# 26 Seven years in the making

Custom labeled

I remember my first taste of Maker’s Mark. To protect other non-innocent parties involved, I will not put all the details in writing. I will say it may or may not have ended in streaking through a neighborhood in my hometown. Good times indeed.

Maker’s has a great program for its devoted fans called the Ambassadors. Basically you sign up and they send you things. The coolest part is that as an Ambassador, you get your name (along with 29 others) put on a barrel plate. After seven years, your barrel gets put into a batch of bourbon and you get invited to come dip a bottle from it.

Personally dipped

My barrel reached maturity this spring. I could not have planned this if I tried. So after an excellent time at the Kentucky Derby, I headed to the hills to visit Maker’s Mark Distillery.

I will admit that my bottle dipping was very emotional. My hands were shaking and I did my best to hold back the tears. At the end of it all, I am now the proud owner of two custom-labeled, personally dipped and stamped bottles of Maker’s Mark.

This post is dedicated to Ben, Cope and Tim, my eternal brothers in bourbon.

#25 My Old Kentucky Home

I’m not even sure where to begin. After the completion (survival) of Leadership Greenville closing retreat, I took to the mountains on my way to Kentucky. I was lucky enough to grab a quick nap before my friend Chad arrived.  Then it was only fitting to celebrate my arrival with a Maker’s Mark or two. I should have had a few more. I guess it was the excitement of the next day’s events had me stirring like a kid on Christmas.

 

On the way into Louisville, we scrambled to memorize the lyrics to “My Old Kentucky Home.” We arrived at Churchill Downs around noon in time to catch 5-6 races before the actual Derby.  These pre-races serve as a dress rehearsal for the big show.  You watch and yell then it’s time to research, bet, grab food and drinks then get back to your seats for the next round. At a normal sporting event, servers are walking around with beer or hotdogs. At the Derby, it’s Mint Juleps in souvenir glasses for $10. Works for me. (though in all honesty, I prefer my bourbon straight up).

To answer most of your questions: Yes, it was a great time. Yes, I had a mint julep. No, I didn’t win any money in fact I lost some. Yes, there were some extremely drunk people there.

My advice: Don’t bet on horses based on their names, like Pants on Fire and Midnight Interlude. DO NOT take the Express Shuttle to downtown after the race. You may just end up stuck in a parking lot for over an hour. And finally, have a stash spot for your big hat and heavy purse before the after party. It’s definitely worth staying up for the good time and the people watching.

Special thanks to my great friend Chad for such a spectacular time!

# 24 They want to suck my blood

After my senior year of high school, my mother and I headed to the Health Department for my vaccinations. After the first shot I felt a little woozy and before the nurse could put the band-aid on the second one, I was (apparently) on the floor convulsing. From then on I had to go to extreme caution when a needle was involved.

With that said, giving blood has never been on my radar.  I guess I was still on a high from HOG Day when I signed up for my appointment at The Blood Connection. And to be honest, it was nothing.

But here’s the funny part…The pre-screening process for giving blood is a cross between a first date and a job interview. You have to complete a mini physical to prove you’re healthy and then comes the questionnaire. Wow! I never in my life thought I’d be asked about intravenous drug use and sex with prostitutes or farm animals while on my lunch break. As the screener went to retest my iron levels I felt the pangs of rejection slowly creeping in.

But I passed, (YAY!) and I’m apparently an excellent blood giver, if I do say so myself. If you keep reading you’ll see that four days later I headed to Kentucky for the Derby and a trip to Maker’s Mark. Good thing it’ll be 2 months before I can donate again because I think it’ll take that long to get all the bourbon out of my system. 

In all honesty, for those of you that are healthy enough to give blood then please do so. A year ago I wouldn’t have passed the screening (for health reasons, not because of my secret animal fetish). For me it was a great feeling of accomplishment to be considered healthy enough to give life to another. So go donate!

#23 Get my H.O.G. on!

For you out-of-towners, Hands on Greenville (or HOG Day) is Greenville County’s premier platform for volunteering and community service. One day a year, the United Way of Greenville coordinates hoards of volunteers to complete service projects across the county. This year, 6,817 volunteers on 135 teams did everything from landscaping to painting to repair work to clean up efforts. Our team, PULSE and Kiwanis Main Street Young Professionals, spent the morning performing projects at Greenbrier Elementary School where we weeded flower gardens, arranged planters, painted playground equipment and mulched gardens and flower beds.

I’m so proud to call Greenville my home. HOG Day is just another great testament to the type of community we live in. With that, I encourage each and every one of you to dedicate your time to making the community you live in a better place. 

#22 Jam out at the Roller Derby

Maybe a good look for me?

If you’ve seen the movie Whip It then I know you’ve at least had some sort of urge to throw on some quads and face paint and go knock some people around. I found it quite humorous that people’s first response upon hearing I was at the derby was, playing or watching? Now I’ve had my share of aggressive hobbies, a little roller hockey with the boys in the cul-de-sac, some rail sliding and grinding on the in-lines and then, of course, the tragic wrestling match in college that left me with a concussion. I’d like to say that I’m older and wiser now but that’s just too cliché and honestly just one bad (fun) idea away from being untrue.

So in the spirit of trying new things, JP and I headed to the Pavilion for a double header derby match, Dames of Destruction vs Victorious Secrets and Greenville Derby Dames vs Gate City Roller Girls. I was halfway expecting to experience a complete new sub culture of Greenville. True there were some interesting characters to be seen, no seriously there were actually 3 guys dressed as Storm Troopers, but for the most part the people seemed normal. Parents cheering on their children, husbands cheering on wives and I’m sure a few proud kiddos too. I know if I ever did decide to start a career as a derby chick, my parents would definitely be on the front row. Dad would probably even sponsor the team.

Speaking of destruction, I hope everyone survived the storms this past week. All can rest assure there’s one thing that I will never try, storm chasing.

On a side note, the 30x30 are nearing completion. I have most of the remaining 30 things lined up but I’m always open for suggestions. Just because the list ends, doesn’t mean the mischievous adventures have to as well.

#21 Start a Vegetable Garden

Tomato baby

For many years I avoided raw tomatoes. I’d watch in disgust as my mother and grandmother would slap a thick slice of tomato on two slices of bread (slathered with mayonnaise, salt and pepper, of course) and just eat away likes it’s the best thing since well, sliced bread. I would even order a BLT, hold the T. I just didn’t see the magic in tomatoes, unless of course they were processed into ketchup or spaghetti sauce. A few years ago I let my guard down and tried a caprese salad. I guess the tomato stars were in alignment that day because the combination was like a gravitational pull that wouldn’t let go.

Baby lettuces

So it only makes sense that growing tomatoes be a part of the 30x30 adventure. And for good measure, I  threw in some herbs and mixed lettuces as well. If you’ve never grown lettuce might I suggest that you try. My little plants are only a few weeks old and are several inches tall. Plus if you have purchased one of those $3-$4 bags of mixed greens lately, you can definitely appreciate the cost savings.

If only they made a bacon tree then I’d have the perfect garden. I just don’t think I’m quite ready for my house to become a complete pig sty, despite how it may look from time-to-time.

My favorite ways to eat a tomato:

Absolutely delicious

•  Straight up BLT with lots of mayo
•  Caprese on a baguette: toasted baguette slices topped with buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomato, basil and a mix of salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar
•  And yes, a Tomato Sandwich: tomato, mayo, salt and pepper

Snap dragons, lettuce, tomatoes,
herbs and morning glories (eventually)

By the way, special thanks to Mom and Dad for their help on the new garden. It was our special project during their visit last month. 

#20 Fruit fast

AKA My Life as a Fruit Bat

Preparation

Wallet in tow, I headed to Whole Paycheck Foods to stock up for my 3 day fruit fast. The contents of my countertops and refrigerator are the following:

6 oz raspberries
12 oz blackberries
6 oz blueberries
2 lbs strawberries
1 bunch green grapes
8 bananas
3 honey tangerines
2 grapefruits
1 pineapple
4 avocados
3 lemons
2 heirloom tomatoes
1 carton grapefruit juice
2 coconut water juice boxes
4 IZZE pomegranates
2 bottles sparkling water
1 box herbal (decaffeinated) tea

Day one

I started the day by waking from a dream where I was going through a buffet line only to have to dump the entire tray out. Rude awakening for a gloomy Monday morning. 

First meal: ½ grapefruit and herbal tea

Second meal: Mixed fruit – blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, grapes

Third meal: banana

Fourth meal: Mixed fruit, banana, honey tangerine and coconut water

Fifth meal: Herbal tea, mashed avocado with lemon, heirloom tomato, 1/2 banana, raspberries

(I added olive oil to the avocado and tomato. I figured olives are technically a fruit so using their oil isn't technically cheating)

Day two

I'm starting day two with a level of confidence that tells me I can do this. I started this morning as usual with a walk with Maddox, then 20 minutes of meditation followed by herbal tea and half a grapefruit. My energy level is still pretty high which is encouraging. Now I'm at the office, I have eaten a banana and a little of my fruit medley.

These are my strategies thus far:

• Stay full to avoid any temptation
• Designate certain foods for certain meals (for me avocado and tomatoes = supper, raspberries = dessert)
• Drink lots of fluids

So at the end of day two I'm starting to feel the grip on my sanity slipping. I get home and I'm exhausted and still have 60 minutes of yoga and 20 minutes of meditation to complete. My meal of avocado, tomato, banana and raspberries isn't really inspiring much to be honest. Plus I'm starting to notice how many food advertisements there are on television, the web, etc...This is getting brutal.


Day three

I can finally see the light and no, it's not from the glowing golden arches of a McDonald's sign. Fasting is totally a mental game and I'm pretty positive that I have at least 15 hours left of fight in me. I also mixed a few raspberries into my fruit medley this morning as a treat to myself. Going for some hot yoga tonight at Southern Om. Watch me spend half the class in child's pose sweating out fruit cocktails.

And we're done

I made it without cheating! At 12:01 am last night I had 5 multigrain saltine crackers topped with cheddar cheese and I was grinning like a cheshire cat. I've been good this morning having 1/2 a grapefruit and some herbal tea around 6:00 am. It's almost 9:00 am now and I've about finished off a few cups of fruit and a Kashi bar (oh, how I missed those).

Two funny things about a fruit fast. First since fruit carries a lot of water, it tends to make you pee A LOT. I'm the type of person that can make an 8 hour drive without a bathroom stop, so you can only imagine how hourly bathroom trips start to wear on my patience. Second, apparently fruit carries a lot of air as well. I was practicing yoga at home on Tuesday and as I went into a prayer twist a huge (very ladylike) burp erupted from my body. (yes mother, I can feel how proud you are of me at this very moment)

It is said a fasting can be like the spring cleaning equivalent for the body. With that said,  I'm thinking I may incorporate it into my lifestyle now, maybe twice a year.

Finally....Thanks to all the other "transformers" out there. The email chains have really brought some levity to the last few days. I hope everyone has an easy transition back to normalcy!