Pages

The Year of Art and Things I've Never Done Before

Welcome to Jan's Birthday Blog. This blog exists to keep me planning and taking action, share this year with those who are interested, and also to invite you to do things you have always wanted to do but never have. What are you /I putting off till it is the "right time"? What is it, that if you and I look back at our lives years from now we will regret not having done?

Please share what you dream of doing or have taken action on and gotten done. Tell me what you are up to. Make suggestions that I can add to my list! Use some of my ideas. Join me or invite me to do something with you.

I invite you to consider that all any of us has is right now.... there is no "later". This blog is a reminder of that for me.

(I am not promoting anything that is reckless, illegal, or negative! I am out to create life-enhancing experiences. Please plan accordingly.)

Things I've Never Done

  • Take a train somewhere DONE! - To NYC for Lauren's Advanced Course. 2014 Thanks for the invite honey.
  • Create a blog - DONE!
  • Audition for pro musical theater - DONE! TWICE
  • Get a hot stone massage- DONE for the 1st time but NOT the last! See link for PCCHH
  • Raise money for a cause -DONE! Want to do more. Donated a quilt that auctioned for over $300 For Hair Peace Charities - see link. Vagina Monologues raised money for women & girls in Pittsburgh and around the world!
  • Go to a Chiropractor -DONE! Thanks Dr. Kukich UPDATE: began regular chiropractic treatment 2 days after I bought that house. Hmmm- any relationship to those two events?
  • Go to a spa with Lauren - DONE! We have the pretty feet to prove it.
  • Work for a floral design company - See link to Mocha Rose. I'M HIRED!
  • Take my daughters to New York - DONE! 3rd weekend in May.
  • Yoga -DONE with first session. One session does not a practice make but I am on my way. YOGA update November 2011 - started going to Yoga On Freemont. My first week I went 4 times. I love it. I feel more open and my body is smiling! 2011 update : Yoga on Fremont, 2 times a week average. Good stuff!
  • Go to an "Iron Chef" restaurant. DONE! Bar Americain in NYC - Chef Bobby Flay.
  • Buy or build my dream house - I bought a 1925 Tudor Revival. It needs work before I move in. That work is creating another list of things I have never done before.
  • Tear down a wall - DONE! See photos of bathroom demolition.
  • Operate a steam shovel or some such machine. SOoooo DONE! Thank you Mike Isbir, Mark Miller and crew. See photos below.
  • Hop in the car for a trip with no idea where I am going FINALLY DONE! ORB to 51 S to 88S, eventually to Maryland and back
  • Dip my toes in the Pacific Ocean _ SOOO DONE!! Thank You Wendy!
  • Throw a pot - (on a wheel, not at a wall) DONE! Pittsburgh Center for the Arts 4 week crash course with my pottin buddy, Lauren.
  • *************************************
  • Detonate something
  • See Lindsay Benner live
  • Be an 'agent' for an Improv Everywhere mission
  • Learn to make glass beads
  • Teach my dog to make friends and play well with others - see Animal Friends link
  • Learn to weld - turns out I know two people that can weld
  • Hire a talent agent
  • Drive a classic Thunderbird - preferably Starmist Blue
  • Paint a mural
  • Fly a plane
  • Learn to sail
  • Drive a race car - Have I told you about Women-Drivers.com?
  • Be on TV
  • Write a book
  • Go surfing
  • Sky diving
  • Travel to Spain, Greece, Morocco, South America, The Grand Canyon, Alaska, Hawaii, pretty much anywhere in the US...
  • Eat vegetarian for a week
  • Get a tattoo
  • *************************************
  • BLOG BONUS - Stuff I didn't know I wanted to do:
  • Work as a standardized patient educator. Had no idea that's what I wanted to do. DONE
  • Do home staging to get a house sold - twice yet. Thanks for asking, Justin and Tom
  • Ride a lap at the Vintage Grand Prix in Schenley Park - DONE!
  • Go to the James Taylor / Carol King concert at the last event at the Civic Arena DONE! It was the BEST! Thank you Diane
  • Buy a share in a Community Supported Agriculture farm. DONE! Kretchsmann's to be exact. Thanks Edie and Mad.
  • Visit St. Anthony's Chapel in Troy Hill. DONE! Thank you Paula!
  • Make a web site - DONE - will be unveiled soon
  • Gravity Hill - DONE!
  • Eat a raisinette dipped in hot sauce - Done! I was double dog dared. I had to.

About Me

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
I was born on June 27th, 1960. Quick math will tell you I turned 50 in 2010. That milestone has inspired what I am up to this year. Now that the birthday has passed, what do I count down next?

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Hot Stone Massage....

Oh my! Now how great is a hot stone massage?! There is a link to Pittsburgh Center for Complementary Health and Healing on the right side of the blog. Go to the link and make an appointment now. This is the perfect time of year for this while it is cold and drizzly, and we've done lots of shoveling snow. I came out feeling soooo relaxed and a bit comatose. I think there should be a recovery room where I can curl up for a nap. At one point I had hot rocks between my toes with warm towel wrapped around my feet. The oil is hot too.... ahhhhh! Lili is so good at what she does. Do yourself a favor and go see her.
Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , ,

Saturday, February 13, 2010

CLO Audition

And Thank You. My first stab at the music was disastrous as in completely off key because the accompanist and I were working in different measures of the song. Ooops! I stopped the audition...which one is apparently NOT supposed to do. Had him just give me my note. Then proceeded to sing unaccompanied for 2 measures till the guy at the piano figured out what the hell I was doing. I could hear several voices from the "Table of Talent Judgement" say "She recovered. You recovered". Nice touch on their part. Worst for me was that one of those at the Table was my high school musical director whom I love and respect. Better to have done that in front of total strangers I say. I just walked out of the room (quickly and after thanking all concerned) and laughed at myself. I declared that it takes guts to do what I did and I also am having a little upset. Eh, in the biggest picture, so what.
Posted by at 1 comment:

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

On the "NOT list"


NOT going to Everest. I hear they get lots of snow.
Posted by at 2 comments:

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Create a blog

Well, this is it; the first time I've created a blog. If you are blog savvy, feel free to send tips. I have very little know-how where blogs are concerned.
Posted by at 3 comments:
Labels:

Auditioning for Pro Theater


On January 31st I had my first professional theater audition. It was for the CLO Cabaret cast of Nunsense. I was not cast. I have no idea what the casting team thought of my singing. My monologue was supposed to be a comedy and I have no idea if anyone was laughing. I was blinded by fear! And I did it and I was thrilled that I went! A good friend said the victory is walking through the door. The rest is just the victory dance. Exactly! Because of some brilliant coaching, I also got that I was going to the audition to be alive in my life. My being there had nothing to do with anyone else's opinion of my skill. That freed me up to go and be thrilled that I went, cast or not. (The picture is one of my head shots to take to auditions.)
Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)