#18 - Body Worlds

Four years ago the Body Worlds exhibit was on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  I had the best of intentions of attending, but as happens so often in life, I just never got around to it.  When I learned that Body Worlds would again be stopping in Denver, it quickly made my to-do list for my 40 new adventures.  I was determined that I would not miss it this time around.  So after enjoying our sushi dinner, the kids and I headed out to see it. Besides, can you think of a better combo than dinner followed by dissected bodies and guts?

For those of you who aren't familiar with Body Worlds, it is an exhibit of real human bodies which have been plastinated. "Plasti-what?" you ask.  Plastination is a process by which fluids are removed from human bodies and replaced with a polymer, so that the actual bodies are preserved in plastic form.  No photos were allowed in the exhibit, but you can get an overview at http://www.bodyworlds.com/en.html

Many of these bodies have been somewhat dissected. The skin is removed so the muscles, tendons and bones are visible. There are exhibits of organ systems, brains, nerves, vascular systems, etc. 

I was a little worried that I might pass out, because I don't do blood and guts too well, and many people have described the exhibit as "intense."  Still, I was fascinated at the idea of seeing actual bodies, and I kept telling myself that if I approached it from a scientific aspect then I should be able to stay conscious.   My fears were ungrounded, as I never felt the least bit queasy. 

The exhibit is pretty fascinating.  While the muscle/skeleton bodies are the stars of the show, I personally was most impressed with the vascular displays.  To obtain these exhibits, liquid polymer was injected into the veins/arteries of a body or organ system. This turned all the blood vessels into plastic. The body/organ system was then dipped into a substance which would dissolve all the surrounding organs. This would leave only the blood vessels remaining.  The density of teensy-tiny blood vessels was just incredible. 

Aside from the vascular displays, I was also very impressed with the tiny size of the uterus (sorry to the men, who I just grossed out).  How on earth did I fit twin boys totaling 15 lbs into this pouch that is normally smaller than a lemon?!  Wow, does that thing stretch!

Some other favorites were the smoker's lung compared to the healthy lung, an "uninflated" heart stent compared to an "inflated" stent,  cross section slices of a morbidly obese person (one person declared it looked like a slab of bacon) and plastinated fetuses at various weeks of gestation (anyone who can look at a 21 week old "fetus" and declare it is not a baby is simply brain dead or high).

If Body Worlds ever comes to a museum near you, I would definitely suggest you go see it.  It is impossible to see without gaining an even greater appreciation for the engineering masterpiece called the human body. It was a great way to cross off #18 from my list!

#17 - Making Sushi

I hit a two-for-one special tonight, knocking out numbers 17 and 18 in the same evening!  Each has its own posting. 

When I sent out my initial email announcing my plans to undertake 40 new adventures, two different friends offered to teach me how to make sushi.  So I decided that learning to make sushi was simply meant to be.  

Prior to tonight I had limited experience with sushi. I had eaten it a couple times, and our family Shih Tzu during my teen years was named Sushi.  I had never attempted to make it in any fashion.

This afternoon my kids and I headed up to Denver to become sushi chef apprentices. My friend, Karen, went above and beyond in preparing our sushi lesson - THANK YOU, Karen. You are awesome!  Not only did Karen have sushi (specifically, California rolls) planned, but she had a complete Japanese meal planned. She had a buffet of Japanese chips set out for us, as well as Japanese soft drinks.  There was also Japanese dessert to follow dinner.

Karen explained the nuances of Jasmine vs. Japanese rice to us. She taught us all about Nori, the seaweed used to wrap California rolls. She put the kids and me to work with the basics of chopping avocado, cucumber and crab.  She showed us how to use sushi mats.  She was a pro all around! The kids and I each made our own sushi dinners, and then we headed out to their beautiful patio to enjoy our meal.

After tasting our finished products, only one of the kids declared it gross--that would be Josh--he thinks he would prefer the sushi made out of Rice Krispie treats and rolled in Fruit Rollups! The rest of us really liked our California rolls.  However, all of us could pass on wasabi.

The kids and I really enjoyed our culinary adventure, and it provided another great example of how my 40 adventures has also served as a reason to reconnect with friends. We had not visited Karen's family since the summer of 2008.  It has been wonderful to reconnect with many friends as they help me achieve my goal of 40 new experiences.

With our bellies full, we headed down the street a few miles to adventure #18. You have to go read about that now.

#16 - Maroon Bells

When I first decided to undertake my 40 new adventures, one of the very first items on my list was a visit to Maroon Bells near Aspen, Colorado. For those of you saying, "Maroon What?" Maroon Bells (pictured above--yep, I actually took this photo today; it is not pulled off the web!) are the most photographed mountains in North America. I'm sure you've seen them before on a calendar.

This definitely falls into the "I've always wanted to" category, and I have no excuse whatsoever for putting it off for so long.  We actually attempted to visit Maroon Bells two weeks ago. We camped at Buena Vista on Friday night, planned to drive to Maroon Bells Saturday morning and return to Buena Vista to visit Victoria Saturday afternoon. She was working for the month of June at Young Life's Trail West camp in Buena Vista, and Saturday afternoons are the volunteers' only free time. Well, just like Mother Nature delayed Adventue #3, she delayed #16. That weekend it rained and rained and rained. When we awoke Saturday morning in the campground and couldn't even see the mountains across the street, we decided it probably wasn't worth the trip to Maroon Bells. And good thing---Maroon Bells received 6 inches of snow that weekend!

Since Victoria wrapped up camp this weekend and we had to "fetch" her early this morning, we decided to give it another shot.  The weather was MUCH better today.  The trip to Maroon Bells actually included several items which could have been listed as new adventures, but I'm only counting Maroon Bells. The other new adventures included driving Independence Pass which is Colorado's highest mountain pass. Where the Continental Divide (for you easterners, that's the highest point for every single latitude on the continent---much of it falls in Colorado) crosses the road, the altitude is 12,095 feet. The road is curvy and narrow, and the views are stunning!  Check out this view just short of the top of the pass (and notice how short I am getting--or maybe my kids are getting tall!)

After crossing Independence Pass, the next new adventure was a visit to Aspen.  I was really looking forward to this. Knowing that is is "the playground of the rich," and knowing how absolutely beautiful other areas of Colorado are, I was certain Aspen must really be something special. To be honest, I was sorely disappointed.  The town itself is nice (with lots of wonderful, old Victorian houses and mature trees), but the setting is just nothing to write home about.  For you locals who have never been there, imagine driving down Highway 24 near Manitou Springs - that's basically Aspen.  I just don't get the appeal. Sure, it is pretty, but there are so many places in Colorado that are much more beautiful:  Salida, Frisco/Dillon, Buena Vista, Ouray, Durango, etc.  I doubt I'll go out of my way again to visit Aspen.

Maroon Bells is about 10 miles northwest of Aspen Highlands ski area.  During the summer visitors must take a bus into the Maroon Bells area. This policy was started in1977. Prior to that time there was simply too much vehicle traffic into the area.  The bus system works quite well, and the driver "narrates" the entire drive, providing us eager tourists with interesting tidbits of information. He pointed out avalanche damage, talked about various wildflowers and wildlife and explained some geographic formations. It was an interesting ride.  I was actually giddy when I caught my first glimpse of Maroon Bells from the bus (named Maroon for their color--I didn't see it--and Bells for their shape--OK, I could go with that one). 

Unlike Aspen, Maroon Bells did not disappoint.  I can't decide which word(s) to use: stunning, magnificent, impossibly beautiful, majestic--none really seem to sum up the experience of being there in front of these amazing mountains.   I could literally have just sat there all day and stared at them . They are so incredibly beautiful.  We hiked around for a bit. There were waterfalls, wildflowers, other beautiful mountains that don't get their due credit and amazing views no matter what direction you faced. Here are just a few of the many pictures I took.

I decided I want to build a house right there by Maroon Lake.  I was all ready to pull the necessary permits until Craig pointed out that it would be one heck of a drive to the nearest grocery store, which would be mighty inconvenient every time I need a gallon of milk or a dozen eggs. Darn.  Oh well, I guess we'll have to stay put in Colorado Springs for now. 

Maybe the best part of the visit is that we got an awesome family picture for this year's Christmas cards! (OK, that wasn't the best part, but it WAS nice!).  I contemplated giving you all a sneak peak, but I decided you all will just have to wait 'til December.

Today's trip was more than I had hoped it would be.  It made me REALLY happy that I had turned 40!

#15 - Polygraph

This new experience wasn't so much one that I sought out, rather it found me.  In March Craig and I saw a newspaper article stating that there was a critical need for volunteers in the police department's Senior Victim Advocate program.  This really appealed to Craig, but since you have to be on call twice a month for 24 hours, it would be more doable if we approached it as a team.  So, we began the application process.  After completing the initial application, getting references and completing an interview, all applicants must pass a polygraph.  Mine was today.

It was definitely an interesting experience.  I was provided a questionnaire booklet to complete prior to arriving today for my polygraph. This book asked questions that you would expect: Have you ever been convicted of a crime? Ever bought, sold, transported, did any of a number of different drugs? What traffic violations have you had? Ever stolen from your employer, etc. The polygrapher reviewed these with me prior to the polygraph and basically got the details for any "yes" answer.  Then the polygraph started.  I was a little worried because I tend to overanalyze things, so I wondered if I would get myself worked up over stupid questions. I envisioned me sweating over things like "Is your name Tina Cox?"  Well, yes and no. I go by Tina, but my actual name is Christina.  Alas, my fears were ungrounded.  They word the questions so that it is clear that they're only looking for obvious falsehoods. For example, they would ask, "Did you knowingly provide false information to any of the questions in the booklet?" That way if you honestly forgot about a speeding ticket from 10 years ago, then you would not show up as lying, because you didn't "knowingly" leave it off the questionnaire. 

The polygrapher went over all the questions in advance, so that I knew exactly what I would be asked.  Sounds silly, but he actually had me "practice" my answers, so that there would be no stress during the actual polygraph.  He would throw in obvious questons like "Is today Wednesday?" (which actually isn't entirely obvious first thing in the morning during summer vacation, but we quickly moved beyond that little hurdle!).  These would give him a baseline for my "non-lying" biofeedback.

After the practice round, it was time for the actual polygraph.  I must say, it is not an entirely pleasant experience. If you look at the above picture of Ben Stiller, that's a very accurate setup.  I had two clamps on my fingers to measure perspiration, two cords/bands around my chest to measure breathing, a blood pressure cuff on the arm opposite the finger clips, and I sat on a pad that measured "fidgety-ness."  My legs had to be uncrossed and my feet flat on the floor. When answering questions while hooked up to all this, you have to sit totally still.  Keep in mind that the blood pressue cuff grows increasingly uncomfortable over time, and soon your fingers are feeling quite dead.  On our first round of questions (he did two rounds, repeating each round twice, for a total of four rounds of questions) I made the mistake of wiggling my near-numb fingers. My polygrapher quickly reprimanded me (in a nice way--he was a a nice guy, nothing like Ben Stiller's future father-in-law).   So, I entertained myself on the next rounds by moving my eyes (not my head) back  and forth across both hands, observing how purple-ish the cuffed hand was becoming compared to the non-cuffed hand.  I'm also just a generally fidgety person. I get itchy a lot, and I (probably erroneously) blame that on my alergies. I have noticed during church that I fidget/adjust/scratch far more than the average person. So, for me to have to sit totally still for the duration of the questions (it was probably less than 5 minutes per round, but it seemed longer) was pretty irritating--especially when I got an itch on my eyebrow.

The only difference between my polygraph and Ben Stiller's or others you've seen on TV is that the responses were all linked to a computer, not to a needle on graph paper that swings wildly up and down.  I guess that takes a little bit of drama out of the whole ordeal, doesn't it?

After I was finished with my polygraph, the polygrapher asked me "How do you think you did?"  I told him I thought I did fine, and he said, "Yep, you did."  So, sorry to disappoint you all, but I've committed no horrendous crimes in my past that I just managed to keep secret all these years!

It wasn't a bad experience, but if it is the only polygraph I take during my lifetime, I'll be jsut fine with that.

#14 - Ice Blocking

This is an activity to which I was exposed a few years back when our daughters' youth group did this as a summer activity. I had never heard of it before.  It pretty much amounts to summer sled riding.  You simply take a block of ice, top it with a towel or other cloth, set your butt on it and slide down a hill.  The girls reported that it was lots of fun and since then I've always intended to try it "some day."

What better (and cheap!) way to spend a hot summer afternoon (besides, I was procrastinating painting my daughter's bedroom--I hate painting). We bought 3 blocks of ice and Craig, our boys, their friend and I headed down to the park to give it a try (the girls are both out of town).

While I have seen people do this at the park, I was still a bit skeptical.  If any of you Coloradoans have tried to sled at the Sand Dunes, you'll understand my mindset. We've heard so many times how awesome it is to sled down the dunes, but despite our best efforts with plastic sleds, aluminum sleds and even pieces of cardboard, we haven't been able to budge an inch.  So, I thought my experience with ice blocking would mirror my experience with sledding on the dunes.

I was wrong!  The ice slides down a grassy hill incredibly easily.  The challenge is balancing an adult sized body on an itsy bitsy 10 lb. block of ice. It becomes quite an abdominal workout.  We tried both sitting on our butts and laying on our stomachs. Both presented their own balancing challenges, but both were fun.  And hiking back up that big hill (hauling 10 extra pounds) made it good exercise, as well.

So, if you are bored on a hot summmer day, I'd suggest you plop down $2 for a chunck of ice, find a hill and enjoy some ice blocking with your kids.