Goals 5 & 92: Spare Time Staycations

It's hard to define anything I do in Orlando as anything less than a "staycation." I go to work, and I'm on staycation, surrounded by hundreds of people on vacation. Well, staying in and around Orlando has lead me on a few on a few adventures.

Goal 5: Go Skydiving

Last month one of my officemates mentioned that one of her roommates found a Groupon for skydiving, and was gathering people to go. Not really knowing her roommate at all, I decided to invite myself and hope that it was ok (it was). Many weeks later we went to a little garage outside of Tampa to use those coupons.

It was a very neat environment. Lots of colors. Lots of culture. When we arrived, there was a crew about to do a big jump together to celebrate one of the dudezes 1000th jump.

This is how I practiced.

The brave crew. We started with a few more people who were going to go with us, but ended with just four of us (the man on the left was a Brit from the skydiving company).

They take you up in a rinky dink plane. You get to the drop point, and then you scoot out to the edge of the plane with your feet dangling out of the plane like you were sitting on the edge of a cliff. Before you really have a chance to consider the fact you're about to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, you get pushed out and go tumbling. You tumble for a few seconds and then stabilize and free fall for a bit. Eventually the chute gets pulled and then you just chill a few thousand feet up in the air and enjoy the view.

In a tandem jump you don't have to do much.

After skydiving was over, I decided I'd sustain the intensity of the day by spicing it up with Lady Gaga.

Goal 92: Take a Course Not Affiliated with a University

A course in dance, that is. This is the second dance class I've taken since moving to Orlando. The first was a Michael Jackson dance lesson. They have both been fun and entertaining, and given me a new appreciation for strictly choreographed dance. I have learned some sweet new moves to add to my toolbox.

Skybridge Tampa

Status: Spongy

Goal 12: Christmas Presents and the Winter Wonderland Ball

In an earlier post I displayed some graphic design I had done for a friend, for a fundraising Winter Wonderland Ball she was organizing. As time went on, I was called for more and more input, and in the end it worked to complete a goal of mine.

The tickets and programs came out pretty well. They weren't professionally printed (or cut) so some of the fliers got printed crooked, and some of the tickets were cut crooked. But the girls saved a lot of money doing it that way, so it's not really my place to say anything.

[When I find them, I will upload pictures of the program and Tickets]

Goal 12: Sell a Piece of Art

After talking about the ball, and many of the deets, Anna asked if I knew anyone who could make a donation to the silent auction. Unless the bal-goers are interested in some lumber or political bumper stickers, I'm not too well connected in that area. BUT, I could always make something myself. I offered to make a painting similar to the one I had just given her for Christmas.

This is what I did for Christmas this year as far as my friends go. They were all made on variously sized, flat canvasses, and the quotes were typed on a Remington Rand, full manual typewriter. The quotes were specifically matched to the receiver of the gift.

But for the church auction, I knew I should make something a little more than a flat canvas with my face on it. I wanted it relevant, and worthwhile. I spent some time thinking, and eventually created two pieces on 20" x 16" canvas, one of Mother Theresa and the other of John Paul II. I had never made stencils this large before, but it turned out to be quite easy. I made them in my backyard the night before the event.

On Saturday, January 29, the Winter Wonderland Ball commenced.

The last I checked, my two paintings made $127.00 for Immaculate Conception Parish. Everyone I talked to decided that this was confirmation that I had become an 'artist.' I also received lots of interest from people who lost the bidding war, so perhaps I will start making things more often.

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