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!

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!

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!

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:

• 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!

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.

Today. Was. Amazing. I was so productive. This day felt so liberating and I'm convinced I need to do this once a month for my own sanity.

I allowed myself to have some basic technologies, such as running water and electricity. I also allowed myself to run some errands and go climbing.  Really it boiled down to no iPhone, iPad, computer, or television.  I didn't even really use the radio, although I did use the record player in my bedroom while I was cleaning!

Challenge #16, check!

This was a really exciting but nerve-racking challenge for me. I've never been a particularly good long-distance runner.  I grew up on sports that require sprinting and explosive power, like softball, tennis, and basketball.  Anything over a mile tends to be somewhat difficult for me.  So a couple years ago I thought I would add "Run a 5K" on my life bucket list. And when it came time to create my birthday challenge list, I thought I should make this a priority.  

I had hoped to spend about 8 weeks training for the 5k, but a toe injury halted that training almost immediately. It was very frustrating and I felt very anxious that, without the training, I would not be able to run all 3.11 miles off the couch.  However, about 2 weeks prior to the race, my foot was completely healed and I was able to start running again.

On the morning of the race, with my anxiety completely out of control, I lined up with about 700 people and at least 100 dogs and started my first 5k race.  I ran the entire thing, with a snail pace of 12:01/mile, but I did it. No stopping, no walking. I completed my goal just as I wanted, and for that I am very happy and proud.

Not that it's a competition, but Adam blew me out of the water with a 6:30/mile and 9th place. Meaning, if you look at the results below, there were 250 people in between when Adam finished and I finished -- hahaha! I don't care, I'm so thrilled he did well and thrilled that I finished!

Challenge #17, READY... SET... CHECK!

Man, this challenge was really touch and go for a while. I originally wanted to make Beef Bourguignon from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child.  However, once I actually took a good look at the recipe, I decided it was way too much work. I like my recipes to be very low-effort. So then I found another promising recipe: Supremes de Volaille Archiduc, or, Chicken Breasts with Paprika, Onions, and Cream.

Ah yes, this sounds much better... much easier.

I did my grocery shopping at lunch, and was very pleased with myself that I had gotten it out of the way so early in the day.  Then I realized when I got home that I didn't have any white wine, vermouth, or port. Ok. No biggie. Time to hit up Google for an appropriate equivalent. As it turns out, marsala wine would be doable, as long as I had some extra chicken broth or lemon juice to reduce the sweetness from the marsala.  DONE AND DONE.

I started cooking, again feeling very pleased with myself for my exceptional flexibility, when I realized in the midst of the recipe that my chicken broth was frozen. NO, I had not put the chicken broth in the freezer. However, my refrigerater has a mind of it's own and decided that it was going to freeze just the chicken broth and nothing else in the fridge. Okayyyyyy.  No biggie.  I'll just defrost it.  And, I dunno, let's add some mushrooms. Everything tastes better with mushrooms.

To answer your unspoken question.... YES, at a certain point it crossed my mind that I'm deviating quite a bit from the original recipe. Do I care? Ehhh not really. And guess what else? The dish was FLIPPING PHENOMENAL. This sauce was the best thing I've ever put in my mouth.  Paprika cream sauce forever.

Challenge #18, check!

I feel like I halfway cheated on this one. I mean, technically I DID finish a book I had started reading... but my intention was to finish one of those books that had been sitting on my bookshelf, half-read, for months or years. Ultimately though, I ended up finishing The Rock Warriors Way by Arno Ilgner.  I chose those one for a couple reasons, but mainly because it required the least amount of reading to finish. I only had about 30 pages to read.  Right now my life is super busy, so I opted for the smallest committment.  I hope to write a more lengthy review of the book later, but for now, I will just leave you with two of my favorite quotes from the last section of the book that I read tonight. 

"All living things, you included, are created, grow, and then die. Since you already have been created and aren't dead yet, you are most in harmony when you align yourself with the positive process in between - growth."

"The Rock Warrior's Way isn't a destination that you struggle to attain.  It's here, now.  It is the struggle itself... To follow the Rock Warrior's Way means to decide to walk the path. Then, simply be observant and pay attention."


Challenge #19, check!

I had been thinking about trying an adult ballet class for a few months now, and the birthday challenge seemed like a good opportunity to squeeze it in.  Not surprisingly, my climbing partner, Mollie, was very interested in ballet too. Actually, she turned out to be much more hardcore about it than I was expecting, as she had been wanting to try ballet as a small child. However, sadly her mom nixed that idea and Mollie spent her childhood wistfully pining after the ballerinas and their tutus.

That is so funny to me (in a curious way, not a mean way), because I had actually rejected ballet as a kid. My parents could go into more detail, but I think perhaps I was a little too mischievous to be contained to the rigid nature of a ballet class. I mean, look at my face in the picture above. I am absolutely about to cause trouble. I probably just talked too much in class. I could see that happening.

Inevitably, I dropped dancing and made my way into sports.  I must have been more at home there, running around and making noise. I played basketball, softball, and tennis growing up.  I especially found my place on the softball field, where there is plenty of talking, yelling even.  But, my goodness, look at that little me on the right... absolutely precious. I was clearly okay with the tutu.

So I tried an adult ballet class last night... and even bought ballet shoes (which were required, and, I might add, expensive).  I really enjoyed the class, but even now as a grown person, I couldn't help but talk through class... mainly to Mollie, but also to the little girl next to me who was light years better than I will ever be. I just don't feel that my personality is conducive to the strict nature of ballet.  But I really enjoyed the exercise and the challenge.  Now that I bought shoes I guess I'm going to have to keep doing it. As you can see from the pictures below, I didn't exactly hate it.  Look at that FOCUS!

Challenge #20, plié and check!

The challenge was to set my alarm an hour early and see what happens. So this morning I set my alarm for 4:15am instead of 5:15am, and all I can say is.... this challenge was dumb.  Okay, that's not a completely fair assessment, but basically I was hoping that by waking up an hour earlier today, my whole day would feel jumpstarted. Unfortunately, I just felt tired. As my friend and climbing partner aptly stated, "sometimes it seems like your list should be called '30 ways to make your life miserable before turning 30'..." 

A bit harsh, BUT, in her defense, some of my challenges have been pretty difficult. This day and challenge was particularly difficult as I felt very tired all day.  I also didn't find myself to be particularly productive in the morning, although I did get to work 15 minutes early, which was good since we are very busy right now.

Anyway, the moral of this challenge is that I should just let my body get the sleep it needs and that I am not a productive person in the morning.  Anyway, I did it, so Challenge #11, check...

Inversions are always the scariest part of yoga class for me. I think part of it is feeling out of control, but a lot of it is simply the hard wood floor that I know is waiting for me down below. So I typically opt out of inversions during class, and do modified poses instead.  However, doing a handstand for 5 seconds has been on my bucket list for a while now, so it seemed appropriate that I include it in my birthday challenge list.  I chose to do my handstand at the climbing gym, because of the soft and forgiving blue floor that you see in the video.

Next up for me in the world of inversions will be an unassisted (no wall) handstand for 5 seconds.  However, for now, I am very proud of the progress I have made and can confidently say: Challenge #12, check!

(No idea what happened to audio, but I'm sure I wasn't saying anything of importance anyway! :P)

I should have changed the name of my challenge, because as it turns out I ended up sending a 5.11b on lead, which is one grade harder than I originally planned.  For about 3 weeks I worked on a 5.11a that went up a steep overhung wall, and traversed the corner of the arch, and it utilized a number of heel hooks. I practiced and practice, but ultimately could not get past a certain point, which was only 3 moves from the anchors. I wish I had sent it, but I also felt myself getting frustrated with my progress, or lack-thereof, and so when this 11b was set I decided to refocus my goal.  

So here I am sending my new project. This climb happens to be much more "my style" than the other one.  You will see that the beginning is pulling a roof, but the end is balancy and delicate. It's a really great climb, and I actually sent it on toprope the first day, about five days ago. Since then I focused on smoothing out my moves and finding rest spots. Interestingly enough, I actually botched quite a few of my moves and clips in the video. I chalk (tee hee) that up to me being nervous and tired.

One thing that I feel compelled to mention is that my head game was considerably better on this, a climb that is at my physical limit, than has ever been in the past. I acknowledge that this is due to the mental training I received while reading Rock Warrior's Way, by Arno Ilgner, and the corresponding climbing clinic taught by the same man.  One of the greatest things I've taken from both the book and clinic is that once I have thought through my options, and when I make my decision (to either keep moving upward, with the possible outcome of falling, OR, to back down from the rest of the climb), that the thinking process is over. I most act upon my decision and not be harping on the other possible choices I had.  At this point I need to allow my body to do what it knows to do intuitively. 

Thanks for the mental training and helping me get to this point, Arno! Challenge #13, SENT!

Today I watched five TED talks that I had never seen before.  All of the videos were absolutely amazing in their own ways.  Some were funny, some were informative, some were surprising, and all were inspiring.

I started off strong with my first TED talk, "Hidden Miracles of the Natural Hidden World".  Take the 7:30 minutes to watch it, you will not regret it.  My words will not do it justice.  Science x Art x Curiousity. 

"Knowing that there's so much around us we can see forever changes our understanding of the world, and by looking at unseen worlds, we recognize that we exist in the living universe, and this new perspective creates wonder and inspires us to become explorers in our own backyards." - Louie Schwartzberg

***

You guys, this next video, "Are We Designed to be Sexual Omnivores?", is freaking hilarious. Definitely watch this one too.  I mean, really, you need to watch them all.... but if you are looking for a laugh then you need to take the 15 minutes to watch this one.  Also, in addition to learning some new things, around 11 minutes in, he takes a surprising turn toward a political/social statement. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but here are two very standout quotes:

"What I'm saying is that to argue that our ancestors were sexual omnivores is no more a criticism of monogamy than to argue that our ancestors were dietary omnivores as a criticism of vegetarianism. You can choose to be a vegetarian, but don't think that just because you've made that decision, bacon suddenly stops smelling good." - Christopher Ryan

"Edward Wilson says we need to understand that human sexuality is first a bonding device and only secondarily procreation. I think that's true. This matters because our evolved sexuality is in direct conflict with many aspects of the modern world. The contradictions between what we're told we should feel and what we actually do feel generates a huge amount of unnecessary suffering. My hope is that a more accurate, updated understanding of human sexuality will lead us to have greater tolerance for ourselves, for each other..." - Christopher Ryan

***

I probably NEEDED to watch this third video, How to Make Stress Your Friend, more than any others on my list.  I tend to be highly anxious and feel stress very easily. Kelly discusses the misconception about stress and how it effects our bodies and long-term health.  At the core of her talk, she argues that if we mentally learn to accept stress as good for us, then our bodies reacts differently to the stress and we actually do not experience negative long term effects.  Fascinating. And it all starts with our thought process, as does many things in our lives.

"Can changing how you think about stress make you healthier? And here the science says yes. When you change your mind about stress, you can change your body's response to stress." - Kelly McGonigal

"Now, in a typical stress response, your heart rate goes up, and your blood vessels constrict... And this is one of the reasons that chronic stress is sometimes associated with cardiovascular disease. It's not really healthy to be in this state all the time. But in the study, when participants viewed their stress response as helpful, their blood vessels stayed relaxed... Their heart was still pounding, but this is a much healthier cardiovascular profile. It actually looks a lot like what happens in moments of joy and courage." - Kelly McGonigal

***

The fourth video, which was "What I learned from Going Blind in Space", was a really interesting because he discusses human nature and how we deal with fear. Very appropriate to the book I am reading right now, Rock Warrior's Way, which deals with mental training/fear in rock climbing (as mentioned earlier).  Basically, knowledge is your greatest power to fight fear, because ultimately the unknown tends to scare us the most. But by practicing facing your fear, and slowly and respectfully pushing the limits of your comfort zone, you can definitely minimize the fear.  Oh, and Chris sings a song at the end!

"But the key to that is by looking at the difference between perceived danger and actual danger, where is the real risk? What is the real thing that you should be afraid of? Not just a generic fear of bad things happening. You can fundamentally change your reaction to things so that it allows you to go places and see things and do things that otherwise would be completely denied to you..." - Chris Hadfield

***

The last and fifth video, "Love - You're Doing it Wrong", was a really sweet and witty look at the way we value each other in love.  I will let Yann do the talking...

"There is a great different between an escalope and my wife, for instance. That is if I value the escalope, the escalope, on the other hand, it doesn't value me back." - Yann Dall'Aglio

"We are all useless. This uselessness is easily demonstrated, because in order to be valued I need another to desire me, which shows that I do not have any value of my own. I don't have any inherent value." - Yann Dall'Aglio

***

It will never cease to amaze me at how lucky we are that we can share ideas so quickly and effortlessly in today's world. It makes me a little sad to think about the thousands of brilliant ideas and theories and stories that may have died with person who held them most valuable.  I believe that the easiest way to pay respect is to another human is to listen, genuinely and without ulterior motive, to what they have to say.

So here I am, doing just that, joining the millions of people who have viewed TED talks online. I am interested in expanding my world view, and am thankful that it's made so easy for me that all I need to do is click play. This was one of the most stimulating days of my 30 before 30 that I've had so far. 
Challenge #14, check!

HALFWAY MARK.  15 days/challenges down, and 15 to go!

I just got back home from dinner at Pink's Hot Dogs, and after waiting in a long line, the verdict on the dog is: DEEEEEEE-LISH. I don't even really like hot dogs, but the chili cheese dog really was tasty. Challenge #15, check!