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  • AG 9:51 pm on February 2, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , 5/52   

    CHB: Culture, Hair, and Body 

    Going with the theme of being a tourist in my own city I went to the Chinese New Year parade in Chicago’s Chinatown last weekend. I decided to bring my sister and niece in an effort to expose my niece to a little culture. The dragons scared her a little bit, but all in all it was a nice free event and fun way to kick off the Lunar New Year. I can’t wait to get back there for some good food!

    I ended up having a total of five adventures in the month of January. The next two were unplanned. Not that adventures need to be planned or anything. I find that most of the time I realize I was adventuring in hindsight. Anyway, I decided to change my ‘do and go for the “ombre” look: dark roots faded to lighter bottoms. It did NOT work for me. I went from a reddish brown to orange to yellow to dark brown…in the course of two weeks. Not good. As a result of my whimsical behavior I did a little damage to my hair by processing it so much. But now I know. I should not be blond.

    And lastly, to round out January I started the Body Rock TV 30 day challenge (there’s a website for those of you who are curious). I’m currently on day 3, and I can say that it is not easy. It is definitely not easy. I have been practicing yoga for almost two years, and I love it. I haven’t found a form of exercise that I can stick to religiously other than yoga. However, I need to lose weight. While yoga has definitely made me stronger and toned me up a bit, I’m looking to slim down. And the only way that can be done is crazy cardio. Body Rock is pretty crazy to say the least. Hopefully I will come to love it as much as yoga, and mostly I’m aiming for more physical results. I’ll update when it comes to day 30.

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  • faolan01 4:39 pm on May 24, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: 5/52, motorcycle   

    Adventure #5 – Rally Time 

    Adventure number 5 kicked off with a visit to Riverside Motorsports in Somerville Saturday, will last all summer and will include several other adventures along the way. While I was in getting my inspection sticker I picked up my Ducati Passport and first stamp for this year’s Passport Rally before taking a (very) roundabout route up to Beverley to add a second stamp at Eastern Cycle Ducati

    The New England Desmo Owners Club Passport Rally is, essentially, a friendly competition and excuse to get out and go riding all over the northeast. This is the second year of what we hope to keep going as a running (and growing) event. The rules are pretty simple: ride to as many of the participating dealerships and events as you can and get your passport stamped at each one. At the rally in September everyone turns in their passports and the person with the most stamps in each category wins. This year they’ve added another way to earn points by submitting pictures of our bikes with our passports in front of certain landmarks spread throughout the region. All in all it’s a lot of fun, and finding as many of the places as possible makes for great adventures. For last year’s rally I did a 3-day romp through 5 states collecting stamps as I went, and I’m planning at least 2 or 3 trips for this year.

    2 stamps down, a whole lot to go!

     

    • yearof52adventures 11:56 am on May 25, 2010 Permalink

      that sounds absolutely amazing! what do these stamps look like? I like the idea of moto-adventure stamps!

    • blueskiesinva 7:25 pm on May 25, 2010 Permalink

      Don’t you love summer?! This sounds like such fun!

    • faolan01 6:55 am on May 26, 2010 Permalink

      Oh, it’s a lot of fun! The stamps are rubber stamps like you’d have in a real passport.

      **edit** finally figured out how to insert the pictures into the original post 😀

    • Ducky 10:45 am on May 3, 2011 Permalink

      What a joy to find such clear thinking. Thanks for potisng!

  • skywatcher 7:55 pm on May 21, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: 5/52, bald eagle   

    Eagle’s Nest #5/52 

    I happened upon this adventure by a stroke of luck…

    While talking with a friend a few weeks ago, he told me about an eagle’s nest and promised, “Once the babies are bigger, [my wife and I] will show you.  If the nest is bothered when they’re too young, the parents will abandon them.”

    So.  This week I met them for the big visit, and we made our way across a field to a creek bed at the edge of the woods.

    I’m not sure what the eagle prerequisites are for real estate, but this pair had set up house at the top of a very scraggly pine tree.  Although large, the nest was not easy to find; you had to know where to look.  Once I was pointed in the right direction, I pulled out binoculars and was able to see a large black bird sitting in the nest:  Baby!  The adult eagles were nowhere to be seen.

    We moved west of the woods line so that we could get a closer look – and by “closer,” I mean that we were still a good 150 feet away.  This, however, was too close for Mama and Papa, who arrived out of nowhere.

    I can’t describe what I felt in seeing two bald eagles soaring overhead.  I was, and still am, awestruck.  They moved fast, and I had to anticipate their flight path in order to see them with the binoculars.  As I gave myself vertigo trying to follow them in the sky, my friend – a wonderful photographer – snapped frame after frame with his camera.  The eagle pair made “clicking” sounds and then resorted to a cry resembling that of a gull.  Clearly, they were upset and trying to chase us off… although my friends surmised that the adults may just be trying to ascertain whether they could “pick off the small one” (that would be me!)  Meanwhile, back at the nest, Junior knew his parents had returned and sat with his mouth open, waiting.  We didn’t stay much longer.

    As we crossed the creek and headed back uphill, the adult eagles followed us overhead to make sure we were leaving.  By the time we neared the road, they had returned to the woods.

    I’ve seen hawks, of course, and ospreys while kayaking – a Great Horned Owl even lives nearby – but this was the first time I’ve ever seen a bald eagle in its natural habitat.

     

    • yearof52adventures 4:07 pm on May 24, 2010 Permalink

      what an amazing and opportune adventure!

    • faolan01 4:45 pm on May 24, 2010 Permalink

      wow, that sounds great! the picture is beautiful, is it one of the ones that your friend took?

    • blueskiesinva 6:36 pm on May 24, 2010 Permalink

      Yes – he’s an incredible photographer, isn’t he?!

  • Stephanie 8:32 am on March 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: 5/52, ice wine, Ontario   

    Adventure #5 – Ice Wine Festival, Niagara Falls, Ontario 

    January 15-17

    Unlike other wine regions, the Niagara Peninsula in Canada consistently undergoes freezing in winter, making it the world’s largest producer of Ice Wine.  Every January, the region is transformed into a winter wonderland, and it celebrates one of Canada’s most cherished products in the Ice Wine Festival.  Each winery features an ice wine and food pairing.  Some of my favorites were the ice wine and cheese fondue, ice wine cupcakes, and Eskimo kisses (chocolate shells filled with Cabernet Franc Ice Wine).

    My roommate Meghann’s sister, Elizabeth, planned our wine adventure and managed to keep 10 twenty-somethings on track to visit 6 wineries in 5 hours.  Even though the festival featured ice wine, each winery still had traditional tastings available for those who didn’t want to just drink the sweet ice wine.  Elizabeth’s boyfriend Ben was knowledgeable about the region and made helpful recommendations for wines to purchase.  Konzelman’s Winery was a great  recommendation for reds and Jackson-Triggs had great whites.

    We finished off our night at the Casino, where I doubled my money on video blackjack.  Too bad I only put in $10!

     

  • Kimberly Hula 10:45 pm on February 23, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: 5/52   

    Salem v. Brazil 

    I tire of all the vixen-villians in romance-suspense-thrillers that explain their unorthodox behavior with the adage, “Love makes you do crazy things”. It’s not that I think it trite or that I take issue with the storyline. Rather the sentiment is wrong. Love does not make you do crazy things. Love makes you do mechanical things. Love makes you buy flowers and exchange mixed tapes and read poetry. There is a very scripted formula. Instead, I might be more apt to empathize with these vixi-villians if they changed one word to make the adage a well adapted mantra. It’s loneliness that makes us do crazy things. When lonely there is no greater time and better opportunity for crazy, and because there is no script for loneliness, I found great adventure potential in it. So for my fifth week, it all started in Salem and ended in Brazil.

    (More …)

     

    • renea 10:48 am on February 24, 2010 Permalink

      Wow! I could read your blogs all day!
      You are indeed a writer yes?

    • 2010adventurequest 11:12 am on February 24, 2010 Permalink

      What an empowering and insightful experience. Thank you for sharing!

    • cupcakeemergency 11:37 am on February 24, 2010 Permalink

      LOVE IT!

    • wip78 1:55 pm on February 24, 2010 Permalink

      I’m sure it could have been easier to have not said a thing and drank a bottle (or two) of wine that night, but you stood up for yourself. Good for you! He SOOOOOO doesn’t deserve a mixed tape from you;)

    • yearof52adventures 2:35 pm on February 24, 2010 Permalink

      Thanks everyone! It’s good to stand up to goons!

    • eatveggiesdrinkwine 8:19 pm on February 24, 2010 Permalink

      Bravo! I am working on being more assertive, and this is a fantastic (and beautifully written) lesson.

    • yearof52adventures 12:03 pm on February 26, 2010 Permalink

      Addendum to this story: Mr. Josh contacted me today to ask….. for his books back. I think I’ll leave them in a rain puddle, on the interstate.

    • blueskiesinva 7:38 pm on April 22, 2010 Permalink

      Nearly two months out, but I’m reading older posts…I left a guy’s books propped against his garage door, along with a CD containing only “S*** Song” by Kate Nash. It felt good.

  • eatveggiesdrinkwine 11:26 pm on February 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: 5/52, duct tape   

    5/52: Being duct-taped to a window for an educational purpose 

    I’m an academic advisor, so I’m used to students asking questions of me. Many of their questions are the same, and many of my answers are the same. Two Fridays ago, however, I experienced a significant break in the monotony … I was asked by two first-year students I advise to consider being duct-taped to a window for educational hijinks (that is, Engineering Week festivities). And my answer was quite unexpected too. After a quick glance at the 52 Adventures logo that’s next to my computer screen, I said yes.

    So, on the following Monday, I arrived at Zimmer Hall, ready for my taping. Along with 18 other people, I was taped to a window, quite strategically. I was one of three people who actually stayed taped to the window for any amount of time, and I managed to hang in for a few minutes before not-so-gracefully falling face-first into my kind teammates’ arms. Because extra points are given when any foolish faculty or staff member can be talked into an activity, my team won enough for a first place finish. Hoo-ray!

     

    • yearof52adventures 11:16 am on February 23, 2010 Permalink

      post post post the picture. I LOVE this adventure in adhesive!

    • wip78 1:22 pm on February 23, 2010 Permalink

      post it!

    • wip78 2:08 pm on February 24, 2010 Permalink

      Great picture!

  • wip78 11:04 pm on February 21, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , 5/52   

    Adventures 4 and 5: The planned…. 

    There are adventures you plan for, and then there are adventures that find you.  Some are great, some are inspiring, some are permanent, some are tasty, and some you just learn from.  The past couple of weeks have been simple, fun, and interesting to say the least…

    For adventure #4, I got inked:)  Tattoos say a lot about a person.  Each tattoo usually has a story attached to it.  Was it to rebel when you were 16?  Did you get it during a drunken debauchery?  Does it stand for something meaningful?  Spiritual? Or does it symbolize a moment in your life? My first tat was about 4 years ago.  I waited so long to get one for fear of the wrath I would receive from my parents.  I was considered a good boy who obeyed his parents….catholic guilt goes a loooong way.  When I finally grew some cahones, I said screw it.  Over the last two months, I have gotten 3 more, with the latter one being the focus of the fourth adventure.  All my tattoos are personal.  They are an extension of me…  This last tattoo is an adinkra symbol that comes from the Asante tribe found in the western African country Ghana.  This symbol is known as “the wisdom knot” that stands for wisdom, ingenuity, intelligence and patience.   This symbol represents the wisdom I give my students and in turn what they teach me on a daily basis, a reminder of the patience and understanding they deserve, and the intelligence and ingenuity that we all possess.  This tattoo ties in with the one on  my wrist that stands for the life-long quest for knowledge…to always remember that there is something to be learned on a daily basis. (More …)

     

    • yearof52adventures 6:17 pm on February 24, 2010 Permalink

      I’m going to go ahead and nominate this for adventure MVP for week 4 🙂

  • heididino 10:42 am on February 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: 5/52   

    5/42 Creating Change 

    My week 5 adventure was a trip to Dallas, Tx for the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce Creating Change Conference. I am a sign language interpreter and this was my first conference-we’ll pay for your plane and hotel-gig. Being a gay myself, I was very excited about this trip.

    It was a very busy week of interpreting, learning, workshopping  and singing karaoke.  I felt that it was a personal challenge/adventure for me because I went not knowing anyone. its easy for me to be an introvert but i stepped out of my shell and had a great time. I absolutely adored my roomate/co-interpreter. I learned a lot from her as an interpreter and as a queer activist in general.  We bonded over nightly desserts at the hotel restaurant, the go to being white and dark chocolate bread pudding. So good!  It was truly amazing to be surrounded by queer folk 24/7.  im gonna say it, it was a life changing experience and it has shown me that i can be a part of social justice and change in the world and that sign language interpreting is a perfect gateway for that.

     

    • eatveggiesdrinkwine 10:44 pm on February 22, 2010 Permalink

      This is a fantastic adventure … thank you for doing this, and for posting about it.

    • yearof52adventures 6:18 pm on February 24, 2010 Permalink

      I’m really proud of you. Thanks for doing what you do!

  • jscribe 6:13 pm on February 13, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: 5/52, sports, teamworkd   

    5/52 – Being a Good Sport 

    I am not athletic. People always ask if i play/ed a sport. Usually they ask if i played softball or volleyball. In high school i thought it was kind of flattering, like i looked like i was in good shape, or maybe that i looked quick or agile. I never did. i did theatre, speech – was in the Just Say No Club and Environmental club. A Sportsless kid doesnt usually object to being mistaken for a sports kid. As i have gotten older, the question has taken on a different meaning. now im always defensive. “Why? because I’m stocky and I date women? Is that why?”

    I love to work out, to run, to be active–but im not coordinated or competitive. i embarrass myself in competitive sports but
    I’ve joined up with a few intramural teams over the past several years–softball, volleyball and women’s soccer.

    Its been a long time though, and since Ive been feeling adventurous, when a colleague from worked asked if i wanted to join her “Big Gay Badminton Team,” I thought “Gay Badminton?” “Sports?” “Here I come!”

    Adventure #5 was actually harder than i thought it would be. Im not that good, and its more physically demanding than I thought. But its a rocking good time–plus, im made some new friends! Details on adventure #6 are forthcoming. It was a little hard on my body, too!

    Now thats an action shot.

     

    • Kelly 11:09 pm on February 15, 2010 Permalink

      now if only a straight girl could join…this sounds like a ton of fun.

    • gangstaoflove 9:59 am on February 17, 2010 Permalink

      Way to go! I’m not athletic either. In fact, I have no idea what Badminton is or how it’s played! 😉

    • wip78 2:26 pm on February 22, 2010 Permalink

      I would love to come cheer you on. I can wear my rainbow shoes…

  • kimkin85 11:02 am on February 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , 5/52   

    Adventures Begin! (Recap) 

    Greetings, fellow adventurers!  As I have been negligent in posting my adventures thus far, I thought I would start with a quick roundup of what my first few adventures have been.  (Don’t worry, in future posts the storyteller in me will really come out as I share my experiences in exquisite detail.)

    Adventure 1: Worked for a week at the elementary school where my mother teaches art.  Keeping track of six classrooms each of Kindergartners and third graders is a crazy fun time, but it reminded my why I decided not to be a teacher.

    Adventure 2:  Had my very first phone interview–with a woman in Austria!  It’s now official and I’ll be starting my three month internship at the library of the Salzburg Global Seminar in September.

    Adventure 3:  I had the unintended adventure of finding a local doctor who would believe me that I do indeed know when I have a sinus infection and would give me a prescription.  That part was a success, unfortunately, I did not recover fast enough for my scheduled oral surgery and had to put that off for a few weeks.

    Adventure 4:  Getting back into swimming.  Awkward hours at the campus gym is a terrible excuse, so this week I set a schedule and stuck to it.  Few things are as energizing as being in the water, although it would be nice if it were the Caribbean instead of a pool in Boston in the winter…

    Adventure 5:  Last week’s adventure was a visit to the MFA to see the famous mummy head.  It was fascinatingly disturbing.

    This week’s adventure will probably be to think of something that actually sounds adventurous when I write it down.  Wish me luck!

    -Kim

     

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