#39: Learn to tie a tie (Halloween 2012)

Well, I finally learned how to tie a tie!  Or, should I say, at least ONE way to tie a tie!  Specifically, using the aptly name tie-a-tie.net, I can confidently say that I have mastered the Four In Hand Knot, thanks to the magic of the following video:

As part of our Halloween costumes, both Shannon and I donned ties - so not only do I feel comfortable putting a tie on myself, but I also feel like I help her out with hers as well.  Woo hoo!

I don't know about you, but I feel like the ties really helped to make the outfit!  On a related note, Shannon and I both agree that this will be our Halloween costume for the foreseeable future based on 1) how long it took me to make and 2) the fact that we look seriously awesome.  

#37: Volunteer/participate in some form of community service 5 times (Wildwood Park Volunteer Day)

On a beautiful Saturday morning a few weeks ago, Shannon and I participated in Wildwood Lake's monthly Volunteer Day - something I have be meaning to assist with for YEARS!  For me, I tend to get the most out of volunteering when I am truly passionate about the task and/or when I can see a tangible outcome of my work.  Luckily, this opportunity hit on BOTH of these points!  

My family and I have been utilizing the beautiful Wildwood Lake for a LONG time.  I have enjoyed running the challenging 5K loop for over 10 years so it seemed only fitting that I would spend a day working to clean up a place that I love so much.  

Shannon and I were assigned to trim back the trees and plants along the Fox Run Trail.  We also took it upon ourselves to remove the weeds that were growing on the pieces of wood that made up the bog bridges that lined the beautiful trail.  We spent hours with our hedge trimmers, talking about anything and everything, and admiring the wonderful scenery.  In fact, had it not been for the Wildwood volunteer coordinator coming to pick us up in his golf cart to take us back to the nature center, we probably would have continued to walk, talk, and trim for even longer!

We had a great time and I expect to be back to assist with a Volunteer Day again in the future.  Next time, I'm bringing the rest of my family along!

#37: Volunteer/participate in some form of community service 5 times (United Way Day of Caring)

A few weeks ago I participated in the United Way's Day of Caring as part of their partnership with Dickinson College.  I'll be honest, I thought this day was the same event that I participated in last year, but I later found out that this event was not sponsored by Dickinson like it was in the past.

I must be honest that I did not get a whole lot out of this experience, mainly because the place I was assigned did not have enough work for all of us who were there to volunteer.  I spent a few hours dusting off picture frames and clearing off tables.

I may not have participated in this event had I known that it was sponsored by the United Way.  The United Way of Carlisle has continued to provide support to the Boy Scouts of America, even after the Boy Scouts reaffirmed their policy of excluding openly gay scouts and leaders from their organization.  Dickinson did issue a statement later that day in an effort to explain a bit more about the United Way/Boy Scouts situation.  Evidently the local United Way has not yet reviewed its position on funding for various organizations but will do so (in accordance with their nondiscrimination policy) at an upcoming meeting.  I'm hoping they make the right decision.

#28: Compete in the Warrior Dash or some other "mud" race (Run for Your Lives, 10/27/2012)

For those of you who may not already be aware, Halloween is my favorite holiday.  The combination of the fact that it happens in October, during the crisp, colorful fall season, with the spooky and fantasy-like atmosphere it creates fills me with excitement and anticipation.  Therefore, it should be no surprise that for the #28 item on my list, I chose to participate in a mud run that fit right in with this particular holiday:  Run For Your Lives.  This run is described as "the world's first interactive zombie-infested obstacle race experience."

Like many of the mud races that are out there, this race takes place in multiple locations across the country.  The run that we participated in was in Darlington, Maryland - which was about 1.5 hours from Harrisburg.  This past Saturday, the weekend before Halloween, Shannon, my dad, and I headed down to Maryland hoping to come back alive and in one piece!  

We were placed in the 11:30am wave and at the urging of the pre-race email we received, we left the Harrisburg area with enough time to arrive in Maryland 2 hours before our race.  Buses efficiently shuttled us from the parking lot to Camp Ramblewood, where the race was taking place.  Once we got to the camp, it didn't take us too long to go through the registration process and check our bags at gear check.  Although, in retrospect, the gear check system was slightly undesirable - especially when you consider that we had to write our own names/bib numbers on pieces of paper that we had to haphazardly affix to our bags.  

After checking our bags, we made our way over to the start.  It was already clear by this point that it didn't really matter what time our wave was - it wasn't written anywhere on our bib or anything - so even though it was around 11am, we decided to start the run!  The starting line began by funneling runners through one of three different options:  appetizer, entree, and dessert.  A fellow runner told us that you were supposed to go through the starting gate that matched with our projected running speed, with appetizer being the fastest.  Once again, there wasn't a whole of organization and it didn't appear that it really mattered all that much.  We ended up going through the "appetizer" line, since it was the shortest.  

this photo is not from our race, but it's basically what it looked like

Once we headed through the gates, we were immediately confronted by our first group of zombies!  In addition to running the 5K distance and overcoming obstacles along the way, we also had to be aware of zombies that were trying to steal flags from belt that was around our waists.  As I dodged the zombies, I was able to escaped unscathed.  Shannon didn't lose any flags, but a zombie did trip her, causing her slide across the mud only to then have a poor defenseless runner coming from behind her flip over top of her!  We very quickly realized that this DEFINITELY was not going to be a traditional 5K run in any sense of the word.  It basically turned into a walk/sprint past zombies/overcome obstacles.  The race was SO MUCH FUN.  I love tapping into my "indoor soccer fitness" to negotiate the zombies - although it made me realize how OUT OF SHAPE I really am!  I am proud to report that my dad and I both "survived" the race (meaning we finished with at least one flag).  Shannon was turned into a zombie (aka lost all of her flags), but she definitely helped my dad and I make it to the end alive!  At one point, she set a pick and was body checked by a zombie who was trying as hard as she could to steal a flag from my dad!

the final obstacle!

This is where things go seriously downhill.  After crossing the finish line, we went to claim our free beer.  Unfortunately we were told we couldn't have a beer without first getting our IDs checked.  Our IDs were, OF COURSE, in our gear bags!  We were a little bit confused about why the system was set up this way, especially since we had to show our IDs when we registered earlier in the day.  Not to be deterred so easily, we headed towards the bag check area so that we could secure our belongings and get our free beer!  This was definitely easier said than done - as we ended up staying in the line to pick up our bags for over ONE HOUR!  The only thing that saved me during the wait were the periods of sunlight that warmed me up and people watching.  One of the more interesting participants in the race was a person dressed in a full panda costume!  It was hilarious!

go, panda, go!

After waiting for so long in the logistical nightmare that was the bag pickup line, we weren't really in the mood for our free beer anymore.  Not only that, but it was also close to 2pm and my dad had a dinner obligation back in Harrisburg later that night.  We made our way to our car, changed out of our soaking wet clothes, and then proceeded to wait for an hour in the parking lot.  At one point, I hopped into the driver's seat (the car was off, mind you, since it was apparent we weren't going anywhere fast) so my dad could run up to the parking lot exit to inform the security guards that the parking lot was completely gridlocked.  It may not have been entirely my dad's doing, but shortly after he returned to the car, they began to redirect the lanes of traffic out the way we came in - which allowed us to FINALLY get out of the parking lot.

So, as a recap, here's my own personal scoreboard for the race:

• Registration:  3/5 - they should have the ID check at the same time as registration - or at least advertise better that you'll need a separate wristband in order to get alcohol
• Race Itself:  5/5 - I honestly thought it was SO FUN!  Loved it!  
• Bag Check:  0/5 - SOOOOOO disorganized and chaotic!  The event planner in me wanted to DIE!  They NEED to work on this for future!
• Parking:  1/5 - again, they REALLY need to figure out a better system!
• Shuttle:  5/5 - we didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes for the bus - perhaps at the expense of having the wait at other places!

I have to say, because of the bag check and parking, I don't think I'll be signing up for this race again - unless they make some MAJOR changes.  It's unfortunate that the race itself was outshadowed by the logistical nightmare!  I want to also give a big shout out to my wonderful girl, Shannon, who successfully completed her FIRST EVER 5K!!!  I think I have her convinced that she's totally ready to try another one in the near future - maybe one without zombies, obstacles, and mud!  

I'll end this post with a video from "Run For Your Lives" Facebook page (click the link to get to the video).  We didn't actually see this group, but I sure wish we would have!

Monty Python does Run For Your Lives

#35: Visit 5 restaurants I've never been to in my hometown/surrounding area (MoMo's BBQ & Grill)

I am turning into such a terrible blogger!  Not that I was ever a "great blogger" at any point - but I have definitely been slacking recently on posts.  I ate at MoMo's BBQ & Grill sometime over the summer.  Honestly, for the life of me I could not tell you exactly when...but trust me...it happened.  

Shannon and I ordered "The Boss Hawg," which consists of ribs, pulled chicken, pulled pork, and brisket.  I know we ordered coleslaw as a side - only because it's in the ONE (blurry) photo I took of the meal - but evidently it came with another side as well.  And cornbread.  This is yet another reason why I need to blog immediately after I accomplish something on my list!!!

I will say this, the meal was just okay.  We found all the of the meats to be a little dry and lacking flavor.  I might not be so hard on the place considering that we're not exactly the BBQ capital of world, except that our trip to ShakeDown was so delicious!!!  MoMo's was a good effort, but it was just adequate and not particularly memorable.

One thing I WILL say about MoMo's is that it has a FANTASTIC beer selection.  It was definitely one of the best (if not the best) list of options I have seen in the area.  

#77: Run along Boathouse Row in Philadelphia

On the last weekend in September, Shannon and I found ourselves in Philadelphia, allowing us the opportunity to spend time with Brett and Jake.  And since we have been talking about it for-EV-er, Brett and I decided to venture out to the Schuylkill River and run along Boathouse Row.

We did not have the view so beautifully captured in the photo above, as we ran the path behind all of the boathouses, but it was lovely nonetheless.  As we ran our four miles, we chatted about everything from the friends we miss seeing (shout out to Jack Sawyer) to funerals.  The mileage we clocked was nothing compared to what Brett had to accomplish the next day, as he trains for his FIRST ever marathon in November!  Woo hoo!