#9: Learn to Grill

I consider myself a very liberated female. I balance a career and family, sharing equally in all financial and household responsibilities with my husband. We take turns with laundry, cooking, cleaning, doing yard work and tucking the kids into bed. Nothing in our house is deemed as man’s work or woman’s work (except for killing bugs – that I don’t do).

Yet, until recently, I had never touched “the grill.”  Partially because Rick has always done an amazing job preparing any food that needed grilling and partially because I’m intimidated by the big stainless steel box in the back yard with an attached gas tank and flames. Kind of seems like an explosion waiting to happen.

But the 40x40 project inspired me to face my fear and learn the art of grilling.  Luckily, Rick is a great and very patient teacher, although I admit he seemed apprehensive when I first brought up the idea. I think he secretly liked being the family grill master, but he agreed to entertain my curiosity. He taught me how to turn on the gas tank and burners, the difference between direct and indirect heat, how to use a meat thermometer and the art of flipping.

To my surprise, grilling is actually kind of fun. In fact, I may have gotten a bit carried away with it. In the past three days I have grilled six types of meat (burgers, hot dogs, chicken, pork tenderloin and salmon) and four vegetables (corn, squash, tomatoes and bell peppers).

I do wince when I turn on the burners and that first flame makes me jump back in fear, but the gas tank and fire now seem a little less scary. I’ve searched online for new recipes and techniques and tonight I grilled dinner from start to finish without any assistance.

I could really get into this newfound hobby from experience #9 – especially since the clean-up is such a breeze. Next up…a grilling party for friends. Bring on the recipe ideas!

#8: Kayak Tour of Chicago

My husband Rick and I recently had the chance to spend a relaxing weekend in Chicago. I’ve made several trips to the Windy City over the past year for work, but haven’t had much time to enjoy or explore the sights. So we were excited to piggyback a few days on another business trip for a little fun.

We spent two days being tourists – shopping on Michigan Avenue, enjoying the sights and sounds of Millennium Park, eating Giordano’s famous deep dish pizza and enjoying drinks at the Signature Room atop the John Hancock Tower. Overall, a wonderful (and much needed) weekend of fun and relaxation for a couple of overextended working parents.

But for both of us, the highlight of the trip was a kayaking tour along the Chicago River. We love the Chicago architecture and wanted to learn more about it but wanted to experience something different than the typical sightseeing tour boats. We spotted a kayaking tour while on a walk our first evening there and decided we had to add that to our agenda. And that’s when we found Urban Kayaks Chicago.  According to their website, they are native Chicagoans and avid adventurers, set out to create an experience that showcases their hometown in an amazing and unique way.

On our final night together in Chicago, we signed-up for a tandem kayak on their sunset tour. After a 20-minute intro/training, we and the other 15+ kayakers went on an adventure up and down the Chicago River. We saw the skyline from a new perspective, heard stories about the history of the river and the Chicago mobs, and quickly learned to paddle in synch to avoid colliding with the larger boats sailing down the river.

We spent about 90 minutes kayaking, stopping periodically to huddle with our fellow kayakers so our tour guide could explain our surroundings. At the furthest point out from base, the skies opened up to torrential downpours of rain, yet the tour continued. We’d paddle, then stop to hear stories from our guides, and paddle again amidst the rain. As long as there was no lightning or threat of severe weather, the tour continued.

And even with the downpour, we enjoyed the adventure. It was a great way to see the city from a different perspective. Experience #8 was fun and enlightening. 32 new experiences to go…