New #13: Visit a Botanical Garden

When thinking of lush gardens, the desert is probably the last place to come to mind. In fact, my visions of the terrain didn't extend far beyond rocks, dirt and snakes. And the only foliage I could imagine were dry, prickly cacti. That's it.

But a visit to the Desert Botanical Garden proved me wrong. The 145-acre Phoenix garden was loaded with thousands of plants - many of which didn't even have thorns.

There were multiple paths leading through different kinds of greenery native to the desert. Most plants were pretty unusual, with all sorts of swirly shapes and bizarre branches that looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. The cactus garden was amazing, too, with some succulents reaching 20 feet in the air, and others sprawling out like snakes across the ground.

However, among all the alien-looking plants was a section of beautiful wildflowers. These plants erupted with rainbows of flowers, many of which looked more delicate and dainty than what you'd find in the humid tropics. There was also a butterfly pavilion with thousands of bright bugs fluttering around.

It's amazing to think any of this would be found in the dry and unforgiving desert. But I guess it goes to show beauty is all around, no matter how your garden grows.

The cacti above are called Mexican Fence Posts. Seriously. Can you spot who's hiding on the other side?

New #12: Complete a 1,000 Piece Puzzle

This wasn't supposed to be a new worth noting. Actually, it just started as an idea for a cheap Saturday night at home. A $1.50 puzzle from the grocery, a bottle of vino, a few hours of jigging and sawing and done - right? No, not at all.

The first night I spent hours and hours hunched over the tiny pieces, only to finish just one corner of sky before calling it quits. Over the next month, the puzzle became a love/hate obsession for me (does that make me a huge nerd?), that put my patients, eyesight and puzzling ability to the test. It was only this week that the fruits of my labor paid off - in a pieced-together picture of Italian coast.


Rather than giving a play-by-play of the whole thing, I'll instead share some life lessons learned through my 1,000 piece puzzle:

1. Always pay attention to detail, although a focus on the big picture is what helps the most.

2. Trial and error will get you everywhere. Nothing comes together if you don't try.

3. The sky and ocean are vast, and often appear to be one in the same.

4. Sometimes things just aren't meant to fit the way you think they should, no matter how hard you pound them together and convince yourself they do.

5. In the end, no matter how impossible it may seem, everything eventually connects and works out the way it should. And it's always rewarding to look back and remember the steps, trials and aggravations that got you there.

New #11: Go to a Car Audio Competition

This was definitely a new I never would have attempted, or even known existed, without Ben. A car audio competition is something he's wanted to try ever since he started souping up his little blue Integra with a big booming stereo last year. So on Sunday, in the rain and snow, we went to one in Denver. My ears may still be ringing, but I did learn a lot - and earned some major brownie points with the husband, too.

Car audio competitions are inspired by the extremely elaborate and expensive stereo systems people put into their cars (or trucks, or station wagons, or whatever). Bumping, as the kids call it, is all about getting the bass so loud it literally rattles the car and its passengers with each beat. Or, as Ben would explain, opens up all the tones of the song that would otherwise go unheard.

As you may have guessed, competitions surrounding this hobby have to do with measuring how loud a stereo can get. This is done with a microphone, placed somewhere in the car, reading how many decibels are reached in 30 seconds. Depending on the number of sub woofers and how big they are, each car is put in various classes. At this show, there were about 30 people in 3 groups. Ben was in the two 12'' class.

The majority of the competition felt like waiting in line for fast food, with everyone queued up and slowly edging forward to the mic station. Yet there was an audience at the trial area, listening to the sounds and watching a screen that showed how high each car was hitting. With the go-ahead from the officials, two cars at a time would turn up their music full blast. The sound was felt just as much as it was heard, rumbling your ears and insides with each beat. Usually, Ben gets angry looks from people on the street when he drives with it that loud. But there, it was nice to be around others who actually appreciated the volume.

Ben's car about to get measured ... and the screen that showed how loud it was.

Ben's car hit at 144.5 dB. To put it in perspective, a phone dial tone rings up at about 80 dB. A power saw is 110. It's not until you get as loud as a jet engine or gun shot before you start reaching 140 dB. So you can imagine how loud his stereo actually was (and how proud he was of it).

However, Ben's car was no competition for others there, including one van that was decked out with something like 4 sub woofers and a giant amplifier. It was so loud, in fact, that I got to demonstrate my first hair trick from its passenger's seat. This is when the music gets so booming, it blows your hair out and around your head. To really understand, watch the video below.



In the end, Ben was awarded second place in his class. I also seemed to make an impression and was given the unofficial title of best hair trick. I thought the entire day would be one pounding headache, but I actually had a lot of fun. Despite the damage that may be coming for my ears, I plan to continue supporting Ben and his high-sounding hobby.

A happy Ben with his award and car.