IKEA, Guinness Beef Stew, and a 1920’s German Orchestra

I seem to have an natural spirit that is always searching out and experiencing new opportunities even if I don’t really actively look for them.

You can either get comfortable in your everyday routine, or you can consistently step out of your comfort zone, even if it means something small like trying a new recipe. And once you’ve done it enough, it starts to come naturally.

That’s what I learned this week:
Trying new things has become so second nature that I don’t even realize I’m trying something new.

Routine is comforting. But change is thrilling.

All in all, week 3 brought lucky number 3.

Lucky because we gallivanted (or should I say stumbled) around in green this weekend for an all day Celtic bar crawl complete with leprechauns handing out chocolate gold coins?

Nah, this is definitely not my first go-around at a bar crawl, so that’s out of the count.

Well the week didn’t start out so lucky…

My friends and co-workers have been giving me ideas for new things to try. And the beginning of this week it started to seem as though almost everything they said, I’ve already done. Go scuba diving, shoot a gun, ride an elephant, try eating alligator…

How could this happen already, and I’m only on week 3?! What the heck did I get myself into? I’ve already tried so many wildly different things in my life so far, how am I going to find a brand new thing each week?

But it turned out that luck was on my side and I didn’t have to look hard to find not one, but THREE new things to experience:

I saw the Max Raabe & Palast Orchester perform live:

I felt like I was watching a live performance of a radio show in 1920’s Germany. The blonde haired lead in front of his big band from Berlin, was wearing an old tailed tuxedo that made his arms look longer than his legs. And for the size of his head…his shoulders were really small. I chuckled to myself when I came to the realization that he actually kind of looked like a pin.

I should probably tell you that I’m a part-time usher for a very unique performance venue in the mushroom capital of the world (you’ll get points if you can guess where). So my nights can sometimes be occupied by working some really eclectic and different performances.

What’s the best thing about working these concerts, you ask? I get to stare at people in the audience and it’s not deemed as socially awkward. It’s the ultimate people-watching job.

The lead blonde had a little bit of a creepy air to him and he never cracked a smile. I just wouldn’t want to find him lurking in the shadows of some of old castle in Germany. Maybe he does that in his free time..

I cooked a surprisingly delicious Guinness beef stew:

And I even had 2 dinner guests to share in my excitement! I have the tendency to try new recipes all the time, and about 40% of the time…they go horribly wrong. Guess you can’t go wrong with Guinness.

I experienced IKEA for the first time:

This place is a straight up amusement park for people who don’t want to spend big bucks on furniture. It. Was. Awesome.

The only things that would make IKEA better are balloon animals and those moving airport walkways.

We did walk away with an eclectic variety of items…a whiskey glass, a package of chip clips, elk shaped pasta, a jump rope, and (oh that’s what I came here to get) a bookshelf. Or as told in pictures…