#39: Attend a concert.

Date Completed:  6/25/2010

My last “real” concert was in 2008. It was Coldplay’s Viva la Vida show at Xcel Center in St. Paul with someone special and it will always bring back good memories for me. Since Coldplay is probably my all-time favorite band, I was doubtful that the experience could ever be topped…until now.

This summer I’m making up for lost time with outdoor festivals and concerts. In July alone, I’ll be at Taste of Minnesota reminiscing about my early years at Hayden Square Amphitheatre in Tempe watching the Gin Blossoms and Counting Crows. Then, there’s the Bascilica Block Party with Weezer and Barenaked Ladies also in July. However, the event I most looked forward to this year was Country Fest in Cadott, WI where acts included Eli Young Band, Darryl Worley, Jo Dee Messina and Lady Antebellum.

This was a completely impromptu purchase late one night – as in, tickets purchased online within five minutes of chatting over Facebook with Lisa. We had wanted to see Lady Antebellum all year and since Cadott is only two hours from Minneapolis, we figured it would be a fun road trip. It was amazing.

Lisa and I packed up our things (seriously, it was basically just a change of clothes and a toothbrush) and were ready…MONTHS in advance! When the day finally arrived, Sharon and Casey joined us for the road trip. It was a little scenic since we missed the freeway exit after lunching and stopping for munchies and shenanigans along the way, but we finally got settled in next to some awesome “neighbors” in the parking lot. We set up our card game and cooler, laughed a lot, and then headed into the concert area. Ten hours later, we were soaking wet from a rain storm, stuffed full of cheese curds and hops (when in WI, right?) and headed back to our hotel in Eau Claire – another scenic drive – to meet up with my cousin Josh and his friend. It was a Perfect Day.

#12: Meet someone famous.

Date Completed:  6/19/2010

This item ended up on my list because last year, I thought it was pretty neat to meet both Tim Pawlenty and Amy Kloubuchar at a couple of events. Regardless of any stand on politics, it was just plain cool to shake hands with these local representatives and discuss healthcare in such an interesting political climate. But what really defines a term like “famous”? I recently turned to dictionary.com for help and noted the following definition so that I’d have an idea when I had completed this item:

1. having a widespread reputation, usually of a favorable nature; renowned; celebrated
2. first-rate; excellent
3. notorious

One could argue that many individuals are “famous” based on that definition. I mean, imagine how many first-rate individuals you’re already met this year! This has presented a bit of a challenge for me in terms of THE LIST because there are so many people to choose from.

I could take credit for meeting Katja Jordan, whom I met through work. I consider Katja and her husband Nick famous because they’re going to be completing the Multiple Sclerosis Challenge Walk in September and they’re doing a fabulous job at fundraising through garage sale benefits and other creative ideas. To me, this makes them first-rate. Please consider donating to their fundraising effort - it's simple, just click here.

At a recent MN Orchestra benefit (Crash the Ball), I met violist Matt Young who is an absolute doll. I’d consider him famous as a celebrated and accomplished musician with the gift of humility.

And, I spent some time with MN House candidate Rick Rice recently at the Parktacular event (#24 on THE LIST). In between shaking hands and meeting his constituents, he helped me move orange cones from the street when cars needed to come through the neighborhood. His election isn’t until October, but by the definition above, he’s famous.

So, I’m going to consider this item complete. If I happen to cross paths with a celebrity any time this year (slightly different definition than famous), I’ll update this post. In the meantime, I’ll bet most of you are famous and I like that about you too!

#24 (June): Participate in one volunteer/non-profit activity each month.

Date Completed:  6/19/2010

It turns out that this month’s volunteer event was a double-header for THE LIST, so I’ll be checking off two items eventually. I spent the morning helping the City of St. Louis Park with their annual event, Parktacular. I was assigned an intersection to direct cars and keep parade traffic out of the neighborhood. I was a little hesitant when they showed me the neon orange mesh vest I needed to wear (under no circumstance could this be deemed fashionable) but almost died when the volunteer coordinator asked me to pair it with a bright blue volunteer t-shirt. For those of you who keep up with this blog, you know that immediately caused me anxiety because I had arrived in a black running skirt and have this whole “black with blue” thing. Anyway, I realized none of this really mattered because I had burned my neck earlier in the week with my curling iron, so I was a mess to begin with. I found it quite funny when a guy from the neighborhood actually asked me out after he clarified that the burn wasn’t a little love mark left by my boyfriend! Too funny. Stay tuned for the other item to be posted soon…

#44: Lighten up.

Date Completed:  4/15/2010

What I like about THE LIST is that some of the items take planning, while others unfold naturally around me without any thought. This list item falls into the latter category. When I first added this item, I thought it might be a hard one to measure, but it turns out that after the actual experience, it was really easy to spot.

April 15th was a Thursday, I remember. The sun was shining, there was a Twins game, and Minneapolis rooftops had just opened for business. Lisa and I wanted to go to Brits, so we let some friends know where we’d be and we headed there after work. I was still working from home that week, and I remember being excited to wear a casual sundress to celebrate spring. That was probably my best decision ever.

The rooftop was packed, so we had to sweet talk our way to secure tables and chairs from some people who were leaving. There were a couple of partially-full beverages still on the table and as we sat there chatting, a huge wind gust knocked over one of the glasses, and literally soaked my cotton dress (of course we had no napkins). Rather than dying of humiliation, I simply stood up, smiled, did a little curtsy, and shook the excess liquid off my soaked dress. Guys at nearby tables smiled with approval. I remember our friends suggesting the restroom hand dryer, but I knew it would dry on its own and we weren’t planning to leave our table any time soon anyway. So, I laughed a bit more and that was that.

I was proud of myself for not letting this get to me like it might have a year ago, but I was more excited when the nicest girl came over to me with a stack of napkins and said, “I just had to bring these over because your reaction was great and it made me think to myself that this girl doesn’t even know she’s wet!” Lisa even noted how amazing this situation played out. We proceeded to have one of our best evenings out and that wind, well, that which caused the problem, solved the problem. I was dry in 30 minutes.

#25: Fix your smile, once and for all.

Date Completed:  5/20/2010

I almost can’t remember a time when I wasn’t working on my teeth. It all started with braces in 7th grade. I was so impatient and they came off way too soon. Then there were the retainers (never a head gear thankfully). Over the years, my teeth continued to shift, though, and it got to a point where I wanted my smile to look like it did after my braces. So, I found Boger Dental and Dr. Joe Madden and we started back at it. I ended up getting with an Essix retainer which is truly a torturous device. Basically, a mold is taken of your current alignment. Then, through computer imagery, a new appliance is formed of hard acrylic to match what your teeth *should* look like. Then, you just force it onto your teeth and wait for them to move. You can probably imagine how much your teeth and surrounding nerves hurt. Eventually, they do conform though, and if you survive the headaches and intense pain for the first couple of weeks, you begin to adjust to wearing it almost all day and night like Invisalign. I swore I’d never go through the process again, but after a while I still wanted my teeth to shift a bit more. So, I went through a second iteration of the Essix and then decided to get a lingual wire put on the back of my top teeth to keep them in place so I could dump the retainers. Years ago, lingual wire these were stainless steel bars that were cemented on your teeth. Now, they’re very thin threaded wires made of nickel and titanium for added strength. They’re coated with acrylic so you get used to them quickly. I was even able to have a new whitening tray made that is molded around the wire so I can still do night treatments as I like. The whole process has taken several months, but I’m glad I took care of this before they shifted more. Lisa is part way through her Invisalign which was on her list, so we're both all smiles these days!