In an attempt to become more interesting people, Caitlin and I have decided to undertake a series of tasks over the next few months. We each came up with a number of these tasks (examples to follow momentarily), typed them up, and cut them out into little strips of paper much like what you would find inside of a fortune cookie. These slips, of which we estimate there are currently about fifty, were then placed into a coffee mug from which we can randomly select one as needed.
The point of these tasks is either to challenge us, to make us more worldly, or to just be generally fun and amusing. The following are examples of some of our options:
1. Learn to milk cows.
2. Take an adult education class.
3. Rollerblade the roughly forty miles to Purcellville.
4. Eat only red or yellow foods for an entire day.
5. Take salsa dance lessons at Habana Village in Adams Morgan.
6. Go sky diving.
7. Prepare a live lobster.
8. Throw a themed party for at least thirty guests.
9. Eat a live goldfish.
10. Have a sunrise picnic at Oatlands Plantation.
11. Build a campfire and roast marshmallows.
12. Complete the Chesapeake Bay Swim.
12. Participate in a charitable competition/event.
13. Go coon hunting in South Carolina.
14. Learn to play poker (well).
15. Cook Pad Thai from scratch and conduct a taste-test at work to see whose is better.
The list of options goes on, and as new ideas come to us, we plan to add those to the drawing as well. Each time we complete one task, we’ll select another. If appropriate, we may choose to undertake tasks simultaneously, such as reading a non-fiction book over a period of a few weeks, while also bicycling the WO&D; trail during a weekend. If weather or financial circumstances prevent a task from being completed, we will place that piece of paper back in the mug and draw another one. Finally, we will keep a written log detailing the completion of each task, and any major events that occurred during the process.
So today was our very first task: prepare an authentic Mexican dinner for our parents from scratch. As the plans for dinner unfolded, our guest list expanded to include both sets of parents, Paul, Caitlin’s sister, and her sister’s friend. The groceries alone for our dinner party set us back an astounding $80, and there was more than one occasion that we each suggested just getting carryout from Chipotle or Rio Grande.
However, in keeping with the requirements of our task, we prepared guacamole, roasted tomato salsa, tortilla soup, chayote and black beans, and chicken flautas. The entire planning/shopping/cooking process took us roughly five hours and used every dish and utensil in my parents’ kitchen, but in the end, the food was delicious and our guests seemed pleased.
Notable Moment: At one point in the evening, Caitlin’s sister mentioned to her friend the possibility that our task was not to prepare an authentic Mexican meal, but rather to food poison six people. For the record, that was NOT our goal, although I cannot promise it won’t happen.
Conclusion: I smell like I bathed in garlic, Caitlin is experiencing an allergic reaction from the chayote on her fingers, and our eyes are completely bloodshot from preparing too many onions. Cooking, while excitingly domestic, takes far too many dishes, dollars, and hours. It’s like redoing your roof: sure, you could do it yourself if you really wanted, but why not just pay somebody else to do it better? Next dinner party, we’re having it catered.