Drag Queen Brunch

Recently, several members of the League of Adventurous Women went into Washington, DC for an unusual meal. My friend, Joanne, captured the experience.

What could be better than a mimosa brunch on a rainy Sunday morning? A Drag Queen mimosa brunch of course. On a rainy Sunday morning in April, Joan, Keisha, Eithne, Mary, Dawn and Karen headed to Perry’s in Adams Morgan for the weekly Sunday Drag Queen Brunch.

The company was good, the food was tasty and the show was a hoot. 4 Queens performed a variety of numbers. One of the performers was an MC/comedian who was quite funny. The rest performed song and dance numbers while moving through the crowd posing for pictures. Bring some singles if you want your picture taken with any of the Queens although the bar will gladly make change.

There are 2 seatings and it’s not a very big place so it is a good idea to get in line early.

Monster Trucks

Advance Auto Parts Monster Truck Jam in DC's Verizon Center

Mike (my husband): So, did you and the girls enjoy the Monster Truck Jam?

Me: WHAT?

Mike: I said, how was the Monster Truck Jam?

Me: YES, WE MADE IT ON TIME.  IT WAS A LOT MORE FUN THAN I EXPECTED!

Mike: I get the impression it was loud?

Me: THERE WERE SIX ENORMOUS TRUCKS AND EACH ONE HAD TIRES TALLER THAN ME. ALL OF THEM HAD THEMES LIKE BATMAN OR MONSTER MUTT OR ILLUMINATOR -- ILLUMINATOR'S CAR LIT UP.

Mike: Can you hear me?

Me: THEY STARTED OUT WITH A WHEELIE COMPETITION AND ONE OF THEM ALMOST FLIPPED OVER -- IT WAS EXCITING! THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY A FEW "RACES" THAT INCLUDED A JUMP. YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH AIR SOME OF THESE THINGS GET!

Mike: I guess we won't be going to a movie this evening.

Me: THE TRUCK JAM FINISHED WITH A FREE-STYLE COMPETITION.  IN BETWEEN, THEY HAD AN ATV RACE PITTING A MEN'S TEAM AGAINST A WOMEN'S TEAM, THEY ALSO HAD A "BATTLE" BETWEEN TRANSFORMER TRUCKS.  I'M TELLING YOU, IT WAS REALLY A LOT OF FUN!

Mike: Maybe I'll go with you next time.

Me: YOU SHOULD GO WITH US NEXT TIME. BUT WE'LL NEED TO TAKE EAR PLUGS. WE SAT IN THE HIGHEST SECTION OF THE ARENA AND IT WAS STILL SHOCKINGLY LOUD!

Advance Auto Parts Monster Truck Jam is coming to a city near you!  Click here for their schedule. 

Road Trip! Baltimore's HONfest

January is the perfect time to plan your adventurous new year.  My friend, Joanne hopes you'll take a trip to Baltimore's HONfest.

HONfest is a quirky 2 day “Bawlmer” street festival where beehives, bouffants and fluffy bedroom slippers abound. HONfest is the celebration of Hons, which is short for honey.  It is a term of endearment for the working women of Baltimore.

Joanne visits the Glamour Lounge

It was a hot and sticky Sunday morning when Barb, Eithne, Karen, Joanne, Michaelle and Sheryl were heading to 36^th street in the Hampden neighborhood in Baltimore, also known as “the boulevard.” It is the site of the annual HONfest. Although the day threatened rain, the intrepid League of Adventurous Women was not deterred. 

We got there early and visited a few shops and stalls for Hon accessories and memorabilia. Pink boas and cats eye glasses were in abundance. Then it was on to the Glamour Lounge where we got our beehives and bouffants on. Now we were in the mood. HONfest is like a block party open to the public. We mingled with locals and visitors alike, listening to music, people watching and enjoying a local delicacy, crab cakes.

The culmination of the weekend’s festivities is the crowning of Miss Hon during Bawlmer’s Best Hon Contest. It’s a hoot, complete with housecoats, spandex, fluffy slippers, sponge rollers and anything that represents blue collar Baltimore.

After the crowning we ducked into a local bar to cool off. This place was nothing special, no ferns, table clothes or menus. It was strictly beer out of a bottle and cheap wine is a plastic cup. We played a few games of pool, mingled with other HONfest goers and agreed that the day was worth the drive.

We made it back to the car just as a torrential rain broke out. Everyone agreed it was worth the trek to Baltimore.  I highly recommend it. 

HONfest 2012 is scheduled for June 9 and 10 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ride a Unicycle

We've all had birthdays that marked a personal milestone. You know, one of those uncomfortable ages that cause one to reflect on life and wonder if it is going in the right direction.  CBS' Susan Spencer just achieved an "unmentionable birthday" and decided to celebrate by taking on a new challenge. Her present to herself? Learn to ride a unicycle! She was brave enough to record her effort and let it air on Sunday Morning.  Happy Birthday Susan!

Learn to Fly!

Joanne & Eithne 

I mentioned that my adventure group has been making the most of great deals from LivingSocial and Groupon. A few weeks ago, three of us spent $40 on a 1-hour flying experience that allowed us to pilot a little Cessna around our part of Maryland.  My friend, Eithne, captured the experience.

Eithne, Casey and the Cessna

“Getting away from it all” usually means taking a trip or vacation, but on August 7^th Michaelle, Joanne and I literally and figuratively got away--we took off, left the ground and went flying. I have flown around the world, from Ireland to Australia, to the US and back to Ireland but in the past I have relied on folks who knew what they were doing, they flew the plane. This time, we took off and for 30 minutes each we held the controls! We were lucky, the weather cooperated and we had a terrific instructor, Casey, who although he looked 12 years old, swore he was 24 and had over 800 flying hours behind him! In for a penny in for a pound!

After about 30 minutes of “ground” instruction we were off. I went first - it was truly amazing, we were 2,000 feet above ground, close enough to see houses, cars driving by, swimming pools, and even people – for miles! As Joanne said “I can see why people get hooked.” It was also a little surreal to know that this plane was truly in our hands, we were flying! In the DC metropolitan area flight preparations are unique, because we are sandwiched between the White House and Camp David. We learned that filing an accurate flight plan is crucial, adhering to it even more crucial. Casey kept us on the straight and narrow and also ensured we stayed far away from other planes! Smaller airports do not have a control tower so navigating in the sky is dependent on the pilot being in constant communication with fellow pilots. Casey spoke to several during our 90 minute flight primarily to negotiate landing order. Suddenly, planes we could not see would appear from the clouds and land ahead of us, just as they had planned during their radio communication, it was remarkable!

In the pilot's seat

I flew from Montgomery Airpark landed in Frederick, Michaelle flew from Frederick to Carroll County and Joanne flew the home leg. Thankfully, Casey landed for all three of us and we were once again on terra firma. The next day in work, as usual, we talked about what we did over the weekend there were a few raised eyebrows when for the first time in my life but hopefully not the last I said, “I flew a plane, how about you?”

One note of congratulations to our flight instructor, Casey. He's the NFL's new Sunday-night aerial man. Next time you see an eagle's view of the stadium, you'll know who's piloting that plane!

Watch Eithne take to the skies in this video:

Anne's 1000 Mile Challenge: Final Entry

Taking a well-earned break

Outdoor Contributor, Anne, has  spent a chunk of the summer on a new project and a new training journal.  This is her final post about her 1,000-mile challenge.

My original goal was to move 1000 miles and lose 10 pounds by Labor Day. So, how did I do? Well, as of Labor Day, I had moved 533 miles, and I lost two pounds. By some measures, you would say that I hadn’t done very well at attaining my goal, and on some days I would agree. However, I’m trying to look at the more positive side of things. When I set the goal, I didn’t even know if 1000 miles was possible, and I didn’t gain any weight.

If I had confined my activity to biking, I might have made my goal. Instead I biked, hiked, canoed/kayaked, and even swam twice. I’m still tracking my distance to see how long it takes me to hit 1000 miles. Now, I’m at 606 miles. I’ve biked 419 miles, I’ve walked/hiked/backpacked 126 miles, and I’ve canoed/kayaked/swam 61 miles. I’ve covered some ground.

Here are a few of the things I’ve done this summer to help me get towards my goal.

• I hiked 10+ miles in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness.  It was a lovely day with a walk past more than four alpine lakes, and over a pass into a beautiful, glaciated valley.
• I went on a couple of great kayaking trips on Flathead Lake.  One was to some pictographs only accessible by water, and the other was to some islands we had never been to before.
• I counted my floats down the Clark Fork River in inner tubes—a summer tradition in Missoula. On a hot day, people float through town on the river on inner tubes, drinking adult beverages. It’s a very relaxing summer time activity.
• I went on a backpacking trip to Trask Lakes in the Flint Creek Range.  I hadn’t taken a backpacking trip in more than five years, but managed to make it six miles into this alpine basin where hardly anyone goes.

 Looking ahead, I’m doing the Tour de Cure next weekend, but I don’t have any other major expedition plans. I don’t think I’ll get to 1000 miles until the end of October, but I’ll keep trying. As to the weight thing, I think I’ll have to address that in another post later.

Anne

skydiving: It's nothing but "Wow!"

Thank goodness for discount deal sites like LivingSocial and Groupon. Without them, I wouldn't have had the time of my life last Sunday strapped to a barefoot stranger and falling to earth at 120 mph.

Katy & Joanne

Four members of my adventure group, Joanne, Katy, Sheryl and I, purchased a great LivingSocial deal for a tandem skydive and we were beyond excited! We booked our dive date and headed out to Warrenton Air Park in the Virginia countryside.  At least Joanne, Katy and I did. It turns out tandem skydiving is wildly popular and by the time Sheryl tried to make a reservation, they were booked solid for another month.

But back to our trip, Katy drove for about an hour and a half while I did a terrible job of navigating. Happily, we eventually found our tiny airport and were a little surprised to discover the grass runway, spraypainted directional signs and a pack of canine greeters.

My surprise was rooted in my past experiences. I'll admit right now that I have never been skydiving and I don't know anyone else who has. My expectations were totally formed by TV and movies and included harnessed soldiers packed into the belly of a big plane, instructors yelling "Go! Go! Go!" and dozens of circular parachutes drifting down over WWII France.  It wasn't like the Army. Not even a little bit. My experience was very laid back, more like camp counselors at 10,000 feet.

While the airport and staff were exceptionally casual, the legal waiver was by far the most intimidating we had ever seen.  Once it was signed and initialed in 24 places (really) AND once I'd paid an additional $85 for a video (more than worth it!) we were ready for harnesses and a few minutes of instruction. My instructor, Chris, was wearing shorts, T-shirt and a wrist cam but nothing below the knee. I suspect he enjoyed the feeling of wind between his toes. Finally, Joanne, two instructors and I squeezed into a little plane stripped of everything but a pilot and we were off. (Katy shared a plane with a kid celebrating his 21st birthday.) During our two-mile ascent, Chris, rechecked the gear, hooked our harnesses together and reviewed the dive procedure:

• pay attention,
• when leaving the plane, grip the front of the harness and ARCH YOUR BACK,
• let your feet go back toward your posterior,
• maintain this position until you feel 3 taps on your shoulder then arms out and enjoy 5,000 feet of free fall at 120 mph.

Free fall.  Honestly, I was not worried. Maybe it was because I had no responsibilities, maybe it was because I had complete confidence in my instructor, maybe it was because I'm not afraid of heights (though I was nervous on that 25 foot trapeze platform). Nope, not worried at all HOWEVER those first 10 seconds were crazy! As Chris opened the little door to my left, the wind and noise smacked me in the face. Then, suddenly there was nothing around us but air. The plane was leaving and we were alone in the sky accelerating, face first, toward the ground. I wasn't expecting noise but the wind in my ears made it impossible to communicate. I was so distracted by... well...everything that I missed Chris' signal to let go of the harness and put my hands out. I have no idea if I was arching or not but suddenly the parachute was up, we slowed from 120 mph to 40mph and it got quieter.  Chris "let me steer" then asked if I like roller coasters. He pulled on the right cord and we went into a rapid spiral. Lord, it was fun! We chatted for a few minutes then suddenly we were sitting on the runway right in front of the crowd filling out their waivers.

Katy's flight

I've posted my video below so you can get a sense of the experience.  If you're into heights and speed, this adventure is a winner!  Thanks, Kesha, for being our on-the-ground photographer.

Anne's 1000 Mile Challenge: Bruised, battered, and behind

Outdoor Contributor, Anne, has a new project and a new training journal.  She'll be writing regular posts about her 1,000-mile challenge.

Scenic view of the North Fork of the Flathead

I truly meant to write a post a couple of weeks ago, but I have been in recovery mode from a river trip at the end of July.  So far on my goal of moving 1000 miles and losing 10 pounds by labor day, I have moved 350 miles and lost one pound.

An Update on my journey

As expected, the weight loss has been elusive. I’ve already started reading headlines on the tabloids in the check out line at the grocery—lose 10 pounds in 10 days. My brain knows this doesn’t work, but it sure would be nice if there was a magic way to lose weight.  I am eating more vegetables, less cheese, and drinking a lot less.  I’m still hoping to see some results.

On the movement end, one of our planned summer activities was a river float trip.  My husband, Eric, and I been planning to go with some friends that have a raft and two young children.  We planned to take our canoe, knowing that we have a lot of canoe experience, and we work together well as a team. We decided to float the North Fork of the Flathead River. This beautiful river flows on the Westside of Glacier National Park.  Most of the time, the beautiful mountain crest of Glacier is visible, and there’s always the possibility of seeing moose, black bears, and even grizzlies. 

Me in the front of the canoe

For our expedition, we put our boats on the river at the Canadian border. Since this was the first multi-day float trip for all of us, it took some time to load the boats.  We didn’t actually get on the water until two in the afternoon. We paddled for a couple of hours before calling it a night at a primitive (no toilets or water) campsite. We wanted to rest up before the only real rapids on the trip—upper and lower Kintla Rapids. Both are rated Class II. The water is still really high this year. The flow on the North Fork is setting a record this year. Eric also tried to cover up the front part of the canoe because we were having to bail all the time.  We were carrying about 400 pounds of gear so the canoe was riding low.

On the second day we set out and the canoe was doing better at keeping the water out of my lap in the front of the boat.  After a couple of miles we got to the rapids. We set up nicely, straight down the middle. The waves didn’t look too high, but appearance from a distance can be deceiving.  We swamped. We had so much water in the canoe that only a couple of inches of the gunnels were above water.  We went into shore to bail and regroup before the next waves. We got out of the canoe while the water was still raging. Eric had no problems finding his footing, but somehow, I ended up being swept away and farther down the river. Judging from the bruises on the right side of my body, I hit a lot of rocks before I was able to get to shore again. 

Ellie and our homemade decking to keep the water out

After bailing the canoe and assessing our situation, we were missing one dry bag, a GPS, and not much else.  We looked down the river; there was one more small rapid to run.  We decided to take a conservative line that was going to require some hard paddling. Our friends in the raft went ahead. They had no trouble.  However, we did.  When we tried to cross the river to avoid a big wave, we tipped completely over. This time I was able to stay with the boat. So was Eric. We floated down the river about a mile, holding on to the upside-down canoe, before our friends were able to pull us in.  Needless to say, I wasn’t overjoyed about spending the rest of the day in the canoe. So we switched out with the people on the raft. Our friend Jody went into the canoe with Eric, and I rode in the raft with his wife Casey and their two kids. 

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. The third day I was in the canoe and had a great time. We learned a lot on this trip—always wear your life jacket and I don’t like whitewater canoeing. 

Anne

Anne's 1000 Mile Challenge: 967 Miles and 10 Pounds to Go

Outdoor Contributor, Anne, has a new project and a new training journal.  She'll be writing regular posts about her 1000-mile challenge:

A few of my modes of travel: sea kayak, bike, swimsuit, running shoes, and hiking shoes

I'm very goal oriented.  If I set a goal that I care about, I usually hit it.  Losing weight is not a goal I've been able to do very well.  I can try to blame it on menopause, but I think I just eat too much. Anyway, this last week I decided I had to get serious about losing a few pounds.  I have another reason to care--at my most recent check up in March, my cholesterol was higher that it should be. I'm getting it re-checked in September, and I want it to go down by then.

The first half of my new goal is to lose 10 pounds by Labor Day.

But wait, there's more.  There was a challenge posted on the Weight Watchers website: lose 10 pounds by Labor Day, and move 100 miles.  I looked at that and said, "but I can go 100 miles in a week if I include biking. I need something more serious." So I decided that I needed to move 1,000 miles by Labor Day.  The only thing that counts is self-propelled travel.  I will bike, hike, walk, paddle, swim, or pogo-stick 1000 miles by Labor Day. I started this week, and I've done a measly 33 miles so far.  

When I told my husband, Eric, my plan, he suggested that I was crazy.  He said that there are only 9 weeks until Labor Day, and then he proceeded to do the math.  I need to do approximately 110 miles per week.  Well, it's not a challenge if it's easy.  

I'll post my progress and talk about the obstacles that come my way.  I’m going to keep track of all my miles, and I will keep track of what I eat on the Weight Watchers online site. There might even be a few funny stories--probably at my expense.

Anne

PS. I liked the headline even though a week has gone by since I wrote it.  Now, I only have 884 miles to go, but I’ve gained a pound (yikes).  Today, I hiked three miles with my dogs.

Some of my travel companions

Be the Dragon: join a dragon boat team

Dragon Boat  Photo credit: Morgan Crawford

Q: What traditional Chinese festival takes place on the 5^th day of the 5^th lunar month?

A: The Dragon Boat Festival, and if you start now, you and 21 of your closest friends can be part of something really exciting!

A couple of years ago, some friends and I discovered the DC Dragon Boat Festival – a weekend when the Potomac River fills with colorful 22-person canoes complete with scales and fierce dragon heads.  Why are floating dragons in Washington? They’re looking for blood because this festival is a two-day, high speed, competitive regatta. Naturally, we wanted to be part of the action.

Fortunately for my adventure club, Dragon Boat Festivals are open to community groups as well as corporate and “competition” (i.e serious) teams. When we realized we'd need  25-ish people on our roster (paddlers and alternates) we decided to look beyond the usual adventurous women. We coerced our families and begged our friends until we had enough to form our own team:  “We Be Draggin’.” With half of the crew topping the 50-year mark and the other half covering the span between 12 and 49, “We Be Draggin’” was a motley band and we took to the water like a penguin takes to flight.  But there’s a nice ending to this story so don’t think that age or talent should keep you from jumping into a dragon-headed canoe of your own. (Yes, I’m sure there is a Dragon Boat Festival near you!)

We Be Draggin' after practice

Registration for the DC festival was fast and furious and we were on the waiting list for weeks before making the final roster. Once official though, we were able to sign up for three 1-hour training sessions with an experienced paddler.  (Clearly, this isn't a huge time commitment.)

Practice one:  It was cold. We struggled into our grungy, public-use life vests as a toned team of kids in matching Under Armour and professional paddles ignored us.  Training involved:

Water safety (what to do if you fall out of your boat)

Paddling technique (it’s a full-body experience)

Paddling in unison (harder than you think)

Paddling speed (starting off, race pace, SPRINT!)


Practice two: it was warmer. Our trainer told us we were improving...a bit

Practice three: Initially, our trainer yelled instructions, helped us set the pace and kept us in sync.  By our third session, however, that job fell to the drummer.

The drummer is perched on a tiny “seat” in the bow of the boat (see top photo). She faces the paddlers as well as the steerer who stands in the stern. If the drummer is good, her efforts get the boat off the starting line quickly, establish an efficient race pace, and then inspire the team to a sprint finish. If the race doesn't go well, everyone knows whom to blame.

Festival Day: I was the drummer for our first official race and I was...um...not good.  This proved to be a mixed blessing. Our poor showing in the first heat meant we were placed in one of the lower (slower) divisions. Our second drummer, Eithne, realized that the elderly folk in our boat only had one good burst of speed and decided to forgo the warm up sprints. She also decided that we couldn’t paddle in unison AND change pace so she adopted the “sprint from beginning to end” strategy -- which worked!  We won our next two races and moved into the finals.

We Be Draggin' preparing for finals
.

Final race: Most teams prepped for finals by working on timing and technique with dry-land drills. We Be Draggin's strengths lay in other areas so we concentrated on storing energy.

As our final race approached, Eithne settled into her drum seat and beat a steady, don't-hurt-yourself pace to get our boat into starting position. The wind over the Potomac calmed and the waves lulled our dragon into thinking we were out of contention. But as soon as the starting gun fired, the combined energy of our frenzied drummer and her crew rocketed us into the river, kept us neck and neck with the two high school teams to our right and left and finally allowed us to inch into the lead.  In the end, We Be Draggin' went home with gold (in the D division).

It was a very good day.

We Be Draggin' takes the lead in the final race    Photo credit: B. Mulvihill

To read a little more about the history of the Dragon Boat Festival, click here.

Check out these resources to find a Dragon Boat Festival near you.  You're just in time to get ready for the 2011 season!

Boston

Colorado

Los Angeles

Nova Scotia

Philadelphia

Texas

The American Dragon Boat Association

The International Dragon Boat Federation

Worldwide Dragon Boat Calendar

Time to Plan Your Adventurous Year

Every January, my adventure club, the League of Adventurous Women, gathers to vote on four official adventures for the year. We always end up with bonus activities because opportunities just pop up.  For example, we have yet to hold our meeting but we've already tried a free CrossFit/Russian kettlebell workout (thanks to Michael Krivka at CrossFit Koncepts), and have formed a team for the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure, June 4, in Washington, DC.

I'll let you know the results of our annual meeting but with such a great beginning, it's sure to be a fabulous year! What's on YOUR agenda for 2011?

A Stellar Idea!

I read about 10-year-old Kathryn Gray's discovery of a supernova and thought it was time to post something about one of my favorite sit-at-the-computer adventures: Galaxy Zoo. (You can't be on the trapeze or playing paintball ALL the time.)  I thought I was being creative but then I heard Ira Flatow discussing it on Science Friday. I guess there must be something in the atmosphere....

What is Galaxy Zoo? It's another citizen-scientist opportunity that allows you to help researchers make amazing discoveries.  The Galaxy Zoo Web site offers a brief tutorial about the characteristics of galaxies and then you get to look at pictures captured by the Hubble telescope and apply your new knowledge.  It's ordinary citizens like us that help scientists process the tons of data coming from their research.

Galaxies aren't the only thing in the universe, visit Zooniverse to participate in research on sunspots, supernovae, new planets, and more.

If outer space isn't your thing, check out some of these other citizen scientist opportunities:

Track bees with The Great Sunflower Project

Track the seasonal changes in your own backyard with the USA National Phrenology Network

Or mark your calendars for The Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count.

Actually, there are so many things you can do, there's a whole site dedicated to citizen science projects.  Oddly enough, it's called Science for Citizens.



Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA 

I Just Tried Paintball (or "Why I'm Covered in Paint")

How much fun can you have with $37.50, a specialized weapon, a creepy mask and 500 paintballs? Turns out, quite a bit!

This past weekend, some members of The League of Adventurous Women visited Paintball-Sportsland in Frederick, Maryland where we had PERFECT weather for our four-hour blast fest.  When I say, "perfect," I mean that the day was warm enough to be comfortable but cool enough to wear a couple of layers for padding.  I've heard that being hit by a paintball can leave a welt or decent bruise.  The two shots I caught on my knuckles and the one that smacked into my elbow supported the claim. However, my vest, sweat shirt and sweat pants protected the rest of me pretty well.

Paintball mask before...

...Paintball mask after

Undoubtedly, most important part of anyone's protective gear is the creepy mask mentioned above.  Since the guns were shooting little green projectiles at about 198 miles per hour, you really could shoot your eye out and those masks turn out to be wonderful protection.

So here's how the day unfolded: My group of adventurous women joined the throng of guys (many in their teens) to pay the basic fee for rental and four hours of play time.  The rental included a gun (powered by compressed carbon dioxide), the mask, and a big bag of green balls--each encasing a blob of bright orange paint.  The play involved quite a few (I lost track) 15-minute scenarios in various locations including a "village," a "fort" and the woods.  The players (there were approximately 34 of us) were split into two opposing teams.

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Each game started with general instructions, a command to remove the "barrel plug" and safety then, "GO!" From that point on, the job was to hit as many opposing players as possible without being hit.  It was a combination of fun and adrenaline rush. Twice, I was hunkered behind a barrier while several players shot at me from different directions. Paintballs splattered all around, bounced off the ground, exploded on trees and rained paint all over me. In most games, a paintball or two hit their mark and then I'd be out for the remainder of the game.

Advancing in the village

Though the entire point is to "kill" one another, safety was stressed by the referees. Violating the rules earned you a black mark on your wrist band; three strikes and you were out for the day.

All in all, it was an exhilarating, and surprisingly exhausting, day.  At less than $10/hour, it was a bargain to boot.

Protecting the fort

Team Hoodie takes the woods

One final note: Paintball is a game and knowing that I could walk away after being "killed" by paint made me bold.  Having so many people trying to kill me made me very thankful that I don't live in a place where these rounds could be real. It also caused me to think about the men and women whose jobs routinely place them in harm's way. My thoughts are with all of you this Veteran's Day.

Visit a Psychic!

Back in January, the League of Adventurous Women added "visit a psychic" to the annual to-do list and today was the group's big day.

Psychics are always interesting but our organizer, Pam, added to the experience by arranging for our group to spend the morning having brunch and bottomless mimosas at Ben's Next Door (the modern addition to DC's historic Ben's Chili Bowl).  In between bites of Ben's famous fried chicken, waffles and chili fries, we took turns visiting the Zodiac Reading Room a few doors away.

Our reader, Victoria, who offered both palm and tarot card readings, came up with some startling observations, secret predictions and a bit of advice for the coming months. We're all marking our calendars with the important dates she mentioned and have decided to return in six months for a follow-up visit.

This is a terrific October adventure if you have an open mind, a spirit of fun and, did I mention the bottomless mimosas?




Image credit: CARDS
© Imre Forgo | Dreamstime.com

World Habitat Day

This Monday you could wake up and go back to work or school or whatever fills your normal routine or you could play hookie and make a difference in the world.


The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October as World Habitat Day. There are plenty of activities around the planet to help draw attention to the global need for improved shelter. Why not spend Monday applying your time and talent to helping the human race?

• To see a list of global events, click here.

Habitat for Humanity World Habitat Day events

Many Habitat for Humanity local offices around the world have organized World Habitat Day events.  Habitat for Humanity’s 27th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project is a World Habitat Day event  this year.  It will be held Oct. 4 – 8 in six cities in the United States.  Held in a different location each year, Habitat’s Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project is an annual, internationally-recognized week of building that brings attention to the need for simple, decent and affordable housing.  This year, the Carters will work alongside volunteers in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis, Md.; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; and Birmingham, Ala. to build, rehabilitate and improve 86 homes.

• To see a list of other Habitat World Habitat Day events, click here.
• To join Habitat's World Habitat Day Photo Wall, click here.

Be the Adventurous Woman on the Flying Trapeze!

I was one of those kids who often dreamed of flying through the neighborhood with arms outstretched and hair blowing in the wind.  I never thought I could make that dream a reality until I discovered Trapeze School New York.  This past weekend, some members of my Adventure Club and I took to the air at TSNY's Washington, DC location and had the time of our lives!

TSNY offers a choice of indoor or outdoor classes. Our group was split between the two options and found both to be enjoyable.  Our 2-hour beginning trapeze class started with the instructors cinching very snug harnesses around our middles, a 10-minute talk about the basics, and a brief demonstration. Then, it was time to climb.

I clapped and yelled when my friends took their turns on the platform but I'll admit that after chalking my hands and scaling the trembling 29-foot ladder, my enthusiasm started to wane. I had to take a breath and remind myself that I was doing this for FUN.

I stood in the middle of the platform, two ropes clipped to my harness, toes dangling off the edge, leaning out into space (Hips forward! Shoulders back!) and grasped the surprisingly heavy bar with my right hand. My left hand had a firm hold on the platform's support structure. The bar pulled me out, away from the platform so letting go of the support and grabbing the bar with two hands was a real mental effort (thanks for holding onto my harness, Scout). Bending my knees and hopping into the void was downright unnerving.

I was worried that my grip was too weak, and surprised by how physically hard it was to pull my knees up over the bar (it was a piece of cake in 4th grade) and how emotionally difficult it was to release my hands and hang upside down. It helped to have an instructor yelling commands: "KNEES UP! HANDS OFF! ARCH! LOOK AT YOUR HANDS!, HANDS ON THE BAR! KNEES DOWN! LET GO!. ( The delay between ears hearing and body doing did NOT help). What surprised me most was how rattled I felt when I finally dropped to that net and flipped to the ground. My heart was pounding and my head was spinning, BUT, it was so...so...cool!

Flight number two was a little easier, the third was easier still.  Each turn took each of us closer to our ultimate goal for the day -- being caught. Watching all the other fliers, I could see that timing was everything. Waiting for that split second of weightlessness at the top of the swing means you aren't fighting gravity when you try to change positions.  I never managed to get the timing right but at least I learned what I was supposed to do.

At the end of the 2-hour class, we had taken five turns each on the trapeze and all agreed that it was well worth the money and the time it took to get to the school. In fact, most of us signed up to fly again before we walked out the door.

If you want to be the adventurous woman on the flying trapeze, TSNY has schools in DC, New York, Boston and Los Angeles.  The cost is $55 for two hours (plus a $20 one-time registration fee).

If you want to see this flier in action (briefly), click here.

Photo credit: S. Anderson, video credit: G & D Stewart