Hash #1

So the Hash was amazing!! Much more than I even dreamed of. Nothing to be nervous of, just a whole lot of people out to have fun. What an ingenious idea too, who came up with this? Drinking and then running...never would have thought the two could go together without lots of time vomiting in the bushes, but it can be done. And the people are great...that's what it's really about. I will be going to this pretty much as often as possible. (Wow, my legs really need a tan!)

My first Hash!

So today I will be attending my first ever Hash (#1 on the List). If you don't know what that is, then check out some more information about the Hash House Harriers here. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. It seems to me that I may be the butt of some jokes as the newbie, but that's to be expected, I just hope they go a little easy on me. Luckily one of coworkers is involved in it, so he gave me a little heads up about what to expect.

So far I've been told "bring shoes that are old and can get wet". When I asked why, the response was "in case we run in drainage ditches"...WHAT?

Wish me luck! I'll give you all an update when I get back.

Tampa Escapades - THE LIST!

Here is the list, in no particular order, of things that I hope to accomplish while living in Tampa.

The MASTER List (updates can and will be made)!!

1. Hash house harriers runs
2. Adventure runs
3. Martial arts
4. Yoga
5. Rock climbing
6. Kayaking
7. Sierra club
8. Audobon Society
9. FNPS field trips
10. Camping trip
11. Volunteer at Moffitt Cancer Center or the Red Cross
12. Volunteer at animal rescue/big cat rescue
13. Volunteer at a nature center
14. Take guitar lessons
15. Biking on florida greenways
16. Massage classes at Cortiva or get a message
17. Take some non-credit classes at a local university
18. Tai chi on the water/beach
19. Drum circle
20. Work at a brewery
21. Brew my own beer
22. Volunteer at organic farm
23. Volunteer with a farm at the St. Pete farmer’s market
24. Kayoga
25. Become a kayak guide
26. Organize a fundraising pub crawl/scavenger hunt
27. Do photography at any events/outdoor thingy
28. Go to the drive-in!!
29. Go to a crochet meeting (Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse)
30. Go to pick-your own fruit orchards
31. Take classes at the Hillsborough extension office
32. Hike the barrier islands
33. Join the coast guard auxiliary
34. Cooking/dinner party
35. Cocktail party
36. Book club/used bookstore
37. Volunteer at botanical gardens
38. Work with USF to create searchable database for native plants
39. Go visit the springs in florida
40. Fishing
41. Join a search and rescue team
42. Scuba diving
43. MOSI IMAX
44. Find an independent movie theatre
45. Volunteer usher at Tampa Theatre
46. Go to the Thai Buddhist Temple in Palm View on a Sunday for the Thai Market
47. Get involved in local sports
48. Swimming at free pools
49. Join the Tampa Bay Couch Surfing crowd for an event
50. Dance lessons
51. Surfing
52. Blues jams/jazz lounges
53. Meditation
54. Young professional get togethers
55. Bowling – big lebowski style
56. Wine tastings
57. Be a representative for a alcohol company
58. Be a nude model
59. Go to the comedy club
60. Habitat for humanity!
61. Watch rugby
62. Film festival
63. Woodcrafter’s club of tampa
64. Go to bingo nights or host a bingo night at the house or have a bingo night at the bar for charity
65. Florida Nature Conservancy events – VOLUNTEER
66. Get a boat captain’s license
67. Become a master naturalist
68. Become a master gardener
69. Beerfests – volunteer
70. Music festivals in the area or far away
71. Join the Davis Island Yacht Club sailing team
72. Become a weekend dog walker!
73. Go on a cruise
74. Become a wine-rep/wine tasting person
75. Be a local tour guide in Ybor or St. Pete
76. Go to Tampa indoor shooting range
77. Buy a sewing machine and make clothing
78. Make jewelry
79. Learn web design/html
80. Join Tampa Bay Grotto – go caving!!
81. Go to local wine tastings
82. Attend fishing seminars
83. Volunteer at FWRI
84. Get a fishing rod and start going out!
85. Go to florida sportsman show
86. Take classes at NATA – Natural Areas Training Academy
87. Go to Lebowski Fest
88. Go to the beach theater – st. pete indi movie theater
89. Go to a film series event at the Salvadore Dali museum
90. Tampa Museum of Art – Art After Dark program
91. Artists Unlimited Gallery
92. Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
93. Hyde Park Jazz Festival
94. Do one ESRI self-study module every 2 weeks
95. Go to the everglades
96. Go to Miami
97. Go to Key West
98. Go to New Orleans
99. Bike to work
100. Make a large map of all the preserves and public lands in SWFWMD district
101. Volunteer with Tampa Bay Watch
102. Volunteer at the Ocean Conservancy
103. Check out some local restaurants
104. Go see more local music!

Why this list?

So I've decided to expand this blog a bit. It will no longer be about just playing in the mud and enjoying nature, but it will also be about experiencing life. Having moved from Tampa to Baltimore to be with my mother while she went through cancer treatments (she's doing great now!), I realized that although I had lived in Tampa for almost 2 years, a lot of the things I wanted to do there didn't happen. Why not? Well, you know how life gets when you get into routines or you get stressed out! So now I'm getting a chance to go back to Tampa and I feel like it's my second chance to live in this interesting city and actually do all those cool things I always wanted to. So I made a list!

I will post it shortly...