OPRAHHHHH!

Reservation for the Oprah show CONFIRMED for Wednesday, Nov. 3rd.  Next Wednesday!  Excited to see Lady O and cross the first item off of my list!  No idea yet on show theme or guests.  I'll keep you posted.  A huge thanks to Chris for the hook-up  :)

Woohoo!

A little taste of how next Wednesday will look...

Like my new blonde hair?

A new item - Try Veganism

I'm currently 2/3 of the way through the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.  And while I purposely didn't add "become a vegetarian for 30 days" to my list - I already pretty much AM a vegetarian, save for a tiny bit of select meat from our family farm CSA, and sushi - I do think I will add "become a vegan for 30 days" as list number 29.5. 

This book is That. Eye-opening.  Everyone should read it, meat eaters and vegetarians alike.  The movie Food Inc is a relatively good summary of the points Foer makes in the book as well.  Also recommended, though not as in-depth as the book Eating Animals.

As a Wisconsin girl, it's going to be hard to kick the cheese, even for a month.  But, this list is all about challenging myself, so bring it on.  I'm going to shoot for January to be the month.  Will update shortly.

Beer Run!

I've been wanting to get back to Madison for weeks.  I love Madison in the fall and miss Steph, Sarah and Erin a lot.  So, why not combine a Madison trip, the gals, running, and...BEER!  They come together in the "1/6th barrel" 4.4 mi Tyranena Beer Run on 11/6.

BEER RUN

Madison + The Girls + Running + Beer + Lasagna = a mighty fine way to spend a Saturday

Can't wait!  Also, from a (half) marathon training perspective, I'm looking forward to have a realistic race time to work with.

AND, as if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, it's Mr. Erin Aagesen's birthday that night.  Happy Birthday Brett!  Looking forward to celebrating with you after the race.

Brrrrr...

Two options for the polar bear swim in icy Lake Michigan.  January 1st - no "official" sponsor, but an annual tradition or March ? - the official Polar Plunge benefiting Special Olympics.  We'll see.  Either way....brrrrrrrrr!

Chicago Polar Bear Club
North Avenue Beach, Chicago, IL
Friday, January 1st, 2010
12:00noonRing in the New Year with a splash and set an adventurous tone for the upcoming year!  We meet at North Avenue Beach near the north end of the beach house just prior to Noon for pictures.  Wear your swimsuit under your warm clothing.  We'll all disrobe together and take group pictures in swimsuits before going in the water.  Then we'll run in together, get wet, run back out and get dressed quickly.  You'll be really cold for about 5 minutes total, probably spending less than 30 seconds actually in the water, unless you want more.  Spectators are always welcome.

Rules:
1.  Swimsuits only.  No nudity (it's a family event) and no wetsuits (that's cheating).
2.  Swimmers must go all the way under the water before coming out to be "official."
3.  No whining!

The List.

Drum roll....  Here's the 30 Before 30 list that I'm setting out to accomplish.  As of today, I have 10 months and 29 days.  Wish me luck and follow my progress!

1. Marathon
2. Take a wine appreciation class
3. Try tai chi
4. Sky dive
5. Polar bear plunge
6. Send at least one “just because” card per month with a handwritten note.
7. Go someplace that requires a passport.  Renew old passport. 
8. Volunteer at a soup kitchen for a holiday
9. See Oprah
10. Spend an entire weekend in pajamas catching up on movies
11. Read a long classic novel – like War & Peace or Anna Karenina
12. Take a cooking class
13. Go to the opera 
14. Kayak in the Chicago river
15. Try snowboarding
16. Spend a day at the museums
17. Go to the symphony
18. Write my name on the wall at Gino’s East
19. Go to a red carpet event
20. Have a big beer at the Rathskeller
21. Build a snowman
22. Go to the Wiener Circle.  Watch someone order a "chocolate shake" 
23. See Second City perform
24. Go to a Badger game.  And a house party - old school.
25. Dig into my ancestry
26. Surprise someone
27. Go sledding
28. Lay on a tropical beach with an umbrella beverage and no plans.
29. Order a super decadent dessert
30. Meditate.  Pray.

The Drama. And the Reality.

So, I started this blog under a slightly different name back in September on my 29th birthday.  And because I've had some time to think about it, and because the original title wasn't quite right after said thought, and because for the life of me I cannot remember the dang password to the other one, I started fresh. 

Ok, let's be honest, the password issue is probably the #1 reason, but still.  Time for a fresh start.

And a fresh start is good, too, because I went back and re-read what I wrote on my birthday and it was so dramatic.  Yuck.  Read for yourself here:  Rego Rocks.  And let's be honest.  It's not all that dramatic.  Does the thought of not being in my twenties anymore make me sad?  Yes.  Am I excited for all of the stuff this year and beyond?  Hell yes.

And to send my twenties out with a bang, I am doing a "30 Before 30" list.  I realize now, thanks to Google, that this is not at all original, but I still want to do it.  For me.  Otherwise I will talk about all of the things I WANT to do for a year, and end up not doing any of them.

I'm still polishing up the list, but will post soon.

And because it's awesome, I'm reposting the Friends clip from the original birthday blog post.  Enjoy!