#5. Unshrinking Clothes

A few days ago, I threw a wool sweater through the laundry cycle. And it came out like this:

[Okay maybe not this small]

It was a pretty pricey sweater so I was reasonably upset (not really). But it was also a Christmas gift from my family, so I figured I should do something about it. It's a Gap sweater, make of that what you will.

I went online (thanks google!) and found a handy site that advised me to:

1. Soak the sweater in hot water.
2. Stretch the sweater using epic muscles.
3. ???
4. Profit!

And now my sweater is back to normal:

[But it still looks a little metrosexual, you know?]

It's not really a very dramatic 'new-thing-of-the-day' but I know lots of people have trouble with this sort of thing. To compensate for the short entry, on a related note, putting wet objects in a bowl of rice for a day will dry them miraculously. This is especially useful for the electronics you drop in the toilet when you're twittering about your latest bowel movement. Just pop the battery out, toss the disassembled device in a bowl of uncooked uncle ben's, cover it up and after a day, it should work.

#4. Dream Interpretation

Last night, I had a terrifying dream. This doesn't surprise me, because out of the rare times that I do dream, they're nearly always nightmares. I'm not sure whether that says something about my psychological makeup... but it probably does.

Anyways, last night, I was asleep, and in my dream I was in an argument with a friend. I don't know what I said, but he ended up punching me in the face (I probably deserved it). But when he did, he somehow ended up cracking one of my teeth. The tooth (it was a molar) split into four pieces, and I could feel the little shards of enamel on my tongue, the sharp, piercing pain of exposed nerves, and taste the metallic tinge of blood.

But don't worry. My teeth were fine when I woke up:

[Like hers, only a little better. On related note, this is what I nightmare about.]

When I woke up, I was so disturbed that I immediately went to my computer to check out if I was having some sort of prophetic vision, a psychotic episode, or both. Okay, I lay in bed for another 30 minutes alternating between hitting the snooze button and fantasizing about Transformers. But after that, I immediately got up and turned on my computer.

After trawling through pages of Google links advertising free dream interpretations by weirdos like fortune tellers, witches, and John Edwards, I finally stumbled across a site that didn't look too likely to infect my computer with lots of horse porn. Interestingly enough, according to [http://www.dreammoods.com/] there are three aspects to my dream that are "common" in nightmares: Teeth, fighting, and pain. No word yet on whether most of these people are permanent residents of the local mental institute.

Dreaming about rotting or decaying teeth signifies that my health or business may be in jeopardy. I'm too young to own a business, so I spent the day warily watching my back and panicking every time I felt a slight itch, or saw blood in my urine. But those things happen everyday, so I'm not too concerned.

As for fighting, I quote:

"To dream that you are in a fight, indicates inner turmoil. Some aspect of yourself is in conflict with another aspect of yourself. Perhaps an unresolved or unacknowledged part is fighting for its right to be heard. It may also parallel a fight or struggle that you are going through in your waking life."

Wow, how interesting. Looks like I'm conflicted and stifling a part of myself. Probably that nagging voice that thinks I should go see a doctor about the green rash on my body.

And finally, "to dream that you are in pain, signifies that you are being too hard on yourself". Wow! What a relief. I guess this means I should relax more often. Well, then, I'm off to the bar! Just kidding, I'm at work.

Now, the real 'new thing' I've started is a dream journal. I'll only be able to update it once a few months, because of the rarity of my dreams. However, it'd be interesting to map the frequency of my dreams, interpret them, and try to figure out if there's any lifestyle changes I need to make.

#3. Leg Jumping

Hey guys, this post is actually for yesterday (March 28th), because I was so busy doing new things I forgot to log on and tell you about them. Really.

Yesterday, I watched an episode of "Important Things with Demetri Martin," which is a hilarious show, and in one skit, he did something that blew my mind. He grabbed his ankle with the opposite hand, and then jumped through his hooped leg.

So, naturally, I tried to do it, and failed miserably. I had to grab hold of the kitchen counter to keep from falling:

[Pictures coming soon!]

But in the end, I somehow managed to do it, despite nearly knee-ing myself in the face numerous times. I think my next new thing should be to learn some first aid.

I'd like to point out that my challenge is to learn new things each day, and not necessarily marketable or important skills. Silly things like this are fun party tricks, or conversation starters (but usually enders).

#2. Finger Whistling

So you ever watch those old westerns where the cowboy hero calls his horse by sticking his fingers in his mouth and letting loose a shrill, piercing whistle? Or the half-naked fan at a sports game when the batter hits a home run? Or even that sketchy construction worker when a pretty girl walks past?

I searched Google, finder of all things, for instructions on how to finger whistle. It's true what they say: people who can whistle can't understand why others find it so hard, while those who can't are unable to believe how the human mouth can make a sound like that. I've never found normal whistling (through pursed lips) to be hard, so trying to finger whistle was definitely a new experience.

I found it easiest, after a day of practice, to lightly tough the tip of my tongue to my bottom lip, and then curl my lip inwards over my teeth. Then, I made an O with my fingers, like giving the OK gesture, and stuck my fingers in my mouth, just so the tips of my nails met the spot where my tongue touched my teeth. Then I pressed my top lip down over my fingers and blew.

It's not very loud yet, and it takes me a few tries to get it right, but I'm getting there. Now I just need to hang around outside bars and wolf whistle at all the ladies. You know, for practice.

#1. Introduction

Hey guys and gals,

I'm a 21-year-old university student with an insatiable hunger for spontaneity. I get restless when I sit for too long, twitchy when asked to pay attention, and downright upset when I find myself caught in a routine schedule.

So this is my attempt to fulfill that urge. You know the one, because you feel it too. The feeling that there's more to life than the office or a classroom. That there's more to learn, if you'd just reach out and take it. That there's a brand new day instead of the same old one.

Take a few seconds out of your day. Life isn't counted by calendar days, but by accomplishments and the little things that bring you that burst of exhiliration. So let's go. I promise that this'll be epic.

Justin S