I think it is important to keep trying new things. Some things I may not like, but I'll never know until I try them. For a cook, I'm pretty unadventurous when it comes to food. Though I seldom seek out the exotic, when new flavors present themselves, I'll squeeze shut my eyes and give it a taste. All new foods will just be one New Thing, though, to push me to try New Things in other areas.

New foods I have recently sampled:
fried oysters (pretty good)
halibut (not bad)
fresh fig (delicious, even better than in Newton form)
I think there was something else, but I forgot what it was.

Anyone else tried new foods lately?

Here's the list so far:

30 31 New Things
In Progress
Completed!

1. Don’t cut hair for a year
2. Reduce % body fat
3. Sensory deprivation tank
4. Indoor skydiving (or outdoor…?)
5. Don’t eat fast food all year
6. Simplify
7. Take a float trip
8. Dedicate myself to learning a new skill, or improving one I already know (aka "New Month's Resolutions"):
February = 2 sets of 10 full pushups
March = Improve flexibility
April = Improve dental hygiene (brush, floss, fluoride)
May =
June = Learn to belly dance
July = Pull myself together (posture, jewelry, dress)
August = Weight training
September = Practice bowling
October = CrossFit
November = Guitar Hero 3 goddess
December =
January =

9. Have a spa day – rubs, scrubs, wraps, baths, massages – all of it
10. Bury a grudge
11. Read a classic – The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
12. Teach a class (aka Conquer Fear of Public Speaking)
13. Learn how to cue (lights, sound, curtain) a theater dance performance
14. Take a real job, with a salary and responsibilities
15. GET OUT OF MISSOURI!
16. Try new foods: (fried oysters, halibut, fresh fig)

So, as you can see, I'm way behind. I need ideas!

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 06:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I like clocks, but not watches. I used to have a clock in every room in my house, back when I used to have a house. Now, I have an apartment and two clocks, and I don't know where to put them. I'm thinking about not putting them up, but wouldn't that be totally nuts!?

Clocks are not Zen.

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The apartment is coming together. I have more kitchen accessories than comfortably fit in the kitchen/dining room, but I have parted with everything I deem non-essential, so now I have the challenge of creative organizing. I have gotten back into the kitchen recently, making Gentleman Caller's birthday chess pie, his granny's cucumber spread (which is really summer on a cracker) and some blueberry bread. I've got another cooking project underway, a continuation of the chocolate chip cookie snackdown.

I'm continuing to practice acting like a lady. It was fun at first, but now it is getting kind of tedious, remembering to stand up straight, walk one-foot-in-front-of-the-other and wear a friendly face. I do think the effort is worth it, though. I'm reading I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, to learn how to dress properly for my body type. It seems that I've been doing pretty well for myself thus far, but I'll be a smarter shopper on my next outing. I have been inspired by the book to unearth my jewelery collection. I have some interesting jewelry, picked up on vacation, handed down from my grandmothers or otherwise acquired. I tend to wear the same things daily (like the small silver hoop earrings I've worn for almost ten years, except for special occasions), but I'm now trying to display my jewels daily. The main gist of the book is to wear clothes that make you feel good about yourself and give you confidence. This, I don't do so much. I go for comfort, but I'm realizing that confidence and comfort aren't mutually exclusive.

I just wish I didn't hate shopping so much.

Getting to Know All About You: How's your summer?

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)