Day 66: Book Club Delinquency

Day 66's thing that I've never done before was to go to book club without reading or knowing the title of the book.

I know. Lamest. Blog Entry. Ever.

For most people, book clubs are meant to be for fun; reading, or not reading, is completely optional.

Not this book club. My friend Shelley started it and she is no joke. After our first meeting, she paid attention to who read and who didn't, and when it came time for the second meeting, those who didn't bother reading did not get invited back. My weekday social interactions are lame as it is. Getting uninvited to book club just might send me over the edge.

Luckily I also arrived late to the gathering, and all of the book discussion had changed to conversations about Christmas and cleaning ladies. I remain safe for another month.

When it's my turn to suggest reading material for the club, I think I may suggest, "Project 29 to 30" and see what everyone says.

Day 65: Civic Duty

On Day 65, the thing I had never done before was vote in Atlanta's special election for Mayor.

Definitely not the first time I've ever voted, but the first time I came back to vote after Election day.

Not very exciting, but I did my civic duty and let my voice be heard.

I think I was in denial for a while that I was actually a city of Atlanta, but this is where I work, where I play and where I pay taxes. It made sense that I should take a stand about who represents me as mayor. It's on the local level, I believe, that decisions made really have the potential to affect me.

The mayoral race between Mary Norwood and Kasim Reed was hotly contested. After the runoff, less than a thousand votes separated the two candidates, forcing a recount. Kasim Reed was eventually declared the winner.

I never feel more proud to be an American than when exercising my right to vote. I wish more than just 22% of registered Atlanta voters had joined me.

Day 64: Old School Popcorn

After a full day at work, I was tired from Thanksgiving and that super-rowdy birthday celebration, and I still hadn't done anything that I hadn't ever done before. I sought the advice of others.

Mountain Man suggested I make popcorn on the stove.

"Like Jiffy Pop?!," I exclaimed.

"No," he said, "Like on the stove with kernels and oil."

Oh. What a very old-fashioned and mountainy thing to do. I like it.

Day 64's thing I've never done before was to make popcorn on the stove.

I confess until this project the only popcorn I've ever eaten came out of a microwave bag or in an oversized bucket at the movie theatre. I was always fascinated with the Jiffy Pop commercials and how families basically waved the aluminum bag across a burner and voila! Popcorn! My mom refused to buy into such gimmicks, so we never Jiffy Popped at my house.

In order to pull this off, I had to go to the store after work. I got into the Express Lane with a bottle of oil and container of popcorn kernels and nothing else. The cashier gave me a look like she felt sorry for me.

I followed the instructions on the popcorn, certain if I didn't I would probably burn my house down. I used the biggest pan in my house that also had a lid and it's a good thing because I popped every last kernel of popcorn and it occupied every square inch of the pan.

As you can see with the video I shot, I'm fascinated by the physics of popcorn. I just don't understand how that that little seed gets hot and then explodes into a puff of deliciousness. I fought the urge to remove the lid completely to really investigate.

For such a last minute idea, this is one of my favorites. It turned out so well. Plus it didn't create any trash like microwave bags (go green!). And there was enough tasty popcorn to last me a week.

Thanks, Orville Redenbacher! And thanks, Mountain Man.