Octoberfest: Day 6 "Caddyshacking"

Golf Swing! (not bad)

When I woke up today, I had my heart set on going to the driving range for my Octoberfest activity. The temperature outside was in the 30s and the crisp, chilly October weather almost thwarted my plans. But alas, Des Moines is home to a large indoor Dome that serves as a driving range and miniature golf location. Longview Golf Center was the destination for today's activity. I enlisted the help of my friend Sarah who is an avid golfer and I warned her that this activity could take some patience. I've never been to the driving range. The only golfing I've done is of the miniature kind and even then I'm not great. I'm one of those people who just gets lucky from time to time with a good shot. Let's blame it on my left handedness again. I asked Sarah if I had to wear anything specific for this...like golf shoes or something. I am a self-professed shoe hoarder but to noone's surprise I don't own any golf shoes. Sarah told me I was good to wear whatever so I threw on a pair of boots and I was set. I was tempted to go with wedges but it was too cold outside. What?! Wedges are comfortable! At least I didn't say I was thinking about wearing heels to the driving range. I love me some high heels. So the dome was an interesting place. It was a bit chilly inside but nothing like outside and once we took a few swings, we warmed up. It was only $10 for 30 minutes and we could hit as many balls as we wanted. Or in my case, we could swing and miss horribly as many times as we wanted. I have to say, however, that I was pretty impressed with myself! I hit quite a few really good shots that went far! I of course had quite a few misses, and a couple of times that I thought I might break something but overall, I think I did pretty good for a beginner. Thirty minutes was the perfect amount of time because my hands were getting sore by the time we were done. I learned if you don't hit the ball just right, it does vibrate bad off the club which makes your hands a little numb. I guess I should have worn gloves but again...I don't have any golf gloves in my closet of accessories. They wouldn't exactly go with much.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the driving range today. It was interesting because I really thought that I would do terrible but I didn't. I think sometimes we underestimate our ability to do something really well. But the more you keep swinging, the more you can get the hang of something.  My friend always tells me that you miss 100% of the shots you never take. The more I focused on the ball, the better I did. The important part is to never give up. If you're determined, you'll eventually hit the ball sailing it over the target. And that's an exhilarating feeling.

We worked up an appetite at the driving range so we went over to Legends in Johnston and had lunch and a beer. I mean you didn't think I was skipping that part of golf did you? Rest assured, I definitely have my priorities straight. I was a true golfer today, through and through.

At Legends for lunch (not golfing)

Octoberfest: Day 5 "Real Raw"

Caterpillar (not live)

Today's activity required me to be flexible. No, not that kind of flexible. I didn't attend a stripper pole fitness class or anything like that. That's later in the month. I had planned on having a movie night with friends but it turns out Family Video stores do not carry Helter Skelter, the movie based on the Charles Manson murders. I mean I don't see why not, that's totally family friendly. More importantly I'm sure you're wondering why I would be watching that film. Wasn't my idea but in the spirit of my month-long qwest, I agreed to watch it even though I don't really love scary movies. When I live by myself. And I imagine I'm hearing strange noises at night. Or think someone's breaking in. Ok, I gotta stop, I'm starting to scare myself. So the movie idea didn't pan out. Once again, I had to quickly work on a Plan B which ended up being quite delicious yet again. I love to eat sushi but as I've mentioned in previous blogs, I tend to eat the same things when I go out to eat. So tonight, I swore I would try something new and different. Normally I would NEVER agree to eat raw fish but I couldn't say no. Not this month. Not when Octoberfest and my loyal followers are counting on me. So there I was eating raw salmon atop a bed of rice.....AH-mazing. You guys listen to me, my fear with eating seafood is that it's going to taste fishy. This salmon was so fresh that it almost didn't have a taste. If that makes any sense. It was creamy and smooth and absolutely melt in my mouth good. It was so good that I temporarily forgot about the other sushi rolls we had ordered. If you're looking for a great place to have sushi in the Des Moines area, I HIGHLY recommend Sushi Hoshi Lounge on University Avenue near the Drake campus. It is hands down my favorite sushi spot in Des Moines. The food is ALWAYS spectacularly fresh and they put a lot of effort into quality and presentation. If you're looking for something fun to do for a month, I would recommend Octoberfest, because trying something new each day is a blasty blast! Until tomorrow kids! We're back to doing something fun and exciting that may involve hitting around a tiny white ball...

Octoberfest: Day 4 "Veggie Tales"

Tonight's post is short, much like my hand modeling career. "Oh, crooked pinky fingers? Yeah, we'll call you. Thanks for stopping in." Shoot. Time for Plan B (not to be confused with the Plan B contraceptive that is sold at area drug stores). So Octoberfest started with a giant bang and given I'm in my 30s now, I can't handle so much excitement without getting a little bit worn out. Staying up until well past 1:00 am making sure my blog is in tip-top shape probably doesn't help either. So for tonight's activity, I'm going more low-key. If we were at a junior high school dance this would be the point in the evening when the DJ says "Let's slow things down right now with a classic by Boyz II Men." Alright yes, I'm dating myself by admitting Boyz II Men was popular when I was in junior high. Back to the task at hand. This is actually something that makes perfect sense to me and I'm honestly not sure why I haven't tried this sooner. I'm a huge animal lover so it makes sense that I would abstain from eating any kind of meat for a day so Octoberfest meet Vegetarian, Vegetarian meet Octoberfest. It really wasn't hard to be a Vegetarian for a day. Now let me just admit that I know there are varying degrees of vegetarianism and I would never proclaim to know the difference to any of them. For the purpose of my Day 4 experiement, I went with not eating any meat but cheese and dairy products were fair game. For lunch I had a lean cuisine pasta and for dinner, I finally tried a veggie burger. You know what - I actually loved it (vegetarians everywhere rejoice!). It was so different of a flavor but it was unexpected and really delicious at the same time. I added cheese to the top of mine and then dipped it in ketchup. Don't judge me, I put ketchup on everything, yes including steaks. I finished my meal with some cottage cheese (who doesn't love CC? I could eat it at literally every meal) and felt absolutely satisfied. Who knew veggie burgers could be so delicious??!!

So while some of my Octoberfest activities are social and adventurous by nature, sometimes slowing it down to try something new is just what the doctor ordered. I have a new appreciation for vegetarian options and I feel like I could make this into my regular habits at least once a week. While it doesn't involve me becoming a vegetarian completely (I'm still addicted to my chicken), it's a way to give back nontheless. Thinking out of the box doesn't have to be a grand gesture, sometimes the little things can add up to a big difference.

Veggie Burger (not meat)

Oh no...now the DJ is telling me to put my hands in the air and wave them like I just don't care. But I do care...about going to bed....

Octoberfest: Day 3 "Lighting a Match"

I've Got Matches (not to light anything)

Confession: Right now, I feel a little like Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail. Except the year isn't 1998 and the Internet has grown leaps and bounds. But the idea behind today's Octoberfest activity is the same. Click of the mouse, cheery "ding" sound and I've got mail. Or in this case, I've got matches. Yes, I have listened to the "but everybody's doing it" cheerleaders and silenced my own criticism and joined the online dating bandwagon. First let me say this, I'm not wildly crazy about this idea, even after going through the HOUR-LONG interrogation that left me sweating like Shaq at the foul line. For the longest time, I refused to even consider online dating because in my purely romantic, imaginative and not always rational rose-hued brain, I have felt that it's forced. You're not letting nature take its course. But nature hasn't produced anything but the sound of crickets for my love life. My overly rational and practical friends informed me "the right guy isn't going to just land on your doorstep Shawnna." Umm why not?! Clearly I'm asking for too much here.

Me Plus ? (not a real date)

So in the spirit of my month-long quest to try something new, I decided I would bite the bullet, and do it. I've got to put myself out there. I love the people that always give that advice. "You've just got to put yourself out there." While they sit there NOT PUTTING THEMSELVES OUT THERE, because oh that's right, they're already taken. Easier said than done folks. In all fairness, however, I have had very legitimate reasons for avoiding the dating scene as long as I have. Of course, I had the terminally ill relationship and eventual breakup - haven't we all? After I lost my job in 2009, I worked more than 70 hours a week to save my house. Who would have been able to think about dating at a time like that? But all that is behind me, I've got a newfound confidence and I'm ready to take on the world one eHarmony match at a time. I have to admit, the idea of dating still makes me nervous. My independence is screaming things like "now I'll have to worry about the toilet seat potentially being left up!" But all joking aside, I'm excited by what the dating will bring. Online dating is like a shopping excursion...only with men :) If all else fails and the eHarmony dates don't produce any keepers, maybe by then I'll have enough followers of my blog that someone can suggest a friend of a friend...my list of requirements really isn't unreasonable but a five o'clock shadow is a must, it's non-negotiable - just ask my friends.

Sometimes it can be exhilarating to leave your comfort zone. Even with an idea as nervewracking as dating. But getting out there and meeting new people can give you a lot of great experiences and you never know where the connections you make will lead. Usually to somewhere you least expect. That's the fun part. Remember, it's more about the journey than the destination. And in today's post-you've-got-mail era, I'm typing on an iPad while writing a blog, and I feel a little like a modern day Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. Minus the Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks. I'm no SJP, but a girl can dream right?

Octoberfest: Day 2 "Taste Buds"

Disclaimer: Panera Bread on University Ave. was not harmed during the making of today's Octoberfest activity. I admit, I'm not a good cook. Wait, I wouldn't even call myself a cook. If I'm being really honest, I can't cook to save my life. I'm a follow-the-directions-on-the-box-and-then-not-quite-getting-it-right type of cook. My mom says to me on a regular basis, "Shawnna, you make me so nervous with that utensil, do you want me to do it?" And I say, "Mom, I know how to use a spoon. I'm not without use of my full limbs, I'm just left-handed." We Southpaws are sooo discriminated against :) She has every right to be concerned. I AM that person who has a grease fire going on one burner of the stove while the water is running over the edge of the pan and flour is flinging through the air like confetti. That's me. Cooking challenged. So tonight's Octoberfest activity was perfect - a cooking demonstration at Panera Bread on University Ave. Even better news is that Panera wouldn't let me near a stove OR flour; I signed a waiver.


Taste Buds (not cooks)

So I convinced my good friend and resident cooking expert Stacey to accompany me on tonight's adventure. Much to my surprise...and everybody else's safety...I wouldn't actually be cooking, well anything. Emphasis on the word DEM-ON-STRATION. Doh! Well this is good, because he's still teaching us how to cook something and his focus is on sandwiches. I mean I couldn't possibly screw up a sandwich right? Don't answer that. So we go through an homage to bread, we break bread with the people at our table, they show us how to make some of Panera's most popular sandwiches, everyone's having a great time, they're giving us free samples and the best part about tonight is that it was all FREE! So while I had every intention of telling you all how I did with cooking, the truth is that I just observed while stuffing my face with some delicious sandwiches I wouldn't normally have tried. And I didn't harm myself in the process. I may have pulled a hammy at the gym later, but that's an entirely different post. Turns out, there's a reason they tell you not to exercise immediately after eating.


FREE Demonstration (no cooking)

So the lesson for tonight is that I was expecting to practice my cooking but ended up learning about new sandwiches that I will definitely try again at Panera. If you're like me, I get in ruts, especially with food. I blame it on my lack of cooking skills but even when I go out to eat, I rarely order anything different. It's safe to pick the same foods and/or get in the same ruts. But sometimes when you change up the routine and try something unexpected and new, the results can be pleasantly surprising. Who needs cooking anyway? Octoberfest Day 2 - winning!

Octoberfest: Day 1 "Old Dog, New Tricks"

Riley (not barking)

To kick things off, I took my dog to a new training class tonight. My dog had unfortunately been mistreated before I adopted her, so she reacts in fear to new people, loud noises etc. Enter the Reactive Rovers class at the Rovers Ranch in Runnells. That's a lot of R's. Darcy Emehiser was fantastic tonight in teaching Riley, and me, things that made a great deal of sense. Much to my absolute amazement, Riley did wonderful tonight! She didn't bark once! (I'm used to her literally demanding everything by barking). Could it be that she's spoiled at home (Noooo!) and is just used to getting her way? Yes to a certain degree. She has legitimate fears that we will be working through but it's my job as her protector to remain calm and let her know that it's ok and she can trust me to keep her safe. Sometimes in life we are presented with situations that frustrate, confuse or scare us and it's our first instinct to react without thinking clearly. It's best to stop, relax, wait a few minutes and then decide the next course of action.

After tonight, I'm encouraged that this class is going to be very beneficial for both Riley and myself. Turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks. And I'm talking about me.

Tomorrow's activity involves a little bit of preparation and a lot of new flavors, tune in then!

Octoberfest of a different kind

Today is the first of October and this is no ordinary day. It marks the beginning of Octoberfest - a different kind of festival spelled with a C instead of a K and minus the warm, heavy beers. Since October is my birthday month, I decided to take a different approach to celebrating. Since there are 31 days in the month and I also turn 31, I will try a new activity each day. Some activities are adventurous and some are more giving, some are a little exotic but the one thing they all have in common is I have never done any of these things. Oh and I'm going to take you along on my journey by blogging about it. It's my way to view the world through a different lens (in addition to the ones I already wear). At the end of the 31 days, I hope to have gained a different perspective and enjoyed my birthday in a completely different way. Here's to an exciting and fun month - cheers!