Day 26

I have a wonderful memory of my family sitting around the piano at every Thanksgiving and my brother playing Kenny Loggins song "Celebrate Me Home." Being a singer, I'd sit next to him on the piano bench and my sisters would be standing right behind us. My parents sat on the couch watching and listening to their children. The lyrics...."Please, celebrate me home..." would ring out as I'd watch my brothers nimble fingers glide easily over the white and black keys. Last night I saw Kenny Loggins in concert for the first time and when he started playing "my song" I watched myself transform into a star struck teenager gazing up at a rock star! I had my hands clutched together up at my chin and automatically I said a loud, "Awww!" I even tried to beg the young male usher to let me go closer to the stage so I could watch Kenny sing this song. In essence, I became possessed by my own personal nostalgia! I went back up to my lawn seats when it was over knowing that I had just had one of the most wonderful new experiences of my life. I relish the reminder that music used to be a big part of my life and I need to keep that love of it alive.

Day 38

Having never been to the Denver Botanic Gardens (that's what it's called), the 97 degree weather was not going to hold me back. I'm so glad I walked among the wide variety of flowers, greens and grasses. It was a sight to behold.

Day 40

Last night I went to Freedom Hill. It sounds like a Civil War monument but it's an outdoor concert venue where The Scintas (pronounced Shintas) were performing. This family of four were able to do singing impressions of greats like Sinatra, Dean Martin, Celine Dion and many more. Their show has been in Las Vegas for years and they are extremely talented. I can only imagine how their holidays were spent. My family sang around the piano on many Thanksgiving nights. I'm sure The Scintas serenaded their guests from a very early age. They certainly entertained us last night!

Day 47

When I started this project, one of activities I was considering was eating a White Castle Slyder. As fate would have it, I was at a graduation party this weekend and they were serving those little burgers fresh from the neighborhood White Castle. I shared with them the irony of it all and decided this would be the time to try one. So I slid it out of its' protective sleeve and examined it closely. I was surprised at the "thinness" of the little guy. The buns were as white as chalk and the cheese was as yellow as the sun. The size of my first bite was very tentative. As I chewed, I realized that it really didn't taste like meat to me. I think it needs it's own separate food group. I took another bite knowing it would be my last for fear my stomach might rebel. Keep in mind that I haven't eaten a hamburger in this form in over twenty years. I didn't want to test fate that much!

Day 50

It's less than two months away from my 50th birthday and I thought I'd provide an update on how my project is going. As one of my nephew's astutely observed, my "do something new" practice is happening as I go about my every day life. It's not so much that I've been actively planning new things to do rather I find myself engaging in an activity and I'll say, "I've never done this before." A light bulb where I excitedly exclaim, "This will be something for my blog!" My intention was to do more planning and scheduling. I still want to ride on the Harley and go up in a hot air balloon. Luckily, there's still time.

Day 52

I am a middle child, the third of five. Today my nephew who is also a middle child, the second of three, spent time with me at work. He is going into his second year of college and the time is closing in on choosing a major. These days it seems that a major is not just a declaration of a focus of study but rather a decision that determines one's career. So with the guidance of other family members, my nephew is checking out his opportunities. The idea is that by getting out and seeing what others do during their day, he will be able to hone in on the elusive quest for a major. I have never had a family member spend time with me at work before. I gave him a tour of the edit suite and the studios. He asked questions and watched as we edited a training program. I'm sure my nephew will pick a major when the deadline hits but I want him to ultimately find something he loves to do. That's my hope from one middle child to another.

Day 54

Until today I've never been to three Metroparks in one day. A friend and I rode our bicycles through Huron Metropark, Willow Metropark and Oakwood Metropark all linked together by a bike path. The heat was rising as the morning progressed. It was a good thing we started at 10:30 a.m. We rode 26-ish miles and it took about two hours.