The past few weeks we've been talking about some seriously sad stuff, like the state of my ass which the Governor has just declared a natural disaster and my crazy Mom. SO LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!Okay, so there are soooo many new readers which makes me so psyched and I can't thank all you guys enough for your comments. I think you can tell by the last few posts, when you reach out here, you touch a lot of people's lives. I love seeing you guys interact with each other.
So for the new readers, I just want to break down again what the Adventure Bowl is because it's really gonna shake up your life like it has mine.
Five years ago or so I was dating a deep brooding, sexy guy (that's code for emotional deficient with mother issues). I was trying to kinda "put the wall up" on the relationship (I learned that expression in therapy. It cost me over $5,000 but it's yours for free.)
When you are trying to put the wall up on someone that you feel deeply, deeply horny for, it's hard. I found weekends to be 48 hours of excruciating hell because I could not distract myself with work and there are only so many "Dogs With Jobs" episodes one girl can watch.
So I finally decided to get off the couch, throw down the bag of Doritos and PACK my weekend full of fun. Only I had spent so much time being a work-a-holic and being in a dysfunctional relationship that I forgot what I even considered fun anymore. So whenever a thought came to me, "I should go to the modern art museum, skate board, have my hair blown out, crash a pool, go take a pottery class, nurse a baby cow back to health," I would just write it on a slip of paper and stuff it in what I called my Adventure Bowl.
Believe me, it is much easier to get over a loser when you are doing something fun!
I dusted the bowl off every now and again but none more so than after my cousin died, I lost my job... you know the story. I haven't been good keeping up with posts because if a great discussion is going on in the comments section, I never want to interrupt with - "Guess what? I finally got waxed down there! Let me now describe it to you in intimate detail!"
P.S. I have never gotten waxed down there. Ever. I'm scared of that. And Halloween. (Really? We celebrate a holiday where people WITH MASKS come into our homes AT NIGHT???? It's insane. Are ya with me? Or are ya with me?)
But as you ladies and gents know, there has been nothing more integral to my healing than making my little corner of the world a lot more fun and spontaneous with a dash of child-like wonder in order to help me get me back to the girl I used to be. So I'll start adding Adventure Bowl updates at the end of posts. Here's how the last several weeks have panned out. I'll give you the highlight reel:
Week Five: Ice Skating. Awesome. Had not gone in years. If you are feeling down there is nothing like jamming around the rink to Heart's "Barracuda." I seriously, SERIOUSLY wanted to sign up for synchronized ice dancing after that day. The problem... none of my friends did.
Week Eight: Go to the rooftop of the Peninsula and have a margarita by the outdoor fireplace. Don't think this is a big enough adventure? It would be if the last time you had been there you had pool crashed and stolen a bathrobe (only to abandon it after I realized I had tie-dyed it pink with my cheap Marshalls bath suit.)
Week Ten: Swim in the fountain just outside Griffin Park. You would think they would heat this fountain 24/7 for people like me. But no, they don't. Where are my tax dollars going then? It was fun and freezing! This fountain has been tempting me with her glistening magic and though I did it at night, I'm working the courage to do it on a busy Sunday where usually a dozen couples are having their wedding photos taken in front of it.
Send any adventure ideas you have and I would LOVE to hear what adventures you have in store for yourself. They can be big or small, they are just about YOU taking time for YOU. You'll be surprised how great it will make your life. Me? I just stuffed a bunch of new goodies in the bowl. Like buy a dress from Saks, tuck in the tags and go out dancing. It's no different than taking it home and trying it on for a REALLY long time.
Yeah, except for the dancing part if you wanna be picky. ;)
This blog is dedicated to being featured in the crime blotter. (Fingers crossed!)
15 comments:
Those sound like so much fun!!!! I had a big adventure this week- I flew literally all the way across the country to interview for a dream job and spent an evening exploring my potential new home city by myself, without a map, at night. It was one of the scariest and most exciting couple of days of my life, and no matter what happens, I'm going to try to stay proud of myself for getting on that plane and trying to sell myself to a whole bunch of people for a whole day. (I usually sign some semblance of my name to my comments here, but not today just because I'm irrationally afraid my potential new employers are stalking my every Internet move! ha!) But rock on with the adventure bowl! I can't wait to read more about it!
Great post! Love this blog! Although I am soooo not adventurous I have been wanting to rollerskate. I haven't been in a pair of skates in so many years I can't even mention it! I remember going to the roller rink circa "1981 with my friends on a saturday afternoon and thought I was so darn cool! lol
It was just so much fun.
Mind you I cannot rollerblade to save my life however I am on the lookout now for quadskates so I won't break my a**! I will keep you posted! Quadskates are not easy to find.
:)
That's cool you're keeping this up! Is surfing in the bowel? i need to get out there myself!!
Hi Adventure Grrl,
Did I inspire your ice skating adventure? I am glad you are having fun! My current adventure is trying to keep my sanity while working two jobs, with sarcoidosis, while raising a fifteen year old and a ninety four year old at home. At least till my husband finishes school and starts working.
I still skate on saturday nights with my son (If Cathy wants to know I found my Britney Spears Sketcher skates on Ebay, they are quads and indoor/outdoor skates) I ride my bike two miles to get to and two miles to get home from my morning job so I look on the bright side and say at least I am getting exercise. When I have extra time I walk so I can stop and pet every dog.
I am a mom so I guess if I had time for an adventure bowl I would put in a lot less things that would get me arrested.
Hugs,
Laura
Going into a fountain is one of my number one goals to do in life! I don't know why but I have always wanted to do it. Being that I am going on vacation this coming Saturday, so I have a really big adventure coming up! I just discovered this blog, but I am really enjoying it!
Your blog is so AWESOME! No offense but my consumption of self-help books is way down since I started reading your blog. Thanks for sharing your life and inspiring me so much (I just sent this to 20 of my friends).
Do you have any suggestions for my bowl? I feel like all my ideas are lame.
One Halloween (I know you hate this holiday but hear me out) I walked around Beverly Hills wearing that pair of glasses with the big nose and fuzzy eyebrows and mustache attached. I guess you could call them "the Groucho Marx glasses". I didn't say or do anything strange, just walked into Dior and Channel, browsed, tried on lipsticks, etc. Whenever I feel depressed I think of that day and the great/strange looks I got and it makes me smile. Adventures can be quiet and strange or grand and spectacular. It's just important to have them. Thanks for inspiring.... xo
This post is just what I needed. I am in a HUGE life rut and seeing how this Adventure bowl is working for you really gives me hope.
Thanks for always being so raw and real in your posts (especially the mother ones). I'm dying to know how it all works out.
Jackie
Lovin your blog!!!!!! I'm going to start an adverture bowl of my own, inspired by you!!!!
I just stated reading your blog and I absoluely devoured it! It's like reading a book. I found myself really laughing and then while you talk about your cousin, crying.
I read a lot of blogs and this is really the best. I just wanted to say, thank you.
- go to bookstore and write down names of all the new books you want to read and then go look for them at the library
- rent vespas and cruise around town
- visit a lake for a swim/sunbathing
- throw a theme party with your friends (i.e. jamaican, london)
- go to a live local music gig
ali
This might be the coolest thing I have ever heard about. There are so many things I want to do - maybe not so much adventures but just living life and not having everything be about work, work, work. I'm so inspired. Thanks :)
AG! Did you really swim in that fountain??? It does not look that deep!
love the bowl, got to make one for my own bad self.
miss you
deb
Debbie Does Raw - You caught me - it was more of an embarrassing flailing and thrashing. But it's totally awesome because your in it and yet it's dowsing you with water at the same time. (much better for a very hot day) You better join me next time!
Hey girl
I am so there! Are bathing suits optional???
kidding...
love deb
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