New Adventures: Week of September 13

This week was chock-full of new things! In the interests of efficiency, I’ll start from the top:

New thing #1: Cleveland, Ohio
If you remember from last week, I was in Cleveland for a work training on how to be an effective instructor. We all know Cleveland has a less-than-stellar reputation. Ever heard of the joke from Henny Youngman, “I spent a week in Cleveland one night ?” Or the phrase “the mistake by the Lake?” And after spending a week there, I think Cleveland has a wholly undeserved reputation. I spent most of the nights working, but one night we went to a restaurant with a live band and great Cajun food. Now, Cleveland is not New York City. It never will be. And my hotel had torn wall paper, and smelled less than desirable. But I am going to overlook those things and appreciate Cleveland for its pretty skyline, pretty lakeside, plethora of professional sports teams, and variety of restaurants. And perhaps most importantly, its efficient airport. Hands down, the most efficient I’ve been in. The taxi service had my location printed out and I was in a cab in less than five minutes. That enough is reason to enjoy traveling through Cleveland. And for those of you who feel like I am perhaps stretching with the last reason, perhaps..

New thing #2: Pittsburgh, PA
Jacko alerted me of a city fairly equidistant to Cleveland and his house in Frederick, MD: Pittsburgh, PA. Even better, neither of us had ever been there. Perfect! I rented a car and drove a few hours to see Jacko for the weekend. I have not had such a fun weekend in a long time!

New thing #2a: Kennywood
Kennywood is an amusement park close to Pittsburgh that seems to just be set in the middle of a bunch of residential neighborhoods. Odd, but we had to check it out. We were very pleasantly surprised! Smaller roller coasters than Cedar Point, but a lot of fun. Plus the weather was cold enough to ward off too many people from wearing inappropriately small clothing, something we both appreciated.

New thing #2b: Pittsburgh Pirates game
I’ve been to a few major league baseball games before, but never a Pirates game! Apparently they have the worst losing streak in the nation, but it was really a fun game! Jacko scored great seats; right behind home plate. The field overlooked the Pittsburgh skyline, including the pedestrian bridge we had to walk over to get to the game. The game was followed by the best fireworks display I’ve ever seen!! It was also the first time I’ve seen fireworks set to the Cookie Monster song, but there’s a first time for everything :)

New thing #2c: Primanti Brothers Sandwich
There is a legendary sandwich in Pittsburgh called the Primanti Brothers sandwich. It has coleslaw, cheesesteak, French fries, and cheese sandwiched between two huge pieces of bread. Of course we had to try it. We planned on buying one and splitting it, but somehow we both got one, along with a huge order of fries. I don’t know how these things happen. You have to try the sandwich at least once, but I was disappointed—it didn’t have much flavor!! I found out afterwards we ordered the “#2 most popular sandwich,” so perhaps #1 is a lot better.

Overall, I really liked Pittsburgh. The traffic was horrible any time we went anywhere, but it really has a lot of redeeming qualities. The city has a “gritty” or “blue-collar” feel, which was a nice change from the Southwest. There is a lot of water, and Pittsburgh has the most bridges of any city in the world: 436. Gorgeous bridges, a pretty riverwalk, and lots of great restaurants. And perhaps the most important mitigating factor about Pittsburgh: the highest ice cream consumption in the nation per person. I highly recommend a visit!

Cleveland ROCKS!

I HAVE done a new thing every week since my last update, but some of the new things I cannot write about on the internetJ And now that I am behind, I’ll just start with this week. A work trip brought me to Cleveland, Ohio. Instead of staying in my room and ordering room service, like I wanted to, I forced myself to go explore. And I am very happy I did! While kind of dirty, the buildings are tall, pretty, and somewhat reminiscent of Detroit. In a good way. I am in the theater district, so stopped by a theater to see what was playing. No plays, but a free showing of “West Side Story.” Free movie in a pretty, old theater? Of course I am game! There was even a fun old-style candy counter! Which meant I had to buy some candy, of course. Somehow I have made it 31 years of my life without knowing anything about West Side Story, and I’d say I am the only one. After two hours, I came away with the following conclusions:

1. Do not clap, snap your fingers, or sing along to a movie unless you are at your house. It’s weird. Especially because no one who is doing the acting or singing can hear you. The movie starts, and people just start snapping their fingers in the audience. Weird.

2. Whoever made West Side Story did not know how to play basketball. The basketball scene made me sad. If you’ve seen it, you know what I am talking about.

Yes, I judged people. And no, I don’t feel bad about it.

I really liked the movie, and felt a little cultured. I can’t believe I never knew anything about it until today. I also found out Cleveland is second to NYC in revenue generated from theater. Who would have thought? Thanks, Cleveland!

Week 2, Adventure 2

Week two of “one adventure a week”
Date: August 6, 2010
Adventure: First Friday Artcrawl
Grade: A-

It was a girls’ night tonight, and instead of the typical “dinner and dollar movie,” we wanted to do something a little different. I did a little research and some art galleries in Albuquerque put on an event called “First Friday Artcrawl.” There are a few groupings of galleries in Albuquerque, one of them being about 10 minutes from where I live. This was key in case it was really lame—maximum escapability. Three galleries were right next to each other, stayed open late, and even had local artists inside to discuss their artwork. And imagine how happy I was when I discovered the galleries also had refreshments. Who doesn’t like walking around, looking at photographs, and eating brownies and chocolate covered strawberries? Art people are pretty weird, though. Lots of crazy tattoos, blue hair, and homemade clothes. I don’t know how anyone with gauged ears can afford a piece of fused glass for $4200, but what do I know?

All in all, it was a pretty fun night. I didn’t pretend to care about any symbolic meaning behind any artwork, it was a short and sweet way to spend 1 ½ hours with friends, and I possibly even became a tad cultured. I even found a new bakery to try next week, or maybe even this weekend. So then why an A-? Simple: I don’t really like oil paintings of elephants posing in bikinis as pin-up girls. Or acrylic paintings of “the world’s skinniest manatee in the circus freak show.” And to be honest, I really don’t think anyone does.

One adventure per week...

Homestead ruins (if you image some ruins, you might be able to see some)

Road on way to ruins

Goal: One new adventure a week
Why: Why not? This should help with two goals: take more advantage of what my state has to offer, and documenting will help me remember it.

Date: July 31, 2010
Adventure: La Madera Road Hike in between Ortiz and Sandia Mountains, by Cedar Crest, New Mexico. Scenery was supposed to be ghost towns and petroglyphs. (Hike #20 in 60 Hikes within 60 miles of Albuquerque).
Grade: C

I carved a few hours out of a Saturday to explore a small town close to Albuquerque. I found a hike that was supposed to take me by some ghost towns/ruins. I needed to be careful what hike I picked because the knee can’t quite handle much yet, but this was along a road, so I thought it would be perfect. Although I felt completely lame hiking on a dirt road (it was a ROUGH dirt road, to be frank—so not completely lame), the scenery was incredible and I soon felt at home. Late summer is the rainy season in Albuquerque, so dark clouds threatened the horizon. I thought it could be kind of fun if the road was washed out, but it was not to be. The knee held up for about 11/2 hours (45 minutes each way). Deer petroglyphs, multiple ruins, and gorgeous scenery was supposed to be on the trail. Why a C: a) I was hoping there would be walking trails to the ruins and petroglyphs, but instead there was private property past the road, and you had to look from the road. b) You can’t get a high grade if you are walking on a road. c) I didn’t walk far enough to see any ghost “towns,” just some rock walls that maybe some kids put up a hundred years ago. But it still got a C because there weren't any snakes.

Next time I go, I’ll just pack a lunch, turn up the radio, and drive to see them. A fun town to drive through is south of Cedar Crest; a pretty little foothills town up Highway 337 called Escobosa. I’m glad I’m feeling the exploring bug again...

Ode to the Rattlesnake

This weekend I explored Old Town in Albuquerque. Lots of shops selling turquoise and silver around a town green. No, no dreamcatchers. Must have been sold out. On the town green was a gazebo where performers dressed up in Mexican attire and danced, sang, or played instruments. I ate lunch in a small Mexican restaurant behind an old church. Very charming and fun. Among all these attractions, however, I found one hot spot that was somehow not sold out: the Rattlesnake Museum.


I had been planning on tricking my father into a visit to the museum ever since I found out about its existence, but I just couldn’t wait that long. My father is not what you would call a friend of reptiles. One very vivid childhood memory consists of an unnamed oldest sister putting a garter snake in a shoebox and giving it to my dad. Let’s just say some snakes can fly:) I learned more about rattlesnakes than anyone would ever want to know. Except for my sister Mary. For some crazy reason the girl used to work in a REPTILE SHOW. And she even knew the reptiles' names. There are red rattlesnakes. There are black ones. There are rattlesnakes with horns over their eyes. Yes, they all have rattles. Yes, they only had live snakes at this museum. And yes, just as I thought I was doing very well being calm while surrounded by snakes, I almost had a heart attack when my phone vibrated in my purse and I thought it was a rattlesnake. So, Father dearest, I would brave this museum for you any time. But of course I took some pictures. You are more than welcome!

New Mexican Style...

I took German for four years in high school. I even dreamt in German one night and couldn't remember English for about half an hour in the morning. Frau Buller and I will always be friends. But this is really not taking me very far in the Southwest. I pronounce "pollo" like the sport polo. When I was in San Diego, a concierge almost spit Coke out her nose when I pronounced it "La Jolla" instead of "La Hoya." These are not good traits when moving to New Mexico. But I think I've gotten better. I've at least progressed to pronouncing it "Heymez Mountains" for the "Jemez Mountains."

I am of course loving New Mexico. On Sunday I will have been here for two weeks, but it feels like I've been here longer. I am so antsy to take advantage of everything! I am right by the foothills, and it looks a lot like Salt Lake. I so miss my friends and family, but there's not much I can do about it right now. I've been able to go on an adventure or two while adjusting to work, but been pretty exhausted trying to unpack and just figure out where the bathroom is at work. Nonetheless, I am drawing from some resources to try something new every week.

Two weeks ago was Bandelier National Monument by Los Alamos, NM. I learned two very important things here: I don't like Bed and Breakfasts where the couple lives there, and I don't like hiking by myself. Boring. A cute old couple lived at the Bed and Breakfast, but I felt like I was visiting at my grandparents' house and couldn't do normal things I would do at a hotel like sleep in and watch a movie with lots of treats spread out on my bed. Plus, the grandpa (not really one, but it felt like one) told me my biological clock was probably ticking. Do not ever say that to someone traveling by themselves, fyi. Or say that to anyone, ever. It's weird.

Bandelier was amazing--lots of archeological finds, where Indians used to live. You had to climb up really tall ladders to get to the places where they would live. Sounds much more intense than it really was, especially since I think I maybe saw a lady in high heels. I am finished with taking ranger recommendations. Last year a ranger in Southern Utah with crazy eyes told us a hike was "crazy hard" and we would be stuck in tons of water. Bone dry, and very easy. A ranger here told me a hike was her favorite because of all the archeological finds and it was so different from the rest of the hikes. Fast forward to me deciding to turn it into a trail run because it was boring and just like what I had hiked an hour before. Still fun, but still...

Standby for last weekend's and this weekend's adventures...

Tuesday and Wednesday Play Time...

I realize this is probably the most boring blog in the world, but it will have to do for a while. I am dragging today, but hopefully will feel refreshed later today! I think I will, either from Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi.

Tuesday workout:
Morning: Get up at 5:15 to sit on the freeway because a hamburger driver fell asleep at the wheel. Missed the workout and went to work early instead:(

Evening workout
TABATA something else:
8 rounds of each exercise; 20 seconds all out and 10 seconds rest:
Pull-ups
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Squats
Rowing

Total score: 406. Yay!

50 push-ups

Evening workout #2:
5 rounds of:
Bike 5 min
Squats 1 min
Lunges 1 min per leg
Calf raises 1 min

Evening workout #3:
Yoga for 75 min

Apparently I have been channeling yoga too much with my pushups--I keep going forward instead of straight down. I was told this makes them a lot harder. I hope so!

Wednesday am:

The only reason I got up today is because I would feel really lazy if I slept in. I felt like I've been hit by a truck and my arms are too tired to put on eyeliner. Sad.

For time (32:40):
25 push press (65#)
50 24" box jumps (I am lucky I did not fall flat on my face!)
25 push jerk (65#)
50 pushups
50 burpees

I threw in 50 situps and 48 pull-ups just for fun.

Time to get jazzed about my evening workout! Not there yet... :)