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.

Day 55

I've missed a number of days but I'm not going to make them up. I am moving on with my project as of today. For the first time ever I put my kayak on the racks of my car. The hullyrollers made it possible to lift the kayak up and then roll it along the rack. Originally I thought the equipment was called "holy rollers". I got a good laugh out of that when I realized my mistake. As I drove my car with the kayak on top, I had to stop at a red light. I looked to my right and saw my reflection in a store window. The flame orange and yellow kayak looked right at home waiting for the light to change.

Day 62

Two hours north of Evart is Elk Rapids. The Elk Rapids Art Fair featured a very talented photographer whose work I had never seen displayed at an art fair. There was a good reason for that because this was her first art fair. I bought five notecards that had images of an Elk Rapids bearded icon with a distinctive wrinkled face sporting a white beard, the green water in a Cranbrook pond, and a circular labrynth with mountains in the background. It was worth the drive.

Day 63

I went to a place called Evart, Michigan. Never been there but friends have a cottage on Saddlebag Lake. This lake is tucked away in a woodsy setting that makes me realize over again that this state is a beautiful place.