NUMBER 34 - COMPLETED

Number 34 - See a local band - Completed
June 19, 2009

Last night, Joel and I went on a double date with Joyce and Ken Halford. We went to dinner on the Plaza, then to Davey's Uptown to see the local band, Minstrel Periods, featuring our friend, Kate Haugan. Minstrel Periods ROCKED! They were amazing. It shouldn't have surprised me at all, but Kate's stage presence is truly amazing. It is very difficult to take one's eyes off of her.


Her bandmate, Michael, is also wonderful and very funny. They play mostly covers, and my two favorite numbers were rap songs, one about "doing the Jane Fonda".
They keep their show moving along and transition by reading thoughts written by audience members. Very funny and quite entertaining. I highly recommend seeing them. And, BONUS, Minstrel Periods will be the musical guest for Full Frontal Coemdy's debut sketch show this September at Union Station! I am very excited about that.

NUMBER 32 - COMPLETED!

#32 -Attend the Roller Derby - Completed

May 2, 2009

I've gotten kind of lax on my list but I'm back on track! I went to the Roller Derby on Saturday, May 2, 2009, and it was an absolute blast! The whole night was awesome. I got to share the experience with some wonderful folks: Joel, Dave, Christina, Kate, Joyce, Ken, Reed, Kevin, Mark, and Ryan.

It started with dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub in the Power & Light District. This is my new favorite restaurant. I cannot recommend it enough. Amazing food, atmosphere, presentation, and service. And bonus - we all shared bites! I got to try lots of different dishes and they were all delicious! I suggest going to this pub, ordering the fish & chips with a pint of cider, and requesting Megan as your server. (She rocks!) Reed got the "Loin of Bacon" and Dave got a kettle of stew, which I found adorable:

Then we went to the Roller Derby. This is all-female, flat track roller derby. It is not like the episode of "Charlie's Angels" where the ladies went undercover and the track was raked and there was a rail that the chicks would slam into with their "hard" bodies. This was flat, fast, and furious. And I loved it!

We sat right on the floor. Not the most comfortable place, but right by the action. I had my huge $8 can of Miller Lite, my camera, and my friends to surrounding me to shield me from the general public.

The first match was Dreadnought Dorothys vs. The Victory Vixens. The Vixens kicked butt! The second match was even better because it featured the all-stars, The Kansas City Roller Warriors vs. the No Coast Derby Girls from Nebraska. It was more intense and more violent. Lots of body-checking and spills. KC creamed them! And Reed developed a new crush on the team captain, Hall Balls.

My personal favorite "jammer" of the night was Lunatic Fringe from the Vixens, but alas, this was her last game. She's retiring.

OH! During the second match, Nurse FlatLineHer crashed into me! I loved it! It was awesome and I felt oh-so-very cool.

Overall, this was an incredibly fun night. It was just awesome and I loved it. I'm so happy!

NUMBER 28 - COMPLETED!

#28 - Take a yoga class - Completed

January 18, 2009

I took yoga many, many years ago and I loved it. I didn't continue for purely budgetary reasons. I've always wanted to take it again. My friend, Jennifer Zindel (in the picture above), has a yoga studio in her home and graciously invited me and some other beginners to take a very low-level class. It was awesome. Low stress, challenging, positive, and I just felt great afterwards. Jennifer is a wonderful teacher who gently adjusts positions and creates a relaxed, warm atmosphere. I hope to do it again soon!

NUMBER 22 - COMPLETED!

#22 - See a MET show - Completed

November 7, 2008

I saw the MET's production of "The Crucible" featuring my good friends Christina Schafer Martin and Greg Butell. Both of them were great! The MET's space is awesome. I love it. It was wonderful to see a professional production in this fairly new space. However, at the risk of pissing off a lot of theater folk, I am not a huge fan of the script. I find it preachy and utterly humorless. It beats you over the head with its point and tells you exactly how to feel. That being said, there were some really good things about this production - Christina, Greg, Allan Boardman, Marilyn Lynch and the set. The set is frickin' great. I look forward to seeing "Hedda Gabler" there in January, also featuring the lovely Christina.

Me and my buddy, D.K. after the show. D.K. went with me to the show and we had a fun dinner beforehand. He's good people.

Christina Schafer Martin, me, Greg Butell

NUMBER 26 - COMPLETED!

#26 - Volunteer at the Polls or for an Election - COMPLETED

November 4, 2008

If you know me at all, you know that I am huge proponent of voting. I love voting, I think it is one of the greatest things we can do, and I believe everyone should vote. It is important. And I love, love, love election day. I find it incredibly exciting and I enjoy going to the polls. I also feel strongly that it is not that difficult to vote - if you can use an iPhone, a Wii, play guitar hero, surf the web, etc., you can get your ass out and vote.

So I signed up through the Lee's Summit Barack Obama office to work election day. I could only work in the morning. Joel went in to his work late so that he could take Abby to school at 9:00. I arrived at the office about 8:30. From about 9:00 until noon, I drove four people to the polls to vote. That may not sound like a lot, but it took a long time. I would go pick one up, take them to their voting place, wait with them, then drive them home. Then I'd go back to the office to get my next assignment.

It was amazingly rewarding. One of the ladies I drove, Jene (pronounced "genie") was 82, tiny, was on oxygen, and cussed a blue streak. I adored her. She needed my help walking, standing in line, and reading her ballot. She talked to everyone in line. She lived in a tiny studio with her Shi Tzu, Sophie, across from John Knox Village.

We had to stand in line about 40 minutes and even though she had her travel oxygen with her, she was full of energy and humor. We met Will Kraus, who was running for State Rep. When he asked for our vote, she asked him if he was Republican or Democrat. After he answered "Republican", she replied, "Get the hell away from me!" Did I mention that I adored her? (He won, by the way.)

I was awed by all of the elderly people I saw using walkers, scooters, canes; who had colostomy bags, IVs, oxygen, etc.; who couldn't drive or walk on their own yet they found a way to vote. They wanted their voices heard.

It was a wildly inspiring morning. I hope to do it again in future elections.

NUMBER 35 - COMPLETED!

#35 - Have My Astrology Chart Done
October 29, 2008

Randy Trainor, a friend of my friend, Kate Haugan, did my chart. It was very long and detailed (for which I'm grateful - he really explained it all) and at times, scarily accurate. Here are some of the highlights from the 49 pages:

• Misc. - You are a fun-loving person who enjoys games. You are very curious and want to know the answer to every question that comes to mind. As you grow older, you will become interested in finding out how the universe works in the broadest terms. Your life has form and order, and you go about your affairs in a methodical fashion. You are a very sensitive person and very attached to familiar surroundings. (This is true - I don't even like to rearrange furniture.) Whatever you want, you want it then and there. You are very concerned about rules, and finds it important that everything works according to these rules, even if they are made by some other authority. (Huh, I'm not sure that sounds like me at all. :))
  
  
• Health - In matters of health, the Sun, the ruler of vitality, placed here is not ideal, as the vital energies of the Sun have less power, causing you to feel an occasional lack of physical strength, a weakened constitution.
  
  
• Love & Sex - For your most successful sexual development, a love affair should have a definite framework. Thus you are better off with one steady partner than trying to play the field. Your strength in personal affairs is your ability to build a well-knit, solid relationship that endures and continues to thrive year after year. Friendship with a lover is very important to you, and without it the most passionate night will seem somehow empty. For this reason, it would not be wise to seek a partner who is the outgoing, constantly-in-motion life of the party, even though you may be attracted to such a person. In love matters, you are emotional and gentle though you have a tendency to flatter and to criticize carelessly, without regard for the other person's feelings. As a parent, you would be a disciplinarian, but merciful and loving.
  
  
• Ideals - Sagittarius is associated with idealism, and it is very likely to want to reform things. The fire sign is more concerned with principles and general patterns than it is about details of putting the idea into practice. (This reminds me of when I played Joann - who was right!) You think for yourself, and you stand up for what you believe. You are strongly attached to your own point of view, and if challenged, you will fight very hard for your opinions. You are much more likely to fight for an ideal than for yourself. On one hand, you can be quite self-righteous and narrowly fanatical about your beliefs, but you can also be courageous in defending the rights of those who are downtrodden.
  
  
• Personal Relationships - In those areas in which you lack self-confidence, you have a serious problem. Your sensitivity makes it difficult for you to take criticism or harsh words from anyone, especially those whom you love. When you feel hurt, you withdraw into yourself and avoid others. You seem self-contained, and you find difficulty in letting go enough to accept another human being. Ruled by your ambitious and practical nature, you approach others with caution, often suspicion. Indicates a reserved and cautious nature inclined to be cold and austere. You are somewhat uncomfortable with your feelings. They almost seem out of place inside you, a source of difficulty instead of pleasure. You don't show your loving feelings very readily, but you need love as much as anyone else. You must learn to be very careful how you deal with others, especially people in positions of authority. You tend to get involved in personality conflicts in which you have to prove your strength or suffer defeat. These conflicts often arise without your understanding how they came about. Others often misunderstand your actions, which puts them on their guard. The square from the Moon to Uranus shows that you are often emotionally erratic and impulsive. If someone crosses you, you reply abruptly, and may even be bad-tempered with those you love most. You must exercise greater self-discipline in order to control your outbursts, many of which are unnecessary and unjustified. (Shut up Shelly, Dave, and Bob.) Your manner of speech is penetrating, and sometimes you express yourself so harshly that you seem almost insensitive. This can arouse bitterness in others. You enjoy challenging other people's beliefs, forcing them to look at their ideas in a new way. This can be very constructive, although it may not be the best way to win friends.
  
  
• Work - Employers with this position of the Sun can be demanding and authoritarian toward their employees. Generally indifferent to money, you prefer to devote your efforts to enterprises that are characterized by such clichés as "relevant" and "meaningful". What you do is far more important than what you are paid for doing it. A final psychological trait is a secret desire to become known professionally. You are good at organizing yourself and others, so you can direct activities if necessary.

NUMBER 25 - COMPLETED!

#25 - Visit the New Part of the Nelson

October 12, 2008

Joel and I visited the new part of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art on our six-year anniversary. We had our first date at the Nelson eight years ago so this was a great way to spend our anniversary.

While it is architecturally beautiful inside, I must say that I am one of those people that thinks the outside of it looks odd. It doesn't seem to "fit" with the older portion. Also, I prefer what is inside in the older part much more than the galleries in the new part.

It should be noted that when it comes to art, I am like George Costanza:

"I don't get art. I always have to have it explained to me, then I need someone to explain the explanation."

That's me. I know if I like or do not like something, but I don't know why. And I don't know why I am "supposed" to like or appreciate certain pieces. In general, I do not care for modern art. It is just not my cup of tea. I prefer the classics. The one exception is photography. I love photos. My father-in-law takes beautiful photos and I love looking at them. My largest piece of artwork in my home is a photograph of a young woman dancing under a bridge.

A good friend of mine, Paul, also takes great photos. He gave me one as a gift. It sits in my office because I like to look at it when I need to be "calmed." I'm not even sure what the photo is of - it looks like an electical box and some piping, but I'm not sure. It is black and white and has great texture to it. And, when I just glance at it, it looks like there is a smiley face in it. I adore it.

We walked through every portion of the new part of the Nelson. I did really like Central Savings by Richard Estes. Of course, this is a photorealistic painting, so it is not surprising that I was drawn to it. But again, in general, I was not a fan of most of the stuff. I am not someone who is moved by Jackson Pollack. I may sound ignorant, but I just don't get the paint-splatter thing.

At the risk of suffering the wrath of art-lovers, I have to say I hate, hate, hate Mark Rothko's Untitled No. 11. It makes me insane! It used to hang on the third floor of the Nelson. It is a large black rectangle. That's it. I cannot stand it and it just pisses me off that it probably costs more than my house. I took my photo with it (I love that my camera has a "museum" setting and that I can use it!) and you can tell what I think just by looking at my face. Shelly doesn't call me "Poker-Face Tina" for nothing.


My favorite gallery was the photography section. I loved the daguerreotypes. I found them fascinating, especially Captain Harry Love and the California Rangers 1853. Go look at it and read the story.

I also really liked Untitled (Snowy Valley) by Gregory Crewdson. The girl in it looking into the house where her grandmother is sitting . . . it's just beautiful. I did not care for Fox Games. It annoyed me. I wasn't sure what the point of the red foxes were, even after reading the placard.

My favorite part of our visit was when, while looking at the photo, Waiting for Survivors of the Andrea Doria Sinking, my hubby turned to me and said, "It eased into the water like an old man into a nice warm bath." I adore him.