Test Drive a Ridiculous Car - Check!

When Lauren suggested that I add test driving a ridiculous car to the list, I am pretty sure she meant a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, or the like. I immediately thought of this:


While they make perfect sense in Europe, in the southeast U.S. they have always seemed to me to be a little...well...ridiculous. I have to be honest, I had already started writing the blogpost in my mind, and it did not look good for the SmartCar. But then I walked on the lot and fell in love. I know, I know, but hear me out. The sales rep Kevin was amazing, and I learned a few things about the car that changed my mind.


For one, it's a Mercedes. Who knew?? That just screams German engineering and good quality (to me, anyway). And for $14k to $18k, it's the most affordable new Mercedes you can buy and the only Mercedes A-class sold in America.


Another thing: they are quite safe. The 2011 models have 8 airbags, and all years are almost impossible to roll. They have a unibody design, similar to stock cars, complete with a roll bar (just in case you are part of that 1%). Imagine a giant walnut. The front and back are designed to crumple without impacting the cabin space, and if you get t-boned by an Expedition, it will just push you along.


The paint is customizable, with a great number of different "wraps" available. I would be tempted to get a new one every few months, I am certain, to match the seasons or something.


They are pretty roomy; even Matt didn't feel cramped. The only complaint he had about the space was that the passenger side didn't really go back enough to be comfortable for him, but the driver's side was just fine. It's actually pretty neat - the seat goes down as it goes back, and goes up as it moves forward.


People that own them are automatically part of a club of sorts. They are kind of...well, not an obsession, but more than a hobby. I like that. I think of the drivers as Euro-cool, if that makes sense, and that makes it even more appealing.

One thing we were a little iffy on was when it shifted gears. The car has three modes - automatic, paddle shifting, and stick shifting. It wasn't the smoothest of shifting when it was automatic, but maybe it's better once you get the feel of it or are shifting yourself.

The mileage is also not great, averaging 31 to 40 mpg. The European ones are diesel and have been purported to get up to 80 mpg, but those models are not in the U.S. yet. Something about E.P.A. standards, but I don't think anybody buys that as the real reason.

I asked a lot of questions about the car, especially about features, and I can tell you - every square inch of the vehicle was carefully designed. It's like the car version of Ikea.

This car wouldn't make sense for us to buy now, if we decide to start a family in the next few years, unless we got it as a third vehicle (along with a motorcycle, Matt would like to add). But if this were five years ago - and if five years ago they had been sold here and I wasn't in love with trucks - I totally would have gotten one. But for singles, couples without kids (there is room for dogs), retirees, etc. I think it makes perfect sense. Test drive one for yourself and let me know what you think!

Learn to Ride a Unicycle - Check!

When I got married, I became co-owner of a unicycle that taunts me every time I go into the utility room. Even though I had never ridden it before this week, I have always gained some satisfaction from the fact that we own it. I mean, who owns a (an? It just sounds wrong) unicycle? Strangely, quite a few people I know. I think when God dealt out cards for people to learn how to ride unicycles, an inordinate amount came to those around me.


This week, the time came for me to be one of those people who not only own a unicycle, but one who can also ride one - or at least attempts to. We got together with our friends Jon and Ellen, and Jon's brother and sister, and headed to a covered cement area at a school near their house. I know it is technically spring, but it felt like summer, so the covering really made it all possible. Learning to ride a unicycle was just like when I learned to ride a bike...except that it is much harder, I'm much taller so have farther to fall, I feel more breakable, and I don't see it as my key to freedom around the neighborhood, so the drive to learn how to do it isn't quite as strong. Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun.

As we took turns learning, I am pleased to hand out the following "Golden Unicycle Awards":
For her amazing ability to stay up on her own, Ellen wins the Golden Unicycle Award for Excellence in Balance. She's not doing it in this picture, but she was able to just hold perfectly still without holding on to anything. But for all those pictures I was apparently moving, so in awe of her prowess was I, and they turned out a little blurry or were a few seconds too early or late.
For his spirit of adventure, Jon wins the Golden Unicycle Award for Fearlessness. He got ready each time and just went for it, pushing himself quickly across the pavement. He made a few cycles before tipping over, never really falling. I'm sure if given more time he would have really gotten the hang of it.
For being willing to do something crazy with people he didn't really know, Jon's brother wins the Golden Unicycle Award for Sportsmanship. His sister, unfortunately, wasn't quite tall enough yet for the size of unicycle we have; but she made the best of it and cheered everyone on as we tried. For her attitude of fun, she wins the Golden Unicycle Award for Spectators.
Matt, as the instructor and skilled veteran, did not receive any award except the satisfaction that comes with being a good coach.

As for me, I did travel the longest distance around the pavilion (the United States was painted on the ground, so technically I cycled across the U.S.), with help of course. However, I win the Golden Unicycle Award for Hardest Fall. This picture is an almost fall, not the bad one. When I did finally bite it, I was doing so well...and then I wasn't. Fell flat on my back, which is embarrassing because one is supposed to be leaning a little forward. But, no bruises, cuts, or scrapes, so all is well.
Will I try again? Yes!!

Go to PomPom's at 3am - Check!

If you have ever been to PomPom's for lunch and thought, "Wow! This is packed!", then you have never seen PomPom's at 3am!!

(What is PomPom's, you ask? Why, only Orlando's best place for sandwiches! Check it out here.)


I went for the first time for lunch a few years ago, and had the best sandwich I have ever had. It seems like just another storefront from the outside, but on the inside it is bursting with artistic and culinary flavor. I never thought I would like a sandwich with no meat, but their vegetarian sandwich is the only food I crave on a regular basis (though I get it far less than I would like). They have a great selection of teas, and something for every taste.

I have always been intrigued by the fact that they are open regular hours on weekdays, but on weekends they open Friday morning at 11am and don't close until 6pm on Sunday. I wanted to experience the 3am, thinking it would be quiet. Ha! Wrong.


The place was an organized frenzy. People of all manner, creeds, groups, walks, races, types...you name it...packed the place out. And every single one fit in (metaphorically and physically). In a room that didn't seem to be big enough to hold a big dinner party. But there was no traffic jam and no angry customers; people patiently waited in a line that, though it went to the door, moved very quickly. The people behind the counter moved with lightning speed - seriously, I have never seen anything like it - and despite all the craziness, they were very pleasant. Everyone in the place seemed to be happy, nice, and having a good time. Well, except for the girl crying outside, but she seemed to have some good support.

We didn't stay long, as we had to be up early, but instead got our tea and headed home. In the door at 2:55am and out by 3:05am. We were up anyway...Matt was working on a video for a friend and I was trying to catch up on things...so it was an easy, quick trip. I was going to make a comment on how going into my 30s I probably wouldn't be staying up this late anymore, but whenever we do have kids I know that I will see far more 3ams than I like to believe. And I can bet there will be more PomPom's in that future.

Go to a Play - Check!

Something you may not know about Orlando is that it is quite the theater town. In addition to the touring Broadway shows, there are a good number of professional theaters and a growing number of equity actors. Some of those are here because of Disney, but some are here just for theaters like the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (aka Orlando Shakes), and the Winter Park Playhouse, among others.

While I have been to a number of shows since moving to Orlando, my respect and love for theater and my attendance at plays picked up dramatically a couple of years ago, when I became friends with one - and subsequently several - of the interns at Orlando Shakes. Don't let the theater name fool you...while it does indeed feature many Shakespeare plays each year, it also has a whole host of other offerings, including workshops and kids' plays.


Seeing a play was added to my 30 Things list as I wanted to make sure I remained engaged in the arts community while trying to accomplish everything else. And when I saw our friend Grant listed as one of the actors for a reading of Romeo & Juliet at Orlando Shakes, I knew we couldn't miss it.

This was no ordinary R&J, however. This was a reading with a twist - all of the characters were cast opposite their typical age. For example, Romeo and Juliet were over 40, and their parents were in their early 20s. Orlando Shakes does one of these types of readings every so often, sometimes flipping ages, sometimes genders. The purpose is to see well-known plays in different lights and draw new conclusions.

For anyone who has never been to a reading, it is a play where all the actors read their lines and are on stage at all times, sitting on stools when their character is not in a scene. There is still movement/acting (no snooze fest!), but no costumes and very little (if any) props. Typically, readings are done only a few times.


Readings are more informal than a traditional play and feature one of my favorite things - a talkback with the director and actors at the end. I was first introduced to talkbacks at last year's Playfest, which encompasses workshops on developing plays. The Orlando Shakes website says it best:

In a nutshell, the actors rehearse the play three times (as the playwright listens and makes changes) and then perform the play in a seated reading for a live audience. The actors read from scripts placed on music stands. Afterwards, the audience is invited to share their feedback to the director and playwright, focusing on the development of the play.

I find talkbacks fascinating, as I gain new insight into plays from the comments people make. I wish all plays did this, but I understand that when a play goes on for weeks on end that it really isn't feasible and would become the same thing every night. It is particularly fun at Playfest, because you get to meet the playwright and are helping in the creation of a brand new play. Imagine being able to say "I remember when" should they ever make it to Broadway! I was excited to see that one of the workshops we went to last year, Glassheart, is back this year in its next stage of development. Playfest this year goes from April 8-17, 2011 - I hope you will go and check out a few plays!

But back to Romeo & Juliet. The actors were great (Grant was awesome, as always) and I kept flashing back to scenes from the movie of the same name with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes that brought fun memories of the first time I actually understood all of the Shakespeare "lingo." I remembered a little after half-way through (right after intermission) that I don't actually LIKE R&J, because it is after all a tragedy with a very sad ending. I always cry. But I'm glad I stuck it out because the acting and the talkback were more than worth it. And I needed some resolution.


Some of the observations and comments, a few particularly in relation to the age swap:
*Passion is passion at any age. The play works with young or old leads.
*Love is not just for the young, it can make anyone giddy.
*Lady Capulet (Juliet's mom, for those of us who haven't seen the play in a while) probably was intended to be about 30, but is typically played older.
*Crimes of passion happen every day, just look at the news!
*Paris' story in the play is just as tragic as the two leads, and much less his fault.
*Having those who started the feud (the parents) played by younger people showed more of the immaturity of it all.
*Those that started the fight were not the same as those that ended up dead because of it. Are we being careful not to "slay" those around us with our own petty feuds?

Go to a Firing Range - Check!

Before this trip, I had only been to a firing range once. It was an outdoor range near my uncle's house. I have a picture of it somewhere, but I remember most of it vividly. The neon yellow plastic bow-clip in my hair, my blue jacket, the big mound of dirt in front of us, how to hold the rifle, spent shells scattered haphazardly on the ground. It was amazing, and taught me to have a healthy respect for rifles and shotguns and not to simply fear them.

However, I had always been leery of handguns. I knew nothing about them...how to hold them, how to load them, nothing. It was important to me that I learn the right way, so I didn't have to be afraid and could defend myself were I ever caught up in the Zombie apocalypse (though I have heard shotguns are better for that; but you never know what type of weapon you might come across)...or something like that.

So when my friend Ryan - who has been shooting for a long time and is now a certified instructor - offered, I took him up on it. We were initially supposed to go as a group: me, my husband, Ryan, his wife Carmen, our friends Christy and Scott, and some other people. But it ended up just being me, Carmen, and Ryan, and I won't lie...I was glad. I got some great one-on-one training and gun time that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise!

He started me on the small gun and we worked our way up. First, a .22. Then, a 9mm. Next, a .45. Finally, the classic revolver. Before touching the guns, we went over general gun safety rules, including that one should never, ever, ever point a loaded or unloaded gun at anyone. Ever.

The .22 was a good start - we worked on grip and aiming, and I wasn't so worried about recoil. The 9mm was a "tougher" gun that I enjoyed, and helped me focus my stance and breathing. I was nervous about the .45, but once I finally shot it I found it addicting. We worked on proper trigger control and not anticipating the shot, so that I wouldn't "push" the gun or pull up slightly, affecting my accuracy. The revolver made me feel like I was one of the Three Amigos; I wished I had brought my sombrero. The hammer is a little more difficult than I had always thought, and I learned to appreciate the double action revolver.

I was a pretty good shot - simply because I had an awesome teacher - and can definitely see myself going back. If you are ever interested in taking a lesson or two, I definitely recommend contacting Ryan. He is an NRA certified instructor for the basic pistol course - teachmetoshoot@gmail.com or 407.506.6736. The more afraid you are of guns, the more I recommend taking lessons.

Check out my handiwork! Most hit the paper; he would give me some direction, let me try it and see how it felt, then show me how to do it better. And better I got!
Note - None of us would ever shoot a real squirrel; they are way too cute. Self-defense only.



Thanks to Ryan Land Services for making this possible!




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More Zelda

I can neither confirm nor deny that I may or may not be addicted to Zelda. But Kibby sure is.





We conquered Snowpeak Ruins, got some superb soup that smells deliciously cheesy (I love this game), and now have the ball and chain. I didn't realize Link got married in this game (ba dum bum chi!).

Learn to make some origami thing - Check!

I've always been fascinated by the art of paper folding. The multitude of things that can be made out of one square sheet of paper...amazing. This week we tried our hands at this ancient craft, and walked away triumphant. That's right, I can now make a duck from memory.

My friend Tiffany has some experience in this area and offered to guide us through our first origami lesson. In addition to paper, she supplied dinner and asked us to bring something chocolate, bacon, and a hairless mini chihuahua dog (I think those last two her husband Matt asked for). Not wanting to disappoint, we showed up with our gifts in hand:


A chocolate salmon (which didn't taste at all fishy), bacon, and toy robots. Hairless mini chihuahuas are hard to find. And robots rock.

After a delicious Mexican-inspired meal, we got down to business. She had gotten a book, so we just started from the beginning and worked our way through. First up, the duck. Easy, cute, and increasingly making appearances on my co-workers desks.


After making the duck, we realized it would be important to know the basic form A it kept referring to, so we went back and read some of the initial "how-to" basics. We probably should have read more, but we made it through just fine. This is the basic form A.


Next we made Monkeys...and discovered that to do good origami, you need really thin paper. Our monkeys didn't look great, but at least they looked like the ones in the book.


Next we did flowers, undoubtedly the hardest thing in the book. This one made me grumpy, but my Matt did really well (so did the other Matt), even making a mini flower. Show-off.





And then, birds in tuxedos! Penguins, that is. Mine is the emperor penguin on the far right sporting the bow tie. I was pretty proud.


By far, the owls were our crowning glory. They took a long time, so ended up being the last thing we made. Way too cute. And mine (on the right) is going to be donated to my friend at work, who is apparently terrified of owls. Something about how nothing should be able to turn its head the whole way around.


And in case you were wondering how one filets a chocolate salmon....

The King's Speech

There are those people in life, like my friends Brit and Grant, that somehow only seem to see good movies. Their taste is always impeccable; often they would choose a movie I was skeptical about, but it always ended up being just SO good. Then there are people like me, who always seems to pick the worst movies ever....like Silent Running and the new Clash of the Titans. So when I saw that Brit recommended the movie The King's Speech, I knew it had to be good. But, like normal, I kept putting it off. I have forgotten about many sure-to-be-good movies that way, so I was super grateful when our friends Jon and Ellen wanted to go see it.

And it was far better than good. It was great.

Superficially, the clothes and backdrops were beautiful (the hair, not so much, but it was true to the period). The acting was superb, something one would expect from a great cast such as this. The juxtaposition of something we* can't relate to - royalty - with something we can all relate to - work pressures and feelings of not being good enough - was what really moved this movie into the "best picture" realm. And that it was a true story just made it all the better.

I should tell you that we saw The King's Speech the Saturday before it won the Oscar for best picture of the year, and I was rooting for it that night. And not just because it would mean I would be closer to checking off the motion picture winners item off of my list (though that was part of it). I was rooting for it because I wanted a great, real-life, inspiring, family** movie to win. If you haven't seen it yet, don't let it pass you by.

On a side note, a couple whose seats were next to us in the theater (it was a packed, little theater) randomly sat in front of us at church the next day - and we go to a really, really big church. They were on vacation from New York for the weekend. Just kind of crazy.

*In this instance, I guess that would be the opposite of the "royal we", perhaps the "commoner we." If you are part of the "royal we", please know that I am not referring to you. And that I would like to meet you. And go to the royal wedding. I'm just saying.

**Yes, I know that it is rated R, but that is just because in one sequence the speech therapist has him say a string of curse words which includes the F-word. Other than that, it would probably be PG. I think. But maybe don't take the kids the first time just in case.