#21 - Complete!

This was a fun one!  I got to give zip lining a try at my company's annual offsite.  We were holed up in Government Camp on Mt. Hood for two days of meetings & socializing.  The events of this weekend were planned by yours truly and I devoted every ounce of energy to planning this retreat so that all would have a great time - so of course I worked some fun in.  :-)

One of our planned group activities was to go cosmic snow tubing after dinner Thursday night.  Unfortunately Mt. Hood did not have enough snow to open the slopes or the snow tubing so we threw in zip lining as a last-minute replacement.  Totally fine by me since zip lining was added to my bucket list weeks ago!

Zip lining was both everything like I expected and nothing at all like I expected.  The actual act of zip lining was more or less as I imagined from getting harnessed, to jumping off the platform, to the thrill of sliding down the cables.  All very cool.  But my first experience was not at all like I pictured.  When I envisioned myself zip lining, it was daylight, I was in a forest - perhaps even a tropical location - and the course was going to be long.  My first zip lining experience was at night (turned out to be pretty cool), it was snowing! (also very cool), and it was a super short run (just two zips).  But it was totally amazing!  And since we had the whole place to ourselves, I got to back and do the run 4 times.  Not too shabby.  :-)

I remember reading about an adventure park somewhere in the Willamette Valley wine country.  They have a legitimate zip line course from what I remember so I think I will have to plan a trip out there one day.  Zip lining is definitely something I'll do again and again and again!

All righty.  Time to wrap things up with progress on #15.  Next up is Madonna's Immaculate Collection.  If you lived through the 80s at all, this is a must-have!  I forget how many of her songs I truly love until I listen to this and am reminded.  I purchased this album shortly after moving to Portland when I realized my music library was lacking in Madonna selections.  This is a great starter to get you a sampling of her hits up to 1990.  And that's one of the amazing things about her - she's timeless.  She has had many more hits since this collection was released.  Her stuff from the late 90s and on may not be my favorites, but she is still going strong.

#31 - COMPLETE

I know this is a little lame - only six weeks in and already utilizing one of my swap options.  To be fair, this particular item on the list was thought about early on...  unfortunately never when I had my notebook nearby to jot it down.  So while this did not make the cut for the official list, I assure you that it was thought about early on.

Heartless Heathers in neon yellow shirts

So what did I do?  I went to my first roller derby bout last night - and it was super fun!  It was a pretty big affair - four Portland teams versus four Seattle teams.  The first match was already a couple minutes underway by the time we took our seats, so we missed hearing the introduction and rules.  It was a little hard to figure out the scoring, but it was great watching the Heartless Heathers (from Portland) take down the Sockit Wenches.

Portland's Guns N Rollers & High Rollers took down Seattle's Derby Liberation Front & Throttle Rockets respectively.  The night ended on a loss with our Break Neck Betties unable to overtake Grave Danger.  Once I understood the rules, it was awesome to watch the jammers as they raked up point after point.  Some of the standouts for me were Slay Miserables, Feliz Brutality, and Napoleon Blownapart.

I totally want to be a Heartless Heather for Halloween next year.  I have never been able to think of a totally awesome homemade costume, but I think a roller derby chick would make a great costume.  And if I can assemble a proper costume, then I'd have everything I need to try out next year.  My friend, Hannah, joined me at the match and we both think it would be fun to try out next year.  So now I have something else to look forward to.

Now to vent a little frustration about my progress on item #15.  Wikipedia's list of the top selling albums of all time has changed since I started this project!  I did not think the list would change so easily - seems like something that should be pretty well set in stone at this point.  It wouldn't be a problem if I had bothered to make a copy of the list when I first saw it, but alas, I did not.  When I checked it a few days ago, it showed 32 albums having sold 30 million units - today the list is down to 31.  Why is it fluctuating?  The two biggest changes now are the addition of Santa's Supernatural at the bottom of the list (which I will skip) and the change in order of Nirvana's Nevermind and Pink Floyd's The Wall.  Odd.

The 28th best-selling album of all time is full of energy that has been fun to listen to when writing about roller derby - Metallica's self-titled album (aka The Black Album).  I'm pretty sure I purchased this album when I was working at Tower Records - it was a lot of fun having a music discount back then.  The band actually played in the parking lot at that Tower location back in '96.  I remember having a few friends who ditched school to go check it out.  That was before I got into them though.  The only other Metallica story I have is that "Enter Sandman" was played at every single high school dance.

#27 - Complete

I have been debating about whether or not to write about this particular item.  Though it is number 27 on the official list, this was actually the thing weighing on my mind in the first place to get this bucket list going.  So here it is:  Number 27 - Either be engaged or be single.  After spending 6.5 years of my life with Eddie, I realized it was time to make a change.  Both of us were too complacent with each other and I couldn't decide whether this was the relationship I wanted for the rest of my life - for a marriage.  I did a lot of soul searching the past three months to really think about what I wanted in life and where I see myself going.  And I came to the conclusion that it was time for the relationship to end.

I haven't wanted to write about it here for a few reasons:  1) I didn't want Eddie to think that I've only thought of him as a bucket list item.  That is obviously not the case.  It just happens to be that while I was doing my thinking on our relationship, the idea of an actual bucket list also entered my head.  2) We haven't told everyone in our lives that we are no longer together.  Our family and closest friends know, but we've kept the split on the DL.  3) While on paper I thought about this as a chance for me to be either engaged or single, in my heart I was ready to end the relationship - thus not giving it a real try to fix to see if we could work things out.  4) This isn't a happy thing to write about - and I like to be happy.

Eddie and I will continue to remain very close friends.  He has moved out of our house and started renting a really cute apartment in a very fun Portland neighborhood.  I feel that ending our relationship and moving forward is giving me a new outlook on Portland - it feels like a fun new city all over again. Though it's hard now, I truly believe this was the best decision to make.  I can see us both being happier in the future this way.

I suppose that's really all there is to say about this.  Thank you to everyone who has stood by my side the past few months to help me work this out.  And thank you to everyone going forward who will continue to support me - to pick me up when I'm feeling down, to leave me alone when I need my space, to give me a hug when I need it...

Now to end with something a little lighter.  I have made some progress on item #15 - listening to the top 30 best selling albums.  Pink Floyd's The Wall clocks in at number 29 on this list - it's what I chose to listen to on repeat the day after breaking up with Eddie.  It is a perfectly moody album that can take you on a great journey.  I remember purchasing this album from Rasputin's (a used record store) in high school.  I was a new driver and it was a rainy day - and I was so excited to have the freedom to take myself to the record store and get whatever I wanted.  I drove around listening to this in the rain enjoying every second of it.  It has been many years since I last sat down and listened to this in its entirety, but I still love it.  I'm sure others will disagree, but I think this is a perfectly recorded album.  There are so many moving parts between the vocals, the instruments, the background noises, etc...  I have yet to listen to this with a great set of headphones, but I'm sure it would be incredible.

Depending on what's happening in my life, different songs from this album will stand out differently to me.  That being said, the one clear winning track for me has been, and probably always will be, "Comfortably Numb."  I just think it is so cool.

Now go give it a listen.

Oh yes.  One of the albums coming up on the list is the Titanic motion picture soundtrack.  If you happen to own this and are willing to let me borrow it, I would be very happy with you!  I'm not too keen on shelling out $10 for it if I can avoid it...

And now because I don't have any photos to go with my bucket list blogs, here are a few recent photos to show you what I've been up to:

Birthday lunch with my coworkers  :-)

Out for drinks with the winery gals

Dinner with the Sokol Blosser gals

#28 - COMPLETE!

First of all, I finally have my list of 30!  But I'm reserving the right to swap out up to three things in case someone has an amazing suggestion that can knock out one of my less-creative items.

#28 was added to my list on a whim - and I did it last night so I am officially crossing one item off my list.  I thought my first crossing off would be for something at least minutely meaningful, but that is definitely not the case here.  C'est la vie.

Sorry to be so vague up to this point.  While my post about it will be G-rated, the activity itself was not.  So grandmas and other relatives should stop reading now.

Eddie and I were having dinner with a new group of friends last night.  One mentioned going to the Acropolis Steakhouse & Strip Club sometime after dinner to celebrate his friend's birthday.  I semi-jokingly said that I have never done that and that it had potential to be a bucket list item - and naturally we were invited to attend.  Portlandia is said to have more strip clubs per capita than San Francisco or Las Vegas.  So you see where this is going now...

All I will say is that it was an interesting evening.

So now in a futile attempt to redeem myself, I have to tell you that I am working on #15 as I compose this.  I thought it would be fun to listen to the 30 best-selling albums of all time.  Appropriate for me, no?  I'm going off of Wikipedia's list which conveniently has exactly 30 albums that have sold 30 million units or more.  I'm not too jazzed about the fact that this list includes compilations and greatest hits, but that will be fine.

I decided to start at the bottom with Nirvana's Nevermind.  I can't believe this thing is 21 years old -  that's crazy!  I don't remember when I last listened to it all the way through so it's been fun hearing it all tonight.  Such a great album!  A couple of these songs have consistently been on my gym playlist for the past ten years - "Lithium" takes the cake in that department with "In Bloom," "Breed," and "Polly" right behind.

I don't have a real clear first memory of Nirvana, but definitely remember that my mom bought this album when it came out - when CDs were in the longbox packaging.  My cool mom saved all of her CD boxes and tacked them up in our garage. It was a really cool display of some albums from the late 80s / early 90s.  Anyhoo.  As a kid, this album cover always made me laugh since the photo is of the naked boy in the pool.

One down and twenty-nine adventures to go!

Introducing Thirty Things

Hello.  Life happened *forcing* me to take a 16-month hiatus from blog writing.  It was probably a good stopping point as I don't think "New to Oregon" is an appropriate blog title for someone who had been living in the state for more than a year.

But I digress.  What brings me back?  Well, a lot of reflection on life.  I am turning 29 next month which has gotten me thinking about the big 3-0.  I've wondered if I've been doing everything I can to live a fulfilling life up to this point.  And I realized there are some experiences I have missed out on and one thing led to another and I started thinking about composing a bucket list of thirty things to complete before my 30th birthday in 2013.

So I put my thinking cap on and tried to compile a list of trips, activities, must-see local things, etc... that would be super cool (and feasible) to do.  I have come up with twenty-two(ish) things - some more meaningful than others (getting a stamp in my passport is more meaningful than going to a drag show) but I need your help rounding out this list.  I have tried to produce a balanced list of travel & local activities, expensive and free, thrilling and chill, etc...

And now I turn to you for your input.  Put your thinking caps on and get creative!  What should I try to do in my twenty-ninth year to make it meaningful?  Learn a new activity?  Try a new sport?  Take a special vacation?  Try yoga?  That one's for you Mom, though it probably won't make my final cut.

I promise to have my complete list of thirty things on or before my birthday this year.  The catch?  I won't actually share it with you then.  I will update this blog as I cross items off this list so you will only learn about them as I complete them.  Sounds fun, no?

So start thinking about this and let me know what your ideas are.  I am very excited to get some new perspectives on my bucket list.

Thank you!  :-)

Have You Forgotten?

Not much to say about tonight.  I had to work a full shift today so I didn't get to spend too much time with Mom & Kiki.  They dropped me off at my winery and did a quick tasting before heading out to the coast for the day.  They picked me up at the end of my shift and then we met Eddie at Hopworks Urban Brewery.  We actually ate here for my birthday the last time my mom was in town but she liked it so much we wanted to go back tonight.  Dinner was great and came with some surprising news...  The TVs around the bar announced the death of bin Laden.  It was very surreal getting that kind of news at a bar.

We made a quick stop at Voodoo Doughnut for a fun dessert before heading back to the hotel.  Eddie joined us at the hotel where we sipped on some wine and watched the breaking news unfold.  Oh.  And Kiki gave me her old iPhone so I started setting that up.  It's definitely going to take some getting used to, but I think I might actually learn to like it.

If you're curious about the doughnuts...  From left to right:  Eddie's Voodoo Doll; my "no name" (raised doughnut w/ chocolate, Rice Krispies, & peanut butter drizzle); Kiki's plain sprinkle; and Mom's chocolate & peanut butter (not sure what the name is).

My media mention is a show Eddie and I finished a couple weeks ago.  Top Chef All Stars was great this season!  I was bummed that Casey & Jen didn't make it further in the season, but I was pleased with the outcome.  I wish they would have let the final face-off include the final three chefs because I would have loved to see what Antonia could have come up with.  I think my favorite part was watching the reunion show with Andy from Bravo.  I had no idea Antonia was so cursed when it came to her teammates!  Hilarious.  I also loved the Marcel auto-tuned clip.  Very funny stuff they put together.

Visitors

I had a great time tonight!  Just a few weeks ago Mom & Kiki planned a trip to Portland for a quick visit with me.  I was excited to have them fly in tonight.  They took an early evening flight which allowed me to work a full day before picking them up.  I wish I could have taken the day off work, but I think we managed to do a lot of stuff tonight.  After checking into the hotel (totally cool that they upgraded us to a huge suite), we walked to Mama Mia Trattoria for a beautiful dinner.  I ordered the pizza because I was dying to try the house-made mozzarella.  Delicious!

We walked around after dinner and found ourselves at Barrel Room.  We really enjoyed the dueling pianos show.  We didn't stay long, but they played some great songs.  The crowd was really going wild during Cee Lo Green's "F*** You."  This was my second time checking out their show...  It's still not my favorite for dueling pianos, but I love that they have a guitarist and drummer to call on stage to perform more rock-y songs.  That makes it fun.

I don't remember the name of the place, but Mom got a coffee at one of the food carts with late-night hours.  I'm not a coffee drinker, but I need to go back to this place because they serve Belgian waffles.  It smelled so delicious.  :-)  Our evening ended at Henry's Tavern with a final round of drinks and a cup of soup for Kiki & Mom to split.  I have to work tomorrow so we don't get to spend the day together, but I'm looking forward to the evening...

Finished another mystery today.  Shocker, I know. This one was John Sandford's Rules of Prey the first in the Lucas Davenport series.  One thing I really appreciated about this book was Sandford's attention to police procedure.  I think those details are often overlooked in mysteries - especially in popular television programming like CSI.  I also enjoyed the characters so I wouldn't mind picking up the next book in the series to see where it takes me.