggie and Bean Burrito

One Chapter Closed, Another Open

My 30-Day Adventure has reached fruition. I set out to challenge myself, and I think it's safe to say, "check." Ironically, it wasn't really the outings themselves that proved to be challenging... it was determining what they would be and then blogging about them that ended up pushing me.

All in all, the experiment was well worth it. It accomplished many goals:
1. I have a new appreciation for snow sculptors, speed skaters, puppeteers, painters, skijourners, inuits, the Nepalese, polar bears, ATV riders, horse riders, wolves, crocheters, Martha Stewart and many more.
2. I have embraced that I have many options here in the Twin Cities other than local TV programming.
3. I have inspired Addie to try new things.
4. I have made pizza, and will make it again.

For those who don't want to look through the blogs for the pics of the outings, I have posted many of them recently on Facebook.

So, where does that leave me now?

Well, I'm ready for a rest, but my momentum has pushed me to continue a few new things in the last few days. I played a round of golf on Tuesday, followed by a small game of poker with some old poker buddies in Vegas. On Wednesday, I flew home to Minneapolis from Vegas and read a good chunk of "Brainpower Game Plan" (more on that later). Yesterday, I went back to work, came home and settled in. Today, I am resting (and later on will enjoy another poker game).

However, I do indeed have a new chapter. I am going to attempt to improve my brain power. I'll pause a moment to allow for any laughter that seems necessary.........


... so, back to the brainpower thing. When we left the Martha Stewart Show, we got a bag of goodies that included many puzzles, challenges and the book "Brainpower Game Plan" by Cynthia R. Green, PhD. The book speaks of the epidemic today of loss of memory, dimensia and Alzheimer's. She goes on to explain how eating right, exercise and 'brain games' can increase memory and decrease dimensia and the chances of getting Alzheimer's. I felt this was a worthy pursuit to explore.

Therefore, I am now setting off on another brief adventure. This time, however, there will only be one focus... to get through this book, and it's four-week plan. Each day has a menu, an exercise and a brain activity. I originally wasn't going to blog about this, but a friend at work asked if I would. She for one thought it would be an interesting experiment to see if these four-weeks could actually improve my brain power. "Doubtful" I'm sure some of you will say.

As it turns out, there is a test at the beginning of the book that will be retaken at the end of the four weeks. Tomorrow, I will post my score, along with my weight, my meals, my exercise and my brain activity. I will weigh in once a week. This isn't meant to be a weight-loss diet, but chances are, that'll be a side affect. I currently take in over 2,000 calories (easily) a day, and I will be living right around 1,500 calories per day for these 4 weeks.

So, smash the champagne on the ship, because here I set sail once again!

Day 30 :: English Horse Riding Lesson

This is it. This is my Omega. Day 30, last of the 'official' blogs (I may continue... just unofficially). And, to be fair, today's is really a part 2 of a two-part activity... "Me and Mira."

Mira is an 11-year old thoroughbread mare. My mother purchased her a few years back to revive her love for horses and the sport/art of horseback riding... specifically, English style.

The first thing I learned yesterday when we began this particular experience, is that probably more so than many other sports, this 'dressage' or whatever the actual term is, is FULL of technical terms. I say this, because honestly, I think I would be corrected if I referred to what I did as dressage. I think dressage is a specific event in the world of English style horseback riding. If you follow the comments below, I'm sure it'll just be a matter of hours before my mom comments on the actual terminology.

So, for the purpose of this blog entry, I will refer the events over these two days as my 'horseriding experience.'

My horseriding experience began with a bit of hesitation... on my mom's part. To be frank, these horses are very expensive... and potentially, very dangerous. Of course, they aren't generally violent or overly-agressive, but they certainly have their moments of 'animal behavior.' My mom was telling me that even her horse, Mira, had a moment not too long ago where she reared up and tore the bridal, and took off out of the stall. There's been other stories of people getting seriously injured, and stories even of death. Mira in particular, was bread to be a race horse, so just her desire to run presents a slew of cautions to embrace before venturing into her saddle. So, needless to say, the outing began with some hesitance.

Yet, we went forward.

We began with the 'lunging.' Lunging is the exercise you see in movies like "Man From Snowy River" where the horse handler stands in the middle with a long rope and urges the horse on in a circular manner. My mom eventually handed me the lead rope and spoke out directions to both me and Mira. "walk, run, trot, halt, Adam, the rope needs to be looser!"

We didn't have a lot of time that day, so we pretty much just lunged Mira and then I took a brief jaunt on her bareback. I felt like I was ten feet off the ground and ready to tumble to my unfortunate death at any given moment. The jaunt was brief. Like two minutes. I was done.

Then today came.

Today, I helped prep Mira by wrapping her ankles, and various other minor tasks. Eventually we made our way to the arena, where Mira's trainer met us to give a lesson to my mom. I have to admit, it was pretty fascinating. Just like the numerous technical terms used in the sport, there are numerous technical commands used to guide the horse. It reminded me a bit of video game controllers. There was the 'move forward' command, the 'move left,' 'move right' and 'reverse' commands. However, also like video game controllers, there was the 'strafe left' and the 'strafe right' commands... and any combination of the above. At one time, my mom had Mira walking forward, but sort of gliding to the left, shooting straight forward in a trot, suddenly switching into a walk for five steps, and then returning to a trot... all without any visible commands. I believe it's due to a combination of subtle reign movements and pressure from the left or right leg. 

Eventually, my mom's lesson came to an end, but she and the trainer agreed on letting me give it a go. I've done Western riding many times, but it really didn't seem to compare. Where Western sort of feels like function over form, this felt like the opposite. My mom would say that this is full of function, but the form is such an integral aspect of English riding, it just seems to rise to the top as the primary component.

Because of my inexperience, I opted to be kept on a lead line, and just stick to the circle riding. I began with a walk, but with the trainer's tutalage, I eventually got to a trot. But, that's where it stopped. Sure, I got the rhythm of how to move in the saddle... sort of, but I still felt completely uneasy, unbalanced, and ill-prepared for a fall from this beast. Again, she's a beautiful animal, but even after taking a spill on the ATV a couple of days ago, I had no desire to fall off this thoroughbread and break my neck... call me over cautious. 

The trainer asked me if I wanted to try it on my own, and as the final official spoken words of my 30-Day adventure, I calmy said "no thank you. I think I'm done."

Day 29 :: Crochet a Hat - Adam Style

Today was a busy day, but few of the things that happened today were original in this 30-Day experiment. There was some more ATVing, some more driving, some horseback riding (but not enough to qualify for it's own blog entry), and some resting. However, as the day came to a close, it was my mom who suggested something unique... crocheting. 

Because of the proximity of Simi Valley to my mom's town, Camarillo, I was able to spend some time with her. She picked me up late afternoon and I stayed the night with her and my grandmother. The evening time made some room for this latest activity. I began the crocheting 'adventure' by attempting to follow a series of directions that would ultimately end up with a fairly complicated hat. Well, I only had a few hours to dedicate to this project, so the 'crochet techno babble' was going to have to wait for some other time. Instead, I decided to learn only the 'single loop' technique, and set off to the races to make.... a square.

Well, as time travelled on, I was no longer content with only a square. I concluded that with this one basic technique, I could in fact, make that hat after all. But, it was going to have some 'Adam-ness' to it. I single looped here, snipped some yarn there, added a strand here, braided there.... and, voila! A hat.

I'm not saying it's the highest of technical accomplishments, but it was something new and different. I may take requests in the future, but you'll have to be flexible with your expectations... each hat will be 'individual' and unique.

Bobby tentatively modeling my accomplishment

Day 28 :: ATV Overnighter

I left 30 degree weather in Minnesota two days ago. I slept in 20 degree weather in California last night.


Ah, but it was worth it.

Sean, Bobby, Robb and I left Simi Valley yesterday morning and headed north to Gorman, California. As we headed up Highway 5, through a section called 'The Grapevine,' we began to enter into 'winter zone.' The white stuff had made it's introduction to the area by laying down a light blanket across the landscape of hills and sage brush. Although I am fairly accustomed to a good snow fall from my time in Minnesota, this was quite different. There's something a bit more magical it seems when Old Man Winter lays a blanket of the fluffy stuff across a landscape that generally would be alien to that idea. It was quite a sight. And, a bit disconcerting... after all, this was going to be our recreation spot for the next 24 hours.

As it turned out, we were well prepared. We had all brought the proper attire, and experienced the upside to this weather... hardly any other recreationalists had chosen to brave the elements, allowing us plenty of space and little ATV traffic (not to mention the amazing vistas of dusted snow and snow covered hillsides).

Aside from the ATV action itself, it was fairly standard camping. We set up camp, Bobby and Sean got a roaring fire going, Robb made some great hamburgers, and we sat around and chatted. The few differences were that instead of a tent, we had a heated ATV trailer to sleep in, a movie to watch while we drifted off to sleep, and the highlight... Sean and Bobby's wives made the trek up to our camp for the afternoon, bringing with them a great lunch!

And that leaves the piece de la resistance (sp?)... the ATVs themselves. Actually, we had two ATVs and one dirt bike at our disposal (thanks Bobby). The rhythm of the afternoon would be a cycle of two or three of us going out at a time, coming back and rotating the drivers, allowing for everyone to have a turn or two. Selfishly, in retrospect, I think I ended up getting the lion's share, probably clocking more riding time than some, if not all, of the other three. Sorry guys. I'm selfish. I'm working through it.

With that said, I began on the 250hp ATV, working up to the 450hp ATV, and ultimately ending, this morning, on the 400hp dirt bike.
For such a short period of time, there's actually plenty of stories to be told, mostly involving rookie use of this equipment, but because I've already dragged this blog entry out longer than necessary, I'll focus on one short event:

When I go out on adventures such as this, I tend to set certai goals for myself. I had a soft goal of trying all three vehicles prior to the trip's end, but I was willing to let that one slide in the interest of time. Yet, as it turns out, I was able to complete it. The hard and fast goal, however, was that I wanted to 'accelerate over a jump.' That doesn't necessarily mean I wanted to jump... it just means I wanted to move 'quickly' over said jump. Well, goal attained. But, not without a bit of pain.

On that, I end this entry. Below is video of said experience.

Day 27 :: Road Trip

(Note: about to head out where there's no internet... won't be adding photos to this post or adding additional posts until Monday... if we survive)

There’s two types of road trips. There’s the classic road trip, where the road trip IS the destination, and then there’s the road trip that merely serves as a vehicle to get you to where you’re going. However, if you happen to find yourself in the latter, you could still do your best to implement as many attributes of the first into the experience. And that’s how yesterday played out.

The purpose of the road trip was to get me, and my two friends, from point A (Las Vegas) to point B (Simi Valley, CA.) The back story here is a good friend of mine, Sean, celebrated his birthday a couple of days ago in Las Vegas. Without his knowing, his wife arranged a surprise birthday outing to go ATVing in Gorman, CA. So, our friend Robb made the long drive down from San Fran, and I made the flight out from MN.

Sean and Sarah pulled up to the passenger pick-up in Vegas with Sean blindfolded, the reveal occurred, good ‘brotherly’ hugs ensued, and the road trip began.

Honestly, I’d like to drag out the many experiences of the road trip, but there just really weren’t that many. The depth of the trip really was just the companionship of good friends. We talked about our lives, we talked about the past, we talked about the future, we listened to Sean’s newest single (a talented musician, indeed), and yes, we even made a few good-ol’ road trip stops.

The two stops worth mention are: The Mad Greek (the “Best Greek Food in America”) and Alien Jerkey. At The Mad Greek I enjoyed a rather large Gyro. Very good. Then we proceeded over to Alien Jerkey, where Sean purchased some ‘peppered’ Alien Jerkey. Also good. Those aliens are pretty tasty.

The trip wrapped up in Simi Valley, where the final surprise, Robb showing up, occurred. Another great ‘brotherly’ hug. Lots of brotherly hugs. And then it rained. And rained. And….. rained. So, trip delayed. Apparently, the high temp at where we’re headed is 30 degrees. And snowy. In California. ????

Our day ended up at Red’s Barbecue, where 10 of us sat around and recapped the day and had some good ribs. That was last night. Today is a new day, and we head out for Gorman… to freeze our bums off in this glorious California weather.

Day 25 :: Eataly and Lincoln Square

Honestly, I had already written this post in full, and when I went to make an edit, it just sort of vanished. So, if you can forgive me, I'm not going to attempt to re-compose the entire blog entry. Instead, here's a list of the highlights:
1. Eataly: pastries, wines, cheeses, meats, fresh produce, pasta bar, pizza restaurant, bakery, and so on, and so on. We ate at the pizza place... I had a great pesto lasagna and a glass of white wine (I don't recall the type). It was a great pairing, and a wonderful experience.

2. Lincoln Square: farmers' market, art vendors, musicians, chess players (personal highlight).

All in all, it was a great morning. Laura wasn't feeling well, but she managed, and mentioned that she enjoyed the walk. Main observation: every section of New York is completely different than the last. Each has it's own personality and it's own life. This was no exception.

Day 26 :: Making Pizza

Ah, New York style pizza. I'd like to say there's nothing like it. Well, actually, that may be true. But, I think I should rather say, "nothing beats a good New York slice of pie." However, I'm not too sure that would be true. I'm sad to say, as much as I love New York, I believe I prefer Chicago deep dish. That's not to say the New York style isn't great. It is. I just prefer the ingredients piled on and attached to the slice of pizza so it could make the journey from the plate to my mouth. New Yorkers seem to take pride in having their ingredients slide right off the slice. "Thatsa the waya the pizza isa supposed to be-a."

So, for today, I thought I would give it a stab. How hard could it be, right? Yipes. It didn't take long to discover that the 'right' way to create a REAL New York pizza pie, takes years of trial and error, and at least five days of preparation. There's an exact way to make the dough. There's an exact way to let the dough rise. Your oven has to be able to heat up to 800 degrees, or it just aint the real thing. And so on.

So, I tossed the idea, and landed on the next best thing... how to make a ripoff of a New York style pizza in under an hour (New Yorkers would be so proud of me). The process was actually fairly easy, and the pizza was edible. I would say it was even good. However, New York pizza, it was not. I'm not sure if it's fair to say that it was even a New York pizza rip-off. The pieces weren't thin, the ingredients didn't slide off, and most importantly, you couldn't fold it in half.

However, in light of the spirit behind this adventure, the experience tonight opened a new door for me. I have a bit of a drive in me now to try and improve upon my pizza cooking skills (I can't call it a pizza pie... it didn't meet the qualifications). So, I will journey on into the next year, cooking these slices if my family permits, working toward the day I could create this concoction, test it on my co-worker, Jonathan, and hear him exclaim, "Now THIS is a slice of pie!"

Checking the recipe

Day 24 :: Martha Stewart Show

So, our travel to New York doesn't quite qualify for this 30-Days, but certain events during our stay here fall within the budget I've set. Today, specifically, that's Laura and my visit to the Martha Stewart Show.

Here's a little disclaimer... it's late, we've been very busy, and I'm completely exhausted. Sadly, when I'm in that state, the little wit I do possess is virtually non-existent. So, I'm just going to go into auto-pilot here and give you a play-by-play. The events themselves are unique enough in my life, so whether you're a Martha Stewart fan or not, this should prove mildly interesting:

The Background
I've probably already spelled it out, but if I haven't, here's the background: The producers of the Martha Stewart Show contacted MindWare inquiring if there is anything we have to contribute to a themed show on puzzles. On the day we were preparing to send a slew of games and puzzles, I thought it might be fun to quickly create a custom dot-to-dot of Martha herself. We sent the dot-to-dot with everything else.

We heard back from the Martha Stewart Show, requesting our series of four dot-to-dots to add to the give-aways. In addition, they decided to take the custom dot-to-dot and blow it up, have it on stage during the show, and have their on-staff comedian complete it during the show.

With all of that, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to dive into savings, and take Laura out to New York for a few days to witness all of this in person. The Producers at the Martha Stewart Show were happy to accommodate us, and provided us a couple of tickets for the show.

The Show
So, that brings us to today. After we waiting in line outside in the frigid cold, we were moved to a waiting room, where we ended up in the back row. We were nervous that this was a bad omen, and that we may end up in less-than-desirable seating.

But, no.

We didn't realize the pink stripe on our tickets, and were summoned with another 22 people with pink stripes up into the studio, and into the on-floor seating of two rows! (3 sections of  2 rows, 4 seats in a row). Long story short, we had amazing seats for the show, and had camera men, producers, stage hands, etc. running all around us.

Eventually, the show came to it's final minutes, and all the segments had run their course. The only thing left was the unveiling of the completed dot-to-dot that the comedian had been working on. When turned around, it was not only completed, but fully color... a good bit of comedy, because of course, it had been completed before hand, but unveiled as if it had been done during the show. Then, my 15 'seconds' of fame... Martha mentioned the dot-to-dot, and it's creator, "Adam Turner." She then motioned to me and said "Hi Adam." The show ended, the cameras went off, but I was immediately called up front of the audience, brought into the set, and introduced to Martha. We did the hand shake, shuffled up next to each other for a photo, but then Martha had us move over to the dot-to-dot for the photo.

Sadly, I don't get my hands on the photo until next week, so I'll post what I do have here.

The other events of the day:

1. LONG subway ride (by mistake)

2. Met 'Beryl' - a wonderful woman, who in her youth was a broadway performer - met her on the LONG subway ride

3. Statue of Liberty (from Manhattan)

4. Ground Zero

5. The Highline (very cool park restored from the old elevated subway)

6. Chelsea Market

7. Dinner at "Tavern on Jane" (thanks to a gift certificate from my friend Teza... it was wonderful)

Day 23 :: Leon in New York

Day 23 (yesterday) was full of activity:

1. Rockafeller Center - Top of the Rock and Ice Skating Rink

2. Lego Store

3. St. Patrick's Cathedral

4. F.A.O. Schwartz

5. Horse and carriage ride in Central Park

6. Guggenheim Museum (lobby only)

7. Time's Square

8. New York Pizza joint

9. Broadway Show - "Chicago"

However, as great as all the above were, not many of them lasted that long (other than the musical), and not many of them fit into the budget of the 30-Day Adventure. The only event that fits the criteria of the Adventure, and the spirit of the Adventure, was something I didn't expect. And, it came in the form of a conversation with a gentleman named Leon.

I headed down to the lobby early Monday morning to go out for a brisk walk before Laura awakened, and stopped to ask the security guy a question about where I was heading. But, before I knew it, the hour and a half that I had given myself for the walk, was completely gone, as I was carried deeply into the life of this one New Yorker,... Leon.

I love that this qualifies for my 30-Days, because since working at a church in Las Vegas, I haven't really taken the time to stop and listen to another person's story. I have to be honest though, listening to Leon, was highly entertaining. Leon was not shy. He had a good New York accent, and his words move quickly. 

He began with beaming pride and thorough knowledge of his city, New York. Like all New Yorkers that I met and chatted with, his pride ran deep. He talked about multiple cross-streets and the hidden jewels found at each one, he talked about the history of New Amsterdam before it became New York, he talked about the fortifying wall that was built that gave name later to Wall Street, and so on, and so on. I did my best to keep up, but I was just so entertained by his personality and his delivery, that I pretty much missed all of the details.

Then, with a bit of the right prompting, he shot into a bit of his work history. Where DIDN'T this man work?? Something about the Navy, first as a cook, then as an engineer... then an assistant chef in some New York restaurants, I think there was some time in there at an architectural firm, and the list seemed to go on. He even took a season to teach his daughter in a home-school setting.

This brought him to family. I thought he was proud of his city... didn't compare to the pride he has of his daughter. Granted, she's 12 right now, and developing a bit of an attitude, but a straight-A student, and a chess genius to boot! (however, she's slacking a bit in the chess department, because she wants to spend more time on teenage things... like modern dance and art!)

Sadly, our time together had to come to an end. I needed to back in our room by 7:30, and it was closing in on 7:20. After I informed Leon of my time issue, he had one last little gem for me. After all, he was the security guy... so, he took me in the 'special' elevator up to the top of the building, where I got a special viewing of New York skyline. Nice!

So, when all was said and done, I got an in-depth review on what to see in New York, and what to skip. But, more importantly, I got to experience witnessing the world become just a bit smaller, by taking one more person who had no name to me, and turning them into a friend. Granted, we live miles apart, but he's just that sort of a guy... I wouldn't be surprised if he invited me to his daughter's wedding someday!

Leon

Some other things in the day:

Top of the Rock

F.A.O. Schwartz

Central Park from the Horse Carriage

Day 22 :: Minneapolis - Atlanta - New York

Alright, so this one breaks the budget a bit. I'm going to say that there is an 'unofficial' cost that I won't mention. However, officially, I'm going to say that we rode the rail system in Atlanta for a total of $9, bringing the grand total of the 30 days to $42.

The day, as planned, was going to be leaving Minneapolis around 11:00, arriving in Milwaukee for a brief lay-over, and eventually landing in New York around 4:30. However, as some of you may know, Old Man Winter had different plans. A sizeable snow storm decided to make it's way through the midwest and for the most part, close down both the Milwaukee and Chicago airports.

So, here's how the day actually went:
1. We got dropped off at the Minneapolis/St.Paul International Airport around 9:00am.
2. Within minutes, we discovered that we were actually supposed to fly out of the Hubert H. Humphrey airport (upon further inspection, NOT mentioned on our reservations)
3. Our ride, once telephoned, pulled a U-turn, picked us up, and promptly delivered us to an almost-empty Hubert H. Humphrey Airport.
4. We flew for 2.5 hours to ATLANTA (yep. not Milwaukee)
5. We paid our $9 and boarded the rail system, and headed for downtown Atlanta... specifically Peachtree Center.
6. We walked around the block looking for a restaurant with some good southern cooking... and found nothing.
7. We found an Atlanta 'ambassador' who directed us back to the station we arrived at, where there was a nearby food court (the ambassadors are folk who work with the police to answer questions of visitors and just be a presence in downtown).
8. We dined on a slice of pizza and a club sandwich.
9. We returned to the airport, and caught our flight to New York.
10. We arrived in New York safely, and on time.
11. We got a taxi (Laura's first taxi, ever) and crossed under the river and arrived at the hotel (very classy... the 'Fashion 26')
12. We got a bit settled, and headed down to the restaurant (Rare) for a drink and a late night snack.
13. We returned to the room where I am presently tapping keys in an attempt to keep current with the blog.

So, officially, the event of the day that qualifies for the 30-day Adventure was our outing into downtown Atlanta. Sadly though, it was somewhat uneventful. However, the day as a whole, was quite a journey. And, after many hours of travel, we have arrived.

Waiting to board the light rail

In the subway

Laura's first taxi ride

Our 'chic' hotel room

Day 21 :: Polar Plunge!

I did it! I froze my patootie off for the Polar Bears, and I'd do it again in an arctic minute! And, because pictures tell 1,000 words, I offer you these:

All geared up to honor the Como Zoo Polar Bears... notice the hat... (hint: it's a polar bear head)

My randomly selected jumping partner... Wilma

Famous last words... "I'm off to freeze my assets"

I'm going for height, apparently

Just for clarification... that white stuff around the water hole... that's ice. This is a frozen lake in case that wasn't clear.

ah,... tropical

and, it's a wrap!

Day 20 :: School Festival... AND Anticipation

Last night was the Valentine Hills Elementary School's Winter Festival: bouncy houses, greasy food, toilet bowl tosses, cake walks, raffle drawings, dunk tanks and loads of people. What more is there to tell?

Really, it was a fun time, but it sort of unfolded like a play book. The three adults (Laura and I were joined by Laura's friend, Amy) walked the kids to point A... the food. We all chatted and ate, and then the three of us escorted the kids to point B... the bouncy houses. The kids played, while we chatted and waited. Off to point C. Then to point D. And so on. Until the night came to end.

All had a good time, and mostly without incident. Probably, the most eventful thing of the night was when Amy confronted a festival volunteer for letting 15 other kids go on the bouncy houses before her two kids. Her daughter and a friend were at the front of the line, waiting patiently for the volunteer to give them the go-ahead. Meanwhile, the rest of the world's population of children did what comes to them naturally, and just pushed their way through to the front and onto the ride. The volunteer was content that the line kept moving... it wasn't as relevant to her that there was any sort of order. Amy had enough of watching the hordes pass by the two children, and let the woman know how she felt. I believe there may have even been a bit of a threat thrown in... not like "your car and house will burn!"... but, "honestly, if they are just going to be passed by,  I'm just going to pull them out of this line." I consider that a threat, because what volunteer wants an imperfect record?

So, aside from the 'incident,' it was a fairly smooth night.

Anticipation
It's 7:00am on Saturday morning, and I'm writing this blog. I point that out because, generally, I would have either written this blog last night, or at least waited until 10:00 or 11:00am today to write it. I write it now though, because despite how tired I am, I cannot sleep. You see, my body and mind are presently captive to anticipation.

It began last night with anticipating elements of the upcoming Martha Stewart show. The age old question... "what shall I wear." Martha's folks were VERY specific with the dress code required of her audience. And, because there's a slight possibility that Martha may be asking me a question or two, the need to impress has been raised a notch. So, last night, I went shopping.

This morning, I have anticipation for a different dress code situation: the Winter Plunge. Arghh. That's today! What have I got myself into. And again... "what shall I wear." Although clothing may seem to be the last thing on my mind as I prepare to jump into near frozen water, it's actually somewhat of a big deal. There's two levels to this dress code dilemma. The first is practicality. What attire can I adorn myself with that will prevent me from passing out when I hit the frigid water? The second level somewhat counteracts the first: What attire can I adorn myself with that will be in line with the theming of the event? We have been asked to dress 'creatively.' Some will wear polar bear headwear. Some will wear speedos. Some will wear tie-dyed shirts, and so on. In generally, my perception is that the more creative you go, the less warmth is provided. Such a conflict!

So, I anticipate. We leave for New York tomorrow and I'm not ready. I plunge into a lake today, and I'm not ready. But, as all things go... time doesn't stop, and it's going to happen one way or another. So, on the off chance that anyone is reading this this morning,... wish me well.

Day 19 :: Wine Tasting

Every Thursday at the local Liquor Store, The Cellars (http://www.thecellars.com), there is a wonderful little wine-tasting event that apparently has accrued quite a following. When I first walked in to the store, it felt a bit odd... it is a liquor store after all, not a winery. However, as the first impressions were just getting a hold, a gathering of folks began to accumulate. Eventually, all the 'regulars' were there and the setting was set. I know they were regulars, because the woman speaking made a point of gesturing toward me and my friend John, saying "ah, I see we have some new faces today."

The gal speaking only had to speak a few words for me to recognize that this wasn't a high-school drop out looking for part time work at the local liquor store. This young gal had her ducks in a row. And a passion for wine to boot. I would guess that she is probably the product of some years of higher education focussed specifically on wine (and the such). I believe the proper term is Sommelier.

Here's a sampling:

The night was planned out with a selection of wines from the Northwest... here's the lineup:
1. 2009 Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling (Oregon)
2. 2009 King Estate Pinot Gris (Oregon)
3. 2006 Walnut City Wineworks Viognier (Washington)
4. 2007 Argyle Brut (Oregon)
5. 2009 Westrey Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Oregon)
6. 2008 L'Ecole Columbia Valley Cabernet (Washington)
7. 2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot (Washington)
8. 2009 Owen Roe "Abbot's Table" (Washington)

I should point out at this time, that a co-worker of mine, John, joined me for this outing. His presence is significant to mention here, because this man knows his wines. While the woman covered history and context of the vineyards, the grapes and the process, John was able to key me in on the flavors and the scents of the wines. Some were peppery and earthy... generally wines with tannin (something to do with the skin of the grape... in red wines only, I believe). Others were acidic, or spicy or sweet.

Ironically, the bottle of wine that I purchased, the '2008 Chateau Ste. Michell Indian Wells Merlot' had a scent described by John as 'plum, leathery, sandy and chewing tobacco.' Yummy.

All-in-all, it was a very 'cultural' experience. I was surrounded by the wine-educated, and left feeling like I want to know more. And, just as I was shuffling up to the cash register to make my purchase, John altered my route to head to the beer section. He quickly informed me that the beer selection at 'The Cellar' is unmatched in this region. He continued to school me in the ways of the hop, wheat brewing, malts, and much more that I forgot as soon as it was spoken (I'm not a stellar student). We ended the night with the additional purchase of a beer that he said would be a very pleasant experience for me. Later that night, I validated his claim.

Thanks John. Salut.

Side note: I wrote down lots of details about each of the wines, so if you have any interest in knowing more about each of the above, just let me know, and I'll convey what I have jotted down.

Day 18 :: Ice Sculpture

Kid Friendly: yes
Pet Friendly: yes
Cost: $0
Total Budget: $33/$50


I had no vehicle, so it was a 'stay at home' event.

I have a block of ice that's been slowly melting these past few days, so I thought I'd give a go at ice sculpting. My first day of the 30-days allowed me to get inspired by some of the local talent in the snow-sculpting, ice-sculpting arena, so I was ready to take a stab at it myself.

And a stab, I did take. Right into my left thumb.

Really, it's more of a 'flesh wound.' And, I didn't even notice it until I realized that my ice sculpture was starting to take on a reddish hue. It seemed odd, but oddly appropriate, as the sculpture I was working on was a weak rendition of a heart.

I chose a heart, because like any warm-blooded American male, I waited until two days after Valentine's Day to show my recognition of the holiday. Truth be said, Valentine's Day in our household was me patting Addie's back as she leaned over the puke bucket, and Laura as far away from the house as possible. It was a very romantic ambiance for sure.

So... the ice sculpture. A heart. Sort of. I had this grandiose concept of an ornate heart with flames dancing out of the top of it. The concept became less and less grandiose as the evening progressed, and the blood floweth.

Ultimately, I realized that two or three hours is simply not enough time. Also, there apparently is 'good ice' and 'bad ice.' How novel. I thought ice is ice. I grabbed a bucket a week or two ago, filled it with water, and let God do his think. 'Kazaam,' (that's what God says)... there was ice. Unfortunately, the ice had multiple personalities. It's first personality was to be a people pleaser - that section of the ice was crystal clear and, I imagine, an ice-sculptor's dream. The second personality was timid and neurotic. I just touched that section with the chisel, and it shattered. The third, and final, section was just plain moody. It was solid, but a pasty white... cloudy and non-transparent.

So, after I finished my chiseling, axing and fillet-knifing, I had... something. I contest that it is a heart with flames coming out of it, but, you be the judge...

Block of ice

Mid-way

Almost there

Done!

Detail

Day 17 :: Speed Skating

Kid Friendly: moderately
Pet Friendly:no
Cost: $0
Total Budget: $33/$5

Sadly, I didn't allow myself time last night or this morning to write the post, so it will have to be brief. The night was divided into two events:

1. Polar Bear Winter Plunge 'Rally'
2. Speed Skating

Polar Bear Winter Plunge Rally
The rally was brief, and experienced a minimal turnout. However, we got up close and personal with the two polar bears at Como zoo, and that was wonderful. We also learned that it's best to wear a crazy costume on the day of the plunge. We'll see.

Speed Skating
I should say that I started the day off with a bad cold. I was drugged up on Nyquil and when I got home, I crashed for about two hours. However, somehow, my body regained enough strength to attempt the ridiculous... Adam Turner on speed skates.

Luckily, I have a friend who has a bit of experience in that arena... olympic speedskater, Jason Hedstrand. In addition to just being a great speed skater and instructor, he's also just a great guy to hang out with. Thus, the night, despite it's bumps and bruises (I fell twice), was a great time. There really isn't much else to tell... we arrived, I crammed my bare feet into a pair of skates that were clearly smaller than my feet, I hobbled onto the ice, listened to some advice, skated some and fell on my bum. That cycle repeated itself throughout the night. Our finale was to time each of us around the rink. Jason: 40 seconds. Adam: don't quite remember, but it was in the 1 minute, 20 second range. Not too shabby considering I was expecting a 3 minute run.

Jason showing proper form

Here are some Pictures from Jason's camera. Take note of my excellent form. And, the pictures of me in the Olympian's jacket and hat at the end... Jason's idea. Publicity photos for when I become a professional speedskater!

Day 16 :: Health Care

Kid Friendly: not one bit
Pet Friendly: in an odd sort of way, yes... if you're curious enough about this one, you could ask me personally
Cost: $0 financially, plenty to Addie
Total Budget: $33/$50


"The best laid plans of mice and men..." Actually, I didn't really have any plans tonight, but I was going to possibly build an ice sculpture in case nothing else surfaced. Well, as it turns out, something else did surface. Addie got sick.


Laura and I have sort of a 'pre-child' plan that involves sickness. Due to her aversion to being near others while they vomit, we agreed that I would deal with all symptoms of that nature, while she would handle the majority of the diaper stage. Although the diaper stage was far more numerous in it's accounts, it is, on the upside, pretty much done (that is until I reach the 'Depends' years... some friends might say is not far off for me). The upchucking, however seldom, still lurks behind every outing with other youngsters and behind every questionable meal. In this case, Addie slept a full night out in the cold with me, had a Nepalese spicy meal, and spent the afternoon at a skating party where apparently some of the other girls ended up with a stomach flu as well. This was all in the last 48 hours.


So, any plans that may have surfaced, are far from being realized. I ran into work briefly this morning to retrieve some files, and since about 8:30, Addie and I have been sitting on the couch together. I would get some work done, then deal with the first 'event.' I would get a bit more work done and then comfort her during and after the second 'event.' Each event, of course, was followed by a gut-wrenching cry out, laden with tears, "why, daddy, why??," and "why can't I control this? My body is doing this without me?" She was completely puzzled and distraught by the fact that her body was taking action that was not approved by her. 


By 7:00 tonight, she had about seven 'events' and three visits to the bathroom to deal with 'events' coming from other places. It's been a long day. The poor girl is wiped out. It's a little after 8:00, and I just put her down, for hopefully, a peaceful night.


So, that's my activity for today... health care (unless you count the five plus hours of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" that we watched together). And sorry, no pictures!