21. Clean out closet / donate to charity (Thursday 4/17)
This challenge wins the prize for least effort put in and most amount of "ehhh".
I did it. I pulled a bunch of clothes out of my closet and stuck them in a trash bag to donate to charity... except that they are still sitting in the bag on my bedroom floor. Technically I cleaned out my closet, but perhaps I dropped the ball a bit on the second part of the challenge.
I say I give my self a 75% on this challenge, since deciding which clothes to pull is much harder and time consuming than dropping them off at a charity, which only accounts for 25% of the challenge. Also, I mayyyy have bought more clothes on Friday in which to fill the empty space in my closet. Oops.
Sooooo.... 75% is totally passing.... Challenge #21, check-ish!
I did it. I pulled a bunch of clothes out of my closet and stuck them in a trash bag to donate to charity... except that they are still sitting in the bag on my bedroom floor. Technically I cleaned out my closet, but perhaps I dropped the ball a bit on the second part of the challenge.
I say I give my self a 75% on this challenge, since deciding which clothes to pull is much harder and time consuming than dropping them off at a charity, which only accounts for 25% of the challenge. Also, I mayyyy have bought more clothes on Friday in which to fill the empty space in my closet. Oops.
Sooooo.... 75% is totally passing.... Challenge #21, check-ish!
22. Try Ethiopian food (Friday 4/18)
On Friday night, Adam, Abby, Mollie, and I headed over to Industr Cafe & Jazz. It was the only spot on the Westside that served Ethiopian food, and none of us felt like treking over to the Fairfax/Mid-Wilshire area for Little Ethiopia. Looking back, we may have found better food there than we did here.
Industry Cafe was a lot of fun, with the live band playing, but ultimately I was unimpressed with the food. I am not sure if it's the quality of the food that I was unhappy with, or that I simply do not like Ethiopian food... I'm leaning toward the former. I feel like I should go to Little Ethiopian sometime to try it again, perhaps one of the restaurants out there will be bit tastier.
But regardless, I had a lot of fun, as shown in the video below. Challenge #22, check!
Industry Cafe was a lot of fun, with the live band playing, but ultimately I was unimpressed with the food. I am not sure if it's the quality of the food that I was unhappy with, or that I simply do not like Ethiopian food... I'm leaning toward the former. I feel like I should go to Little Ethiopian sometime to try it again, perhaps one of the restaurants out there will be bit tastier.
But regardless, I had a lot of fun, as shown in the video below. Challenge #22, check!
23. Throw/host a murder mystery party (Saturday 4/19)
On Saturday April 19th, I hosted the Immortal Murders mystery game for Adam's birthday party and present. It was really great and we had a very nice turnout, about 16 players...
From the feedback I've gotten, everyone had a lot of fun and many alliances (or fake alliances) were formed. Money was exchanged and secrets were traded. We had three additional murders on top of the original two murders. The first murder happened in front of everyone at the Hidden Council meeting (oops) and the other two happened in secret.
Below are some of the pictures from our game (sorry for poor resolution, we had very low lighting to set the mood and I didn't want to be flashing everyone in the face as I was taking the pictures).
Challenge #23, check!
From the feedback I've gotten, everyone had a lot of fun and many alliances (or fake alliances) were formed. Money was exchanged and secrets were traded. We had three additional murders on top of the original two murders. The first murder happened in front of everyone at the Hidden Council meeting (oops) and the other two happened in secret.
Below are some of the pictures from our game (sorry for poor resolution, we had very low lighting to set the mood and I didn't want to be flashing everyone in the face as I was taking the pictures).
Challenge #23, check!
24. Go on a new hike (Sunday 4/20)
The morning after Adam's murder mystery birthday party, I have to admit I was feeling very unmotivated to go on this hike. I was sleepy, lazy, a little hungover. But after a little googling/yelping, I came across this park in Glendale. I got my butt off the couch and Adam and I headed to Deukmejian Wilderness Park. I am so happy I chose this park. First off, it's very easy to get through, with a nice paved parking lot and a gravel overflow lot, if needed. The trailhead is right next to a beautiful old building, a small area for grapevines, a lovely grassy area with a few picnic tables/benches, and even bathrooms (although they were out of order when we were there). The area actually has an interesting history:
There are a few trails that wind through the hills, and during our hike we saw beautiful foliage, butterflies and many lizards, incredible views into Burbank/Glendale (although it was slightly hazy that day), and the remnants of the 2009 fire that swept through the area.
All in all, I am thrilled that I found this park and that it's pretty close to Adam's house. I feel like this is a hidden gem in the LA area. If you are interested in a new, less-traveled hike, I highly recommend this park.
Challenge #24, check!
- The property was acquired in 1898 by George Le Mesnager, a French emigrant, prominent winegrower, and prominent Los Angeles businessman. Between 1914 - 1918, Louis Le Mesnager constructed the stone barn and shed along with a number of other buildings that no longer exist.
- The barn was used as a stable, for the storage of equipment and for the storage of grapes prior to their shipment to the Le Mesnagers' Los Angeles Winery. It operated in this capacity only until 1920, when prohibition ended the winemaking industry.
- In 1933, prohibition was repealed and a winemaking operation once again began in the barn.
- In November of that year a massive fire swept the hillside area, gutting the barn and shed and destroying the winemaking equipment and most of the smaller buildings.
- The fire was followed by major flooding during the rainy season, which did considerable damage in Glendale and led to construction in 1934-35 of the County dam and debris basin adjacent to the site.
- The barn was rebuilt with a new arch roof and residential quarters on the upper floor. The Le Mesnager family moved to the site in 1937 and lived there until 1960.
- In 1968 the property was sold to a developer who intended to construct homes on the site. The City of Glendale purchased the site in 1988 and renamed it Deukmejian Wilderness Park.
- The stone barn on the site is of historical significance as a relatively rare example of a two-story vernacular rock structure. However, it is not included in any register of historic places except that of the City of Glendale.
There are a few trails that wind through the hills, and during our hike we saw beautiful foliage, butterflies and many lizards, incredible views into Burbank/Glendale (although it was slightly hazy that day), and the remnants of the 2009 fire that swept through the area.
All in all, I am thrilled that I found this park and that it's pretty close to Adam's house. I feel like this is a hidden gem in the LA area. If you are interested in a new, less-traveled hike, I highly recommend this park.
Challenge #24, check!
25. Get into the Pacific Ocean --- eek! (Monday 4/21)
I switched some things around again and the dip into the Pacific Ocean was moved up to today. As it turns out, the museum I wanted to go to today is closed on Mondays! So much for that. But this worked out pretty well, minus the fact that it was pretty chilly out on the beach.
You may watch this video and think I'm completely overreacting. But here's the thing. I am really, really scared of water I can't see through. It has to do with the unknown. Similarly, I am still scared of the dark. My imagination excels at assuming the worst possible scenario in a given situation, especially a situation where I don't know all the factors. If it was crystal clear water, I doubt it would be a big deal... it's about not knowing what might be around my feet. It's not a rational emotion. So while it may seem like I'm overreacting, I really am genuinely terrified.
However, I managed to get in and do it. I'm farther into the ocean here than I have been in many years. So, as scarred as I now feel, I say that this was a success. Challenge #25, check.
You may watch this video and think I'm completely overreacting. But here's the thing. I am really, really scared of water I can't see through. It has to do with the unknown. Similarly, I am still scared of the dark. My imagination excels at assuming the worst possible scenario in a given situation, especially a situation where I don't know all the factors. If it was crystal clear water, I doubt it would be a big deal... it's about not knowing what might be around my feet. It's not a rational emotion. So while it may seem like I'm overreacting, I really am genuinely terrified.
However, I managed to get in and do it. I'm farther into the ocean here than I have been in many years. So, as scarred as I now feel, I say that this was a success. Challenge #25, check.
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