#8 Go Canes

Tonight I went with the family to my first NHL game while visiting my sister and family in NC. Since my brother in law works for the Carolina Hurricanes their family is BIG Hurricane fans! My Nephew (who is 4) had been talking about us going to the game for days.

We had VIP parking and entrance tickets which allowed us to enter and exit bypassing the masses with primo parking (how cool is that!!!) and our seats were VERY nice. The whole family got to go....Mom, Dad, My Sister her husband and my niece and nephew.

It was Hurricanes vs. Philadelphia Flyers.......the game was 0 to 3 for a LONG time and Carolina was getting crushed then out of nowhere in the 3rd period (mom and dad were just about to leave) they started scoring and things got exiting. It ended up being 3-3...going into overtime....sudden death...ultimately a shoot out...and Flyers won. Talk about tense!

I think my favorite part of the whole evening was watching my niece, who is 2, all dressed in her Canes jersey, lean over the railing yelling "GO CANES GO, GO CANES GO" with everyone else in the arena and then watching her rock to "we will, we will ROCK YOU"....that was just too precious.

It was a fun evening and I'm really appreciative that my brother in law was able to provide such an enjoyable evening for the family to do together as we don't get many opportunities like that.

That's what I like about this list, its not only that I get to do things that I have never done before, but when I get to share them with people that I love---that's what makes them extra special!

#7 Black and Blue

I painted my toenails blue (a suggestion from Jessica W) and my fingernails black (a color recommended by Laurie R )....I put on facebook status that "I'm either a big bruise or Ive been left out in the snow too long!".

Really I thought this would be a whole lot more fun than it really ended up being. But it was a mellow Sunday afternoon and I hibernated on the couch all day watching Hallmark movies and decided WHY NOT go ahead and be bold. Honestly the black and blue polish kinda matched my mood. Yes, it is the week before Christmas and I should want red and gold and glitter and such but I'm feeling a bit beaten up and bruised with all that life has thrown at the family lately so the "black and blue" kinda spoke to me.

I chose a Pearlie winter blue for my toes and decided to make it more festive I put snowmen on each big toenail just like those ladies do in the Asian nail places.

Black nail polish was a bit more challenging, even more than red.....you have to color carefully in the lines or it looks icky, but thankfully I have a very steady hand! I have to say, Laurie was right the color is flattering with my coloring, but I was a bit self conscious at work wondering what patients thought of their medical provider wearing "black" polish. Plus it is against hospital dress code!--what a rebel I am! I did get some compliments on it so that made me feel good.

#6 Fly through the Air

So my friend Viktoria and I headed off to #6 on the list.....Trapeze school at TSNY Boston-Beantown.

I was so nervous that I didn't eat lunch because I was afraid I would throw it up while flying.

The set up was two trapezes inside a very tall building that has an indoor watershow and Beantown (stuff made from jellybeans) and other activities and a large furniture store. I expected the nets to be bigger than they were and my nerves began to swell.

There were 10 of us in the 2 hour class....4 had flown before and the rest of us were first timers. Our instruction....We stood in a row.....and for 5 min! No joke!!! "You will stand this way....put your left hand here, right hand here... Bend your knees.... and Jump"....while up there you will do XYZ.... Ok go climb the stairs!!!!! Huh???? What??? Panic is ensuing.... Now, they have someone on the loud speaker yelling out the thing you have to do, but my brain is in overload and I'm thinking...JUST DON'T VOMIT....OR DIE!

We climb the stairs and watch the kids who have done it before and a few others as we try to remember the routine...its almost our turn. Vik wants me to go first (this WAS my idea after all!)

I step up...the apple I ate is in my upper chest....so I'm thinking perhaps I did not need that little bit of food--who needs glucose! Mike, clips me in and I'm a wreck. I have to stand with my toes over the edge, hold onto the platform with my left hand and thrust my pelvis forward as he pulls my weight back (let's talk about trust!), and my right arm holds the bar.....arching I have to let go with the left hand and trust that Mike has me as I am really leaning forward at an angle off the platform. Ready=bend my knees. Go=jump off and put your legs together... Then start the routine, pull your legs up to the bar and hook them over the bar, take your hands off , look behind you ( I got to look at the water show going on) and smile, then hands back on the bar, unhook the legs then try to swing them back and forth to ultimately get into a flip. THIS was the toughest thing for me. They said that I had great form for many parts of my routine but I just couldn't get momentum to flip. I think some of it is that my belly is still recovering from surgery (and the belt was right over where I have had continued pain which thankfully got better in the past week). But my belly is still so weak, also they said I was just trying too hard and not breathing. After falling to the mat the John asked me how I felt......all I thought was "I'm exhausted!!!!"

So what was I thinking while up there? Nothing....it was peaceful...I would be so nervous right before I'd jump, but once flying the nerves were GONE. I kinda went into performance mode. I wanted to have perfect lines and was thinking about pilates. I don't remember seeing much either. Its actually kinda a blur.

We did 3 runs of the routine and I was feeling pretty beat up and bummed that I had not been able to do the flip at the end. One time I would have had it if my brain did what the guy said, he said tuck, but my body "sat" instead....my brain was on overload I tell yah! Its interesting how I felt comfortable with the knee hangs, but Vik didn't, yet she did a flip from the first try and I couldn't (she also has great abs). On try #4, I DID THE FLIP!!!!!!!! It was the last run, so I was sooooo happy. As I flipped off the net and John unclipped me I was beeming as I said "about D*#@! time!"

Then we had to learn catching....GULP!!! The timing is critical, we have to start out with the beginning part of the routine and hang from our knees and as we look back we look for Kaz to be there. He would clasp us at our forearm, we clasp back then when he yells we unhook our legs and he would have us...then ultimately we would drop to the mat......end of lesson, up the stairs. No one makes it ahead of me, and of course Vik makes me go first .....timing was WAY off, had to rehook legs and he tells me to drop down on 3.....whoops! I dropped on 1.....fatigue and the microrips in my hands were getting to me! Vik tries next--nope timing was off. I was all set to give up, but she made me go up to try again. This time she went first and he caught her!!! So I'm ready, but I'm so tired and sore.......Kaz and I played pattycake but not close enough for clasping. I was really disappointed. But I had to remember, I TRIED and I WENT FIRST and I LEPT WITHOUT REAL FEAR- I have to be proud of that and not strive for perfection in the routine.

I really am shocked at how calm I was.......a little sweaty palms, a little butterflys. BUT knowing how anxious that I CAN get over things this was NOTHING!!! I thank God for the men who were working there. They were all kind and encouraging, they made me feel safe (because when my normal Susan brain takes over I am normally a NUT!!!). Their strength is an absolute gift. I had to trust these strangers with my life......Their strength allowed me to face the fear and have faith and not only step out but jump out! I lept, I had faith that God would protect me as I go on this journey of self discovery, and He did.

It was an amazing experience!....would I do it again? Absolutely! Only I'd like to get my abs in shape so I can nail that flip and my arms in shape because its the day after and I can't even get dressed without pain let alone carry my suitcase (ouch!). Will I still be nervous and have sweaty palms? Yep-- because that's me! I'm a work I'm progress---but aren't we all??

#4 & #5 Mirbeau and Mud

Today my friend Jen and I headed off to Spa Mirbeau in Skaneateles, New York for a day of relaxation. We started out a little later than we anticipated and then met up with some traffic on the thruway, but "Jill" (the voice of Garmin) gladly re-routed us on a beautiful country road. It was a sun filled autumn day and we got to admire the trees changing colors, what a great way to start a day of "doing nothing!".

We got there in time to walk around and investigate the property a bit. I expected that there would be a little path where we could take a walk (since they have a "Walk" that you could have taken at 9am --that we were not going to awaken at 7am to try to make it to....) but there wasn't so we looked at the gardens a bit before lunch.

We could have taken lunch in our bathrobes, but since the dining room was formal in its appearance we both felt funny about that and I'm glad we stayed in our street clothing for lunch. The waitress was sweet and heard that someone "me" was celebrating turing "25"--yeah again (ha ha!).

We had purchased a package for the day which gave us our lunch, the use of the facilities and then our treatment. Lunch was three courses: We started with a very lovely arugula salad that had whole roasted cloves of garlic and chunks of Parmesan---it was really excellent; then for our entree we chose chicken Pho (chicken in a pastry, served over cabbage with a broth poured on top), there was some jalapenos in it and it was good, but it had a kick to it!; My dessert was a goat cheese cheesecake that was lightly breaded and fried (so warm) served over raspberries. It was interesting--very rich, not my favorite thing ever but always worth taking a bite and trying new things! Jen had a chocolate mousse with some type of almost fermented cherries.

With our bellies full we went down to the spa and put on our suits and bathrobes and went into the relaxation room where they had soft music, warm air, foot massage pool, fireplaces, dimmer lighting, and lounge chairs............I read my book (or I tried but kept falling asleep). We went outside and I swam in the hot tub and there was a fireplace out there as well with a smoothie bar (she was closing up the smoothie bar and we got free blueberry smoothies late in the afternoon--how awesome is that!).

Our spa appointments were at 4. Mine was with Lisa and I was scheduled to have a "Bit of the Bubbly" They describe it : "First, we prepare your skin with an invigorating exfoliation. Next, you will be enveloped in a warm, effervescent seaweed mud that provides detoxification and instant relaxation. The final step in this indulgent treatment is a full body massage using a refreshing, cooling gel".

So, I have had massages before but the rest of this experience was ALL new......the process took place on a massage table. They have you lie on one of those silver blankets (and yes you are naked with a towel covering certain spots). The exfoliant was made from crushed seashells---I was worried it might hurt, but it was not bad. To do my back, she had me sit up--I especially like that part. There is something about having someone scrub your back that just feels really nice!.....then she wiped it all the grit off with a warm towel before the next step.........MUD.

The mud was a seaweed mud and PPEEEEUUUUUWWW it is stinky and Green. She essentially paints/pours it all over before wrapping you up in the silver foil blanket (minus your towel of course).....and this is where the bubbly comes in. This particular mud is supposed to have a chemical reaction with the stuff from the exfoliant to be "effervescent". She says to me, I have had this treatment before, but I like to ask people what does it feel like to them? So let me tell you what it REALLY felt like. It felt like someone was in there "farting" in the mud all over me "blurp, blurp, blurp"........I was laughing so hard telling her this that I had tears running down my face.....so much for being quiet and tranquil.

Once the "farting" stopped, then I had to un-peel my self from my silver burrito wrapper and shower the green goop down the drain. They give you a loofah to help get it off and thankfully some nice smelling exfoliant soap, so you dont smell like seaweed mud. Then I was back on to a clean massage table for a nice relaxing massage.

The whole day was so relaxing it was almost hard to come home I was so tired!

I hear Jen's treatment was a new experience as well. She had a scrub and she said that she was on a table where the water ran on her almost the entire time, but the one thing about the table..........it kinda felt like...........welll............a mortuary table.......again I laughed...........Ok, so maybe Im not cut out for total relaxation! They say laughing is good for the soul

Check this out..........I saw this manifesto on a T-shirt while I was at Mirbeau.....I just might have to get one of the shirts for myself this year as I think it summarizes what Im celebrating http://www.lovethislife.net/

#3 -- Two Broadway Shows in 1 day

I have been to NY and seen Broadway shows before, so I originally did not intend to put "Broadway" on the list.......but sometime spontaneity is the best thing!

I was in NYC and planned to go to a matinee after my meeting. I was in the TKTS line in Times Square and was debating as to what to see. I was really impressed that they had people there assisting and guiding people in the decision making process. Since there are so many great shows I asked for their opinion and they suggested Memphis http://www.memphisthemusical.com/. They said it was a new show and that there was some buzz that it was so terrific that it might win a Tony this year and that soon it would be hard to get tickets to see it........so right then and there, I was SOLD. I made my way to the theater and as I was going to the theater I see that my ex-fiancee (who happened to be at the same meeting as me--I had not seen him in 5 years--and I'm not friendly with him at all) was going to see the same show. I'm thinking, out of all NY, why does it have to be the same show! I was so worried that this would ruin the show for me, that I would be distracted.........but you know what? The lights went down, the music started........the show was so incredible that it just transported me away to another place and let me tell you......I was NOT disappointed! It was "fantastical"! (you have to see the play to get that joke). That is the beauty of theater, it takes you places....

I was so energized after seeing it that I JUST HAD to see something else that night! So I got right back into the TKTS line (they are the ones that sell the same day tickets at a discount) and got tickets to see In the Heights http://www.intheheightsthemusical.com/. I had been wanting to see it since before it won the Tony last year and it was absolutely wonderful!

So.........I had never seen two Broadway shows in one day before.......so I added it to my list! It was a GREAT way to spend a New York Day!

#2- Tribute World Trade Center Visitor Center and Tour

So I was my way into NYC for my meeting and I had some time to do something on my own, so I decided that I was going to plan on doing something for "my list". I wanted to go to ground zero. I tried to go last year when I was in NY, but since I had just had hip surgery it was tough to get around and since it essentially is one big construction site, I could see nothing. This year I came with a plan.

There is a small temporary tribute center/museum at the site http://www.tributewtc.org/ and I planned on going to that and wanted to catch a tour as well. So I raced into the city, dropped my stuff at the hotel and hopped on the subway.....which then got stuck. We stopped and then stopped again, and then we were one stop away from where I needed to be and they said we were going to be stuck for awhile. The website suggested that you be there 1 hour early for the tour and I was cutting it really close, so I grabbed my map and ran up the stairs and found my way on the streets down to the site............made it to the center 10 minutes before the tour was about to start and Praise God, there was room on the tour for me!

I would HIGHLY recommend the tour, which is led by volunteers who survived 9/11 or its aftermath. My guides for the afternoon were Kevin, a fireman who worked the days and 9 months following 9/11 (until his retirement) and lost something like 50 friends in 9/11, and Maria, a News reporter who was in the building across the street from the towers reporting when the second plane hit. They led us around the 16 or 18 (I cant remember which) acre area of the World Trade Center area telling us about the events that happened on 9/11, the days that followed and showing us the different memorials that have been created.

The first stop: The Fireman's Memorial which lists all the Firemen whose lives were lost. It is alongside the wall of the Firehouse which serves the TWC.

We walked along the perimeter of the site. You can't see much anymore due to the construction. I remember last year you could still see the big pit in the ground, it has been built up quite a bit more this year. The only clear view you really can get is from the Financial center bridge. While in the Financial Center, Maria shared her story and how the events of 9/11 played out for her and the days that followed . It was hard to listen to her and not feel your eyes begin to well up with tears.

We went to the World Financial Center's Winter Garden and saw where the old bridge once was and photos of how the Winter Garden had been destroyed during the attack, but it has since been repaired to what it is today with the palm trees all re-planted.

The final stop: The American Express memorial Entitled 11 Tears. At its center is a large tear-shaped piece of Brazilian quartz, which was carved to have 11 sides, one for each victim. Beneath the point of the upside-down tear is an 11 sided black granite pool; each side is inscribed with the name of an employee and a few words, selected by those who knew them best, to summarize the people they were. At random intervals, 11 drops of water fall from the ceiling into the pool, creating intersecting ripples, "symbolizing the connections among the close-knit group of colleagues and friends." The memorial is elegant and simple and so touching and personal.

I met a young couple from the Mid-west who I meandered back to the Visitor center with. We went through the center together. Talking about where we were that day when we heard the news......what we felt.....the panic I felt thinking and worrying about my friend Sheryl and her husband and not being able to reach them on the phone that morning, knowing that they worked in the city.....we looking at the photos together..... and the items that survived the event.......

After I finished with the center I was heading back to the hotel and I was walking past a church that borders the area of the WTC, St. Paul's Chapel http://www.saintpaulschapel.org/. This little church survived the attack and became a place of refuge for rescue workers for the 9month recovery process. They served the people of the area physically and spiritually at this neighborhood's darkest hour. They have a wonderful display filling their chapel reviewing the timeline of all that occurred during the 9 months after 9/11 and it was very inspiring!

The afternoon was emotional but not all sad. September 11th was a horrible and tragic day that has forever changed our history and has touched the lives of those of us who were alive on that day. However, if an ounce of good can come out of all that evil, it is that there are people who sacrificed their lives to try to save others, there are people who gave up there time to serve others, and at America's darkest hour we saw that there is goodness and love in the world. AND THAT IS STRONGER THAN EVIL......thus EVIL will NEVER win!!

I started my list #1 -- Fondue Dinner

I was visiting my friend Shawn in Long Island and she suggested that we go to "The Melting Pot" to Celebrate my birthday. Since I have never been to a Fondue restaurant, I added it to the list and it kick started the activities 40 things that I will do this year in order to celebrate the year of living my life abundantly before I turn 40.......It was a new experience for the two of us.

We decided to start our dinner with Traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue, which came with bread and veggies for dipping......mmmmmmmm. But really, come on.....anything with melted cheese is YUMMY!!! And filling too. The second course of Fondue was , The Vegetarian, which was vegetables and tofu that you cook in Fondue Court Bouillon. This was interesting but it was kinda like boiling vegetables and we were so full from the cheese (and the salad that came in between) that we could have done without it. But, it was an interesting experience none the less.

To complete the meal...........dark chocolate fondue! For dipping it came with pound cake, brownies, marshmallows, cheese cake, and rice krispie treats--oh my!

The restaurant gave me a card for my birthday celebration and at the end of the night a $10 for my next visit......that's some smart marketing......I passed that along to Shawn's babysitter as she wants to try the place some time and its worth a try, just skip the middle course and jump from cheese to chocolate.... OK maybe put a little salad in the middle :)

The Journey Begins

Ten year ago, when I was 29 I “thought” my life was headed down a specific path, but then it turned down a road that was unexpected and rather unwanted. The year 2000 was spent dreading turning 30 rather than celebrating. The past 10 years are not what “I” had planned my life would be like and at times I have focused too much on that and then my life became unbalanced and I became unhappy and unhealthy. As I reflect upon this, and this past year I have been working on restoring this balance—socially, physically, spiritually, intellectually, and healthfully. I celebrate that I have lost nearly 50 pounds in the past 5 years! And that despite battling too many health issues for a person my age and having way too many surgeries in the past few years, I am blessed that I have been able to continue to be active and regain my health (even if right now I am actively battling!). I know above all that I have wonderful friends, that God loves me and that He has a plan for my life that is way better than anything that “I” can plan for myself. As I turn 39, I have decided that rather than dreading this year before I turn 40, I’m going to celebrate it. I’m going to live it, and live it the way that God would want me to………….Abundantly. So over the next year I am going to do 40 things that I have never done before to celebrate the year. Some are things that challenge me physically, some help to make me more well rounded, some help me to give back, some enrich my life and some are well let’s face it…….. just FUN!..........This is the tentative list so that I’m not going into the year with a blank list…but I’m flexible, but there WILL be 40 new things completed by 9/24/10…. I will be sure to post things as I complete them, so watch for the completed list of 40 things. If you have an idea? Share it with me!....Come and Celebrate along with me as I celebrate and…….
Live Life Abundantly……………………40 new things to do this year before I turn 40!


1. Go on a Missions Trip

2. Go to Ethiopia

3. Take a Hot air balloon ride

4. Take Vocal lessons

5. Go Swing dancing http://www.rochesterswingdance.com/

6. Read through the entire bible http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/

7. Complete the 75 mile bike race around lake Tahoe http://www.bikethewest.com/

8. Critical mass bike ride in Rochester

9. Visit Yosemite? (Since I lived so close and NEVER went!)

10. Spend the Day at Mirabeau http://mirbeau2-px.trvlclick.com/index.html

11. Get a Mud body treatment

12. Volunteer on Christmas day to Serve homeless

13. Travel spontaneously?- destination unknown

14. SU GAME http://www.suathletics.com/index.aspx?path=mbasket

15. Rhinos game http://www.rhinossoccer.com/

16. Seneca falls- women’s rights museum http://www.greatwomen.org/

17. Alaska Trip

18. Go on a Cruise

19. Star/ Planet Spotting

20. Kayak river http://www.baycreek.com/

21. Artisan works http://www.artisanworks.net/

22. Saratoga Roosevelt baths http://www.gideonputnam.com/Spa.aspx

23. NYC Ideas (since Im going there for 2 days for work,time is limited, but hey!)
a. Something in NYC (Drink at Tavern on the Green or Russian Tea Room)

b. Ground Zero http://www.tributewtc.org/visitorinfo/index.php

24. Trapeze School http://boston.trapezeschool.com/classes/schedule.php

25. Trip to Genesee Abbey http://www.geneseeabbey.org/

26. Try Orienteering http://roc.us.orienteering.org/

27. Go to the taping of a Television show

28. Camp Cory Peace weekend (since I missed out on 2009 due to my gallbladder!)

29. Try speed dating? Maybe not here in Rochester though as I heard it is not great here

30. Laser Tag or Paint ball

31. Celebrate Rosh Hashanah with Congregation Shema Yisrael

32. paint my toenails bright blue

33. Take a class on how to make mixed drinks --or a class on how to do something that I dont know how to do!

34. Maybe train to run a 5K......I said MAYBE......Im not a runner....I prefer to bike, but since the list is tentative, Ill put it there for now.

35. Jess suggested I try Green beer.......and since usually I even AVOID St. Patrick's day, perhaps this year not only will I try Green beer, but maybe Ill actually venture out on the green beer day.

36. .37. .38. .39. .40. .???????