Some of the best new things that I've done seem to be ideas that come from other people. One evening while having dinner with friends at Buffalo Wild Wings, we were discussing my new things and how I was running out of ideas. My friend Kyle Baareman, who just happens to be my awesome mechanic, suggested that I learn to change my own oil. Now, I'm known for being one of those people who like to figure things out and do them on my own before paying someone else to do it. However, I have never even considered working on a car.
So this actually turned out to be a great new thing for November. Over Thanksgiving break, we were blessed with a 55 degree day and I decided it was time. Honestly, the trip to Auto Zone was the worst part. First of all, it was Black Friday so it was crazy busy. Second, every person in there was male and actually knew what they were doing. I stood in the parts line for 10 minutes to ask what oil filter and oil I needed and gave up to figure it out myself. I used the big book-thing to look up the filter and found it with little trouble. There were so many different types of oil I basically just picked one and went to check out. 15 minutes later I got to the register and the guy at the counter was nice enough to tell me they had a deal going on with a different type of oil and I got a bunch of free stuff with it (oil pan, shop towels, some cleaner, and my very own funnel!). I was still crossing my fingers that I got the right filter.
When I got to Kyle's, I figured out that I did indeed get the right filter. However, I also got some over-priced oil. Kyle jacked the car up so that I could get under it and he pointed out the oil pan and plug and a few other things. All the while, I was thinking how dangerous this job seemed to be. It would really hurt if the car fell on me and everything was so hot I thought I was going to burn my nose on something. Kyle loosened the oil plug for me and I got the oil drained. He showed me where the filter was and I got that off and the new one on without much trouble. I put the plug back in and filled up the oil. After topping off some other fluids and checking the oil level I was good to go. I didn't even get any oil on my clothes!
Changing oil on a car is really not hard. But it does take some patience, some nerve, and some know-how to do it. I'm sure I'll try it again on my own just because I can. However, I think it's worth the extra $15 to have someone else do it. We'll see how long I last doing it myself. This was a fun one. Thanks Kyle!
Friday, November 25, 2011
The Pity Party Is Officially Over
Ok, so after messing up my knee and the aweful surgery, I must admit, I went into "poor me" mode. I was so annoyed at not being able to do the things I wanted to I gave up on my new things. September came and went and I was re-inspired at my brother in law's birthday party. Some friends started brainstorming new things for me to do that didn't involve using my knee, since I was still not very mobile. One of my favorites was to learn to make balloon animals.
So October's new thing became just that. It is truely amazing what you can learn to do on the internet. Google helped me get started with what I needed. I took a trip to Party City and dropped $15 on a balloon pump and some twisty balloons.
I found tips and patterns on the internet and the twisting began. Making balloon animals is not that difficult. The hardest part was getting used to the horrid noise the balloons make. Dulce did not appreciate my new hobby one bit. My first creation was a sword followed by a dog. After some practice, I also learned to make a flower, a pirate sword, a Christmas wreath, and a couple cool hats. A week or so into my new hobby, I realized it was starting to look like a carnival threw up in my house. I am looking forward to making some for the kidos at Christmas.
I skipped September so I have one new thing to make up, but I can't wait to finish off the year.
So October's new thing became just that. It is truely amazing what you can learn to do on the internet. Google helped me get started with what I needed. I took a trip to Party City and dropped $15 on a balloon pump and some twisty balloons.
I found tips and patterns on the internet and the twisting began. Making balloon animals is not that difficult. The hardest part was getting used to the horrid noise the balloons make. Dulce did not appreciate my new hobby one bit. My first creation was a sword followed by a dog. After some practice, I also learned to make a flower, a pirate sword, a Christmas wreath, and a couple cool hats. A week or so into my new hobby, I realized it was starting to look like a carnival threw up in my house. I am looking forward to making some for the kidos at Christmas.
I skipped September so I have one new thing to make up, but I can't wait to finish off the year.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
August- A little late, a lot of boring
Ok, so I had my knee surgery and it was everything I expected and more. Sounds good, right? Not so much. The surgeon wasn't kidding when he said 4-6 before being mobile and minimum 6 months before I'm getting back to normal. August was down right dreadful. Lots of pain, very little sleep. Since I really couldn't do anything except take pain meds and lay down, I decided it was a good month for a reading challenge. The idea of reading a classic novel came to me courtesy of my dear friend Annie Whitlock. Browsing the $8 classic novel section at Barnes and Nobel just before my surgery, I decided on Treasure Island and Little Women.
The first two weeks of surgery consisted of this routine: Take medicine, pass out for an hour, sit in my CPM machine for 4 hours (see terrible picture below), repeat. I picked Treasure Island first expecting an action packed, Pirates of the Caribbean like adventure. What I got was a big disappointment. Here was the plot: A pirate died. A kid found his treasure map and got a group together to find it. They sailed on a ship and found the island. There was a mutiny. They found the treasure. They went home. Yep, that's all and it took me a good 3 weeks to get through it. I never started Little Women. August was by far the most boring new thing to date. So boring in fact, that it took me two months just to blog about it!
The first two weeks of surgery consisted of this routine: Take medicine, pass out for an hour, sit in my CPM machine for 4 hours (see terrible picture below), repeat. I picked Treasure Island first expecting an action packed, Pirates of the Caribbean like adventure. What I got was a big disappointment. Here was the plot: A pirate died. A kid found his treasure map and got a group together to find it. They sailed on a ship and found the island. There was a mutiny. They found the treasure. They went home. Yep, that's all and it took me a good 3 weeks to get through it. I never started Little Women. August was by far the most boring new thing to date. So boring in fact, that it took me two months just to blog about it!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
All By Myself
Take 1 part social experiment, 1 part boredom, and 1 part out of good ideas and you get my July New Thing.
It started with a craving for my beloved Margarita's. The restaurant, not the drink. It's true that I could have easily found a friend to accompany me (I fear a few might be angry I went without them!), but I decided to take this craving as an opportunity. July's new thing would be all about doing things by myself that most people do with others. The first, obviously, was to go to a restaurant alone. I've heard that some people do this all the time. I, however, have always thought it would be strange to walk into a restaurant, ask for a table for one, and just sit in the booth waiting for your food. The experience did not disappoint.
Upon arrival, I immediately found a table where I could have my back to everyone and hide. Just in case someone I knew walked in. I don't know why I cared, but I was so nervous that I would have to explain to someone why I was alone. The chips and salsa and soda arrived promptly and, having been to Margarita's many times, I knew what I wanted and ordered right away. Rather than sit and stare off into space while waiting for my food, I brought along a Sudoku book to occupy me. Not sure if this made me seem more or less pathetic but at least it helped pass the time. And then the food came. A large plate of Mexican goodness. I enjoyed every bite, got the leftovers to go, and got out of dodge. I definitely do not enjoy the experience of eating in a restaurant alone. However, I have to admit, once the food came, I didn't really care. If you haven't been to Margarita's in Holland before, stop reading this, get in your car, and drive quickly to the south side. You will not regret it.
Next up on the list, a movie. Again, I've heard that people go to movies alone all the time. I never have but it seemed like this would be a little more comfortable since it's dark in the theater and it's frowned upon to talk during the movie anyway. I went in the afternoon when it would be cheaper and there would be less people around. My choices for summer flicks was very limited. Cars 2 and Winnie the Pooh was playing but seeing a kid's movie by myself definitely had a creepy factor involved. I had already seen Harry Potter 7 part 2 so my choices were Horrible Bosses and Friends with Benefits. I flipped a coin since I wasn't really thrilled about either and settled on Horrible Bosses. I bought my ticket, popcorn, and, yes, more soda and found a seat in the back. Aside from the fact that the movie was raunchy and not all that funny, seeing a movie by myself wasn't that bad. I might do it again if I'm aching to see something that I can't convince anyone else to go to.
My final idea seemed like a lot of fun. A trip to Craig's Cruisers in Holland for some mini golf and a go-kart ride. I hadn't done either of these things in years. I started with the mini gold and was quickly reminded that it requires some walking up and down stairs and hills and uneven terrain. Not something I'm all that great at right now with my busted up knee. Nevertheless, I powered through the 18 holes. I have to say, mini golf is boring. Especially when you are alone. I couldn't yell or pout when I made a bad shot and I couldn't cheer or heckle anybody when I made an awesome one. I just slowly and quietly hit the little ball into hole after hole. To top it off, it was 90 degrees and humid out. I was glad when it was over.
I followed up my lame mini golf game with a very quick go-kart ride. It was alright. This is a lot like going to the movies, there's no expectation that you should be talking to someone at the time. You just drive around in circles for 2 minutes, pull in, and get out. I do have to say, it was a nice way to cool off after the mini golf. All in all, it was an interesting experience. I doubt next month will be all that exciting since I'll be laid up on the couch after my knee surgery but we shall see.
It started with a craving for my beloved Margarita's. The restaurant, not the drink. It's true that I could have easily found a friend to accompany me (I fear a few might be angry I went without them!), but I decided to take this craving as an opportunity. July's new thing would be all about doing things by myself that most people do with others. The first, obviously, was to go to a restaurant alone. I've heard that some people do this all the time. I, however, have always thought it would be strange to walk into a restaurant, ask for a table for one, and just sit in the booth waiting for your food. The experience did not disappoint.
Upon arrival, I immediately found a table where I could have my back to everyone and hide. Just in case someone I knew walked in. I don't know why I cared, but I was so nervous that I would have to explain to someone why I was alone. The chips and salsa and soda arrived promptly and, having been to Margarita's many times, I knew what I wanted and ordered right away. Rather than sit and stare off into space while waiting for my food, I brought along a Sudoku book to occupy me. Not sure if this made me seem more or less pathetic but at least it helped pass the time. And then the food came. A large plate of Mexican goodness. I enjoyed every bite, got the leftovers to go, and got out of dodge. I definitely do not enjoy the experience of eating in a restaurant alone. However, I have to admit, once the food came, I didn't really care. If you haven't been to Margarita's in Holland before, stop reading this, get in your car, and drive quickly to the south side. You will not regret it.
Next up on the list, a movie. Again, I've heard that people go to movies alone all the time. I never have but it seemed like this would be a little more comfortable since it's dark in the theater and it's frowned upon to talk during the movie anyway. I went in the afternoon when it would be cheaper and there would be less people around. My choices for summer flicks was very limited. Cars 2 and Winnie the Pooh was playing but seeing a kid's movie by myself definitely had a creepy factor involved. I had already seen Harry Potter 7 part 2 so my choices were Horrible Bosses and Friends with Benefits. I flipped a coin since I wasn't really thrilled about either and settled on Horrible Bosses. I bought my ticket, popcorn, and, yes, more soda and found a seat in the back. Aside from the fact that the movie was raunchy and not all that funny, seeing a movie by myself wasn't that bad. I might do it again if I'm aching to see something that I can't convince anyone else to go to.
My final idea seemed like a lot of fun. A trip to Craig's Cruisers in Holland for some mini golf and a go-kart ride. I hadn't done either of these things in years. I started with the mini gold and was quickly reminded that it requires some walking up and down stairs and hills and uneven terrain. Not something I'm all that great at right now with my busted up knee. Nevertheless, I powered through the 18 holes. I have to say, mini golf is boring. Especially when you are alone. I couldn't yell or pout when I made a bad shot and I couldn't cheer or heckle anybody when I made an awesome one. I just slowly and quietly hit the little ball into hole after hole. To top it off, it was 90 degrees and humid out. I was glad when it was over.
I followed up my lame mini golf game with a very quick go-kart ride. It was alright. This is a lot like going to the movies, there's no expectation that you should be talking to someone at the time. You just drive around in circles for 2 minutes, pull in, and get out. I do have to say, it was a nice way to cool off after the mini golf. All in all, it was an interesting experience. I doubt next month will be all that exciting since I'll be laid up on the couch after my knee surgery but we shall see.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Not Quite What I Had In Mind
Well after completing that grueling 10K in May, it seemed like a good idea to take a break from running and try something new for my workouts. A colleague at work suggested a while back that I try karate so I started looking into martial arts classes in the area. I was fortunate enough to find a Tae Kwon Do class for a relatively good price at the YMCA.
In the first class, I learned the 21 basic Tae Kwon Do moves and how to punch and kick correctly. The second class I learned all kinds of self defence moves and how to get out of holds. I was having a ton of fun and even considering signing up for the next session so that I could test for my first belt.
The third class brought all kinds of surprises. We started class by reviewing the basic moves from the first class. We then split into two groups. One instructor worked with me and the other worked with the two other students. I learned 3 of the "forms" of Tae Kwon Do in which you do several different moves at once in a particular sequence. I caught on to them quickly and actually felt like I was learning real moves. After practicing the punches and kicks on the bags for a while, we joined together as one group and took turns doing jump kicks at the heavy bag. This is where things got interesting. A jump kick is where you jump off one leg, kick with the other while in the air, then land on the leg you jumped off of. I was doing ok until I switched legs. The first jump off my right leg went terribly wrong. I landed funny, heard a pop, crumpled to the ground, and heard another pop. I spent the next five minutes or so screaming and rolling around on the floor in excruciating pain. I was most definitely done for the day.
The instructors lifted me off the floor into a chair and gave me some ice while the class finished the last few minutes of class. My knee and the bottom half of my leg was hurting very badly. A pain I have never felt in my life. As the instructor was filling out the incident report, he asked me at least three times if I needed an ambulance. This was most definitely not happening. I was already embarrassed enough by the fact that the "old person" in class got hurt there was no way I was going anywhere in an ambulance. He helped me down the stairs and I drove home somehow still in a great deal of pain.
The next day I was still in intense pain but also in denial that I did anything serious. I figured I'd give it a few days and it would be fine. Later in the day I went to a friend's house and they convinced me to go to the doctor. I was able to get in to my family doctor right away and after about a 15 minute appointment she sent me straight over to an orthopaedist. Not a positive sign. The orthopaedist said I sprained my MCL and probably tore something too. He ordered an MRI to confirm. The following week I went back to the ortho to get the results of the MRI. He said I had sprained my MCL, tore my ACL, tore my lateral meniscus, and bruised my tibia. Oh and he also suspected I had a blood clot and sent me straight to the hospital to get an ultrasound. Finally, after a very long day of really bad news, the ultrasound showed I did not in fact have a blood clot.
The result is I will have to have surgery to repair or remove the damaged meniscus and have a graft to replace my ACL. I will begin physical therapy next week to help relieve some of the swelling and stiffness and to get a larger range of motion so that on July 27, the ortho can cut me open and reconstruct my very broken knee. I will have 4-6 weeks of painful, annoying recovery before I am mobile again and a minimum of 6 months before I can do any activity at all. This is not how I was planning on spending my summer. Finishing my new things for the year is going to be a challenge now that I only have one good leg but I'm determined to do it.
In the first class, I learned the 21 basic Tae Kwon Do moves and how to punch and kick correctly. The second class I learned all kinds of self defence moves and how to get out of holds. I was having a ton of fun and even considering signing up for the next session so that I could test for my first belt.
The third class brought all kinds of surprises. We started class by reviewing the basic moves from the first class. We then split into two groups. One instructor worked with me and the other worked with the two other students. I learned 3 of the "forms" of Tae Kwon Do in which you do several different moves at once in a particular sequence. I caught on to them quickly and actually felt like I was learning real moves. After practicing the punches and kicks on the bags for a while, we joined together as one group and took turns doing jump kicks at the heavy bag. This is where things got interesting. A jump kick is where you jump off one leg, kick with the other while in the air, then land on the leg you jumped off of. I was doing ok until I switched legs. The first jump off my right leg went terribly wrong. I landed funny, heard a pop, crumpled to the ground, and heard another pop. I spent the next five minutes or so screaming and rolling around on the floor in excruciating pain. I was most definitely done for the day.
The instructors lifted me off the floor into a chair and gave me some ice while the class finished the last few minutes of class. My knee and the bottom half of my leg was hurting very badly. A pain I have never felt in my life. As the instructor was filling out the incident report, he asked me at least three times if I needed an ambulance. This was most definitely not happening. I was already embarrassed enough by the fact that the "old person" in class got hurt there was no way I was going anywhere in an ambulance. He helped me down the stairs and I drove home somehow still in a great deal of pain.
The next day I was still in intense pain but also in denial that I did anything serious. I figured I'd give it a few days and it would be fine. Later in the day I went to a friend's house and they convinced me to go to the doctor. I was able to get in to my family doctor right away and after about a 15 minute appointment she sent me straight over to an orthopaedist. Not a positive sign. The orthopaedist said I sprained my MCL and probably tore something too. He ordered an MRI to confirm. The following week I went back to the ortho to get the results of the MRI. He said I had sprained my MCL, tore my ACL, tore my lateral meniscus, and bruised my tibia. Oh and he also suspected I had a blood clot and sent me straight to the hospital to get an ultrasound. Finally, after a very long day of really bad news, the ultrasound showed I did not in fact have a blood clot.
The result is I will have to have surgery to repair or remove the damaged meniscus and have a graft to replace my ACL. I will begin physical therapy next week to help relieve some of the swelling and stiffness and to get a larger range of motion so that on July 27, the ortho can cut me open and reconstruct my very broken knee. I will have 4-6 weeks of painful, annoying recovery before I am mobile again and a minimum of 6 months before I can do any activity at all. This is not how I was planning on spending my summer. Finishing my new things for the year is going to be a challenge now that I only have one good leg but I'm determined to do it.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
"All It Takes Is All You Got." Mark Davis
If you knew me when I was younger, you know I am not exactly the athlete that my sisters were. I was never into exercising and didn't think much about being healthy or active. If you had told me in high school that I'd be running races in the future I probably would have laughed at you.
Flash forward several years and my how things have changed. I suppose it all started about 5 years ago when my friend Jodie told me that she needed to get back into shape and wanted me to train for a 5K with her. I don't remember the exact moment but I imagine that I told her she was crazy (you know that's 3 miles, right?) Well, I did it anyway. I started off slow, very slow and eventually was able to run (er, jog) 3 miles at a time and ran my first Grand Rapids Riverbank 5K. I have run several 5k races since then and in January of this year, decided I needed a new challenge. The Riverbank 10k in May became my new goal and my New Thing.
I began training in January and built up to running 6.5 miles at a time. Many people told me when I first started running that I'd get addicted to it and love it. That's a lie. I envy those (Heidi, Becky, Janine, Becky) who love running and can't seem to get enough of it. I hate it. It's boring, it hurts, and it makes me all sweaty. But I do it because it makes me feel good and I always have a sense of accomplishment after I'm finished.
At 6:00am on Saturday, May 14 I woke up, threw on my running clothes, inhaled a piece of toast, and headed to Grand Rapids for the big run. I was a bit nervous but looking forward to meeting my crew, Annie, Mike, Jodie, Mark, Jen, Becky, and Nick for the race. It was about 50 degrees out and rained the whole way to GR. In fact, it rained during the entire race. When the race started at 8:00am, it was chilly and drizzling but altogether not bad running weather. The course was flat and rather enjoyable, curving through downtown GR and the zoo for the first 4 miles. Near mile 4.5 it started pouring, I stepped in a massive puddle, and discovered the last 1.5 miles to be nothing but hills.
Soaking wet and getting soar, I squished my way over the last hill and around the last curve to hear my mom, sister, niece, nephew, and Annie screaming and cheering for me just before reaching the finish line. I'm no Olympic athlete, but it sure did feel good to complete that 6.2 mile run. How many people can say they can do that? Not many I'm sure. But I can, and it was great.
Flash forward several years and my how things have changed. I suppose it all started about 5 years ago when my friend Jodie told me that she needed to get back into shape and wanted me to train for a 5K with her. I don't remember the exact moment but I imagine that I told her she was crazy (you know that's 3 miles, right?) Well, I did it anyway. I started off slow, very slow and eventually was able to run (er, jog) 3 miles at a time and ran my first Grand Rapids Riverbank 5K. I have run several 5k races since then and in January of this year, decided I needed a new challenge. The Riverbank 10k in May became my new goal and my New Thing.
I began training in January and built up to running 6.5 miles at a time. Many people told me when I first started running that I'd get addicted to it and love it. That's a lie. I envy those (Heidi, Becky, Janine, Becky) who love running and can't seem to get enough of it. I hate it. It's boring, it hurts, and it makes me all sweaty. But I do it because it makes me feel good and I always have a sense of accomplishment after I'm finished.
At 6:00am on Saturday, May 14 I woke up, threw on my running clothes, inhaled a piece of toast, and headed to Grand Rapids for the big run. I was a bit nervous but looking forward to meeting my crew, Annie, Mike, Jodie, Mark, Jen, Becky, and Nick for the race. It was about 50 degrees out and rained the whole way to GR. In fact, it rained during the entire race. When the race started at 8:00am, it was chilly and drizzling but altogether not bad running weather. The course was flat and rather enjoyable, curving through downtown GR and the zoo for the first 4 miles. Near mile 4.5 it started pouring, I stepped in a massive puddle, and discovered the last 1.5 miles to be nothing but hills.
Soaking wet and getting soar, I squished my way over the last hill and around the last curve to hear my mom, sister, niece, nephew, and Annie screaming and cheering for me just before reaching the finish line. I'm no Olympic athlete, but it sure did feel good to complete that 6.2 mile run. How many people can say they can do that? Not many I'm sure. But I can, and it was great.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Adventures in Geocaching
So it's been almost 2 full months since my last New Thing and I finished April's just in the nick of time. On recommendation from my friend Heather, I went Geocaching with Jodie, Caelen, Mike, and Annie. If you've never heard of Geocaching before, basically it's a live treasure hunt except that the treasures are just fun, useless trinkets and junk. There are literally thousands of "caches" hidden all over the country. These are small containers that include a log book and small treasures that you can take and leave. You go to the website, http://www.geocaching.com/, look up your location you want to hunt in, and it gives you the GPS locations of the many caches in your area. If you are lucky enough to have an I-phone or I-pad (or awesome friends who have one), there is an app. that will lead you to the locations.
The excitement began immediately on our first cache hunt just a minute down the road from my house. It appeared to be off a trail just at the end of a cul-de-sac. We parked the car, camera, bag of trinkets, and a pantsless baby in tow. Getting no more than 10 feet from the car, we were stopped by the owner of the property we were about to walk through. We told her what we were doing and she insisted she did not have anything of the sort on her property. She allowed us, reluctantly, to take a look around as I told her I'd be sure to put a note on the website saying the cache was on private property (which I did by the way). We discovered the cache was actually on a wildlife preserve that was just yards off her property line. This one was cleverly called "Thin Mint" as it was hidden by a Girl Scout troop many years ago.
We signed the log, leaving our mini-clicker toy, and gaining a pretty, purple, plastic, flower ring, and ventured on to the next one. It was quite close to the first so we walked further into the woods, around some flooded swamps, and through a lot of mud to get to this one. We looked for a while but had no luck finding it. Back through the mud to the car and we were on our way again.
The next few that we looked for were much more successful. One off the road in a park, one in the fair grounds, another outside of a bar, and the final one at the tiny little Holland city airport. As the sun set and wind picked up, we ended our Geocaching expedition at Captain Sundae. No caches there, just great ice cream. Thank you friends for joining the fun. I'm sure there will be a Geocaching part 2 in the future.
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| Caelen is holding the little green truck we got from the last cache. |
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| Ahh, modern technology... |
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| One of the caches we found at the airport. It contained an assortment of toy airplanes. Caelen really enjoyed the blue one. |
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