#99: See the Philadelphia Union

When I received an email from Franklin & Marshall's alumni association about a tailgate at the Philly Union game, I KNEW I had to attend!  I immediately forwarded the email along to my parents asking "Who's in?????"  Not only was I going to have the opportunity to finally see the Union play on their home turf in Chester, PA, but I was also going to be supporting a really phenomenal organization  - the CTC 10 Foundation. 

  

 The CTC 10 Foundation was founded in 2007 in honor of Chris Campbell, a fellow F&M Diplomat, who passed away suddenly at the age of 21.  Chris was an avid soccer player who had a love for travel and for children.  As such, the CTC 10 Foundation has been a fitting tribute to Chris with the following goals in mind:

• Generate the necessary funds to continue the legacy of the Chris Campbell Memorial Field (in South Africa) through fundraisers, individual contributions and grants.
• Oversee the ongoing maintenance of the Chris Campbell Memorial Field and Clubhouse including turf, lighting, fencing, goal repairs and replacements
• Support the ongoing development of programs at the Chris Campbell Memorial Field through the CTC Ten Intern Program.

It was a wonderful event!  I had such a fun time tailgating with my parents, Brett, and other fellow alumni.

The game itself was also a great time - I loved cheering on the Union to a 1-0 victory!  It was awesome to see the stadium FILLED with excited and devoted fans.  As a lover of soccer in a country that prefers baseball or football, it makes me excited to see such an positive outpouring.

Also - shout out to whoever in the Sons of Ben section was rockin' the amazing rainbow flag!  It definitely did not go unnoticed! 

#70: Visit 5 museums (Wolf Sanctuary)

So, this may not be a museum in the technical sense, I felt like it was close enough that I should count it.  Shannon had the phenomenal idea to head out to the heart of PA Dutch Country to visit the Wolf Sanctuary of PA.  I had absolutely no idea what to expect as we had headed out on an unseasonably warm day back in March, but I knew we were in for something interesting once the tour began, as I noted our guide, armed with a bucket of frozen meat!

 

On the 22 acres of natural woodland live over forty wolves.  It was fascinating to hear stories about each of the wolves (all of them have names) and their own distinct personalities.  One thing I didn't realize about wolves is that, contrary to what is seen in pop culture depictions, they are actually quite afraid of humans.  The wolves were only steps away from us on the tour due only to the gate that was separating us from them.  If the gate hadn't been there, they would done everything in their power to avoid us completely. 

The Wolf Sanctuary of PA currently provides food, shelter, and veterinary care to the wolves without government or corporate assistance.  I would encourage anyone who is able to visit Lititz to visit the sanctuary.  For only $12/adult, you'll have a once-in-a-lifetime experience and support a very deserving institution. 

#3: Go to a state that I have never been to before (Kentucky)

Every year since my final year of graduate school at the University of Delaware, I have traveled to various cities across the country to attend the annual ACPA convention.  ACPA is the American College Personnel Association, which is one of the most prominent student affairs and higher education associations.  I was attending not only for my own professional development, but also because I was helping to organize a running/walking group meet up on Monday morning of the convention.   This year's convention was in Louisville, Kentucky - a state I have never been to before!  Woo hoo!  

I will admit that I was fairly engaged with aspects of the convention to really do justice to the state of Kentucky or the city of Louisville - so perhaps I'll be back again another day.  For now, I'll let these pictures tell the story. 

View of the Ohio River from Kentucky (that's Indiana on the other side)

The crew for Monday morning running and walking!

Me and my buddy, Donald - running!

ACPA Commission for Wellness Table at Showcase

Chatting about the Commission

Posing with the Troll outside of a restaurant

Me, Erica 2.0 and Peter at Caberet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pronunciation troubles?

#38: Prepare a four course meal for friends and/or family (Thanksgiving in March 2012)

I don't know about you, but nothing says "March" to me better than a good, old fashioned turkey dinner!  Am I right or am I right???  Okay, that may not be entirely accurate, but given the fact that Shannon and I had a turkey that had been sitting in my freezer since November, a Saturday in March seemed like just a time as any to make a delicious meal.  

We extended an invitation my mom, dad, brother, and sister-in-law to join us in our yummy feast.  We also invited Brett and Jake, but they were unfortunately unable to attend.  For our part, Shannon and I assembled the following delicious items:

• Turkey (We roasted it for approximately 5 hours in an electric roaster provided by my mom - seasoned salt, pepper, and butter inside and outside, and under the skin.  We also added thyme and rosemary to the mix.)
• Gravy (I used a basic gravy using the leftover juices/fat from the turkey, butter, and cornstarch.)
• Caramelized Onion and Cornbread Stuffing - Tyler Florence/Food Network
• Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberry - The Pioneer Woman
• Parmesan Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Alton Brown/Food Network
• Cranberry Sauce (We opened a can using a can opener and dumped it in a bowl.  Serious skills, I'm telling ya!)
• Caramel Apple Crumb Pie - Frieda Loves Bread

Tom and Kate and my parents provided the following additions:

• Edamame Salad
• Sweet Potatoes
• Broccoli Salad
• Key Lime Pie
• Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Oh, what a feast it was!  Honestly, everything was absolutely delicious.  My main concern was that the turkey was going to be either overcooked or undercooked - luckily it was just right!  I think cooking it in the roaster did not allow the skin to get extra crispy and brown, but otherwise, it tasted really yummy. 

YUM!

I definitely felt the pressure of trying to time everything out perfectly so that we could eat once everyone arrived.  I think I would have struggled a bit with this task if my mom hadn't allowed me to use the electric roaster.  With the exception of waiting a bit too long to mash the potatoes (we recruited my dad for that task), all of the components were timed really well.  I was quite proud of myself and Shannon!  :)

Some of everything - of course!

Now, even if you aren't the biggest dessert fan, I urge all of you to make the caramel apple crumb pie like we did.  This pie - was - to - DIE - for!!!!  Mmmmm....the combination of crumb topping and homemade caramel sauce was unbelievable.  As I type this, I am thinking about this pie and wishing I had a big slice in front of me!  Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed!  In the spirit of full disclosure, I did NOT make my own crust.  Shannon and I had planned to give it a go, but after looking at the recipe we ended up hopping in the car and making an extra trip to the grocery store for a premade crust.  More power to you if you decide to make your own!

Caramel Apple Crumb Pie

This meal was a great success - and it was wonderful to share it with my amazing family.  We ended our evening testing out our skills (or lack thereof) at Rockband on the Wii - talk about hilarious!  Now that I feel confident in doing so, I plan to prepare lots of meals like this in the future - as long as I have great people to share them with!

#98: Participate in a protest

On Tuesday, March 13 I made the decision to walk the couple of blocks from my apartment over to the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg to add another body to the room where the PA House Committee meeting was taking place.  The reason I chose to be there was because of a bill that was introduced by the Chairman of the PA House Committee, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe.  House Bill 1434 would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman and outlaw any other legal union that is treated as a marriage or the substantial equivalent (i.e. civil unions and domestic partnerships).  

Just a few points to consider:

• HB 1434 would not create a single job
• It would cost taxpayers an estimated $600,000-$1,000,000 to advertise this amendment to voters should it pass the General Assembly
• Same sex marriage is already illegal in Pennsylvania:  a constitutional amendment does nothing more to that status and is unnecessary and mean-spirited.
• Passage of this legislation will forcefully terminate benefits currently provided to thousands of employees in municipalities or state owned schools or facilities that offer domestic partnership benefits
• Support for this type of hurtful legislation is waning nationwide and in Pennsylvania.  The last time a constitutional amendment was introduced in the House of the General Assembly in 2006, there were 87 co-sponsors.  HB 1434 was introduced with only 35 cosponsors.
• Pennsylvanians AREN’T calling for this amendment.  Not one legitimate poll exists showing Pennsylvanians in favor of this amendment.

Once I arrived at the Capitol Rotunda, we were addressed briefly by Ted Martin, Executive Director of Equality Pennsylvania and Andy Hoover, lobbyist for the ACLU of Pennsylvania.  They informed us that it was possible that HB 1434 might not come up for a vote at the meeting we were about to attend, but that it was still important that we all be there to silently show our disapproval of the bill. 

The meeting began at 9am.  What happened next is being messaged to many as a "victory" for marriage equality.  I would say that, yes, it was a "victory" in the sense that HB 1434 did not pass - but that's only because it wasn't brought to a vote.  Instead, after 20 minutes of discussion, Rep. Metcalfe deemed that there was not enough time to talk about HB 1434 and that it would be tabled until a later date.  I found this article by John L. Micek - I am going to post it here for all of you to read because I honestly could not have said it better myself:  

http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/2012/03/things-government-does-house-committee-puts-off-gay-marriage-amendment-but-does-other-stuff-instead.html

#16: Ask five people for their favorite books and read each one (Brett)

I'll be honest, I'm sure that Brett would not necessarily categorize this as his favorite book, but I'm counting it since it did come HIGHLY recommended by him.  Plus he read it in warp speed - which is saying a lot for someone who is a self-admitted slower and intentional reader.  With my best's recommendation, I decided to figure out what the fuss was about with "The Hunger Games."  And, of course, as with any series - I couldn't stop after the first book and read all three. 

Since I don't want to spoil the books for anyone, I won't go into detail about the content.  I will say that the first book blew the other two out of the water in my opinion - which was frustrating, since I really wanted all of them to live up to the first one.  Also, generally speaking, the writing quality was not exactly stellar.  I suppose people might argue that it is a series written for young people, so I shouldn't be too critical.  But in my mind, that is exactly why I SHOULD be critical.  Argh.  I will give Suzanne Collins, the author, some credit though - since I read all three of the books in record speed, determined to find out the story of Katniss Everdeen and friends. 

Also, I can't lie about the fact that I will definitely be in line to see the movies when they come out as well! 

#19: Cook 5 new-to-me dinner recipes (recipe 5)

So, I am going to fully admit that I am cheating a bit with this recipe - but since it was new and absolutely delicious, I have rationalized it "counting."  This can't technically be considered a FULL "dinner recipe", but one of the components was new to me....so there! 

On Sunday night, Shannon and I decided to prepare one of our "go to" recipes - spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs and marinara sauce.  We like to cook up an entire squash and a bunch of meatballs, so that we are guaranteed dinner for both of us for at least two nights during the work week.  When we have done this before, we have paired the squash and meatballs with a jarred tomato sauce.  Prior to our grocery store trip this past weekend, however, we decided to tackle making our own basic marinara sauce. 

I found a recipe online and after realizing how easy it was going to be to prepare a homemade sauce, I knew we absolutely had to give it a try.  The recipe called for olive oil, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, basil, sugar, salt and pepper!  Shannon and I improvised a bit and also sauteed a little chopped onion and mushrooms with the onion and garlic cloves.  The two items were a wonderful addition.  I think the recipe lends itself to addition of whatever you might be in the mood for - whether it be ground beef, zucchini, cheese, peppers, whatever! 

I ate my first serving of the homemade sauce with the spaghetti squash and the turkey meatballs and it was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.  There is no doubt in my mind that I will make this sauce again and again due to its ease of preparation, the low cost of the ingredients, and the fact that it's free of artificial flavors and additives. 

DELISH!