Redo of a Week of Firsts
To celebrate our first anniversary I’m sharing my favorite post from July: a week of Firsts!
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Day 0: Contemplate Week of 1st’s
Starting this exercise is a 1st in itself.
Day 1: Sell My Pottery
I’ve been working with clay for 2 years (see my website www.legalizepottery.com), and I’ve given away a number of pieces but never sold anything. In connection with a class I’ve been taking, I got to participate in a ceramics show/sale, and I sold 6 of my ‘creations’ plus one person wants me to make a fish dish and a garden pot to their specifications. Very stoked about this 1st!
Day 2: Wheatgrass Shot (Not)
I wanted to sustain the high energy of yesterday’s success, and I’ve heard that Wheatgrass Shots deliver an energy boost. I headed to a local place called Skinny Sippin’ — an obvious choice, right? Nope, no wheatgrass, although they offer carrot, kale, etc. juice smoothies, but nothing smaller than 16 oz., no shots. And, discovering that Skinny Sippin’ is a dingy dump was a bummer. Nevertheless, to validate my visit as a “1st”, I got a tiny frozen yogurt costing me $3, what a rip-off. Still in search of a Wheatgrass Shot, I tried 2 other places with no luck. Revved my way home with my melting yogurt. I’m going to try to forget this unfortunate 1st.
Day 3: Wheatgrass Success
Putting aside yesterday’s aborted quest, I did some serious research into Wheatgrass Shots: Purported benefits vary from ‘none’ to ‘infinite’; it’s best on an empty stomach; JambaJuice is the place to go. So, I bee-lined it to JambaJuice and ordered their $3 one-oz. shot. The cashier started working on it — cut wheatgrass from a large pallet, stuffed it into the juicer, tamped it down, waited for the juice, inserted more grass — but nothing was forthcoming. She called over a co-worker who cut more grass, stuffed it in, and finally noticed the machine needed to be turned on!
She flipped the switch, and juice started trickling down, with the grass residue coming out of the front in a revolting coil which they had to pluck off and flick into a waste receptacle. They apologized for the delay, and said they would give me a 2-oz. shot, which turned out to be teeny-tiny (1-oz. serving is a thimble). I downed it on the spot — very grassy but not bad — followed by the orange slice chaser. This 1st sorta makes me want to grow my own wheatgrass and get a juicer!
Day 4: Hang Upside Down
My Hatha Yoga instructor raved about using the inversion table at Relax The Back in Menlo Park, calling it the best thing ever, but confiding she wasn’t supposed to recommend it (I guess it’s Club policy that we not have a life outside the Club). I’ve driven past this place many times, declining (pardon the pun) to stop in until today. Rob greeted me, wonderfully friendly, attentive, and uber-willing to strap me into the deluxe inversion table displayed in the front window.
After a few health inquiries, he put me at a moderate decline for about 2 minutes. I assured him it felt great (my back and legs loved it, not so much my arms which were flung over my head), and he brought me back up. Then he asked if I wanted to go steeper, and of course I said ‘YES!’, and was put at an almost-upside-down angle for about 15 minutes, with periodic checks on my well-being. Then I was rotated back up, acclimated to having my feet on planet earth, and told I could come back anytime. A quintessential 1st!
Day 5: Let’s Go to the Fair!
A friend asked if I wanted to go to this year’s San Mateo County Fair, and my immediate reaction was “Hell No”, but then realized I could get a 1st out of this. So, met up with her, car-pooled to minimize parking fees, and took advantage of “Free Tuesday”. Looked at hundreds of quilts and other arts & crafts; learned a lot from the lady at the fantastic fuchsia display; cheered at the pig race; photographed goats — an all-around good time. A very fun 1st!
Day 6: Podiatrist Pedicure
I’ve had sub-par experiences with nail salons lately, so have just been trimming/filing my own nails and going without polish, even though unpainted toenails are taboo in public. In the midst of searching for Wheatgrass Shots the other day, I happened to see a business sign for Peace of Mind Pedicure and realized that’s just what I’m looking for! Turns out it’s part of a Podiatrist’s practice, which sold me 100%. Today’s appointment was pleasant and thorough — my feet were definitely in expert hands. The polish (eco-friendly, toxin-free, cruelty-free vegan) looks great. I’ve never paid $55 for a pedicure before, so definitely a 1st!
Day 7: Acupuncture
I’ve wondered about acupuncture for years, and figured I should give it a try. Yelp directed me to Yinfinite Wellness. Today’s session started with a health survey and discussion of my concerns.
Brielle read my pulse, and said my blood was flowing like a teenager, but my endocrine system was a bit sluggish.
Got prone on a massage table, and she stuck me with needles — hardly felt them. I asked her how many needles, and she counted 17 (I believe that’s a very lucky number). Left me under a heated cover for about about 30 minutes, came back and removed the needles and briefly massaged my back, etc. — her massage technique was first-rate, wanted more! Best part of this 1st: My insurance covers 80%!
Day 8: Give $20 to Random Stranger
No, this didn’t happen. My core values did not change after a week of firsts; I’m still the same person and a total miser. But, pursuing firsts has opened up an awareness. Maybe now I’ll catch myself reacting badly to the idea of something new or a change in my routine, and my new awareness will help me to branch out.
Here are some additional random ramblings about pursuing firsts. It’s not like hugging puppies and chasing rainbows. No, it’s more like getting startled looks from passers-by as you loudly scrape the car’s wheel rim when pulling up to an unfamiliar curb. It’s worth the effort, I suppose, but I keep thinking that pretty much everything I do is a first. Ergo, I’ve used this keyboard loads of times, but right now is the 1st time I’ve keyed this combination of words, in this light, with this look on my face. No one steps in the same river twice (Heraclitus). Today is the first day of the rest of my . . . firsts.
