#100 Go Skiing in the Summer

Last summer–Father’s Day, in fact–I had the unique pleasure of hitting the slopes of Aspen Mountain in the middle of June. Glacier skiing, common in parts of Canada and the Pacific Northwest, enables skiing almost year round. This is not the case in Aspen. The glaciers that carved out the Roaring Fork Valley have been gone for hundreds of years, making my adventure all the more novel.

Snow, yes, but plenty o

While it wasn’t anything special compared to a cold blizzardy powder day in mid-January, it was so much fun just because it was such an unusual opportunity. I went up with my dad and my brother with no expectations.

It was hot and wet snow, making your skis pretty sticky. Adding in the fact that I hadn’t skiied since early January and I must have looked kind of awkward. Then of course, I realized that everyone did! It’s almost impossible to look good skiing on slushy snow that grabs your skis, but I made the best of it. After all, I am a junior olympic gold medalist from back in my freestyle days.

I was so entertained by the mere fact that I was skiing with my family on Father’s Day for the first time in my life that I had to shoot some quick videos. Enjoy my short run down AJAX (local name for Aspen Mountain) among dirt patches and rocks! Ha! Sorry about the jerky video and the wind noise…what do you want from me? I’m skiing!

I then went to the golf course and played 9 holes that afternoon… 🙂

#94 Go On A Road Trip!

Past the original feeling of excitement most teenagers feel at age 16 when we first get our license, most of us get so used to driving we forget how much fun it can be. In Austin, like many other cities, traffic can be so bad you wish you were on foot!

But fear not, my loyal readers, for I have the solution to this boredom. Two words: ROAD TRIP. Nothing is more freeing than hopping in a car (or truck) with a few of your friends and hitting the open road. There are a few necessary items before you begin such a trek: music, money (or food), gas in the tank (which is ridiculously cheap right now, it’s scary), and, uh, a car of course.

Me (left) with my friend, Erica, on our road trip from Sac town to Newport in 2006

The music is the most important. I suggest you find the friend that has the most extensive genres and wide ranging musical eras on her iPod. It is imperative that you play your songs loud and proud. Singing is NOT optional. If your voice isn’t slightly hoarse by the time you arrive at your destination, keep driving!

My favorite tunes on this particular journey included, but were not limited to: Sum 41, 311, Eve 6 (weird how many artists have numbers in the title), AC/DC, Elvis (no, not Costello), Nirvana, Metallica, MGMT, and Aretha Franklin…I mean, come on; no one can turn down a good session of Respect. Head banging, air guitar playing, and dashboard drumming is also a must.

Mix it up by having music quizzes. One person chooses a song and whoever shouts out the title and artist gets one point. Bonus points awarded for back-story band trivia…Did you know that MGMT got a record deal without even trying?!? A record exec got a hold of an early unreleased album and sought them out when they weren’t even working on music.

Another of my favorite road trip quizzes involves those songs that you think you know, but really you have no idea what they’re singing. You know what I’m talking about…when you get to a line in the song and all that comes out is: “Just zimma ditta doodle titty da!” Well, see who knows it best!

Who can finish this phrase? “R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Take _____ ____ _____ _____” Anyone? Anyone?

Here’s my boy, Chase, and I, singing our hearts out to the “Queen of Soul”.

Respect Sing-A-Long

Or who knows ANY of the lyrics to 311’s “Down”?!?

What are your favorite road trip activities? Smashing mailboxes with baseball bats? Dragging trash cans with wheels? Driving with your head out the window? Drinking games?? Just kidding!

I have a feeling many people were in the car for hours today heading home for Turkey Day, but how many of you had as much fun as me? And I wasn’t even going home!

#88 Viva Las Vegas

We’ve all heard stories about Las Vegas since we were young. We all hear the tourism ads that say, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” as well as seen countless movies set there (among my faves: 21, What Happens In Vegas, Ocean’s 11-13, Vegas Vacation). We must all have distorted images of this city of lights, this adult’s playground, but what about the truth? Well, in a way there is no true Vegas. It is whatever you make of it.

I’ve been to Las Vegas twice now, and it’s left quite an impression on me. Both of my trips were not exactly “proto-typical” Vegas whirlwinds, but I did get to see most of the requisite material. Everyone, especially millennial-agers simply must see this city for themselves. It is unlike any other (don’t let anyone tell you Atlantic City compares).

Through the years, the city has changed quite a bit, so I’ve heard. Just watch the difference between the original “Rat Pack” version of Ocean’s 11 and the George Clooney/Brad Pitt film. Gone are the days of gangster-run casinos. All of the major hotels are owned by Hilton-esque hotel giants. Now it’s all about bigger, badder hotels that make the Embassy Suites and the local Best Western look like shacks in comparison.

The moment you get off the airplane you are assaulted by slot machines. Walking through baggage claim are big loud TV screens advertising the shows and hotels. We even ran into some real live “Showgirls” covered in brightly colored feathers. Buicks line the streets in droves and you can find a wedding chapel on every corner.

The Bellagio is one of the most famous new hotels. It is definitely one of the most posh (and expensive). There is an art gallery that is really more of a museum (currently showcasing Georgia O’Keefe, Stuart Davis, and others). The Bellagio also has a botanical garden and their famous fountains, which exhibit a water show every ten minutes for all to see.

The water blasts are timed to the music

Even the people on the street are one of a kind. Where else can you don a sparkly white suit and a snarl and become Elvis…”I work for tips. Thank you, thank you very much.”

The shows are another thing altogether. I got to see the Cirque du Soleil called Mystere. It was mind blowing. Between giant trampolines, instantaneous costume changing, and men leaping down from 40 foot ledges, was the most extraordinary duo. These two men, wearing hardly anything, did crazy acrobatic tricks using a rope and each other. At one point one man was laying face down with his knees at a 90 degree. The other acrobat was standing ontop of man #1’s feet while he lowered AND RAISED him up from the ground. This may not sound as amazing as all of the big tricks, but just the sheer amount of strength that must have taken was so memorable for me.

The gambling was less fun for me, but I don’t have much of a thing for losing money. I’m too pained by the idea of wasting money to really enjoy the tables. On one positive note, though, you do get free drinks while you are playing. Check out the “penny slots” for the lowest-priced action. You actually end up using like 18 cents a spin when you bet on all the lines. On my first attempt I sat down at some “Lobster” video slot machine. I put in five bucks and somehow was up to 20 in like five minutes! Of course, ten minutes later I had nada. Learned my lesson for life, and learned that I am not prone to gambling addiction! Hah!

I still have yet to see many of the most famous marqee acts: Bette Midler, Blue Man Group, Criss Angel, Chippendales (or Thunder Down Under), Elton John, and many more. What have you seen? Fill me in on your Vegas adventures!

#84 Hit a drive off the top of a mountain!

When I would go on golf road trips with my dad we would always look for fun places to hit golf balls. My dad always liked to carry around old throw away golf balls in a sac that came in handy in these cases.

When I went to the beaches of Northern California with high cliffs, we hit into the ocean. When my dad came down to Austin he hit balls across the lake at 2222 and 360. We even have one special river along I-70 in Colorado that you can just barely clear on a “pured” golf shot.

It’s become sort of a pastime for us. We’re always looking for fun places to hit balls. By far, the most fun location we’ve ever attempted was on the top of Independence Pass.The top of the pass is also the marker of the continental divide: where water flows in opposite directions. East of the divide everything flows into the Gulf of Mexico, west goes to the Pacific Ocean.

We were on the way from Aspen to Austin for the first time my freshman year, and we decided to find a spot to crack some drives. We ended up finding a little bench just the right size to tee up a ball. It was a bit tricky at first to get comfortable, but once I was it was just like hitting off of a tee box.

So, you may (or may not) be close to Independence Pass, but I’m sure you can find something to ______ (fill in the blank) on a mountain. Maybe Mt. Bonnell, perhaps? What fun things have you done on top of a mountain?

Me about to rip a drive down the mountain

#78 Eat at Five Guys Burgers and Fries

OK. I know at this point you may be sick of the restaurant recommendations, but since a comment on my In-N-Out post mentioned Five Guys and a week later I got a flier in the mail for the brand new one on Guadalupe, I had to tell y’all about it.

I went last weekend to try out “Five Guys Burgers and Fries” to compare it to In-N-Out Burger, which I held in very high esteem. As I walked to the front door every window is covered in praising reviews. In fact, when you go inside, the whole place is decorated with good reviews. It’s no wonder then, that it is always busy there. This was the case when I went as well, on a Sunday afternoon.

I ordered a double cheeseburger…well they just call it a regular (the singles are “little”) with grilled onions and A-1 sauce. I got cajun fries (they have regular and cajun with spices), and a drink. All in all, it cost me like 10 bucks, which was a bit more than I expected, but so was the burger!

And oh, what a burger! It was so fresh and juicy. The patties were much bigger than I-N-O, so I could have gotten away with getting a single…not that I didn’t finish it anyway. The combination of meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato and sauce was impeccable. It was greasy, of course, but not overly greasy, just delicious.

You can watch the masters at work sizzling up the fresh patties just a few feet from the front counter. The operation is quite amazing. At first glance, it looks like about 20 people all cooking in a small space, but upon further examination I realized how important each one of their jobs was.

The portions are generous (especially on the fries, check out how many we had left over!), the price is right (all burgers are under $5 as far as I can remember), and it’s all trans-fat free!

Chase is overwhelmed by the Cajun fries

There are over 250,000 ways to order (they also have bacon burgers, veggie burgers, grilled cheese, and hot dogs). All of their toppings are free.

The fries are awesome as well. Very natural, cooked in peanut oil only. They are the long fat sticks variety, and come from only Idaho potatoes.

Bottom line: better than In-N-Out. And I wouldn’t kid you about that. You don’t want to miss this.

#62: Write A Fan Letter…to Dane Cook

Here is my letter to the funniest man alive, Dane Cook.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Write A Fan Letter…to Dane Cook“, posted with vodpod

I referenced this post about being a Russian for a day in my video.

#59 Learn To Skateboard

Skateboarding has been around since the 1940s. When some California surfers didn’t have any waves to ride, they put some roller skate wheels on a box and away they went. In my hometown, it went more along the lines of…snowboarders wanting something to ride when the snow melted.

Me doing an

I learned to skate (no true skater really says “skateboard”) with my big brother when I was about 10. We learned on our street on ramps we built out of wood and others we propped up with metal sheets on cinder blocks. We learned from the other kids in town and by pouring over the pages of Transworld Skateboarding.

It was a bit frustrating at first, but rewarding in the end. Although other sports and distractions intruded on my life, I’ll always have a soft spot for the sport. When I got a Nintendo 64, Tony Hawk‘s Pro Skater was my favorite game. Whenever I see skating on TV or in a video, I am always in awe of their control of the board.

So, go ahead, give it a whirl. To my fellow Austinites, get your board and shoes–and pads and a helmet–at No Comply on 12th and West, and get your skate on at the new mini-ramp in Patterson Park.

For now, because I love to laugh and I hope you do too, just check out my little “how to ollie” video:

For some more cool skate tricks, check out these videos at 5 Min Extreme.

#44 Grill It!

Grilling gains the majority of its fame during the summer months, but in my upbringing, the grill is a family fixture. I love everything from chicken breasts, shishkabobs, salmon, flank steak, or grilled veggies. To me, grilling makes everything better.

The finished product: Beer Butt Chicken, Rice Pilaf, and veggies

Today, I had the fortune of having a guest griller at the house. We cooked up something I’d never even heard of before, “Beer Butt Chicken.” Sound intriguing, just wait til you see!

Now check out the finishing touches…

#36 Eat an In-N-Out Burger

In the fast food nation that we live in the burger has become one of America’s oldest past times. Up there with apple pie, finding a good burger can be a lifelong quest.

The burger is something that can vary greatly in price, quality, ingredients and even style. From the value meal at Wendy’s to the “Six Dollar Burger” at Carl’s Jr. to the gourmet bleu cheese burger, no burger is created equal. One thing is for sure, though, you haven’t lived a life worth living until you’ve tried a “Double Double with Cheese” from In-N-Out.

If you’re not already familiar, In-N-Out is a fast food chain started in California.They invented the Drive-Thru window when “car-hops” were commonplace.

They’re not your average fast food franchise. Unlike McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, or Carl’s Jr. (slash Hardee’s on the East Coast), In-N-Out burgers are never made from frozen meat, and you can taste the difference. In fact, there are no microwaves or freezers at any In-N-Out. You can even watch the employees slicing the potatoes for the french fries right in front of your eyes.

In-N-Out has a VERY limited menu. 3 choices: Hamburger, Cheeseburger, or Double Cheeseburger. Then, of course, they have fries and shakes (for first-timers, a shake is a MUST!). The limited menu seems like a turnoff at first, but once you’ve tasted their food, you understand they’ve simply perfected the classic necessities of American fast food.

Me and Shannon about to enter burger heaven

Unfortunately, the In-N-Out restaurants exist only on the West Coast in California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. Each location is carefully run by the original owners’ family and they’ve never become a national franchise. Their managers are trained carefully in “Universities” and their starting wages are $10/hr. As a result, the service is as impeccable as the food.

So, the next time you’re in a city with an In-N-Out, you know what to do…order up! If you’re feeling really daring, order it “Animal Style” with grilled onions. Yum yum…enjoy!

#30 Go Without a Cell Phone For a Week

Ok, so I didn’t exactly do this one willingly, but some subconcious part of me must have wanted this experience. Last week, while coming home from a golf tournament in Las Vegas, I left my phone in the rental car. Of course the precise moment I realized this was the same moment I reached the end of security. Ugh.

So, for the past week (since last Wednesday afternoon) I have been phone-free. It’s quite an experience. Much like dealing with grief, the loss of a phone can be described in stages…

1. Disbelief and denial…involves searching madly in all pockets, pouches, and zippers of every piece of your belongings…you tell yourself “There’s no way I just lost my phone, it must be in here somewhere!”

2. Distress…what am I going to do now!? Will I ever see my phone again!? Why am I so stupid!?

3. Action…borrowing phones to track your phone down (calling rental car agency in my case)

4. Uncertainty…will I get my phone back? Will they find it? Will someone be calling their friend in France on my phone for a week? When will I get it back? Will I need a new phone? Who is trying to call me right now? Who is sending me unanswered texts? Will I ever get to know?….

5. Release…your phone is found…on the way…you will have it in days. There’s nothing more to do, but wait. People went centuries–millenniums–without cell phones, I can survive it too.

So, in my week of waiting (of which is not over yet) I have learned a lot.

Firstly, I have no noticeable impact on my health and my mind seems to be coping as well. In fact, I’ve noticed some benefits even.

I never have to worry about charging my phone. Plus, no wasted electricity used to charge it.

I never get woken in the middle of the night by drunkies wanting a ride home from 6th Street.

I never have to turn my phone off or on vibrate during class or quiet areas–and I never get embarrassed or distressed over my phone accidentally going off in class. When I hear a vibration or jingle I know…it’s not me!

I haven’t endangered any fellow drivers by calling or texting behind the wheel. Anyone done that before?!?

I don’t have to deal with incessant calls from mom (ok, for me not really a problem since my mother is afraid to rack up the cell phone bill with long distance…even though I have no long distance and we have unlimited “in” calling, but still seems to stop her from calling, but anyway, I’m sure it could be a relief for some of you).

And finally…I’ve really gained an increased appreciation for modern technology. You know the cliche…You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone! Holds true here too.

So, just try it out. Don’t drop you phone in a toilet, or leave it in a rental car, or let it fall out of your pocket while you’re skiing down a powdery run (this happened to me as well the month after I got my first cell phone…and yes, someone found it). You don’t even need to go a week. Just take the battery out of your phone for 48 hours and see how you feel.

It’s good to prove to yourself that you don’t need your phone…that you can survive without your phone. I’m sure the attachment our generation has with their cell phones cannot be entirely healthy. Go talk to people in person. Go easy on the idle gossip. Find out what life has to offer right in front of your eyes, that you haven’t bothered to notice while nose-deep in a texting convo. Live a little!