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The Last 27 Days of Being 27: Becoming the Easter Bunny?

So something that I have never really experienced in my 27 years was the "magic" of creating a holiday for a child. I mean, I create holidays extravaganzas with and for my family all the time! But however, I have never been the "grown-up" who is in charge of, for example, putting out cookies for Santa (and then eating them on his behalf!) or sneaking a tooth out from under a pillow and replacing it with money (a la The Tooth Fairy). That all changed this year when my good friend Matt and I decided to have a good ole' fashioned Easter Egg Hunt with our 5th grade Sunday School class kids.



Part of being amateurs at this task is not knowing how much candy to buy (always buy more than you think you need, is what we learned!) and also to make sure that one hides eggs in a place that it "reachable" by a 4ft tall 5th grader. Moreover, it is imperative that the "Easter Bunny" remembers where he hid all of the loot--and how many eggs he hid as well!!! (Believe me, it is NOT fun to find a rotten Easter Egg, hidden in some obscure place, weeks AFTER easter--that DID happen at the Davis Casa one fateful year!) It is a completely different holiday experience when you are creating the magic FOR someone else instead of having it be created for you. Does that make sense? I remember my mom and dad just laughing and staring at us with such amusement and love while we put out cookies for Santa, hid our teeth for the Tooth Fairy, and hunted for eggs left by the Easter Bunny. I now know that there is a shift that takes place when you become a grown-up--and that it is just as fun and exciting to be on the opposite side of the festivities.



Matt and I had so much fun setting up races to find eggs, taking pictures of the kiddos, and of course, sneaking a fun size Snickers here and there. Now, I know that I am FAR FAR FAR away from my days of being a kid, but I am still in that weird in between place--not a kid and not a person who has kids--so I don't find myself having to "create the magic" all that often. However, this glimpse into what it will one day be like makes me really excited! Being the Easter Bunny can be really fun! (Hey Matt! Can I wear a rabbit costume next year???)

The Last 27 Days of Being 27: Celebrating Life: The Right Way

One of the best lessons that I have learned in my 27 years of life has been how to be a good friend. By watching the friendships that my parents have had has shown me the kind of friend that I should aspire to be and also the kinds of friendships I should try emulate with my friends. Today, we celebrated the life of one of the men who my parents have been friends with since middle and high school. Mike Hite was a very special man and I feel so lucky to have known him. Many of my earliest and most treasured memories include the Hite Family and all of our adventures we have had together. Mike's legacy will carry on through his wife, daughters, grandchildren, and friends.



The greatest adventure of all in life just might prove to be trying to be the kind of friend to others that you would want to have for yourself. My parents and their friends are these kinds of friends and I really hope that my friends and I can be like them one day--complete with camping trips to Yosemite, shared holidays, slumber parties, movie nights, and growing old together. We're on our way, my friends. You know who you are.

The Last 27 Days of Being 27: 21 Jump Street's Newest Cop = ME

I have a lot of friends who are teachers. But I only have one single solitary friend who is an Officer of the Law. He's a for real, legitimate, badge carrying Police Officer--and today he taught me how to shoot a gun. And let me tell you, it was AWESOME. I was kind of afraid at first, because if you would have seen the other people who were also "practicing" shooting their guns, you would have been worried about the safety of the general public as well. But, because I NOW have been properly trained on how to use a gun, I feel safer. Not that I'm going to start carrying a gun or anything absurd like that, but now I know what to expect and how it all works! So here's my adventure....if you direct your attention to the above photo, you will see the difference between MY aim and MARK'S aim...let me remind you, HE is a PROFESSIONAL--it's his job to be perfect. :)



Here's what I shot...there's something kind of weird about a gun just sitting on a kitchen table, right? It just doesn't seem kosher. Before Mark even let me touch the gun I had to learn the basics. What are these basics, you ask?

1. Don't put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot.

2. Don't point the gun at anything you're not absolutely 100% sure you are ready to kill.

3. Always point the gun downrange

4. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arms straight out, be surprised every time you pull the trigger

5. You're not allowed to wear your prom dress to the shooting range. (I'm pretty sure that was just Mark's rule after I told him that's what I wanted to wear, but the only other girl that was there was actually dressed like a man, so a prom dress would be totally inappropriate...I guess!)



We went to a shooting range in Artesia (who knew that was even there???) I got to wear ear protector thingies that blocked out the sound of the guns, a pair of protective eye glasses (so attractive), and my colored denim (duh!). This was my most favorite (and also most stressful) target to shoot at---Mark let me shoot like 175 rounds in total---and unfortunately if I would have really been in a hostage situation, I would have killed the hostage. Dang. Sorry Lady. Mark, of course, was able to shoot the guy right between the eyes...I don't know how he does it. Knowing him, he probably figured out the physics of it all and has calculated the trajectory of a bullet based off of wind speeds, etc. etc. etc. Such a nerd :) All in all, I did not do as badly as I expected myself to do. I actually hit the target and I think I took my Coach's critique of my form fairly well. AND, most importantly (as Mark says) I don't have any bad habits to break, so I can only get better!



You know, I am so fortunate to have so many awesome friends. Officer Caswell is good people. I know that I can count on him for ANYTHING---from birthday cake candles, to helping catch the stupid kid who stole my cell phone, to a rousing game of beer pong, to being willing to teach me (the most uncoordinated girl in the world, who should not be allowed anywhere near a firearm) how to shoot a gun. He's awesome and I really do feel safe knowing that he is out there "serving and protecting" (especially on Thursday's when he is the Officer on campus at Warren lol). Also, as my "Coach" for this adventure, he told me that I did "just as well as he expected me to do"....which I'm not sure if that means that I did badly and that's what he expected OR if I did okay and that's what he expected...hmmmm....



So, thank YOU Officer Caswell for indulging my gun adventure and fulfilling one of my 27 days of adventures. Miss Davis appreciates being the student and letting you be the teacher. You're the bomb.com.

The Last 27 Days of Being 27: Skate or Die, Dude

Just when I think I know someone, I realize that people are like onions: many many many layers. My dad, Phil Davis, is the most multi-layered onion of all! For reals. Upon my announcement that my challenge for the day was to pursue my dream of being a "skater chick", my dad said "Oh, I'll teach you, I used to skate all the time." For some reason, I had no idea that he knew how to do this. My mom was quick to corroborate his story, and voila! A mentor was born! The coolest thing about my dad is that as his job, he is Director for the Downey Unified School District (which means he is a boss of a lot of people), but he refuses to allow someone else to mow the lawn (he can do it best, he was a landscaper at one time in his life), he leads worship at church (he was a music major in college...NOT P.E. as many people would assume about him), he rides a Harley (such a bad-ass), and one of his favorite movies is "The Notebook" (such a softie). This man is an onion. And just when I think I know him, he takes off on a skateboard down the street. My dad is definitely cooler than yours. Hands down.



Check him out. He discouraged me from trying to learn how to skate because he knows (from years of experience) that I am probably one of the most uncoordinated people around. He told me "Don't fall, that's how I got this crack in my ass!" (such a comedian) He's so cool. For reals.



Watch out Tony Hawk! Big Phil is coming to dominate! (sidenote: my mom was FREAKING out the whole entire time this "lesson" was going on)



Every year, one of my summer goals is to learn how to ride a skateboard, and every year it does not happen. So, when I found this abandoned skateboard in Bear Alley at work (it was there for 3 days--finder's keeper's, right??) I knew that it was a SIGN. The time had come to me to learn to skate. Because I am extremely uncoordinated, I was very nervous to get on the board, but with the help of my dad (see below photos) I was able to {sort of} get my skate on.



Look at me go! My goal is seriously to be able to use a skateboard as a form of transportation. My friend Colleen Sharpe--who I went to high school and college with--is one of the coolest chicks I know and she knows how to skateboard (or at least she did!) and I always wanted to be like her. There is just something so awesome about a girl participating in what is usually a male-dominated activity, right? I eventually gave up trying to stand up and just sat down and rolled down the driveway :)



Lesson Learned:
1. Talk to your parents; they are full of secrets, information, life experiences, etc. that you might not otherwise know about if you don't ask them about themselves. I mean, who knew that my dad was a "skater-boy"?

2. Protective gear is no joke. I think if I had a helmet, I would be more daring. Note to self: buy a helmet.

3. Stop putting things off! Take the road less traveled. Be adventurous--it makes you more interesting--then when you're at a dinner party, you have more to talk about than what you do for a living (yawn....so boring!) Be the kind of person that you would like to have a conversation with.

The Last 27 Days of Being 27: Just Call me Alicia Keyes

A little known fact about me, Alison Elaine Davis, is that I took piano lessons for years as a kid and teenager from none other than my amazing Grandma, Diana Davis. It was like a rite of passage for Davis grandchildren--all of us were required to take SOME form of music lessons (all seven of the Davis grandchildren took piano lessons from 2nd grade and on with the exception of Wes. He's always been a rocker at heart, so he got to take guitar and drum lessons instead!) Joslyn actually was traumatized by about a year of "voice lessons" and learned how to play the harpsichord. I stuck to the piano. So, while this is not a "new" adventure, it IS a skill that I have let go by the wayside over the years and always say that I want to become better at again. And, there is no better time than the present...right?



Through the encouragement of my friend Adrian I decided that this year was the last year that I would spend SAYING that I was going to start playing again and I would actually start DOING. So, I went home and dug through all of the sheet music that my family has acquired over the years to find some of my old piano books. And find them I did! I was actually really excited to sit down and see what I could remember! I practiced some scales, and finger placements, and then delved into the books.


I was very excited to come across the sheet music for my favorite church hymn, "Be Thou My Vision", and I was even more excited when I was able to READ THE MUSIC AND PLAY IT!!! It IS true what they say "If you don't use it, you lose it"....I'm a but rusty, but it was so refreshing and actually very relaxing to sit down and play the piano for a little while. My mom even asked me to PLEASE come back and play again soon! Small sidenote: I am NOT amazing, I am NOT Beethoven, but I am good enough to not be bad! :)


Check out that posture! I could hear my Grandma's patient voice in my ear: encouraging me, reminding me not to pound on the keys, correcting my flats and sharps, telling me to keep my eyes on the music and not on my hands--she was SO PATIENT! As it is with many childhood/teenage experiences, I did not fully appreciate the time that I got to spend with my Grandma while I was in the middle of it--and I even admittedly dreaded piano lessons from time to time. Now, as an adult I can see that experience for how priceless it was; I got to spend 45 minutes of one on one time with my Grandma--and in my family, as the youngest granddaughter in a brood of 7 grandchildren, solitary face time with G-Ma was not in abundance. In retrospect, I think it was probably very special for her to be able to impart her musical abilities (and she is an extraordinarily talented musician/pianist--she still plays accompaniment for the church choir every Sunday!) upon her grandchildren.


That all being said, this one is for you Grandma. You rock. My favorite thing to do with you is STILL sitting on the piano bench, singing while you play, or playing a "Heart and Soul" duet. What a lucky girl I am to have this ability--she taught me how to read music, to be able to tell when something was too sharp or too flat, to sit up straight on the piano bench, and to embrace my musical abilities. This is not something that many people have, but they often desire, and I got it for free, from my Grandma--all she asked for in return was hugs and kisses as her payment. I love you Grandma! And, just for you, I promise that I will endeavor to go home and play the piano at least once a week for 45 minutes. I know it's not a lot, but it's a start--and maybe next year for my last 28 days of being 28, I can play in a recital or something??? We shall see!

The Last 27 Days of Being 27: Origami and TWINS!

Today was the day of ORIGAMI and TWINS!!! I learned how to make origami from my trusty side-kick, Mr. Justin Edward Muller (he says "Like, you know how there are like Level 4 difficulties in sudoku? Well, I was like a level 4 Origami maker back in the day"....and hang on one sec...let me send out the NERD ALERT! I kid, I kid. You're the bomb.com J-Mull) Also, two very speical babies were welcomed into my life because my best friend forever, Renee Michele Johnson, gave birth to twin babies--a boy and a girl--Luke Matthew and Paige Helen! I don't think that it is psossible for my heart to be more full of love than it is right now.


Here they are: Luke Matthew Johnson and Paige Helen Johnson. they are loved and adored by many (especially Auntie Ali)! A big huge ginormous CONGRATULATIONS goes out to Pat and Renee and big sister Bailey Marie. The babies are so lucky to be welcomed into a family like yours. As I always say, Renee and Pat ROCK at being parents (for reals) and they have this unique ability to be awesome parents, but to still be so much fun! They are never too busy to help other people and I know that everyone in the Scott Valley is going to be loving them and taking care of them and doing everything that I wish I could be doing! I can't wait to meet you Paige and Luke!


Our first attempt at an origami rose was REALLY hard. I have to admit that I was growing a little frustrated because I don't often come across things that are too difficult for me--and this was so difficult and I just could NOT figure it out! I wanted to stop, but Justin wouldn't let me (what a good friend, right? He just wants me to accomplish my goal of 27 adventures!) And, let me tell you friends, he was not lying when he said he was "good" at this stuff. I'm not saying he should quit his job and become a full-time origami maker, but he's pretty stellar at this. I think it's because he's so patient--that's one of his greatest qualities in my opinion and I really admire that about him. I'm just sayin'!


I sort of gave up and looked up another "rose" pattern to fold and it gave me this UGLY finished product. NOT as crazy amazing as I thought it was going to be. But, this was only my first time doing this, remember? And also, things get better...I was able to make the COOLEST THING EVER~ keep reading.....


Look at all my finished stuff that I made! The best thing that I made was the traditional origami "crane"...see it is blue paper below! I literally almost cried when I finished it and it turned out nearly perfect! It is definitely the one creation that I am proud of and would like to continue trying to perfect!


As you may have noticed, many of my blogs also include me interacting with another person...this is another key element to the success of my "Project 27". The key is to find people who do something that I want to do and then convince them to take me along and let me play! Hence, hammer throwing with Vince, batting cages with Scott, Nickel-Nickel with Justin---you get the idea. I love my friends and I am having a great time. I like to think that people enjoy when someone asks them to explain or teach them how to do something that they are good at...so, if I ask you to do something with me, it's just because I think you are amazing and I want to be the "celebrity apprentice" to your "Donald Trump". Comprende?

The Last 27 Days of Being 27: Hey Batter Batter Batter Batterrrrr!!!!

You may or may not know that I played ONE SINGLE SOLITARY GLORIOUS season of softball (Downey Ponytail to be exact) waaaaaaay back when. Well, as one can imagine, because I decided to "pick up" a sport at such a late age (6th grade), everyone else was better than me. I probably played a total of 3 innings the entire season and I don't think that I ever actually hit the ball. As an adult, I was famously overlooked for the faculty softball team due to my lack of skill, and as you can totally tell, I am 100% over it! Hahah :) But seriously, in my endeavor to become a more well-rounded 27/28 year old, I decided that the time had come for me to get back on the field---or the cage in this case. I grabbed my pal Scott--who LOVES baseball--and we headed over to All Star Park in Bellflower.



Here he is: Coach Scott. Even though at first he acted like he wasn't going to have fun and that he thought this was so ridiculous, by the end of the evening HE was thanking ME for asking him to take me to do this :) I'm so good. Scott showed me some "stances", some "swings", and how to figure out where I should stand next to the plate (I sound so official, right?)


We started off at the 50mph cage and then eventually moved over to the 60mph cage. Watch out! Check out my stance....I'm a natural--Coach Scott told me so! Coach Scott kept yelling things like: "Keep your eye on the ball!", "That's not your pitch!", and "Stop lunging for the ball!"...and I was taken right back to being the worst player on my 12 year old pony-tail team. The difference? This time I was having fun and my coach did not have a mullet and cigarette hanging from his lips. :)


Coach Scott and I had a nice talk about why I am doing this--I kept mentioning some of my possible adventures that I will be having in the upcoming weeks and he told me--more than once, "Oh that's not THAT fun" about one of my challenges or another--and here's the thing people: the whole point of this challenge is so that I can say, FROM EXPERIENCE, that something is "Not that fun"...I don't want to just take someones word on it. Does that make sense? The batting cages were most definitely fun and I would love to go back again sometime.


Sidenote: All of the these things that I am doing would, coincidentally, be really fun dates! So, boys take note: the best kinds of dates are the ones that are organic--do something that you think is fun, don't overthink or overplan or try to be overly impressive. The right kind of girl will appreciate similar things to you. If a boy took me to the batting cages and out for a beer on a first date, I would definitely go on a second date with him! Oh! And P.S. "group food" aka sushi, Thai, etc...where you have to work as a team to order and share and eat...always fun as well! :)

Cheers to the Last 27 Days of Being 27!

The Last 27 Days of Being 27: 2012 Olympics--Here I Come!

When I was in high school and college, the most athletic thing I did was "social walking" at the YMCA and the occasional peer-pressure induced spin class at Bally's with Brittany. So, since I have NEVER done anything even remotely like what I did today, I HAD SO MUCH FUN! I learned how to "throw the hammer", which--for anyone who is not acquainted with track and field events--is an 8 pound ball (for girls) or a 16 pound ball (for boys) attached to a wire and you swing it around and around and then spin and throw it! Crazy! Read on to see how my adventure for the day unfolded! (Also, I learned that if you stick your tongue out and bite it, you can throw further LOL...see below photo!)



My good friend, Vince Huitt, took on the task of being my Coach for the day. I had a lot of fun and Vince was really patient--I know that I am not the most coordinated human being in the world, so it was no small feat teaching me how to throw this thing. Vince is awesome and he goes to school at Cal Poly Pomona and is currently improving his throwing distances with the hopes of qualifying to go to the 2012 Olympic trials. I can't wait to say that I know an Olympic athlete--because I KNOW that he is going to accomplish his goals .


Check him out! He's buff, he's tough, and he can throw this freaking thing SO FAR! It's seriously crazy!


I love any sport or activity that has "swag" (as the kids say these days) aka this AWESOME glove-situation. When I asked Vince what I should wear to "throw", he told me tights and a crop top---so this was my compromise. :)


Honestly people, I was surprised (and I think Coach Vince was as well) with the fact that I did not do TOO badly. Really! He says I was a "good student" (that's a direct quote, my friends!) Vince says that I looked like a real "thrower" with my crazy pony-tail and "serious calves"....neither of those things sound too promising, but all the same I'm pretty sure he meant them as a compliment :) (Right, Vince??)


So what I learned today with my adventure is that something that looks really difficult is not AS difficult as I thought and with the proper coaching (Thanks Coach Vince!) anything is possible! I think that with practice and dedication, I could get better! We'll see what happens :)