#52: Attend Chicago Pride with Joe

I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I agreed to go to Chicago Pride with Joe. All I knew was that it worked out too perfectly to NOT go: I had the time off, it was right in between our birthdays, airfair through Southwest was ridiculously cheap and Joe had a place I could crash at.

What I got myself into was a weekend long blur filled with gyrating boys, lots of screaming, lots of laughing, beautiful people, delicious food, an over-the-top parade that was a feast for the eyes, more condoms than I have ever seen, more memories than I could care to explain, crowds filled with mostly naked people, more long islands than I have ever seen in a lifetime and too many photos taken to document the chaos.

In other words? It was the time of our lives.

#75: Send Out a Message in a Bottle

The idea of a message in a bottle seems very romantic to me. The idea that someone has taken the time to write down their thoughts or hopes or dreams and send it out without any idea if anyone will see it appeals to me. Perhaps because it's so old-fashioned. Or becauce there is an element of drama in it.

To commemorate our six-month anniversary, John and I sent out our very own message in a bottle when we were in Traverse City. We liked the idea of it somehow finding it's way to Chicago after being tossed around in the waves for months or maybe years.

And what was the message that was sent? Only two people in this world know. Or maybe three if some lucky person has found it by now...

#9: Apply to Grad School

Grad school wasn't an original goal of mine. I didn't go through my undergraduate career thinking that it was paving the way for two or more years of intense study. On the contrary I thought that I would be totally set once that I had my Bachelor's Degree.

And I would have been. Except I couldn't find a job that made me feel fulfilled or excited. And I kept thinking about the amazing times that I had at NMU and how much those experiences made me the person that I became. Random memories from my college years would float through my mind during achingly long afternoons in the office and I would yearn for those days. It got me thinking that perhaps there was more. That maybe there was something out there for me.

Once I spoke to my friend who was in the Student Affairs program at Michigan State I knew what I needed to do; I knew where I wanted to be. Suddenly my path in life was a little less blurry: I wanted to go back to school to help students who were going to college.

While finding the letters of reference and writing a personal statement weren't exactly challenging, actually finding the strength to submit my application was. I filled out the forms online, but before I could click "submit" doubts filled my mind. "What if I don't get in? Then what? You want this so much--what if they say no?" My hand shook as I clicked the button. When the confirmation page popped up a wave of relief washed over me. It was out of my hands--now it was up to a committee who would hopefully see how passionate I was about it.

It took a few months, but on April 18, 2007 I got the official word: I was the newest addition to the Student Affairs program at MSU!

#18: host a fondue party

I love fondue. Loooooove fondue. If I could, I would eat fondue for every meal. However, there's no such thing as pancake fondue...yet. So I reserve the fondue-love for special occasions.

Christmas is a special time. Christmas 2006 was a special time, indeed. For my friends were treated to cheesy fondue and lots (and lots!) of delicious drinks. Just because I loved them.

It feels good to let people know how much they are loved sometimes. And nothing says "I appreciate your friendship" like a piece of crusty french bread dripping with sharp cheddar fondue. And nothing beats a holiday feast seasoned with laughter, silliness and a lot of love.

#78: Go Three Days Without the Internet

Gah. And gah again.

I am ADDICTED to the internet. I compulsively check my email--like ten times a day. I love love LOVE the internet. If I had a choice between the internet and cable television, I'd choose the world wide web in a heartbeat.

HowEVER. It's pretty damn easy to go without the internet when your beloved laptop makes a "ggggghhhhhhhhh" sound and the screen dies, followed quickly by the rest of the machine.

So not only did I go for three days without the internet, I went weeks on end without checking my email and watching Strongbad videos.

And let me tell you--it's not so much fun. But at least I know I can do it.

#71: Attend a Wine Tasting

I am a big fan of wine. I think it tastes splendid and I like collecting the pretty wine bottles. (And we'll just keep the fact that I may or may not select wine based on the bottles our little secret.) However, I don't know a lot about wine or how it's made or what exactly the different flavors are.

That changed one sunny fall afternoon when Chrissy and I embarked on a journey to Uncle John's Cider Mill. While it's called a cider mill, there is a fabulously cute winery hidden in one of the barns there. And that is why we went--not for cider but for alcohol. As did many other people because there was a line to taste the fruits. But it was well worth it.

Our bartender explained the differences in red and white, dry and sweet. I stuck to the white wines since they weren't as dry, but Chrissy sampled reds and whites, dries and sweet. All were so good. The best was an apple wine with a touch of cinnamon; it was a perfect fall wine. We each took home a bottle as a souvenir as well as new-found knowledge and appreciation of the art that is wine-making.

#98: learn a poker face and bluff my way through one game

It is no secret that I suck at lying. It is physically impossible for me to lie. Really! If I lie I start to giggle. It's like I'm thinking in my head "hehehehee! I'm totally lying and getting away with it! I am soooo good!"

Thus, the giggling begins. And the jig is then up.

The point of this goal was to see if I could even do this. I didn't think that I could. And neither did half of my friends.

On Halloween night, a rambunctios game of poker began, starring Becky, Chris (Becky's other half), Sarah, Lisa and I. It started with a challenge from Chris to me. He didn't think that I could win a hand against him.

This time when I lied? My thought process went like this: "don't smile don't smile don't smile and do NOT GIGGLE. You. Can. Do. This. Go girl!"

Three very good hands and three quarters of the chips later, he folded, I won my fourth hand against him and raked in the whole lot.

Mission very well accomplished.