Number 18!

Now, courtesy of Christy Boyer, who very generously had a birthday and gave me reason to go to a really cool restaurant, I am pleased to report that I have accomplished another first! I ate African food for the first time. It was actually quite good. Don't ask me what exactly I ate - I'm not sure. But there were some meats, which were good, and some potatoes, which were also good, and some other unknown, but tasty, items. And it was served with some kind of flat bread that strongly resembled my father's sourdough pancakes - they were soft, spongy, and had a sour flavor. I greatly enjoyed this first!

I would also like to report on my favorite quote of the day: "Why is your face still freaking out!"

Second attempt

All right. OK. All right. Giving it another go. Remember what I said in my last (and only other) posting? About being terrible at this blogging thing? Well, it turns out, I really am! Incredibly, I have successfully gone ten months and not reported on a thing! I justified that sin of omission by simply not giving anyone the blog address (is that what it's called?), so no one knew I was a slacker. But I'm repenting of my wicked, slothful ways, and I'm returning to report.

Since October, however, things have changed a bit. For instance, I did not even apply to an MPA program. No indeed. I applied, and was accepted to, a MA of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Hence, I will not be fulfilling the MPA goal, but moving toward a PhD (starting with the MA, of course). I will be attending Brandeis University in Botson, beginning this fall.

Other things I have not done: a full sprint-distance triathlon (but I did do the bike and swim part of one - my friend Julie ran); a 50-mile bike ride; receive submissions for other firsts. Wait, you know what, that last one isn't entirely true. Amanda Fulk sat down with me one lazy, Friday morning, and we came up with a few, some of which I actually agreed to and have done.

Now let me report on what I HAVE accomplished. Some of them come with fun stories, which I will write about another time (can't write too much on just the second entry, right?). For today, I choose to tell you about one of the most recent: the cow tongue. But first, let's celebrate the firsts I have accomplished so far.

1. Ballroom dance lessons (February, 2010) - courtesy of Alesha Mechling, and my patient friend Peter Steenblik, who suffered through a few lessons with me.
2. Dress up crazy (Jubilee from X-Men and Syndrome from the Incredibles) and go out in public (bowling and running around a mall - courtesy of Jessica Ellison and Jessica Asvitt - January, 2010; April, 2010).
3. Visit Boston (thanks to Amber Gates - April, 2010)
4. Be accepted to, and attend, graduate school (April, 2010 - present)
5. Make potato salad (I know - pathetic that I never did before - May 31, 2010)
6. Get a pedicure (May, 2010; Mesa, Arizona)
7. Ride a mustang (oh, yes! Courtesy of my uncle Earl Taylor. It was trained, of course - June, 2010)
8. Skinny dipping for REAL (the clothes came off, and THEN I ran into the pool - June 15, 2010)
9. Attend a temple session at Oquirrh Mountain Temple (June, 2010)
10. Go to Detroit, Michigan (June 16, 2010)
11. Go to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio (June 17, 2010)
12. Paint my toenails red (July 16, 2010)
13. Kiss a girl (completely platonic, let me assure you! Actually, she kissed me! Courtesy of Jessica Asvitt - July 16, 2010)
14. Go to Ikea (great fun! courtesy of Brian Lambson - July 16, 2010)
15. Pour Cement (not so great fun - courtesy of my family - July 10, 2010)
16. Eat Cow Tongue (that one may be the hardest thing to do of all my 30 firsts! Courtesy of Amanda Fulk, who prepared it quite nicely. July 20, 2010)
17. Eat Buffalo (that was rather tasty! And much more lean than beef - July 22, 2010)

A few things still on the list to do:

• Walk a cat - leash and all
• Get a facial
• Sing/play my accordion on a street corner (coming soon to a corner near you...maybe)
• Take a pad of paper and draw at a busy part of town
• Get a part of my body waxed (this could also prove very difficult for me)
• See Boston in the fall AND swim in Walden Pond
• Go to Niagara Falls
• Go to Palmyra New York, attend Temple

So, I'm still looking for a few. Submission still being accepted.

Now, about this tongue business. It was nearly all over for me when Amanda took the tongue out of the pressure cooker and the end was curved up, looking like the tongue was trying to touch the cow's nose, except the tongue was, of course, detached from the face of the cow. I must say it was prepared very well, cut into nice, edible slices, served with garlic and parsley, but it still took me a good 15 minutes to plop the sucker into my mouth (I begged her to cut the taste buds off, but she insisted I eat it that way). I chewed for well over a minute, then forced it down my throat. I did not gag, though it was touch and go for a few moments, and it wasn't that bad. The taste-bud part was a little more chewy than the rest, I will admit. And I couldn't do another bite, but I did eat tongue. Hurray for me!