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New Experience #185: Jump Off a Cliff
Today I jump off a cliff.
Okay, it’s more of a figurative cliff than an actual cliff. I’m not THAT brave.
What am I actually doing? I quit my job without a new one to head off to immediately.
I’m sure that many of you reading this are thinking “You did WHAT? In this economy? Are you crazy?!” To which I say that yes, in this economy I quit my job without a new one already locked in place and no, I’m not crazy. My mother had me tested.
I’m truly grateful for the three years I spent at my former employer. I had the freedom to innovate and create things I never imagined when I first started. I was pushed to constantly be better and built and strengthened skills I will use for years to come. I developed many relationships I hope will last beyond just being “work friends.” I have a much wider personal and professional network than when I first started.
So why did I leave?
I left because I wanted to pursue new dreams. I still love my field and look forward to returning to it very soon, but I had taken my role as far as I could take it and grown as much as I could in it. Simply put, it was time for a new professional challenge.
Leaving was not a decision I made lightly; it was one that I made over many weeks and months of consideration. I’m not the typical person who will jump off a cliff without knowing exactly where I’ll land (is there a “typical” person who does this?), but thanks to the personal growth I’ve experienced in the last year by having 100+ New Experiences, I realized that sometimes the only way create great change and achieve my dreams is to jump without a net.
Since making this decision, the words I’ve heard most often are “what’s next?” I’ve been writing and journaling because there are two books in my head fighting to get out. I’ve been working on a personal mission statement and vision of exactly what I want my life to be. I’ve spent time with my mom which is something I haven’t been able to do as often as I’d like. I’m taking a couple of classes. And, of course, I’ve been networking. I’m also donating blood and taking a bag of food to the food pantry this week. It just seems like a good time to give back.
What I know for sure about my life is that when I put an intention into the Universe, the Universe responds with exactly what I need at that moment, so I’m incredibly excited about the new adventures that await me.
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Join Me in the 100 Happy Days Challenge
Do you listen to RedEye Remix? If you don’t, you should. I’ve discussed this before (here and here), but I have to tell you that it’s not only interesting and funny, but it’s educational too. Amy Guth is the host and each week, she brings you awesome guests. You can listen to RedEye Remix Saturday night/Sunday morning from 12:00 midnight to 2:00 a.m. via the WGN app on your smartphone, on the internet, or, for those of you kicking it old school, on WGN 720 on the AM dial.
Last night, Amy had David Melia, a professional hugger, on the show. He’s made it his mission to make the world a better place, one hug at a time. Isn’t that cool? Now, anyone who knows me knows I’m not a huge hugger. I give hugs and accept them, albeit a bit uncomfortably. It’s typically way outside my comfort zone. Hugging has long been known as one of the most important forms of non-sexual touch and has many health benefits, but it’s just never been my thing. Listening to David last night, I’ve decided I want to hug people more often and I want a hug from him.
In addition to the importance of hugging, David also discussed a cool challenge I’d never heard of before: the 100 Happy Days Challenge.
It’s simple: Sign up on the 100 Happy Days Challenge website and commit to documenting your 100 Happy Days. These should be 100 consecutive days and you document what makes you happy via photos that you post to Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, or send in via email. According to the site, 71% of people who start the challenge don’t finish it siting that they were too busy. Huh? Too busy to find what makes you happy each day?
Here’s what the Challenge isn’t: It is not an opportunity to brag or show off. It’s not a time to make people jealous or to please anyone other than you.
You know that I love to push myself and step outside my comfort zone, so I’ve accepted the 100 Happy Days Challenge. I’ll be sharing my pictures on Twitter, but not making a huge deal about it here.
Will you join me?
And if you didn’t hear RedEye Remix last night, go listen to the podcast now.
Like Little Merry Sunshine on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and see my pictures on Instagram to keep up with the latest goings on.
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Chronicles of Thyroid Disease: Be the Rainbow
Today I was at my local hospital for a routine biopsy of the 2.5 inch lump that has taken over my right thyroid nodule. I say that it was “routine,” because I first had an ultrasound and biopsy 18 months ago when the lump was discovered. At that time, everything came back benign (yay! no cancer!), but my doctor decided last week that he wanted to have these tests repeated because things can change over time. I have no reason to believe that the results will be anything, but positive, but you know, I suppose it’s possible I could hear something else. I’m not thinking about that though.
If you know me at all, you know that needles and I have had a lifelong hate-filled relationship. I hate them and they don’t care what I think. As part of my 100 New Experiences, I confronted this fear head-on and can say that I’m fairly comfortable around them now. I mean, I’m not running out looking for opportunities to jab myself with them, but for medically necessary procedures, I’ve made great strides.
As I was sitting in the waiting room of the radiology department filling out paper work, a cute little old couple walked in. At first, I thought that maybe the woman was super eccentric and was wearing a wig because, I kid you not, her head looked like a bag of Skittles had thrown up all over her. Her hair was every single color of the rainbow, in no particular order. Listening to how she and her husband interacted, however, I quickly realized that there was nothing abnormal about her. She was witty and cheerful, although her gait was a little slow. Her hubby doted on her like no man I’ve seen before, although not at all in a smothering way.
I wanted to stare at her hair, but my Momma raised me with some manners, so I didn’t. I also wanted to take her picture so I could show you, but again, my Momma raised me with manners, so I didn’t because I didn’t want her to think I was making fun of her or was planning to make her the butt of a joke. She was clearly neither.
She was called first and as she walked by me, we smiled at each other with looks knowing I admired her spunk and she was grateful for my admiration.
A few minutes later, I turned to her husband and commented how much I loved her hair. He told me that she’d come home from the beauty salon three years ago with it done. He had no idea she was going to do it and he believed she did it on a whim. I asked about his reply when he first saw it. He assured me that he told her he loved it because he genuinely did and that everywhere they go, she gets many compliments on it. I said that I loved how whimsical it was an how it showed her obvious zest for life. He said that she was full of zest and optimism, which was good because she faced numerous health issues. Not knowing if I’d see her again, I asked him to tell her how much I loved it, that she had brightened my day, and that as I had my own testing done in a few minutes, I would focus on her spirit and her hair to keep me calm. He promised he would.
Moments later, my name was called and as I walked back for my biopsy, I ran into the woman. This time, I personally told her how much I loved her hair, that I admired her cheerful disposition and the happiness she was bringing to others with her hair, and that I only wished the best for her. She smiled, said thank you, and wished me luck with my own test.
My biopsy went off without a hitch and Dr. McDreamy was fantastic and the nurse Patricia held my hand the whole time. It’s not clear why we needed eight people in the room, more than enough for a cocktail party, when none of them brought cocktails. It’ll be a couple of weeks before I get the results because my doctor is now on vacation, but I’m not worried. And when I get worried, all I need to do is focus on the woman with the Skittles colored hair.
I’m really grateful that I ran into that little old lady today. She reminded me that no matter what else is going on, it’s important to be the rainbow.
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Jake Ryan was My First Serious Boyfriend
I met my first serious boyfriend the summer before my freshman year of high school. He was tall with dark hair and hazel eyes. He was an athlete and a year older than me. He was super preppy. And he and Jake Ryan could have been twins. Yes, from Sixteen Candles. That Jake Ryan.
We met in summer school algebra, of all crazy places. He sat in the desk next to mine and wrote with a red pencil. I thought he was cute (well, hot to be exact), so I offered him one of my extras (Yes, extras as in more than one extra pencil. I was a little OCD even back then.). He smartly took the pencil, we started flirting and hanging out during our breaks (it was a four-hour class, Monday through Friday). And, the rest, as they say, is history. From that moment, we were pretty inseparable. For two years.
During those two years, I learned valuable lessons about how men should treat women and how important it is to honor your commitments.
A little over a year into our relationship, we broke up over something or other. It doesn’t matter what it was; in fact, I don’t even remember. What I do remember is that it was two weeks before my high school’s Homecoming dance. He attended a different high school and had asked me to my school’s dance weeks earlier. Because we broke up, I assumed I wasn’t going to the dance. It was the mid-80s and I don’t think people went to dances like Homecoming or Prom without a date. Certainly I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t face the humiliation of going to Homecoming alone.
Within a couple of days of our break-up, he called me and said that he had made a commitment to take me to the dance and that he wanted to honor that commitment. I remember thinking he’d taken pity on me, but after talking to my mom about it, I came to understand that this was how mature people acted. Smartly, I accepted and we went the dance.
Shortly after the dance, probably as a result of it, we got back together. I later came to learn that it was his mom who got him to pick up the phone and honor his word; as a 16-year-old kid, he couldn’t be expected to come to that conclusion on his own.
He and I broke up for good about nine months later and I was heartbroken. Not only was he my first serious boyfriend, but he was my first heartbreak too. Even though we ultimately broke up, the memory of him keeping his word to me when he could have simply walked away taught me how real men act, I’ve never forgotten it, and I hold the men I date to that standard.
To this day, I can’t watch Sixteen Candles and see Jake Ryan without thinking fondly about him.
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Little Merry Sunshine’s Official Girl Scout Cookie Policy
Earlier today, Rex Huppke, brilliant Chicago Tribune workplace advice columnist and author of the I Just Work Here column wrote a wonderful post that should be mandatory reading for anyone navigating the delicate office politics of Girl Scout Cookies.
I shared the column on my personal Facebook timeline and was surprised by the wonderfully supportive responses I received. That has prompted me to share my personal beliefs about the selling of Girl Scout Cookies with you.
Before I roll out my Girl Scout Cookie policy, let me state unequivocally that I am 100% pro-Girl Scout Cookies. I was a Girl Scout and have fond memories of selling the cookies. I believe that selling Girl Scout Cookies is an important rite of passage and teaches many valuable life skills, not the least of which is learning to hear and accept “no.” Goal setting. Money management. Ethics. Verbal presentation skills. Negotiations. Healthy competition. How not to eat all the cookies in one sitting. All mandatory life skills. I’m a total sucker for anyone selling Girl Scout Cookies. If you come between my stash of Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, or Tagalongs, I may cut you. Don’t test me on that. Let’s just assume it’s true.
So what’s my Girl Scout Cookie Policy? So glad you asked.
Little Merry Sunshine’s Official Girl Scout Cookie Policy
As mentioned above, I love Girl Scout Cookies and I strongly encourage Girl Scouts to sell them. The key words there are “Girl Scouts.” What that means is that the actual Girl Scout must approach me to purchase cookies from her. Requests must be made in-person or over the phone. Email, Facebook, Twitter, smoke signals, blog post comments, or any other form of communication not previously mentioned is not acceptable.
Now, I don’t care if Mom or Dad is there coaching Suzie on how to ask me to purchase cookies from her. In fact, I encourage it. But Suzie must ask me herself.
Why? It’s character building. Learning how to calm the anxiety that occurs while waiting for the customer to decide whether or not to purchase cookies is important. There will be many opportunities in life where Suzie will be glad she has this skill.
Here’s my promise: If your Girl Scout follows my policy and asks me politely in-person or over the phone, I will say yes and purchase at least one box.
Small print: I do have a limited budget, so don’t think I can say yes to every single Girl Scout in the world because I can’t. Sorry.
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Top 10 Tips for Creating Your Own New Experiences List
On WGN Radio the other night, I was asked if I had any advice for people thinking about creating their own list of new experiences. On air, the main piece of advice I could think of was to ripoff Nike’s famous “Just Do It” line. After giving it more thought, I’ve come up with my top 10 tips for creating your own new experiences list.
- Get out of your head. I find that all too often I get stuck in my head when I have an idea, end up in “paralysis by analysis,” and talk myself out of whatever idea I’m thinking about. Sometimes, I get stuck because I hear that negative tape of “I can’t do that!” The truth is that we can do what we set our minds to doing. Expanding our comfort zone requires action, not analysis.
- Think big AND think small. New experiences don’t have to be over-the-top. They can be, but they don’t need to be. Try new foods. Read a book you’ve always meant to read. Cook a new recipe. Take a one-time class. Give blood. Splurge on the best seats you can afford to a play or concert. Eat at the 5-star restaurant you’ve always fantasized about.
- Set your own rules. When I began my journey, I thought about “new experiences” and what that meant to me. Yes, I wanted to do things that were 100% new to me, but I also wanted to do things I hadn’t done in what seemed like forever. I decided that 10 years was the cut-off point. If I haven’t done something in 10 years, which is 25% of my life, I’m a new person and the experience has probably changed some too. So I defined “new experience” as something that was 100% new or that I had not done in at least 10 years. A couple of naysayers told me I was “cheating,” but I just looked at them and said, “My life, my rules” and ignored them.
- Opportunities come as you grow. Be open to them. The more my comfort zone expanded, the more opportunities opened up to me. If you’d told me in April 2013 that Little Merry Sunshine would be part of ChicagoNow or that I’d have been interviewed on WGN Radio 720, I’d have strongly encouraged you to have your head examined, which might be a fun new experience for you! In my wildest imagination, those two new experiences were not on my radar.
- Celebrate the “failures.” There are a few experiences that I attempted, but I did not “succeed” at. For example, I wanted to kayak from Lower Herring Lake through the Inlet to Upper Herring Lake and back in Arcadia, Michigan. My brother and I set out on our kayaks, got across Lower Herring Lake, and into the Inlet only to discover that the Inlet was completely blocked by downed trees and we could not proceed. I didn’t kayak from one lake to the other, but I saw a new section of the lake I have spent summers on for my entire life. I’d also never seen the Inlet and was awed by its beauty. I consider this new experience fulfilled. Because our plans had been foiled by nature, we decided to embark on a different new experience: kayak on Lake Michigan, which we did successfully.
- Enlist others. Throughout my journey, I’ve invited friends to join me on various adventures. Some I chose to do solo because I specifically wanted to have the experience alone, but probably more frequently than not, I invited friends. Heck, I even invited people I only knew via Twitter or Facebook and ended up making new “in real life” friends. Once I even made completely new friends who I had never met in any capacity before that day. New experience and new friends. Double win.
- Look for deals. I don’t know about you, but I like to live within my means. I also like to have fun and fun often includes a price tag. Whenever possible, I looked for deals. I relied on sites like Groupon, Living Social and TravelZoo Local Deals. Of course, free is also good. All of the museums have free days which you can find on their websites. The best deal I’ve ever found in Chicago is the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s Open House Chicago weekend. My only advice about the daily deal sites is to only buy deals you know you’ll use and pay attention to expiration dates.
- Be flexible. My interests have changed over the past year. Some experiences I wanted to have when I first started have taken on less importance as time has gone by. It’s not that I don’t want to do them, but I don’t feel the same sense of urgency I once had. That’s okay. Of course, I’ve also found that I am more open to experiences I once would never have considered. Acupuncture is a perfect example. I had a horrible phobia of needles. The idea that I would voluntarily let anyone stick a bunch of needles all over my body was about as realistic as me learning Chinese overnight. Well, I suppose I’d best get to work on learning Chinese tonight because I love acupuncture and I’m no longer afraid of needles.
- Go public. I’ve never had a ton of success with New Year’s Resolutions. I’d get started enthusiastically, but eventually that excitement would fizzle and I’d lose interest. While my 100 new experiences journey wasn’t a set of New Year’s Resolutions, the fact that I took it public through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Little Merry Sunshine, have kept excited. People routinely ask me “what’s next?” or tell me how they were inspired by a story I shared about an experience. That motivates me and makes me want to keep going.
- Keep a journal or a blog or scrapbook. I’ve been blogging and scrapbooking my way through the year. From day one, I knew I wanted to remember this journey for my entire life and have something tangible to pull out when I’m feeling down or feeling like I’m stuck in a rut. I’ve got incredible pictures, notes and written stories, ticket stubs, drawings, and much more. They all constantly show me how much I’ve grown in the past 9 months. I’m not the same person I was when I started and you won’t be either.
Bonus tip: Ignore Debbie Downer. While I hope everyone you share your journey with is enthusiastically supportive of you, be prepared for the folks who aren’t. It’s okay. Let them be and ignore them. Here’s an indisputable fact: By having all these new experiences, you will change and grow. People who are insecure in their own lives want those around them to remain the same because they worry you’ll outgrow them. You may outgrow them because your horizons will expand, but you may have outgrown them anyway. No matter what, know that they’re lack of enthusiasm for your journey is about them and not about you.
Trust me, there is no downside to stepping outside of your comfort zone and expanding your horizons. You only live once and no one is promised “someday.” So stop waiting for all the stars to align and just do it.
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Listen to My Interview On WGN Radio 720. It Really Happened.
One of my longtime dreams and goals has been to share my 100 New Experiences with a broader audience. Yes, broader than the reach I have on Little Merry Sunshine. It’s part of a larger goal to take over the world. Uh, wait. No. That’s not true. I have no desire to take over the world. Honestly. Well, mostly honestly. But that’s another post altogether. For this purpose, my larger goal is to be published. I have a number of books in my head and some even started.
Last night, I took one more step towards getting the message of my 100 New Experiences out when I made my first (and hopefully one of many) appearance on WGN Radio 720 (New Experience #137).
I had a blast. Hostess Amy Guth interviewed Christine, the writer of The New Abides, and me and we had a wonderful discussion about our experiences expanding our horizons.
Christine and her family are having one new experience each day for one year, starting in March 2013. With two little kids, that’s quite the feat. What impressed me most about Christine is that she does not have a list that she follows. Each day, she and her kids get up and ask the question, “What’s our new adventure going to be today?” She says her 3 year old often suggests ice cream, but hey, with Baskin Robbins 31 flavors, that does fill up almost 10% of the year.
My favorite moment in the show came when Amy quoted my blog and suggested that everyone cut out the quote and hang it in their cubes. Do you remember that scene in When Harry Met Sally when Marie quotes a magazine article that Jess wrote and she says, “Restaurants are to people in the eighties what theater was to people in the sixties.” Jess is shocked and replies: “Nobody has ever quoted me back to me before.” That’s how I felt.
So you don’t have to go look up my incredible wisdom, here it is. Please make sure you print it out, and then hang it in your cube. When you do, I’ll come autograph it for you personally and I’ll even put little suns dotting the i in my name. 🙂
But I couldn’t let go of the idea of new experiences in a specific time frame. I had created a Bucket List three years ago and I was slowly but surely making progress on it, but it didn’t feel immediate enough. Everything on it was a “someday” item. None of us is promised “someday” and I realized that if I didn’t get to work, none of those “someday” items would ever come to fruition.
– Little Merry Sunshine, 100 New Experiences Year 1Oh, and make sure you hear Amy Guth predict that I’m getting a tattoo. I’m only doing it if she holds my hand. I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether I should get a tattoo, what it should be and where I should put it. My lower back is not an option. Thanks Amy.
Here are some of the early reviews I received via text and Facebook last night and this morning from loyal listeners.
“It sounded good – you have a good voice!” – BC
“I heard part of it. Your voice is very musical.” – JC
“You sound great!” – JD
“Meow! Meow! Meow! Meow!” – Sammy & Zoey (loosely translated, I think that means “Where the heck is our late night snack?”)
Crane #693 came with me to WGN. Want to receive Daily Sunshine in your inbox? Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.
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I’m Going to Be on WGN Radio 720 Tonight!
What are you doing tonight from 11pm to midnight CT?
Sleeping? Oh, pish posh. You can sleep any old time.
I’ve got something much more exciting for you to do tonight.
Tune in to WGN Radio 720 AM.
Why should you stay up late to listen to the radio? I’m glad you asked.
Because I’m going to be on WGN Radio 720 tonight as one of the featured guests on the show tonight discussing my 100 New Experiences. Since I’ve completed the 100 New Experiences in 8 1/2 months, this will count towards the additional 50 New Experiences I’m having before April 10th.
Who knows, there might even be some fun exchanges about cats and cranes. Yes, I’ll have crane #693 with me to celebrate the occasion. And I’ll take lots of pictures. I’ll probably even tweet during commercial breaks.
The show will be live and you may even have the opportunity to call in. I can’t promise anything, but it’s possible.
So here’s how you can listen:
- Turn on your radio and tune the dial to 720 AM.
- Listen through your web browser here.
- Download and listen through the iPhone, iPad, or Android app here.
- Go to bed, hoping I’ll post the podcast tomorrow so you can listen at work.
I hope you’ll choose one of the first three suggestions, but also download the podcast so you’ll have it for posterity. I’ll even come autograph it for you, if you’d like.
A huge thank you to the amazing Amy Guth for inviting me to be part of the show tonight. This is completely a dream come true for me.
Special note to my coworkers: If I’m a little groggy tomorrow, please understand. It’s going to be a late night.
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8 1/2 Months, 100 New Experiences
In April 2013, I began a quest to have 100 New Experiences in 1 Year.
Why did I do it? The short answer is that my life needed a kick in the ass.
I have a Bucket List, probably just like many other people, and although I was making some progress on it, I felt like it my Bucket List was a “someday” project. I don’t currently have the resources to head to Paris or go visit each of the Major League Ballparks. My novel is still mostly in my head and earning six figures is still a ways away. One of the things I know for sure, however, is that a journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. If I ever wanted to achieve any of the things on my Bucket List, I would need to take steps now to get started.
Most importantly, I needed to step outside of my comfort zone and make some major changes in my life.
My journey began on April 11, 2013 and I had until April 10, 2014 to complete 100 New Experiences. I finished on December 31, 2013, 3 1/2 months early. Many of the experiences are documented through photos and blog posts and they’re linked below. Other experiences I’m still in the process of writing about. You can also read the tweets about my journey by searching for #100Experiences.
In the past 8 1/2 months I’ve learned to be courageous and fierce again. I’ve stopped being scared and feeling stuck in a rut. I feel like my life has been reenergized and that I can do anything I set my mind to doing. Most importantly, I feel free of the stuff that had been holding me back. I’ve also learned how to be fully present in the moment and how to be happy again.
Never one to rest on any laurels, I’ve celebrated my achievement in my own way and am now focused on having another 50 New Experiences by April 10th for a total of 150 New Experiences in 1 Year (with the hashtag #100+Experiences). Then, I’ll embark on another set of new experiences for the next 12 months. I’m not sure exactly how many I’ll have, but the number feels less important than the quality of them.
Here’s the complete list of the 100 Experiences I had between April 11, 2013 and December 31, 2013. Look for more of the stories and pictures soon. To read all the experiences I hope to have, click here.
2. Vacation by myself and take care of only me. – DONE April 11 – 15, 2013 Read the blog post.
3. Vacation in Nashville – DONE April 11 – 15, 2013 Read the blog post.
4. Go on vacation and leave work 100% behind (i.e., don’t check email or voice mail) – DONE April 11 – 15, 2013 Read the blog post.
5. Stand in the center of both the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium stages – DONE April 12 and 14, 2013 Read the blog post.
6. Play Elvis’s piano at the RCA Studio B – DONE August 12, 2013 Read the blog post.
7. Sit on the stage at the Civic Opera House during a performance – DONE June 16, 2013 with Christopher; saw The Second City Guide to the Opera
8. Play with the beluga whales at the Shedd Acquarium – DONE May 18, 2013. See the picture.
9. Take a cooking class – DONE May 21, 2013 at David’s Bistro in Antioch
11. Climb the main dune at Sleeping Bear Dunes – DONE August 17, 2013 with Dave
12. Learn a new skill – DONE April 24, 2013 Learned how to make a floral centerpiece
14. Max out my employer match for my 403(b) in 2013 – DONE Increased my contribution to max out the match May 2, 2013
15. Try 20 new foods – DONE December 26, 2013. See the photo album.
a. Pork – DONE May 2013. I’d eat it again.
b. Milk (I’ve just never liked the taste of it) – DONE December 26, 2013. Still don’t like it.
c. Eggs (I ate them up until 6th grade home ec class) – DONE August 18, 2013. Still don’t like scrambled eggs.
d. White Fish Pate – DONE August 16, 2013. Yummy!
e. Cabbage, Kale, & Leek Soup – DONE August 20, 2013. Yummy!
f. A 7-11 Slurpee – DONE July 11, 2013 (National Slurpee Day). Where have Slurpees been since I was 5?
g. Tim Horton’s Donuts – DONE July 7, 2013. Delish!
h. Chocolate Cheese Fudge – DONE August 24, 2013. I wish I could eat this daily.
i. 14 Year Aged Sharp Cheddar Cheese – DONE August 24, 2013. I never knew cheese could be this good.
j. Cheese Curds – DONE December 11, 2013. Not sure I understand why Cheese Curds are a thing.
m. Chicken & Waffles – DONE July 2013 with Katie and Steve. It’s good that this restaurant is a good hike from me.
n. Moonshine (drinks count as food) – DONE October 19, 2013 at Wishbone. And I thought Moonshine was just for hillbillies. Wow. It was fantastic!
o. Clams – DONE November 12, 2013 with Amy. See the picture. I love seafood.
p. Octopus – DONE November 12, 2013 with Amy. See the picture. Much better than calamari.
q. Pistachio Mousse – DONE November 12, 2013 with Amy. This was wonderfully decadent.
r. Pea & Lettuce Soup – DONE December 24, 2013. Who knew that foods from the 1600s could be so spectacular?
s. Lamb – DONE December 24, 2013. It melted in my mouth.
t. Beet Salad – DONE December 24, 2013. Still not a fan.
u. Cracker Jack Ice Cream – DONE December 24, 2013. This was much better than actual Cracker Jacks.
v. Buffalo Meat Burger. DONE December 21, 2013 at the Heartland Cafe. I had no idea that buffalo meat was so good.21. Take the ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon – DONE August 16, 2013 & August 24, 2013
26. Stand on the sky deck ledge in the Sears Tower (don’t tell me it’s called Willis Tower now, I don’t care). DONE November 12, 2013. Read the blog post and see the pictures.
40. Have High Tea at the Peninsula Hotel – DONE June 2, 2013 with Lisa and Kim
42. Tour the Chicago Tribune – DONE October 19, 2013. Got the VIP Behind the Scenes Tour thanks to Amy Guth! See the pictures.
44. Attend the Book of Mormon – DONE October 6, 2013 with Laurie
46. Visit the Illinois Holocaust Museum – DONE December 30, 2013
48. See Oklahoma at the Civic Opera House – DONE May 3, 2013
50. Pet the stingrays in the Stingray Touch exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium – DONE May 18, 2013 See the picture.
51. Use my Passport – DONE July 6-7, 2013 with Christopher
52. Sit in the 3rd row for the Joan Baez and Indigo Girls Concert at Ravinia – DONE June 9, 2013
53. Have drinks at the Trump Tower Terrace Bar – DONE June 16, 2013 with Christopher
54. Visit Niagara Falls – DONE July 6-7, 2013 with Christopher
55. Make homemade Granola – DONE May 27, 2013 Read the blog post.
56. Visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum in Springfield, IL – DONE November 22-24, 2013 with my mom
57. Kayak to Camp Lookout and all the way across Lower Herring Lake (from the southern most tip to the northern most tip)- DONE August 18, 2013 with Dave
58. Kayak on Lake Michigan – DONE August 24, 2013 with Dave
59. Kayak from Lower Herring Lake through the inlet to Upper Herring Lake – DONE August 24, 2013 with Dave. Unable to complete because the Inlet was too shallow, the current was too strong in the opposite direction we were going, and there were trees blocking the Inlet; will not try again.
61. Have a reunion with my cousin Ginny (have not seen her since 1998) – DONE July 7, 2013
62. Have a reunion with my friend Christy (have not seen her since 1984) – DONE July 21, 2013
63. Have a reunion with my cousin Sharon (have not seen her since sometime in the 1990s) – DONE August 2, 2013
65. Get my work email inbox to ZERO – DONE May 24, 2013 Read the blog post
67. Attend the Randolph Street Market – DONE June 29, 2013 with Tony
68. Have a booth at the Allstate Arena Flea Market – DONE August 11, 2013 with Christopher (I made $212 profit!)
71. Have a reunion with my friend Kalee (haven’t seen each other since the late 1990s) – DONE April 11 and 14, 2013 Read the blog post
72. Meet Crystal Gayle – DONE April 12, 2013 Read the blog post
73. Make at least three new friends – DONE I’ve made at least 4 new friends since April!
74. Attend the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s Open House Chicago – DONE October 19th & 20th, 2013 See the pictures.
77.
Pay off someone’s layaway at Walmart or Target ($100 max).Pay for a homeless person’s groceries at Walmart. DONE December 23, 2013.78. Draw a zentangle – DONE November 2, 2013. See the picture.
81. Win a game of Words With Friends by more than 400 points – DONE August 19, 2013 (it was less satisfying when I learned I had just played a 10 year old)
82. Fly a kite – Attempted August 23, 2013, but could not get the kite off the ground. Will try again.
83. Visit South Manitou Island – DONE August 21, 2013 with my dad
84. Have dinner at Lovell’s of Lake Forest DONE July 2, 2013 with my dad and meet Captain Jim Lovell.
85. Attend the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest Rummage Sale – DONE May 4, 2013 with Tony
86. Use a Port-a-Potty – DONE May 4, 2013
87. Teach two LinkedIn classes at work – DONE July 23 LinkedIn 101: Building Your Profile and August 7, 2013 LinkedIn 201: Advanced LinkedIn
88. Take Amy Guth’s Crane #693 on adventures – DONE.Had cocktails at the Trump Tower Terrace Bar, sat on stage at the Civic Opera House, gone to Niagara Falls, rode the Ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon, climbed Sleeping Bear Dunes, visited South Manitou Island, watched the Watervale sunset, Richardsons Adventure Farm, RedEye, calls my desk at LFGSM home, so far.
90. Visit Northerly Island. DONE December 25, 2013.
91. Recover gracefully from a very embarrassing work faux pas – DONE August 2, 2013
92. Visit the Mars Cheese Castle – DONE August 24, 2013
94. Visit the Shedd Aquarium – DONE May 18, 2013
96. Pay someone’s bill at the drive-thru – DONE November 11, 2013
97. Complete Hike Lake County with my friends Jen and Alan (see August 12, 2012 blog post; we did not do it last year; best intentions, blah blah blah) – DONE on November 29, 2013! Hike 1 at Independence Grove; Hikes 2 & 3 at Old School Forest Preserve; Hikes 4 & 5 at Wright Woods Forest Preserve; Hikes 6 & 7 at Van Patten Woods
98. Move Little Merry Sunshine to its own domain. Move Little Merry Sunshine to ChicagoNow, part of the Chicago Tribune Media Group. DONE November 17, 2013.
100. Complete a corn maze – DONE October 12, 2013 with Chris, Alan, Jen, Katie & Steve
106. See the band Alabama in concert – DONE August 30, 2013 at Ravinia
107. Try acupuncture DONE December 26, 2013. See the picture of me with needles in my face.
108. Take a glass blowing class – Done November 3rd with Marci
110. Attend the Internet Cat Video Festival – DONE October 19, 2013
111. Invent a holiday – DONE September 19, 2013 Read the blog post about International Stay In Bed and Read A Book Day
112. Eat dirt – DONE September 23, 2013 (Don’t ask how or why)
113. Drive a Tesla – DONE October 9th, 2013 Thanks Bobby!! Read the blog post.
114. Have pneumonia. DONE September 25th – October 6th, 2013.
116. Play on a Jumping Pillow. – DONE October 12th with Chris, Katie, Steve, Alan, & Jen.
117. Have a new experience that cannot be shared on Little Merry Sunshine. – DONE August 16, 2013.
120. Visit the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. – DONE October 19, 2013 See the pictures.
121. Visit the 41st Floor Observation Deck at the Kemper Building. – DONE October 19, 2013 See the pictures.
124. Get a pneumonia shot. DONE October 20, 2013. This was in direct response to having had pneumonia in early October. I never want to be that sick again.
126. Complete NaBloPoMo in November 2013. Read the blog post. DONE November 2013. Mid-month, I learned that it was better to post when it was best for me rather than according to some artificial mandate.
128. Be retweeted by Amy Dickinson (aka Ask Amy). DONE October 21, 2013
129. Be quoted by Amy Guth on RedEye Remix – TWICE. DONE November 2, 2013
130. Visit Santa. DONE November 9, 2013 with Chris and Tony. See the picture. I swear to you that there’s a picture exactly like this from when I was about 4 or 5. Eerie how much changes, yet how much stays the same.
131. Become a deputy voter registrar. DONE November 13, 2013.
133. Become an ordained minister. ORDAINED November 5, 2013 by Kevin Andrews, Pastor at Universal Life Church.
134. Present “Measuring Alumni Affinity” at the Jenzabar Regional Users Group Conference. DONE November 8, 2013
135. Give a meal to a homeless person. DONE November 9, 2013 at State and Washington. Gave a homeless man a $10 Panera Bread gift card. Read the stories of the second time I fed a homeless man and how McDonald’s can change lives.
136. Have dinner at the Heartland Cafe. DONE December 21, 2013.
141. Meet ABC 7’s Ben Bradley (aka @BenBradleyABC7). DONE November 12, 2013. Read the blog post and see the pictures.
143. Dine at Coco Pazzo. DONE November 12, 2013 with Amy.
144. Take Sammy and Zoey to meet Santa. DONE December 7, 2013. See the picture.
146. Register my first person to vote. DONE November 18, 2013. Thanks Russ! Read the blog post.
147. Be interviewed on camera about my job for a marketing video. DONE November 18, 2013.
148. Attend the Grease Sing-A-Long at the Symphony Center. DONE November 30, 2013 with my friend Lyletta. See the picture.
149. Participate in 31 Days of Random Acts of Kindness (#31RAOK). Thanks for the idea Stacy! DONE December 1-31, 2013. Read the blog post.
150. File and win property tax appeal with the Cook County Board of Review for my mom. Filed December 2, 2013.
151. Dine at Eataly. DONE December 31, 2013. See the pictures here, here, and here.
152. Apply to present “Measuring Alumni Affinity” at the annual Jenzabar JAM Conference in Washington, D.C. in May 2014. Submitted December 13, 2013.
153.Purchase a Jawbone and track my sleep, fitness, and eating in order to improve my overall health and help me lose 50 pounds. DONE December 12, 2013. Read the blog post.
155. See Die Fledermaus at the Lyric Opera. DONE December 13, 2013.
156. Meet Tony La Russa. DONE December 15, 2013. See the picture.
158. Meet Liz Murray (you know her from From Homeless to Harvard and Breaking Night fame). DONE December 17, 2013. See the picture.
160. Drive Lower Wacker Drive. DONE December 17, 2013.
161. Spend Christmas Eve with friends. DONE December 24, 2013.
162. Create a new family Christmas tradition. DONE December 24, 2013.
163. Tour the 2013 Lake Forest Infant & Welfare Society Showhouse, a David Adler estate. DONE May 19, 2013 with Christopher.
164. Attend a New Year’s Eve party. DONE December 31, 2013. See the pictures here, here, and here.
165. Bowl a perfect game. Perfect meaning I bowled 10 frames and never once hit a pin. I had a total score of ZERO. DONE December 31, 2013. See the picture.
166. Lay on a $12,500+ bed. I honestly had no idea beds this expensive existed. DONE June 21, 2013.
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Jessica L Gardner 