New Thing 240, New Thing Every Day: Take Time to Really Watch the Sun Set

Yep, just like my first time really watching a sunrise a few weeks ago, tonight was the first time I really watched a sunrise. This time Leigh went with me, which made it even better, and we went to Garagezilla a few minutes before it was supposed to start. Oh, and Ellie wanted to go, too, so we took her along.

I am going to let the pictures speak for themselves.

New Thing 239, New Thing Every Day: Eat Nothing But a Bunch of Radishes for Dinner

Alright, so this New Thing is a little weird, but it is true, so what the heck? As a reminder, I have radically changed the way I eat, not to lose weight, but for an MS treatment. And, yes, major weight loss is a side-effect, and I am beyond fine with that.

Any-hoo, there is a pretty specific combination of things I eat throughout the day -- pretty much entirely meat and vegetables -- and when dinner time rolled around, I had eaten just almost everything on y daily menu, except my third serving of sulfur-rich vegetables. Radishes are on the lsit of sulfur-rich vegetables, and I have several bags of them in the refrigerator, so that is what I had for dinner.

Yum! (or maybe not)

Oh, and this is also the first time I have ever used the term "any-hoo", so that could be my New Thing, as well.

New Thing 238, New Thing Every Day: Use a Three-Story Wheelchair Lift

Just when you thought it could not get any cooler to be a wheelchair user...

Today, I spoke for BBB at Douglass High School -- so much fun! -- and got to be the very first person to user their new wheelchair lift, which goes from the bottom to the top, mounted on the hand railing. Yes, very cool.

New Thing 237, New Thing Every Day: Attend My First MBA Class

I am really going to like getting my MBA, much more than taking the five prerequisites. My class tonight was a 500-level International Business, and there were just seven of us in the class, all pursuing our MBAs. Of the seven, English was not the first language for four. There were a couple of Spanish speakers and a couple speaking with what I think were Russian/eastern European accents. It was very cool. Classes are heavy discussion, and I really do think I am going to love them.

New Thing 236, New Thing Every Day: Get on Slack

Honestly, I do not know what this is going to do for me, but people keep telling me I need to be on Slack, and it is free, so I created an account -- seanspence -- and now I am on Slack. Now what?

New Thing 235, New Thing Every Day: Co-Organize "Breaking Chains, Making Ways"

Here are 10+ things about this event I just co-hosted with my friend Cory Crosby.

1. I worked on the event because Cory asked for my help; it was really his deal and he did a great job.
2. It was the very first event where I have been partially in charge where attendees were more black than white.
3. It took a few months of planning.
4. Yesterday was the day and I just naturally woke up at 2:00 am. I was very productive until time for the event.
5. Cory picked me up in a big truck at 6:00.
6. It was nerve racking because we did not have any way to preregister, but there ended up being over 400 people there.
7. Kurt Mirtsching showed his Rolls Royce and gave rides to kids.
8. It really was one of the more fun community events I have attended. My favorite parts were the fitness competitions and dance contests.
9. We built an incredible host committee.
10. Cory did an incredible job of getting businesses involved.
11. We got great coverage from KOMU and the Missourian.

New Thing 234, New Thing Every Day: Buy Two Insurance Policies for One Situation

No, this did not make me happy; if anything, ut made me unhappy. Without going into too many details, let me say that I am helping with a large community event tomorrow that neds insurance. Over a week ago, I started dealing with a broker and everything seemed to be going well; there was no indication that there would be any trouble getting the policty. Finally, today arrived and I was told to bring a check and make sure the paperwork was signed and we would be all set. In the afternoon, I was asked for more information and signatures, and at 3:30, with an hour and a half until the deadline at 5:00, I still did not have a policy. If I did not get that policy, the event would be cancelled by the venue owner, who required it. Fifteen minutes later, the agent's assistant told me that she could not guarantee that we would be issued a policy.

Not having a policy would mean we would have to cancel the event, with less than 24-hours notice. So I called another broker and asked him to try to get a policy in just 75 minutes (keeping in mind that the other broker had had over a week and could nor guarantee it). I had a very stressful hour and fifteen minutes, but, in the end, the first broker e-mailed me the certificate, with just 16 minutes until the offices closed.

Of course, I called the other agent to let him know that we would not need a policty from him, but he had just secured it (in barely an hour, total). He had done what I asked, and was required to pay for the policy, so I obviously could not leave him in the lurch. Neither policy could be cancelled, so I paid for them both.

Yes, I learned important lessons. Yes, I am sufficiently insured.

New Thing 233, New Thing Every Day: Use a URL Generator

For my new company I am launching at the October Startup Weekend (see yesterday's New Thing), I spent about a half hour trying to let an online URL generator come up with a name for me. In the end, I am using the one I cam up with myself in about 10 minutes. I get that some will think I am a simpleton, but I think we mostly should spend just a little time trying to think of a company name, and then just go with whatever you think is best, Give it a few weeks and it will grow on you; the same will be true for the buying public (with some exceptions, of course).

Here is the generator I trued to use -- https://www.namemesh.com/

New Thing 232, New Thing Every Day: Have a Business Idea to Create at Startup Weekend

Startup Weekend is an annual event where entrepreneurs, programmers, designers, and others all get together for an entire weekend and form teams to create entirely new companies from scratch. Pretty cool, huh? I have always meant to go, probably just to hang out, and have never made it. Today, I actually had a fairly fully developed idea for a new e-commerce business that I plan to create at Startup Weekend, October 6-8. I need to give it some more thought, but it complements what I am already doing and I really do think it is something that could make a big splash. Yes, I will tell you all about it in October. No, I will not give you a hint.

New Thing 231, New Thing Every Day: Read from the Talmud

The Talmud is the collection of ancient rabbinic writings on Jewish law and tradition (the Mishna and the Gemara) that constitute the basis of religious authority in Orthodox Judaism

Here is a link with lots of quotes -- http://www.quotes.net/authors/The+Talmud

New Thing 230, New Thing Every Day: See a Total Eclipse

Obviously, I do not need to say a lot about the fact that this was happening today. Here re some things I wrote down as it was happening.

1. I did not really care about seeing it, but ended up going to Columbia's big event, and it really was amazing.
2. There were some people with some incredibly cool telescopes.
3. Chamber folks were driving around with free glasses. Pretty cool.
4. There was a stage with excellent live music.
5. CVB did such a good job. Yay, Amy Schneider and team!
6. I ran into friends here and there.
7. The organizers really did a great job with accessible parking.
8. So glad the weather worked out.
9. Only downside is Leigh was not with me. Every moment is better when I get to share it with her.
10. An eclipse really must freak people out if they do not know what is happening.
11. My first sight of significant coverage really was surprising and amazing.
12. "It is getting darker..."
13. Someone let me know my iPhone works in an eclipse and will not get damaged. So I took pictures, but they are not cool without a solar filter.
14. There was some seriously freaky music playing from the stage at the end, kind of apocalyptic. Very appropriate and cool, though.

New Thing 229, New Thing Every Day: Do Two Wheelchair Laps on Cosmo Fitness Trail

For most of the year, as part of my project to get healthier, I have been exercising a decent amount. I lift weights M-W-F, and then I have been doing a lap around the fitness trail at Columbia's Cosmo Park most Saturday/Sundays (1.25 miles). Today, I finally bumped it up to two laps (2.5 miles).

Here are some things about it.

1. My original plan had been to work up to the two laps in another three weeks, but I got up this morning and decided to push myself (no pun intended) to do it today.
2. It looked like it would rain a little, and I almost skipped the track entirely, but I decided it would probably not rain a lot, and that a little bit would help me stay cool. It did work out that way.
3. When I first started, it took me 45 minutes to do a lap. Today, it took me 40 minutes/lap to do two.
4. Tom Trabue was doing a run and apparently does that regularly. He is looking great!
5. Yes, now I have to do two laps each Saturday and Sunday.
6. Next stop... three laps!

New Thing 228, New Thing EveryDay: Try Absinthe

Here is a great link about absinthe (excerpt below) -- http://www.gumbopages.com/food/beverages/absinthe.html

Absinthe is a strong herbal liqueur distilled with a great number of flavorful herbs like anise, licorice, hyssop, veronica, fennel, lemon balm, angelica and wormwood (the flavor of anise and/or licorice, at least in contemporary forms of the liquor, tends to predominate). Wormwood, the one that's gained the most notoriety, is Artemisia absinthum, an herb that grows wild in Europe and has been cultivated in the United States as well. Much of the liquor's legendary effect is due to its extremely high alcohol content, ranging from 50% to 75% (usually around 60%), plus the contribution of the various herbs. It has been assumed by many that the so-called "active ingredient" in absinthe is wormwood, although that is apparently not really the case.

****

As you can see in the picture, it was served with the traditional sugar cube and ice water, with the water in a special container that allowed me to drip-dissolve the sugar. I am not a big drinker so it was kind of yucky. So far, I am not hallucinating.

New Thing 227, New Thing Every Day: Contribute to the World Wildlife Fund

I don't see myself become a big WWF donor at any point, but they seem to be a pretty important organization, focusing mostly on saving endangered species. That sounds like a good thing, right? I realize that part of that is the natural way of things -- species rise and fall over the course of history -- but part of it is preventable and probably should be, especially when it comes to the cute ones.

New Thing 226, New Thing Every Day: Get Paid Back for a Kiva Loan

Remember back in January when I gave $25.00 through Kiva to a woman in Honduras, to help her start a business? Today I got the first installment to start repaying the loan, $8.41. Pretty cool, huh? I was able to leverage a very small amount of money to make a difference in a person's life, and now I am getting back for it. Wow.

New Thing 225, New Thing Every Day: Visit the UN Web Site

What I really need to do is visit the United Nations, but that is not going to happen tonight, so I am checking out the website. It is really pretty cool, with all kinds of information about their programs around the world. I definitely feel like I do not know quite enough about the United Nations, so I will spend more time with it.

www.un.org

New Thing 224, New Thing Every Day: Try Groupon

This one sort of counts and sort of doesn't. I went to Groupon, created an account, and bought something that seemed interesting (for 50% off). Then, I figured out that, in fact, I had not bought something, I had bought a certificate that would allow me to get something if I went to another site to buy it (where I would also have to pay for shipping). The whole thing seemed like too much of a hassle to me, so I got a refund. No more Groupon for me.

New Thing 223, New Thing Every Day: Make Homemade Vegan Almond Cheese

Just a few weeks ago, I had this totally delicious vegan almond "ricotta" that we bought at Clover's. It was totally delicious and I absolutely loved it, but it was also very, very expensive. Yesterday, it hit me that it would probably be pretty easy to make it myself, so I got on the Internet and found what looked like a great recipe.

If you are interested, here it is -- https://www.thespruce.com/homemade-almond-cheese-recipe-591548

Here are the key points:

• Soak almonds overnight in cold water.
• Put them in the food processor with olive oil, salt, lemon, and water. Blend until smooth.
• Squeeze out excess water with cheesecloth.
• Let sit in the refrigerator overnight, still wrapped in the cheesecloth.

I have done everything except the final sitting-overnight, and I am totally excited about tasting it tomorrow night (the tiny taste I had tonight was wonderful).

New Thing 222, New Thing Every Day: Really Watch a Sunrise

Sure, I have seen plenty of sunrises -- on camping trips, morning drives, taking morning walks in the neighborhood, and so on. Today is the first time, though, that I have really focused on one, watching it from the very beginning to fully risen (from the top of Garagezilla, one of Columbia's tallest structures). So beautiful, and the thing that surprised me was how quick it was. Every 10 seconds, there was a significant difference in how much the sun had risen, and it took maybe four minutes to go from "I think it is about to start" to completely above the horizon. Glad I did it (and, yes, "Really Watch a Sunset" is now on my list).

New Thing 221, New Thing Every Day: Eat at Eleven, at The Broadway Hotel

Leigh and I eat out maybe once a week or so, and we like good restaurants, so we have been pretty much everywhere. The only "nice" restaurant we had not been to was Eleven, so tonight we finally made it happen. They are doing such great things with The Broadway, and Leigh and I have had some excellent times there; it was good to finally try Eleven.