Need Ideas!!

[Tyler Glembo]

So, my New Year's resolution is to experience new things all year. I am trying to come up with 12 things that I have never done before and experience each of them before 2014. I have about a half dozen ideas so far but I need more! If you have an idea for something new I should experience in 2013 put it down and if I can I will go for it. For your reference, I live in the Washington D.C., USA area so an idea of something to do that takes place in say, Germany, would be difficult to accomplish.

 

Current List:

 

1) Make my own candles - CHECK!!! Did this on Jan 1st.

2) Become a father - (expected checkmark on Feb 4th)

3) Spend a weekend at the track racing motorcycles

4) Attend an event at the Kennedy Center (a play or symphony?)

5) Spend at least one month eating no simple sugars except for actual pieces of fruit

6) Go for a run at the national mall and finish by running up the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial

7) Write a short book

8) Go to Laray Caverns in VA

9) Skydiving/Hot Air Balloon ride

10) Brew my own beer

11) Meet the person  I donated bone marrow to - CHECK!!!

12) Start a fun blog for my child which narrates from their perspective

[WolfbrotherKronos]

Have you ever kayaked, I did that for the first time this past summer and it was a blast.

[Tyler Glembo]

I have done sea-kayaking, though never river kayaking.  The sea kayaking was very peaceful.  

[WolfbrotherKronos]

I was on a lake when i did mine, but was in a sea kayak. 

[Red2111]

i used to live in the area, some things i recal you cant do in the surrounding states if you havent,

 

- White Water rafting

- Skiing and/or snowboarding (northern Maryland/Pensylvania Boarder)

- drive Skyline Drive in western VA during Fall

- go to Laray Cavern in Northwestern VA

- travel amish country in PA

- take the Metro Bullet train to NYC

- go to Doctor Muds hous enad take the Lincoln tour at Ford Theater (though if you grew up in the area you likely did this in school already like i did)

- watch the Fire Works near the Pencil (though traffic is horrid that day)

- do the Tourist thing for a weekand; visit all the smithsonions and museums, all the monuments, and take the water tour (i know that because i lived there, i never wanted to visit)

- fly a kite on the National Mall.

- go to Altantic City

- spend the weekand in Ocean City

 

one of my fav memories was always of me and my dad getting the boat and goign down to Solomins island in Southern Maryland and spending the day crabbing, then cleaning and cooking those fresh caught crabs that night in the summer. if you haven't done this, i more than highly suggest adding it to your list and make sure you take plenty of sun screen

[Tyler Glembo]

I've done a lot of those things but I really like the crabbing idea.  I don't own a boat though.  Do you have any information on small tours where they take you out crabbing?

[Jeannaisais]

Lol you could do what one of mine was last year - run a half marathon. I don't think I'll ever run a full marathon though. Might try to do another half this year and beat last years time

 

write a book

volunteer somewhere

 

hmm that's about all I've got I guess

 

Oh, one of mine is to complete a BB program in its entirety - starting with RevAbs, then in to P90X, then in to 10 Minute Trainer....then buy a new one *nods*

[Tyler Glembo]

I like the write a book one.  I've started a few books and never gotten past the first chapter.  I also wrote an IF game a while ago (actually finished that one!).  Maybe that should go on my list!

[Daruya]

I second Red's suggestion of white water rafting if it's something you haven't done.

[Tyler Glembo]

Unfortunately I've done it before down the Snake River in CO and in the Wolf River in WI.  It is definitely something everybody should experience though!

[Daruya]

How about skydiving then? I came really close once to getting into that up at Ft. Rucker but chickened out changed my mind.

[Tyler Glembo]

GAH!!! THAT MUST GO ON THE LIST IMMEDIATELY!  Good call!

[Jhirrad]

Something you can do anywhere, which is very cool, and you might end up finding a hobby you love forever, is brew your own beer. It was on one of my lists a couple of years ago, and now I can't stop.

[Tyler Glembo]

Hmm...how much does that cost to get into?  I've brewed alcohol before using 2-liter bottles, water, sugar, and yeast, but that was when I was in college and super poor.  A proper beer would be much better...

[Jeannaisais]

I like the write a book one.  I've started a few books and never gotten past the first chapter.  I also wrote an IF game a while ago (actually finished that one!).  Maybe that should go on my list!

 

I like how you listed it as a short book - my goal is to finish a draft of the entire trilogy this year *nods* Lets see how it goes!

[Jhirrad]

Hmm...how much does that cost to get into?  I've brewed alcohol before using 2-liter bottles, water, sugar, and yeast, but that was when I was in college and super poor.  A proper beer would be much better...

 

The base equipment ran me around $70. After that, ingredients for a simple batch you can usually get for around $30, and that's 5 gallons worth. Bottles you can re-use if they aren't twist off. Honestly, I've spent a lot of money on equipment as I've gotten more and more into it, but I also spend a lot less on commercial beer now, so it balances out. It's also my hobby, so it's where I funnel my discretionary income to. I have a pretty nice setup, to brew outside, all-grain beer, and I would say all the gear I need for that cost around $225. Ingredients run me about $25 for a 5 gallon batch of beer (comes out to around 50-54 beers a batch). So it's really not too bad. 

[Tyler Glembo]

How long does it take to brew a batch?  Also, do you have any links to a beginners startup kit that might be good for me since I know nothing about them?

[Jhirrad]

How long does it take to brew a batch?  Also, do you have any links to a beginners startup kit that might be good for me since I know nothing about them?

 

So that's a complicated question there.    I'll post some links for things to look at:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/beer-equipment-starter-kits/essential-brewing-starter-kit.html

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-basics-equipment-kit.html

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_52&products_id=12735

 

Any of those are very good starter kits. They have what you need for equipment, minus your actual pot to brew the beer in. I used a 5-gallon pot I already had for my first few batches, then upgraded.

 

www.homebrewtalk.com That's a great reference website where you can learn a lot by reading what others do.

 

As for time, well, that's variable. First, it depends on what kind of beer you make. Also, how patient you are. Most of my beers take around 6-7 weeks from "grain to glass". However, I've gone a lot faster too. I've brewed a beer on Saturday, bottled it that Thursday, and drank it two weeks later. It was a little flat, but given some more time it turned out very nicely. Commercial breweries are usually grain to glass in 7-10 days for most beers. 

 

The actual brew time on a given day changes, but until you go to all-grain, it's not usually more than maybe 3-4 hours plus clean up time.

 

Edit: Also, if you ever want/need help figuring things out, you can always shoot me a message here and I'm happy to discuss it with you. Most people over at Homebrewtalk are very personable and welcoming to people just starting brewing also.

[Tyler Glembo]

Thanks Jhirrad...starting to look through the links now

[Red2111]

how about a Hot Air balloon ride?  or Hang gliding?

 

as for where to rent a boat in MD, i have no clue; dad always owned the boat we used.

[Tyler Glembo]

Hot Air balloon would be really cool.  I've added it as an option to go along with skydiving

[Ozzie_aiel]

how about cooking and eating something youve never tried before? Doesn't have to be really adventurous, just new and untried.