Day 42: Parallel Parking

I sometimes stop and wonder how my friends deal with all my idiosyncrasies. Then I just remind myself that, if it weren't for all my quirks, they probably wouldn't love me as much as they do.

Outings with my girlfriends can sometimes be a hassle, and it's usually my fault. It's not that I'm picky about where we go when we want to go out for dinner, drinks, or a night of dancing... it's just that the place we decide on needs one thing: a parking lot/garage. Why? I can't parallel park. Luckily, parallel parking wasn't on my driver's ed test, otherwise, I would've failed a 2nd time (the 1st time was for running that red light). There have been times when I've made my girlfriends walk a few extra blocks in the middle of winter, wearing short dresses and stilettos, just so I could park in a lot. There have also been times when I've made my passengers switch seats with me so he or she could parallel park my car. Well, after all these years, it's about time that I take the wheel.

So, today, I decided to learn how to parallel park. After sending out a mass text to 10 of my closest and dearest friends, two volunteered to help me out. I'm not offended that my other friends weren't available tonight... heck, if I were them, I wouldn't want to get in a car with me while I was learning something new. One of my best friends, Risa, immediately called me upon receiving my text and volunteered her husband, Jason, for the task. After I got out of work, I drove to their house for my driving lesson. The pressure was on and all eyes were on me as Jason, Risa, Jason's mom, and Baby Sofia stood watch. While it's true that Jason gave me the world's biggest parking spot, I think I did an overall decent job: I hit the curb ever so slightly just a few times and only had to readjust three times. Thank you, Risa, for letting me borrow your husband... and thank you, Jason, for being so patient!

Day 41: Sunset

They say that the best things in life are free.

I don't always take the time to appreciate the little things in life. I would like to give the excuse that I simply don't have the time to do it, but that would be a lie... I simply don't make the time. I think that we're all guilty of taking those little things for granted and, unfortunately, it sometimes takes something big or life changing to make us realize that. I don't want that to be me.

So, today, I wanted to take the time to appreciate a sunset for the first time. My entire life, I've never sat to just watch the sun set. After a quick dinner, I grabbed Fifty Shades of Grey, jumped in my car, and headed to JB Williams Park. I found a grassy area, sat, and read for 30 minutes before the sun began to set. During those few minutes, I reflected on what a good day it was considering it was a Monday: I laughed at the thought of conversations I had all day with my amazing co-worker/therapist, Jenn; smiled in anticipation of my plans for the remaining 19 days; and took delight in knowing that my BFF comes home from vacation this week. While I'm sure that I didn't have the best view of the sunset in town, I'm almost certain that I won the award for most appreciative.

Day 40: EMPOWERed

Sometimes, you just need a little push to see how far you can go.

A recurring theme that I've found over my past 40 days/posts is that I've skipped out on so many opportunities to learn, grow, and just become "better," because I didn't believe that I would do well at said opportunity. I've let past experiences keep me from going the distance, because I didn't think that I was capable of succeeding at X, Y, or Z. In letting go of the past that has held me back, I feel empowered to do just about anything these days.

So, today, Hannah and I went zip lining at Empower in Middletown and it was so much fun! Our tour guides, Josh and Sam, were great... calming us when the fear was evident, and challenging us with "earthquakes." Over the course of 2 hours, we went through five zip lines and chose from two obstacle courses... I challenged myself by picking the more difficult one, which consisted of traversing a cargo net and walking a tight rope, because I'm awesome. While I initially doubted my ability to complete the entire course without crying, I surprised myself... again. No tears, just cheers and smiles the whole time. Today, I realized that I need to start giving myself more credit than I actually do, because I'm capable of so much more than I ever thought. With this change in mindset, my possibilities are endless.

Game face on



Me and Hannah pre-zip lining

Day 39: Singin' in the Rain

Much to my chagrin, it's been raining cats and dogs these past few days.

I've never really been a fan of rainy days or nights. I can be a light sleeper, so the sound of rain against my window keeps me up sometimes. When I hear rain in the early morning hours, all I want to do is sleep in, which can be quite difficult on workdays. On rainy weekends, I typically stay in bed a little longer, and wind up on the couch with coffee and a book. Wearing my rain boots and bright yellow raincoat, I will reluctantly venture out into the rain to run errands. I've never been one to jump into puddles and splash around just for fun. Why? I don't like when my clothes get wet, and I dislike having my hair matted to my face.

So, yesterday, I decided to sing in the rain during my friend Tom's 30th birthday party. Dressed in their full rain gear, Connie acted as the videographer while I sang and danced on her boyfriend's deck, and Ginny used her iPhone to play the summer song that everyone loves (to hate) "Call Me Maybe." Tom was nowhere to be found for the live performance, but I showed my video to him afterwards, and he enjoyed it... well, he said he did. In my defense, I couldn't hear Ginny's iPhone... you'll just have to see for yourself. Anyway, I had a lot of fun for the three minutes I was outside: I  kicked, jumped, and danced on the slippery deck without hesitation; my bermuda shorts were wet for 5 minutes before drying off once I went back inside; and I used my ponytail holder to pull my damp hair back until it dried. In the words of Maya Angelou: If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain. Well, Maya, I just changed my attitude about the rain today.

Day 38: ME Day

Every now and then, I get the urge to just get up and go somewhere... anywhere. Whether or not I actually take myself up on the offer to go is a different story.

My favorite "get up and go" trip was with my "soul sistahs," Andrea and Sarah. We were hanging out on a Friday night and decided to go to Mt. Snow the following morning. It was the week before my 28th birthday and none of us had anything else planned. So, we packed our bags, got up early, grabbed breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts, and started the first of our many weekend getaway trips that year. We drove up and down Dover, looking for a place with vacancy, and ended up at West Dover Inn. It was a blast: we rode the MOOver, went tubing, and ended up at Snow Barn that night.

So, yesterday, I took a get up and go trip all by myself. One morning, a couple of my co-workers were talking about their recent trips to Maine. Since I'd never been to Maine, I decided that I was going to make a day of it. I woke up, grabbed breakfast, packed good music, and drove 2½ hours to the Kittery Outlets in Maine, because I just needed a "me" day. At the risk of sounding shallow and superficial, shopping brings me to my happy place. It's one of the few times when I think of nothing else... just shopping. Does this look cute? Should I get it in another color? Do I really need it? When will I wear this? Does this make my (insert body part) look big/small? Where should I go next? What should I get my mom/dad? With all of these thoughts running through my head, there isn't time to think about the other things going on in my life. What's more, the little that I saw of Maine was so cute that I just wanted to take it all in, and enjoy it. I got in lots of walking, too, going up and down US Route 1. Too bad the walking campaign at work is over. I needed to refuel to continue shopping, and decided on Bob's Clam Hut for my first ever lobster roll... so good! You can't go to Maine without having some kind of lobster. I wound up with two dresses, two pairs of jeans, a top, and a sweater... I didn't want to go overboard. Happy ME Day!

Day 37: "It's What I Drink"

So, I'm getting a whole lot better at giving up some control and accepting change/surprises. Finally, right?

Plan B is one of my favorite places to go and grab drinks with some of my favorite people. Depending on my mood, I will either get a Grape Kool-Aid or a glass of wine... each time, every time.

So, tonight, I went out for drinks with my girlfriend, Ginny. She and I have both been experiencing some stress in our personal and work lives as of late, and needed a good "we" night to let it out. Though we intially planned on trying the new frozen yogurt place in town, Sweet Frog, we opted for our regular spot at Plan B. We plopped ourselves at the bar, where Ginny grabbed a Grape Kool-Aid, and I asked the bartender to give me whatever he wanted: red wine sangria. After the first round, Ginny asked for another Grape Kool-Aid, and I asked another bartender to give me whatever she wanted: "No name, it's what I drink" was a pomegranite mix drink of some kind. Not bad... I'm starting to like surprises, well kind of.

Red Wine Sangria and grape Kool-Aid

"No name, it's what I drink" and Grape Kool-Aid

Day 36: Jigger What, Jigger Who

Like most of the home-cooked meals I've made in the past, I've liked my at-home adult beverages simple: pour a glass of wine, done; open a malt beverage, done; take a shot, done.

I've never been able to mix drinks successfully... I've always added either too much cranberry or too much vodka, or I've mixed an alcoholic beverage with the wrong non-alcoholic beverage; it always ends up being a disaster and someone else has to remake my drinks.

So, last night, I made my first mojito: I used a "jigger" to measure out rum and club soda, muddled mint leaves, added sugar, and poured it over ice. It was delicious and much needed after a long workday, which included a 70-minute presentation on pediatric feeding and swallowing.

Mojitos for two and a jigger

Day 35: Scrapbooking!

Before "60 Things in 60 Days," there was the now-defunct "30 Things Before 30."

About a year and a half ago, Andrea and I were having our weekly Wednesday Hump Day at Diamond Bar and Grill in Glastonbury... wine, apps, and gossip to get us through the rest of the workweek. One night, we were reflecting on how our lives had changed so much since graduating from college. We then realized that the big 3-0 was just around the corner. Andrea and I decided that we were going to embrace the idea of hitting 30 by setting some goals for ourselves before our big birthdays. The plan was to blog about the fun we would embark upon in the next 2 years; we grabbed a napkin from the bar, borrowed a pen from the bartender, and began to scribble down our plans. After a few glasses of wine, you come up with some pretty creative ideas. Well, flash forward 18 months later, and we've probably accomplished a combined 10/30 goals... and we've only got 6-7 months left. While I try to remain optimistic these days, something tells me we won't hit every goal we set for ourselves.

So, tonight, I decided to cross one of our "30 Things" off the list (and counted it towards my "60 Things" as well): scrapbooking. Yes, scrapbooking. Today, I spent a considerable amount of time at Jo-Ann Fabric buying scrapbooking materials. Between middle school, high school, college, and beyond, I've probably taken thousands of pictures. From my neon pink 110mm camera to my 35mm bar cameras to my digital cameras, I've captured an immeasurable number of memories, both good and bad. I have countless photo albums, webshots albums, and facebook albums capturing me in my awkward glasses and bangs days to present day. While I have a few ideas for my first scrapbook album, I don't want to share until the project is completed.

Day 34: Milk and Sugar

Coffee... one of my favorite things in the world.

I didn't start drinking coffee until my sophomore year of college, thanks to my roommate, Kristen. We would walk from our dorm room in the jungle to Dunkin Donuts, where she would get a french vanilla iced coffee light and sweet, and I would get a strawberry coolatta with whipped cream. She always urged me to try her coffee, and I always politely declined. I finally gave in one day during finals... flavored coffee with extra cream and extra sugar was amazing! So began my obsession with coffee. Over the years, I've gradually decreased the amount of cream and sugar I put in it, ordering french vanilla coffee cream and sugar.

So, this morning I decided to make myself a coffee with milk and sugar because 1) I wanted to be healthier, and 2) I needed my coffee strong today. Ummm... I didn't really like it. At all. I probably put in a 1/2 cup of milk by the time I was done. Maybe I'll try it again in a few days. But I probably won't.

Day 33: Converting

Back on Day 17, I blogged about how I ate everything except sushi and Indian food. By the end of Day 17, one of my friends made me a sushi convert. That same friend made me an Indian food convert yesterday.

Over the past 33 days, one of the things that I have come to appreciate the most about myself is my newfound willingness to open up (even if it is only in the smallest of fractions). I have a tendency to be closed off... in more ways than one. I've passed up new experiences to avoid possible failure. I've stayed away from doing things differently to avoid negative perceptions. I've bottled up emotions to avoid confrontation. I've put up walls to avoid being hurt. And, I've shunned new foods... because I'm stubborn. These really don't look so great lined up one after the other, but I'm working on it.

So, last night, my friend offered to help me with my new thing for the day. He wanted to surprise me. I don't like surprises. He eventually told me we were going to make a new food. We went grocery shopping, which gave me no clues at all: chicken breast, ginger, cashews, buttermilk, tomato sauce, and rice. He brought the rest of the ingredients from home (cinnamon, bay leaves, cilantro, cumin, turmeric, and other stuff I don't remember). I initially thought it might be a Chinese dish, and that my "new thing" would be cooking Chinese food. Turns out, we were cooking and eating an Indian dish Williams-Sonoma Slow Cooked Chicken Korma. The verdict? It was really good. We ate out on my deck, and I even finished my dinner before he did. Pleasantly surprised all around.

Day 32: Blueberry Picking

Did you know that it takes up to 20 times trying a new food before you can definitively say whether or not you like it? That's a little factoid we tell families during feeding team evaluations at the hospital.

Since my semi-successful blueberry muffin attempt last week, I've been craving blueberries like whoa! I bought a pint of blueberries and had leftovers... but I don't eat fresh blueberries. Weird, right? I like blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, blueberry waffles, blueberry Nutrigrain bars... just not plain blueberries. Well, with all the leftovers, I had no choice but to eat them. And I liked it!

So, with my newfound love for fresh blueberries, I decided to go blueberry picking with my mom yesterday. She laughed when I told her I wanted to pick blueberries instead of shop. I'd never had the desire to pick blueberries, because I didn't like them. So, it was off to Rose's Berry Farm in Glastonbury! We rode in a cute shuttle to designated rows of blueberry bushes. We wound up with 2.5 lbs. of blueberries, about 1/3 of which I had picked myself.

Mom: Look at all my blueberries! Why did you pick so few?

Me: Well, I only wanted to pick the ones that were perfect.

Mom: That sounds familiar.

Me: Huh?

Mom: Nothing, you're just picky with a lot of things. Maybe that's why you're still single.

Me: I love you, too, Mom.

Picking the perfect blueberries

Mom

My mom's bag vs. mine

Day 31: Plan D(inner by Candlelight)

Well, I hadn't planned on attempting my pesto sauce so soon, but plans for my "new thing" fell through. So did my back-up "new thing." And so did my back-up to my back-up "new thing." Good thing there was a Plan D!

I was excited to go to the Festival of Jazz at the Bushnell tonight with my friend, Ginny, but she was feeling under the weather and bowed out. Luckily, I had also planned to go golfing with my friend, Nick, this afternoon... but the rain kept us from going. So, I called my BFF and offered to make her dinner, and she accepted. The only stipulation? She needed to come over on a full stomach. I told her to eat dinner before she actually came over to eat my dinner... that way, if she didn't like it, she could say she was full from dinner #1 without making me feel bad. Well, Andrea canceled on me, too. But I'd already started cooking, so I couldn't really stop.

So, I decided to make the most of it by spoiling myself with a romantic dinner for one by candlelight. I told my mom about my plans to make pesto, and she let me borrow her food processor. Check. I bought a cheese grater at Home Goods. Check. I went grocery shopping to buy chicken, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese (and asked a kind stranger what kind of pasta to use with my pesto... she went on for about 5 minutes before putting penne in my basket). Check. I also had wine, chocolate, and candles on hand. Triple check. And you know what? Even though I wasn't able to go to the Festival of Jazz, I still listened to Jazz on Music Choice while cooking and eating my dinner. Although I couldn't sport a cute outfit on the golf course, I used my chef's costume from Halloween 2010. Despite not being able to cook dinner for a guest, I thoroughly enjoyed a brand new dish that I made on my own. While my day didn't turn out the way I'd planned, I guess I can't complain.

Jazz and a cute outfit

Pesto from scratch

Dinner by candlelight

Day 30: Herbal Essences

My parents both have green thumbs, and love to plant and garden together... which begs the question, "What the heck happened to me?"

When I bought my place nearly three years ago, my realtor gave me mums. I was so excited to have my first plant... I couldn't wait to watch it bloom. I left the mums on my deck, and had every intention of caring for it. Over the next few weeks, I found myself busy with work, unpacking, and decorating. When I went out onto my deck one Saturday morning, I found that my once thriving orange mums were dried and brown. No one gave me directions on how to care for the plant, and I didn't water it during those 2+ weeks. I haven't had a live plant since.

So, today I bought my very own plant! After work, my co-workers and I had a welcome dinner to celebrate the newest addition to our department, Laura. I met up with everyone at J's Restaurant after my last patient left, and I was starving. I started with a glass of Riesling and browsed the menu for something new and different to try. Unfortunately, nothing really caught my eye. I went with a chicken pesto panini, because I love pesto. I was telling the girls how good my dinner was, and someone suggested I make pesto as a "new/different thing." I asked what was needed to make it: fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese (not the kind in the green Kraft container). As excited as I was about learning a new recipe, I was even more excited at the thought of starting an herb garden. Meghan asked if there was a place for me to actually grow a garden at my condo... and I don't think there really is (hopefully, it will be ok if I just put my plant by a window and remember to water it). At any rate, I went to Stop and Shop after dinner to buy myself a basil plant. I'll let you know how my attempt at pesto goes in a few more blogs... now I just have to buy pine nuts, parmesan cheese, a food processor, and a cheese grater.

Day 29: Stairmaster

One might think that my thin frame is the result of strict dieting and daily aerobic workout... not so much. I have a fast metabolism, but have realized that the older I get, the more it slows down.

There was this awful 2-3 week period at work, where the elevators in the garage were broken. I was forced to use the stairs to get from floor H to floor B and back twice a week when I was in the Hartford office. It was dreadful. Luckily, the elevators in the building worked. I literally jumped for joy when I got to work one day, and saw that the "Elevators Broken" sign was taken down. After seeing that, I knew it was going to be a good day. But, I really need to stop being so lazy. I need to make a conscious effort to change the little things, hopefully resulting in a bigger and better change.

So, when I went over to Hartford this afternoon for our clinical meeting, I chose to use the stairs. Going down the stairs in the garage wasn't the issue; it was climbing the stairs to get to the office that sucked. As I reached the 4th floor, the elevator doors opened and a woman held the door, asking me if I was getting in. After seeing and hearing me huff and puff, she exclaimed, "Oh, I guess you just came up!" I was slightly embarrassed at how out of shape I must've seemed to this woman. One of these days, I fully intend on making it up all the stairs without breaking a sweat.

Day 28: Control Freak

Those closest to me would probably say that one of my less admirable traits would be my resistance to "just let go" for fear of doing things the wrong way. There aren't very many things in this world that I can control, so when I can, I do... it's the borderline perfectionist in me.

My best friend sometimes tells me that I have "only child syndrome." I'd like to think that that isn't true... I just like to have a plan and make sure that I get things done the right way. Andrea and I went to Vegas for Halloween a few years ago (best trip ever!), and she almost killed me for booking our flight home for 6am. But, I wanted to make sure that I got home in time to unpack, get organized, and have myself ready for work the next day. It wasn't really an "I get what I want" kind of deal... it was more of an "I need to get things done" kind of deal.

So, today, I let my graduate student order my lunch. I put no restrictions on what she could order for me. My co-worker, Sara, suggested we go to the Mustard Seed Cafe because they had good salads, sandwiches, and wraps. My student liked the menu and wanted to get lunch there, which was fine with me. After she decided what she wanted to order, she asked me what I wanted, and the first thing that came out of my mouth was, "Surprise me." It wasn't until we got back from picking up our lunch that I saw what my student ordered for me: chicken quesadilla with salsa. Now, I'm more of a chicken quesadilla with sour cream kind of girl, but it didn't stop me from eating everything. I know, I know, letting someone order your food is laughable as a "new and different thing," but I gave up a little control in my life today... and my world didn't come crashing down because of it.

Day 27: Muffin Top

We established earlier on that I am no Betty Crocker. While I haven't completely abandoned the idea of becoming a better cook, I'd prefer to put the focus on my one area of strength in the kitchen: baking.

OK, so I use the term "baking" very loosely. My idea of baking is using the stuff that comes in the red Betty Crocker box; adding eggs, oil, and water; stirring; and baking. I sometimes buy cookie dough, roll it into perfect 1" balls, and bake that as well. I try to make things "my own" by adding whatever candy or chocolate is on sale at CVS... Heath bars to brownies, mini Reese's to chocolate chip cookies, or Hershey's kisses to peanut butter cookies. I also keep my frosting gun handy, so I can decorate my cupcakes with pretty designs.

So, today, I decided to try my hand at baking from scratch... no red Betty Crocker box in sight. I decided not to try cakes, brownies, or cookies just yet... only because I probably couldn't handle eating an entire cake or batch of brownies or cookies by myself. During my lunch break, I googled "easy blueberry muffin recipe." My search turned up hundreds of recipes; I filtered through by finding the recipe with the fewest number of ingredients: 8. After work, I went to Stop and Shop to pick up blueberries, baking powder, and milk... I already had flour, sugar, salt, eggs, and vegetable oil. Since I only have one mixing bowl, I had to use a pot for my "dry" ingredients and the mixing bowl for my "wet" ingredients. About 20 minutes later, I had the smell of fresh blueberry muffins made from scratch filling my kitchen. I ate two of the muffins after I had dinner, which probably means that the muffins were pretty decent for a first-timer.

the milk was still in the fridge

before

after

Day 26: It's the Climb

I think it's pretty safe to say that I have no upper body strength. While I'm at it, I'd go so far as to say I have no lower body strength, either. Mix that with some rock climbing, and it's a recipe for disaster, right? This is the stuff people pay to watch.

After going out to eat at least once every day this past week, I was in need of a pretty good workout. I could've gone on my elliptical, because I haven't been on it since I hit the 15-minute mark a few weeks ago. But, I decided against it. As I looked at my "idea bank" of things to do during my 60 days, some of the more "active" ideas jumped out at me: hiking, kayaking, zip lining. I made a few phone calls to places I considered going, and decided on rock climbing. I called my friend, Hannah, to join me, and she was up for the challenge.

So, we went to Stone Age Rock Gym in Manchester this afternoon. We decided to go bouldering (without ropes) and weren't quite sure how it would work for me. After signing the waiver, I was given shoes and a bag of chalk. Chalk? I thought that it might be for writing "Ellaine was here 2012" on the wall when I was finished. But, I was wrong. After that, I was convinced that I wasn't cut out for rock climbing, and that I would climb all of 3 feet before crashing into the bouldering mats. Surprisingly, I took to the walls like a little monkey and absolutely LOVED it. Before scaling the walls each time, Hannah and I set goals for ourselves: Let's touch the blue double circle. Let's get to the orange thing that looks like a nose. Let's go for the yellow banana. I hit every goal I made for myself and then some. It was so much fun... I even sweat a ton and didn't mind! Hannah was a great cheerleader, and I truly felt a sense of accomplishment with every climb. It was awesome.

Hannah, Me, and the Yellow Banana

final climb to the Elephant

Day 25: I Will Survive

There are just some songs with which you connect. After hearing the first few notes, you either break out into some kind of dance or you start to sing/scream at the top of your lungs. You know you've been there.

For as long as I can remember, I've always been a fan of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." I think I was first introduced to this song in elementary school, when I heard one of my aunt's singing it. At that point, it became one of my favorite songs. I was probably 10 years old. Go figure! After that, I requested "I Will Survive" at every high school dance; there's even a video clip of me singing this in the middle of a circle at my Senior Prom. It's the song I sing at karaoke. It's the song I belt out in my car with the windows down. And, as the years passed, this song eventually became more meaningful... it's just my song.

So, why not sing it in the middle of a spa after getting a facial and having my makeup done? I've never done that before. I spent Saturday afternoon celebrating my co-worker's bachelorette party. We went to Jennie Fresa in Clinton to spoil the bride-to-be, Melissa. While waiting our turns for facials and makeup, we enjoyed tasty apps, lots of wine, and some SkinnyGirl drinks. Ginny had her iPhone and hooked it up to speakers so we could enjoy some music as we ate, drank, chatted, and indulged in girly stuff. After playing "Build Me Up Buttercup," Ginny surprised me by playing my favorite song. And, in typical fashion, I broke out into song and dance, despite being in the middle of a boutique. There wasn't a whole lot of space for me to move around, but I made do.

dinner at the Back Porch

Day 24: Beer Goggles

"Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor before beer, you're in the clear." Reason #73 why I don't drink beer.

I remember having my first adult beverage in high school. I tasted beer and immediately spit it out. I proceeded to drink Mike's Hard Lemonade for the rest of the night, and Andrea had to rescue me. I've never been able to drink a full beer... I've always liked pretty, fruity, girly drinks, and beer doesn't really fit that description. I'll take a bottle of wine, champagne, malt beverage, or mixed drink any day over a beer. My girlfriends and I would get into lots of trouble in college, playing flip cup with sour apple martinis. Over the past decade, my sips of beer here and there probably haven't even amounted to a six-pack.

So, I met up with some friends in Hartford last night. I told Alli, Dan, and Tucker my plan... I was only allowed to drink beer the entire night. No wine. No Madras. No Cosmopolitan. No Twisted Tea. Just beer. Black Bear was having a 2 for 1 special on my first beer of the night: Sam Summer. The verdict? It tasted a lot like beer. I eventually finished it and moved onto my next one... Stella. The Stella wasn't too bad. I actually finished it in no time at all. After our 2nd round of drinks, we went to the Russian Lady. They didn't have Stella, so I tried a Corona. I was hopeful that the lime in the Corona would make the beer taste like a shot. Nope, not so much. I probably finished half of it before setting it down on a table and walking away. The last beer I tried was a Blue Moon. Again, not really a fan. I think after three sips, I left it on the bar. Oh, well. At least I know I can tolerate a Stella. Maybe I'll learn how to funnel that next.

Sam Summer

Corona

Day 23: Take it Off!

There's something to be said about a really good-looking guy who happens to have really good dance moves.

After a really long workday, there's nothing like sitting back with your girlfriends and having a good time. Whether you're 14 or 29, your best friends are the people with whom you can laugh and cry at just about everything.

So, after a long-awaited girls night, I met up with six of my girlfriends to watch Channing Tatum in the critically-acclaimed "Magic Mike." The storyline and the acting weren't the greatest, but who cares? We were there to watch Channing take it off, while wowing us with incredibly hot dance moves. With the exception of three brave males, the theater was packed with rowdy women. I yelled and screamed during the movie (a first), followed by childlike giggles, when Channing took the stage. This is probably the only movie where you were expected (and allowed) to scream throughout the scenes. While this movie won't be earning any Oscar nods, it certainly got the thumbs up from this girl right here.

Day 22: Lions and Tigers and Snakes, Oh My!

I'm the polar opposite of the "outdoorsy type." This isn't necessarily something in which I take pride, but it's me.

I went camping a few years ago, and couldn't wait to get home. I nearly left before the sun began to set, but decided to rough it for a few more hours. The only thing I found enjoyable was making s'mores by the campfire. There were bugs, insects, and snakes all over the campsite. Ughhh. I don't like to admit this, but I can't be around those critters without screaming or causing a scene of some sort.

So, I decided to conquer my fear of snakes today... crazy, right? While doing some online shopping, I came across a PetSmart ad and accidentally clicked on it. I was then brought to the "Reptile" page, which included pictures of snakes. Snakes? 60 Things? This might work. I wasn't planning on going any time soon, but my girlfriend text me to see what my "new thing" was today. Denise suggested we do dinner, where I planned on drinking a beer as my "new thing." Then I told her my snake idea, and she loved it. So, I called PetSmart to see if they had snakes. They did! I told Denise to meet me at my place, so she could bear witness to my feat. Once we got to PetSmart, I suggested that I hold a turtle or bird instead... yes, I was chickening out. But, Denise wouldn't let me. She went to the front desk, and asked Adrian for help. He got the snake out of its' terrarium and tried handing it to me. Unfortunately, I ran away and started screaming in the middle of the store. True story. As I began to approach the snake again, I quickly turned away because I couldn't do it. That's when Denise yelled at me. Apparently, Adrian was growing impatient, and it was do or die. After a few deep breaths, I put out my hands, closed my eyes, and conquered my fear. When Adrian told me the snake didn't have a name, I made one suggestion: Ellaine.

I almost ran away... again

the fake-out

if I closed my eyes, maybe I wouldn't notice the snake

tell me how you really feel

I did it!

Day 21: Grill Master

BBQs are one of my favorite things about the summer. I love burgers, hot dogs, and steaks.

Last summer, I bought a patio set for my deck and a gas grill to complete the look. One year later, my dad still has the propane tank sitting in his garage, so the grill serves more or less as decoration at this point. I have a George Foreman grill which I do use, but it doesn't even begin to compare to a real grill. So, like most of the meals I eat, I leave the cooking and grilling to those who are really good at it: my mom, dad, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, neighbors... I could go on and on.

So, today I helped my friend fire up his grill and make steak, potatoes, and onions. I took on the tough role of setting up the chimney for the charcoal: crumpling up old paper, pouring in the charcoal, and lighting it; slicing and seasoning the onions with orange pepper and olive oil; and seasoning the steak with salt, pepper, and paprika. I might have added too much pepper to his steak... and as mad as I was at myself for "ruining" it, he was nice enough to refer to it as "pepper-crusted steak." I set the timer on my phone, and flipped the steaks so they wouldn't overcook. The end result: I kind of made a really good meal. My sous chef wasn't too bad, either.

Day 20: Tentacles

I'm fairly certain that I have arachnophobia... the mere thought of those eight-legged things makes me itch and squirm. To this day, I still call my dad to come over and take care of any that might be lurking in my basement. Yes, they are smaller than me... but they also have four times as many legs as I do.

I'm pretty sure that my arachnophobia plays a role in my refusal to eat calamari tentacles/arms. I love calamari... but I only eat the rings. Like those things that have eight legs, squid have eight arms (plus two tentacles), so looking at calamari tentacles on a plate makes me think of "that other thing." Recently, I've tried to be more open by at least cutting off the tentacles, leaving it on the plate, and eating the rest of the calamari.

So, tonight I went out to dinner with my girlfriends from work, Connie and Ginny. They both just came home vacation, and it felt like I hadn't seen them in weeks! We went to Treva in West Hartford, and decided to get calamari for an appetizer. Connie was kind enough to leave a few tentacles for me. As scary as it was, I closed my eyes and went to town. I might've flinched ever so slightly, but I still did it. I can't say it tasted any different... crunchier-yes, different-not so much. Afterwards, I just stuck with the rings until our dinner came. Glad to have you girls back in CT!

 

Day 19: Pay it Forward

The weekends are supposed to be my chance to do one of the "bigger" things planned for my 60 Days. Today, however, I was slightly out of commission.

After a fun night of fireworks, drinking, and meeting new people, I was feeling less than stellar this morning. I had yet another BBQ/housewarming to attend today and was also invited to go on a party boat. I had an all white outfit picked out for the party boat, but wound up too tired to do much of anything.

So, on my way to the BBQ (where I spent a total of 50 minutes), I stopped at Dunkin Donuts to grab myself an iced coffee. After paying for my drink, I asked the guy at the window if I could pay for the coffee of the woman behind me. After giving me a funny look, he said, "OK, sure." I also asked him to tell her to have a nice day. While stopped at a red light, the woman pulled up next to me, honked, and offered a friendly wave and smile. Hopefully, it made her day just a little brighter, and hopefully, she was able to return the favor to the person behind her.

Day 18: Baby, You're a Firework

There's nothing quite like BBQs and fireworks for the 4th of July!

While celebrating the high school graduation of 4 cousins with a huge BBQ (congrats Tina, Danielle, MJ, and Bri!), I was invited to watch fireworks over Hartford from an apartment rooftop. I've seen fireworks from sitting in the grass and standing on the sidewalk, but never from a rooftop! After a fun-filled day of playing football and blowing bubbles with 3 year olds, and sharing laughs with some of the world's greatest cousins ever, I decided to take my friend up on his offer to watch fireworks in Hartford.

So, we met up in downtown, and I asked him to parallel park my car for me (I know, it's another thing I'll have to learn during my 60 Days). Now, it wasn't until I was in the passenger seat of my car, that I realized no one but me has driven Vivi before. I nearly had a heart attack when my friend made a K-turn in the middle of a busy Hartford street. Luckily, we were able to find a parking spot. We met up with a few more of his friends, grabbed some drinks, and headed to the apartment rooftop for the show. I climbed a ridiculously tall ladder in a maxi dress without difficulty to get to the top of the roof. We were able to see a good part of the fireworks show... and, although it wasn't the best fireworks show I'd ever seen, I had an awesome time!

Day 17: More Sashimi, Please

Whenever anyone asks me where I want to go to eat, I say, "I will eat anything except for sushi or Indian food." I actually haven't had sushi or Indian food before, but my guess has always been that I wouldn't like either.

I go to Japanese restaurants regularly, with both family and friends. I like Sakura Garden, Ichiro, Feng, Ginza, and Oyama... but I go for the sirloin steak hibachi. Don't get me wrong, I love fish... I just like my fish cooked. I had food poisoning once before from eating undercooked chicken, so eating completely uncooked fish has to be really bad for you, right? Well, my family and friends LOVE sushi/sashimi/rolls. I've been offered tastes of their raw fish before, but always offer my polite, "No thanks." I've had edamame (I know that doesn't count) and a sweet potato roll before... just not raw fish.

So, I decided to dive right into raw fish when I went out to lunch with a friend today. In addition to the California roll that came with my teriyaki beef, I sampled some white tuna sashimi, too. Surprisingly, I really liked the sashimi... even moreso when I dipped it in soy sauce. So, from now on, when I'm asked where I want to go to eat, I can say, "I will eat anything except Indian food." Maybe I can add Indian food to my list for the summer? Who knows? I might end up liking that, too. There are still 43 days left.

Day 16: Brave

Among other things, one of my biggest flaws would be caring too much about how others perceive me.

Being an only child, I've become used to doing things alone. When I was little, I would play board games with my stuffed animals, and I managed to win every time. I live by myself, and I don't have to share the remote. I eat home-cooked (or store-bought) meals alone 5 nights a week, but I've never really minded because I work late. I shop by myself, and can spend as much time as I want at Nordstrom. There are some things, though, that I might've never done alone if it weren't for my "60 Things." Going to the movies by myself would be one of them. Why? Because in the back of my mind, I'm always worrying about what other people think of me. For the majority of my life, I've avoided any and all situations that I thought might make others view me negatively. What would people think if they saw me sitting in the theater by myself? Poor thing. She must have no friends. I feel so bad for her. So, instead of going to the movies alone, I would either cross fingers that someone would go with me, or just wait until the movie came out on red box.

So, tonight, I decided that I would Brave the movies by myself. My cousin, Michelle, went to see Brave the other week with her kids and absolutely loved it. Tonight, I decided that I wasn't going to care if anyone saw me sitting alone, and I wasn't going to care what he or she might think of me. And, you know what? I really enjoyed the entire experience: I enjoyed the movie; I enjoyed having 3 seats to myself; I enjoyed not having anyone ask me about what was just said; and, I enjoyed not having to share my layered butter popcorn. Like I said, I'm an only child. So, after tonight, I feel just the slightest bit more Brave and I really like it. As Princess Merida said, "Our fate lives within us. You only have to be brave enough to see it."

Day 15: Red, White, and Pink(berry)

A few things that I really enjoy: shopping, wine, coffee, and, most recently, frozen yogurt.

Happy 4th of July! Well, I've spent the past few 4th of Julys at my best friend's beach house in Niantic. We would go to Sunset Ribs the night before, and watch the 4th of July Parade at Black Point in the morning. This year, Andrea's family is building up the beach house, and it won't be open for a few more weeks. Add to that, the 4th of July being on a Wednesday this year, with work days on Tuesday and Thursday for me.

So, I ended up sticking around here to celebrate the 4th at a few BBQs... which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After BBQ #1, in South Windsor, I stopped at Evergreen Walk, because 1) 4th of July sales make me happy and 2) I wanted to try Pinkberry. It's no secret that I like to shop... a lot. It's fun and relaxing for me, especially when there's a good sale. I didn't go crazy, because I had to go to BBQ #2 in East Hartford, and was running short on time. During my quick walk through at Evergreen, I spotted Pinkberry and decided to see what the craze was about. Within the past year, a TCBY opened up near me. I go there often... almost too often. The people who work there know me well, and I manage to get my 10th free frozen yogurt in no time at all. Well, I tried Pinkberry today, and wasn't really sold on it. I was limited to just a few flavors, and didn't get to pull a lever to make it. I enjoy creating my own frozen yogurt... mixing flavors, and adding ridiculous toppings. It was a little too tart for me, as well. So, I'm glad that TCBY is right around the corner. I'll probably go to get my fix tomorrow.

Day 14: Please Pass the... Chopsticks

I'm Filipino. We use a fork, knife, or spoon to eat our meals. On occasion, we just use our hands. That's it.

Now, I'm not going to lie. It can be embarassing when you're at hibachi or eating chinese with a dozen of your cousins who are using chopsticks... and the waiter walks by to hand you a fork. It's happened to me... more than once. My cousins have tried to teach me their chopstick methods without success. But, since I'm really good at using a fork, why not just continue with that?

So, today, I decided I was going to eat my dinner using ONLY chopsticks. I worked a little late tonight and decided to order chinese food on my way home. When I picked up my food, I asked for chopsticks because I was set on using them tonight. And, you know what? I did! So what if I had the instructions with me throughout dinner? Sure, it would've only taken me 5 minutes to eat my lo mein with a fork... but I was in no hurry. While it did take me 35 minutes (yes, an extra 30 minutes) to finish, at least I can say that I did it.

the directions were there the entire time

35 minutes later

Day 13: Type A Free Agent

Maybe I'm a little more athletic than I thought... NOT.

As I'd mentioned before, I'm not athletic... at all. Besides being told by my golf instructor not to come back for another lesson until I could "hit the ball three times in a row," I was essentially cut from the volleyball team in high school. Why? I sort of dodged the ball whenever it came my way. After my unsuccessful attempt to join the volleyball team, I was told that I could be the announcer at a few games. Not to brag or anything, but I was pretty good at that.

So, today, I was invited to watch some of my friends from home play in a softball game. The other team ended up canceling it, but my friends decided to get in some practice at our old high school field. I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to run a mile on the track (because I haven't run since my senior year of high school, where it was a requirement). On my short drive over, I decided that I would walk the mile for fun instead (which I've never done). My friend, Risa, kept me entertained on the phone for the 30 minutes I walked. Anyway, after my "workout," I decided to stick around while my friends practiced. After most of the team left, I decided to "try out" for Balls Deep. While I missed just about every pitch that came my way, I think I hit the ball 3 times. I doubt my friends will be making me an alternate on their team, but at least I can now say that I've "played" softball.

after my strenuous walk

don't let the stance fool you

all the balls I missed

Day 12: upDATE

And the upDATE from yesterday...

I've been known to go on first dates that have lasted anywhere between 1½ to 4 hours. If it feels like I'm pulling teeth to get the guy to converse with me or if I've checked out of the date for other reasons, the date is usually towards the 1½ hour end of the spectrum. But, if I find that the conversation flows well and that he piques my interest, the date typically lasts between 3-4 hours.

So, as I posted yesterday, I went on my first real blind date last night. I guess one can say it went fairly well, because it was an 8 hour date... twice as long as my previous "longest first date." Technically, the date ended today, so I guess I'm allowed to count it as my new/different thing for the day? Ummm, I think that's all I have to say about that...