Nada. . .

Sorry guys, I have no current adventures going on.

The most exciting thing is my trip to Canada – I leave on Sunday!

Bike training is starting to happen, unless my body gives out.

Otherwise, no adventures. No suggestions have been coming in. 

Be Part of the Adventure

Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestions.

Monday

Yeah, I need ideas.

Send me ideas for things to do!

Must . .blog. . .

Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.

Fix My Den: Progress!

Who knew this would be such an un-dead chain of posts. Back in the day, I created my own adventure called Fix My Den followed up by Fix My Den: Follow Up.

This past weekend, I managed to get a hunk of stuff done on my list (check it out at Stop the Burn Out) and the den was on of them. I didn't get the storage unit I was thinking of, but I pulled apart my closet and threw out a couple bags of stuff. I felt a lot better once I was done - only took about 2 hours. *phew*

Let's just review this small portion - before:

Stuff

And now, let's review after:

Better!

I did reorg my closet - moved all my winter clothes into a bin and was able to store it in my den closet. I even found a pair of sunglasses I thought I was missing. Right now, some cat stuff is in there, some stuff I want to sell or need to store at my parent's house. I also threw out stuff I wasn't using in my desk and got it set up for more of what I use it for. The stuff on my desk is stuff I need to work on right now. 

Find Lucky

Minus the sword.

Lucky the Cat was little to no help, might I add. 

He was thrilled at all the commotion and places to hide as I threw stuff around and looked at what I had. He really liked playing with a bunch of the stuff I was throwing out. He tossed around some feathers and was overjoyed when I moved some of my furniture to find his precious little mice-toys.

I think they are all back under my stove and sofas. He's quite a clingy people-cat. 

I'm rough on my guys

My awesome man-friend, Bob (remember him from my Reveal the Identity of my Devastatingly Handsome Man-Friend post?) also came and helped me clean the kitchen and items around my place. 

I really lucked out with him. He worked at his parents place and then did whatever I said all day. He even felt bad he couldn't help out more - even though I never had anyone help me out as it was!

I mean, I have helped a lot of people out, but, I never thought someone would want to help me. They would get nothing out of it.

After about 6 hours of cleaning where I gave him various tasks (don't worry, I fed him) I found my two males were quite exhausted. I mean, Lucky was just playing and totally excited he wasn't alone all day.

It was just as well, we all needed a break and Bob and I had a BBQ to go to at his friend's house later that night. Best to get the dirt off us. Plus, Bob has to plan our vacation in July. 

Details to follow.

Thoughts

I love this guy. Bob. 

Anyhow, I felt a lot better being able to really get stuff done. I have to still work on my kitchen, bathroom and bedroom - and I need to save up money for storage units and whatnot. I just feel better about what I got done. I think I can keep up with stuff better now.

Much needed manicure

While he and Lucky rested - and planned the vacation - I ended up getting my nails done. I didn't get a gel manicure this time (you can read about my addiction in my Get a Gel Manicure post) I was told to just get a normal one to give my nails a break. I hope this break doesn't break them.

I was excited at the break and my new nails - what up, OPI Samoa Sands.

Be Part of the Adventure

Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.

Stop the Burn Out

I've been mildly burnt out for a while. Some of this is probably due to a vitamin D deficiency (I'm not talking about a couple points off normal, it’s pretty low) I have and my adrenals not working perfectly. and it will take a while to get it back up. So, I have to deal with fatigue, bone pain, brain fog and a nice flare up of my neuropathy.

How does one un-burnout? I have no idea. Some people go on vacation, in my area, a lot of people have shore houses they go to. I know some people get a massage or go shopping. These seem pretty classic across the board.

I know two things will make me feel better - (a) Take meds and recover, (b) Get stuff done!

I don't like to take vacations when I have a lot going on. I like to go on vacation knowing I deserved it and I can come home refreshed without a butt-ton of stuff to do. I always feel the best when I am productive and improving my surroundings. I like to be grateful and happy for what I have and take good care of it.

What I Need To Do

Lucky and I

I need to find a home for my foster cat, Lucky. I love Lucky, he’s a great cat, but it means I cannot go anywhere or do much because I have to return to feed him and clean out his litter box.

Plus, you can’t leave any animal alone for days – he gets lonely. I was only supposed to have Lucky for 3 months. That was 5 months ago. He even meows when I leave for work - he's lonely.

I need to clean.

At this point, I have only been able to mildly keep on top of my cleaning because I am not home that much between work and school-girl giggling at my attractive gentleman caller. Besides, once I do clean, things are turned up-side-down a few hours after I finish.

Most of this is due to the cat.

I'm not a slob (maybe according to my Mom) but it feels that way with this list of stuff to do. Here is my list of items I need to do:

Living room
This is where I spend the most time, so, it can either be the cleanest or the messiest. I tend to keep on top of most stuff. It just needs a really good clean.

• I need to move my furniture around to clean under everything.
• I need to insulate the a/c unit.
• I need to de-cat the couches.
• I need to de-cat the cat tree.
• I need to clean the windows inside and out - they have filth on them from when there were renovations happening around me. I just can't seem to reach all the spots.
• I need to clean the radiator.
• I need to clean the ceiling fan and get new lightbulbs put in - I don't use this light too much because it heats up the place a lot, but, be nice to have.

Den
Remember my Fix My Den goal? Still going on.

• I need to get a new filing cabinet. The one I have hardly works. I need more extension cords and a new computer desk in my den. I also need to attach the missing panel of my computer tower back on.
• My “bar” furniture needs to be sold. It really just takes up space. It’s not as much of an issue since it holds like 500 wine glasses people thought I needed. I don’t even know 500 people. I might be able to get rid of some of the wine glasses. If I had the shelves in my kitchen cabinets.
• My largest closet is in this room and it needs a complete overhaul. It has the most space and a lot of BIG plastic containers with nothing inside. Maybe I can use this for my winter clothes.
• I need shelving to put stuff on. This will require money and time to put everything together. 
• I could use a indoor bike rack to store both my bikes. That is also a pipe-dream right now.
• I need to clean the radiator.
• I would like to get one of those plastic mats under my den chair - but I also hate them. I think I hate them more than I hate doing damage to my carpet.
• I would love to be able to get a second computer monitor, too. My desk will not fit two. Bummer.

Kitchen
I keep a clean kitchen. I mean, food is in there. However, still needs a lot of elbow greese that I have no been able to get around to.

Lucky models

• I need to clean out my dishwasher. I think there might be some type of pasta in there from my last tenants. I don’t eat that much pasta and I wouldn't put pasta in the dishwasher. I don't use the dishwasher that often, either. Yep. Dirty.
• I need to get my shelves back up in my kitchen cabinets – they collapsed right before my man-to-be came over for the first time for dinner. Having that space back would be nice. I don’t hold out much hope for this. I think I need to consult the apartment people about it. 
• I need to clean out my cabinets. I do have a decent amount of space in the kitchen, I don't use it all wisely. Time to get rid of items I don't use and use the space for whatever I can.
• Remove everything from on top of the cabinets and dust.
• I got to use some elbow grease on my floors. I had hoped to get new floors by now since mine is very scratched and old – I might try to launch a new campaign. 
• I need to clean the radiator.
• Clean the trashcan - really good.
• Clean and de-grease the vents - I try to do this weekly - the grease is winning.
• Clean under the burners. I fear to open the stove-top again.
• I would like to get rid of my fake kitchen table that is never used in favor of a kitchen island where I two people can eat, I can store stuff and I have additional cooking space.
• I would really love to paint my kitchen a nice moss green. Again, pipedream. 

Bathroom
It's small - I do have some nice shelves.

Hairball

• I need a new shower curtain - once Lucky is re-homed. He shredded it.
• I need to scrub the shower - again, it is cheap material and easily stained. I just want it white! I haven't found a product that works on it.
• Clean the top of the shower - I don't even want to know how dirty it is.
• I need to get all the cat litter out of there. There are little rocks everywhere and I hate it. Again, this is ongoing since Lucky throws it everywhere.
• There is a good amount of dust stuck in the decorative baseboard. I need to get a toothbrush and clean that stuff out.
• The floor actually has a pattern of dirt naturally. Ick. I want to take a toothbrush to it. I wish I could get a new, non-vomit inspiring floor.
• I need to clean the radiators - they produce dirt like crazy! One time my rat, Molly, found an old cigarette butt in one. Whaaaa?! The rats really helped me cleaned. Rat love is true love, baby. Lucky does not help.
• Clean the trashcan - like scrub the bottom junk off it.
• Clean the bathroom rug - or get a new one. A new one will have to be gotten after Lucky is re-homed - he loves to tear it apart.
• Tell my maintenance guy the "metal" on the sink is dissolving and I should get a new one, soon.
• I would love to paint this room - maybe even just the back wall as an accent. That is a pipe-dream. It's a cost I don't need to have.
• I would love to get an over-the-toilet cabinet so I can hide some more personal bathroom items - but I can't until I get rid of the litter box and make sure I get something that is sturdy that can survive in a small bathroom. Oh, and until I get more money.

Bedroom
I keep this place pretty clean. I did some work on it before.

• I need to better insulate my air conditioning units.
• I need to move my furniture to clean under. Next time I buy furniture, there will be no space under it for dirt and cat toys to collect!
• I need to get some under-the-bed storage containers. Maybe some of those vacuum ones because I have all this bedding and no place to put it. It goes under the bed and then I feel it gets filthy over time. What I have does not fit under my bed. 
• Clean the ceiling fan blades and the glass lamp part.
• I have to get rid of chest in my bedroom. It will have to my parents house because it was a gift from my Aunt. Unfortunately, I have no use for it. I need extra help lugging it over to their house and permission since I don’t know how much space they have.
• I need a wardrobe or some sort where I can hang clothes and more draws. I would have to research this a lot. The expense is not going to happen anytime, soon.
• Clean my closet - I have a ton of stuff jammed in a very small space. Some of it can't be helped. I need to pull everything out and make sure I am using everything.
• I would love to trade in my current bed for a queen sized captain's bed - seriously. No dust under but tons of storage!

And. . .
I need to bike! I miss biking, I am far behind with my knee injury and then my health.

I need to get a bike ride because I need to be able to carry two bikes soon so that my lover can train with me. That expense has been moved way down on my list. I might be able to campaign to get one for my birthday which will be late in the game for riding.

Biking by myself right now is out. I can barely stay awake 10 hours. Adding exercise is going to make it impossible for me to also work and function in my social life. Or clean. Check out my list above - I need some energy.

What I Have Done
Things are not a total dumpster-fire. I mean, I have been working on stuff.

• I did get my fridge cleaned out – which is beautiful. 
• I got the bathroom shelves cleaned, purged a bunch of expired products and organized my stuff.
• I went through my clothes and donated about five bags of clothes. If you have ever gone through EVERYTHING, this was a big deal. I don't even have that much stuff.
• I moved all my winter clothes to places that are hard to get to in favor of my summer clothes. 
• I did get my clothes back from the tailor. Tailoring clothes is less expensive than buying new clothes and also meant I got rid of the bag of stuff on my floor that harbored these ill-fitting garments.
• I did get my air conditioning units in the windows and decently secured. Not bad for a 11:30pm activity. 
• I have been dusting everything pretty well.
• Moved all my winter coats and shoes from my rack in the kitchen to my den closet. 
• Purchased and put together a shoe cubby for the kitchen.
• I did get an over-the-door shoe organizer for my bedroom to get shoes off the floor.
• Got new bathroom towels. The downside is they are fluffy and thin. Bad choice. :(
• Got a steam mop, which I use every week, at least.
• I Swiffer and disinfect all floors every week, at least.
• I sweep up the dirt tracked in from the outside and as much kitty litter rocks as possible.
• I wipe down all surfaces in my kitchen, doorknobs and even the doors where grimy hands have been.
• Did a general decluttering of the items on top of my kitchen cabinets.
• Clean the toilet and surfaces of the bathroom at least twice a week.
• Run around like a man-woman with my orange scented Lysol.

Thoughts
The problem is I spend a good deal of my day-time working, I should be biking after work (*sad sigh*) and then I am spending weekends enjoying my guy-friend and doing errands like buying food or going to events and whatnot. I really don't have an interesting life, but, I can't seem to get anywhere with my place.

My adventure - get all of this done and avoid a total melt-down.

Of course, this is all possible and my heart melted a little after getting this text from my one-and-only:

*heart melt*

Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.

Sports Weekend: 5Ks and Bike Rides

My lover and I had quite an exciting and super athletic weekend. We are highly tuned, super buff and healthy type people, you know. Ripped, shredded and. . lean, mean fighting machines!

Me: Why didn't you tell me I had a cheese doodle crumbs all over me?
Him: I am just so use to seeing them on you.

Gone shortly after

But, seriously, we had a pretty busy weekend.

It all needed to start with some spaghetti with meat sauce. You need to make sure you get some good carbs, meat, veggies and all that good stuff into you the night before a big event. At least, I assume. I don’t know much about runners, but, bikers eat a lot. 

Food is fuel!

Go to a 5K

I hit a goal, this weekend - I went to a 5K. I didn’t run. I don’t actually run. I’m much more likely to stab you in the face with my stiletto heel than run from you. Unless you have doodles, then I think we would work whatever it was out.

My superhero-esque boyfriend ran in his first 5k of the season for the Clean Air Council. Who doesn't like clean air?

This was my first 5k that I have ever been too. It was cold. The whole weekend was cold. I was cold. Here are a couple things I learned (keep in mind, I only can compare and contrast running events to what I do know about – which is biking events)

• It’s cold.

  

  The finish line goes both ways

• There was no coffee – in fact, there was little to no food.
• It only takes a maximum of 30 minutes.
• People stop right after the finish line and do not fear someone running into them.
• Runners make really funny faces.
• Runners will stand at the finish line and look for other people who have not crossed the line without fear of being run over.
• Some runners puke.

Do I have any wish to run a 5K? No.

Girls with Gears

I gotz my number

Sunday, it was my turn to rock the house! I went to the Girls With Gears even hosted by CAROL For Heart. This is a group that educates women (and men) on women's heart health. Who doesn't like a health heart? Anyhow, me and some co-workers signed up for this delightful ride about the countries of Pennsylvania.

I ended up mildly coasting around the fridge tundra-roads of Pennsylvania re-evaluating my life decisions. Totally was ready to give up at mile 2, I think. The whole tour started on an incline and the incline turned into a hill, an incline and another hill. It's times like these, I totally want to give up.

I'm graceful

Actually, the first 5 miles of every ride I want to give up. I then spend a good 2-3 miles coming up with every reason I should stop, how I am going to make up the ride later and how I hurt and need a rest. By then, I normally am feeling pretty good and after 7-8 miles, I figure I might as well do 10 miles - and so on.

It was cold. It was a cold weekend. I did not dress warmly enough but I did wear just about everything I had. I figured I would start moving and warm up. I think my toes are still cold.

I did a nice 25 miles. By nice I mean – there were two harsh hills at the start. I figured if the whole course was like that, I would die. Luckily, it turned out to be some nice rolling hills after the initial heart attack. My super-hero boyfriend snapped this awesome shot of me about 2 miles from the finish line-area-place while yelling, "I have coffee and cheese doodles for you." That's love right there.

Heading to the finish. . .area

I felt a lot better about my conditioning though I have a long ride to go if I am going to be riding 270 miles in an event in September followed by a century 10 days later.

Stuff
Do you know you get stuff when you do events? I got a sweet water bottle (I only use them at home to prevent me from spilling water everywhere) a coaster, a magnet, a red-flashy light in the shape of a heart and a bunch of pamphlets.

One was for zip-lining.

Final Thoughts
My thoughts are never final!

I am not sure if I am going to be able to do everything on my list. I would have a metric century in a couple weeks (that's 62 miles) and I am not 100% confident it is a great idea. I will see how the coming weeks are.

I posted my wish-list on a post titled, My Year In Biking - but here is my master list!

Girls with Gears
Date: 4/21/2013
Route: 25 miles

Quad County Metric Ride 
Date: 5/11/2013
Route: 62 42 miles

Nockamixon Lake Century 
Date: 8/24/2013
Route: 100 miles

Tour DaVita
Date: 9/14/2013-9/18/2013
Route: 270 miles

MS City to Shore
Date: 9/28/2013
Route: 100 miles

Covered Bridges Ride
Date: 10/20/2013
Route: 33 miles

Be Part of the Adventure

Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.

Hey. Psst. Hey!

I need some ideas! What would you like to see me get involved in? Spring and summer is coming and I could use an adventure or two.

I have a devastatingly handsome boyfriend, by the way, he might be willing to come along as well.

So, email me here at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with what you would like me to do.

Ready for a challenge

Go Skiing

Mission level: Success, mostly.

Whiteface Olympic Mountain

My first attempt at skiing was a sort of fail due to weather conditions when my super-hot boyfriend and I went to Lake Placid, New York. I might add, my super-hot boyfriend is not just a pretty face, he is an accomplished skier.

However, due to rain, we never made it to the slopes.

We did go ice skating, though. You can read about that in my Ice Skate post.

Context
I know zero-zip-ziletch about skiing. In fact, I have never been on a mountain, really. Not one with snow on it that is used for skiing. I never participated in winter sports, except the ever popular "I don't care if you have a snow day, get out of bed and shovel the driveway so Dad can go to work" marathon at the Estate.

Inaccurate representation of
Chickies Rock

I did once almost fall off a large hill - it was Chickies Rock in Marietta, PA. My boyfriend at the time did not seemed concerned as I slid careened down the rocky side toward the road certain death.

However, as I mentioned, MacGyver is an accomplished skier and I was pretty sure he wasn't going to let me go careening down some icey slope to certain doom.



The Build Up
MacGyver picked out where we we went, which was Blue Mountain in PA. I was able to borrow a snow-suit from my boyfriend's Mom. That's right, I'm the same size as my boyfriend's mom. While they also had skis and whatnot, I just rented the skis, ski boots and. . .those pole things that you stab the ground with.

I wasn't super keen on skiing. I was curious about it, I enjoyed seeing how happy my guy was about it, but, I can't say I was excited. I can't pin-point why there are certain times I am happy to blow past my comfort zone and why other times I just lack the motivation. I knew I was going to be uncomfortable and I did have a week full of discomfort. I'll say it's that.

The day of, my stomach was also not happy. I don't know why but I thought  was gong to hurl at least twice. That really had nothing to do with the story other than I wasn't feeling great. It passed, however. Thankfully. Being a disaster on a ski slope and hurling is not cool.

I am for cool.

On the Snow

I'm a pro

I did make it out onto the slopes. It was a balmy 20 degrees. Sven (that's what MacGyver calls himself when he is skiing) helped me get into the skis.

And then I started moving backwards. It's ok, I got myself down-ish the hill. I ended up in a rut and then almost went down another slope.

Sven taught me the following:

• Big pizza slice: Putting your ski tips together to form a triangle or large pizza slice to slow down or stop.
• Snake the mountain: Going back and forth across the hill is best. 
• If all else fails, hit the deck.

I hit the deck a lot. I'm familiar with this concept from my horse-back riding days. If your horse ever got out of control that you couldn't get it back, you needed to get off. I took a couple falls practicing this. I never had to use it.

Here are a couple things I learned:

• Snow is slippery.
• Snow boats are funny to walk in.
• Seat warmers are da bomb.
• Falling when skiing is not as bad as falling when biking (at least, at my ski speeds).
• Sven is really hot.
• My cousin works at Blue Mountain.
• Falling repeatedly hurts.
• You use muscles in skiing you might not realize.
• You can never dress warmly enough.
• Know the end of the slope.
• Snowboarders are silly and slightly annoying.

It was fun, the whole thing. I need some practice, I am sure, and I can't say I will have a hard and fast love of skiing, but, I would be willing to try it again. It was pretty cold and I felt my neuropathy flare up a bit. I decided I am not as tough as I thought I was. It's ok, they had a bar. 

I did spend some time at the bar while Sven was out skiing. First, it is obviously his element. Watching him skiing around and him teaching me was really awesome. It's never a bad time to watch someone doing what they are passionate about. I told him to go off and enjoy and warmed up.

I made friends with the bartender (key to life) and I think he gave me a drink free. 

Future Plans

MacGyver, er, Sven and I decided I would take off a Monday at some point and give it another try for me. I did get nervous with everyone around even though there were no close calls. I think I am going to work my core a little more because you do work your obliques. 

By the way, all the buttons on my snow-suit had "HEAD" written on them and I thought it was some cool way for rescuers to figure out where my head was should  be rescued from an avalanch or something. I pointed this out when I saw one of the snaps not anywhere near my head still had "HEAD" on it. MacGyver pointed out it was the brand name, not a clever identification thing. I'm awesome.

Image Credit
Slope from alistairrobinson.co.uk
Whteface from whiteface.com

Accepting and Rejecting Adventures

When you lose your ability to do something, however minor, it can change you outlook on life. Think about the last time you had a cold or sore throat and how that sucked and then how much better it felt to breathe through you nose and eat and drink normally.

If you haven't thought about it, you should.

I still get excited when I walk up stairs.

My Point
Even though my life has been weird and limited, it doesn't mean I am going to go off the deep end now that things are better.

I am going to reject adventures suggested to me. There are times I am simply not going to do things. Some of my rejections of adventures are purely based in financial reasons. Sure, who wouldn't want to live a life with unrestricted resources - but how many do?

I am sxtremely lucky, happy and comfortable because I try to be responsible and plan ahead for things.

Not fun

Relapse is always a factor in my day-to-day. I would like to say the fear of it has lessened now that I am two years out of treatment, but the concept lives with me at all times. Every ache or dizzy spell or bad day begins with the question, "could this be relapse?" After all, I have survived four relapses.

Once the sum of all fears comes true, every fear becomes a possibility.

I like to look at the things I fear dead on. Not everyday and not at all times but eventually, I want to look at it in the face. The more you look at or think about things you fear and come up with plans to "outsmart" it, the less of a monster these thing can seem.

Being sick was expensive. It's good to have a nice backup. After all, you need to look out for yourself rather than expect someone else to do it for you. Besides, the better you look after yourself the more you can help out those who need it.

After all, part of our job as humans is to take care of others.

Back to Now
I gave up on several adventures due to cost. A lot of traveling overseas or even to the Kentucky Derby are going to be out for quite a long time because I can't really afford it. They still exist, of course, they will always exist and some of these adventures will be based on my ability to find a great deal or unique way to get there.

Requests sent to me here are up to veto due to cost or danger. However, I'm up for trying just about  anything as long as my body doesn't give out. I will write a little entry about any adventures I must reject and the reason why.

So, write me what you would like to see me try!

Be Part of the Adventure

Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has a happy (and safe) new year! I have never been one to really celebrate or do anything on December 31st or January 1st. This year, I have an awesome guy to curl up with, a bottle of cookies and cream vodka and nachos.

It's going to be a trippin' night.

Thank you 'net, for providing this

Be Part of the Adventure

Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.

Image Credit
Image from g2.oswaldroad.net

Bobsled

Mission Level
Success!

Beautiful snow

 I got to take a trip with my guy (code name MacGyver) to Lake Placid, New York December 19-23 2012. This adventure in itself actually covers a bunch of things I have never done - like take a non-family vacation.

One of the adventures my guy had found was taking a bobsled ride on Whiteface Mountain. This is right at the Olympic Sports Complex where events from the 1980 Olympics took place. Training still happen there, too, by the way. In 2010, the bobsled track was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It's pretty cool just to be somewhere where history happened. 

Always Thinking

This is a toboggan

While waiting for our bobsled pager to go off in the small museum, I wondered where the term "bobsleding" came from. The vehicle is called a toboggan - why do we call it "bobsledding?" The term comes from the bobbing action riders would do in the toboggan to gain speed. Knowledge bomb!

Back to Whiteface. 

The Setup
I had done some research on what it's like to do a bobsled - and the overwhelming response was that it is like a rollercoaster. I like rollercoasters. You need to be fitted with a helmet.

Hmm. Craziest rollercoaster I've been on.

Because of the time of the year, there were no lines and we only had to wait for one family before us. Other places I checked said you should be at the place early and you will have to wait for hours.

By the way, we did not go down the track on the old-tyme sled.

Waiting for our sled

With helmet on, we waited in the cold watching the bobsled be brought up from the end of the track, the two staff-guys loading the people in front of us in and sometimes you hear screaming. 

The Ride

So, how was it? Pretty damn cool.

It is a rough ride, reminded me of Hercules which is a wooden rollercoaster in Dorney Park I use to ride in the summer - fun and fast and quite bumpy at parts.

Bobsledding on TV looks like a couple people tucked into a sled coasting smoothly down a track.

Sure, things start off tame enough until you hit the first turn, things get real. One of us screamed, I won't say who. Not only are you going really fast, and when you  hit the curves, your butt is facing due east rather than south.

Unlike a rollercoaster, you aren't on a a train-track, you are on a half-pipe of ice, sliding around and zooming down. It only takes a couple turns to realize it wouldn't take a lot to lose total control and fall off a curve. Don't worry, we YouTubed bobsledding crashes after we took the ride.

The only other unexpected this is the noise. It's loud and I can only imagine the effort it takes to keep that sled going Olympic-fast and keeping it balanced. You can't hear too well, so, I imagine the athletes who complete - well, it's really a skill to communicate.

Helmet mics? That would make sense.

The Aftermath

Our sled was actually #49

When we got off, I had this exchange with the the two staff members who guided the sled for us:

Me: Wow, you get to do this all day? Not to bad of a job!
Him: It gets a little painful after a while.
Me: I can see that. 

More respect for those teams that practice for hours. I can see how you can get banged up pretty fast.

And while all this is going on, you are trying to shave off a couple milliseconds. Nifty skills.

But, I think I could manage a couple more trips down. Here is the proof - the dated tickets!

Is that a water tower?

If you are up for an adventure, this is one to try.


Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.