Living on $100 for 10 days: DAY #2

It is too late (currently 10:26pm) for me to write a lengthy blog about Day #2, and thankfully, it was a quiet and nearly uneventful day.  Have no fear, I will provide some of the highlights, and to be sure, I will share how I spent the first of my $100.  Nooooo!  Relax - it was inevitable.

Breakfast
I continued with my breakfast routine again this morning and had a big bowl of tasty Cheerios with milk and a cup of coffee - of course.  I am now eyeing that damn bag of Starbucks coffee because with each morning's percolator, it is also another day closer to dropping some of my loot.  Alas, the day is coming, and sooner than I probably realize.

Lunch
I packed my lunch today, and I was so much happier since the pizza for lunch yesterday left me craving for more and starving at dinner time.  I made my famous homemade roast beef and swiss sandwich with iceberg lettuce and mustard on rye bread. I also packed carrots, chips and a half of an orange--peeled and sliced, of course.  It's the only way to eat an orange at work--leave the mess and the random quirts of juice for your kitchen!

Shortly after lunch, I had a pleasant surprise delivered to my office, which I brought How did I get a piece of art delivered to my office, and for less than $100?  Oh, let me tell you!

A few months ago, my wonderfully creative and artistic mother participated in a long weekend art retreat with a group of other artists where they learned the styles and techniques from the very accomplished artist Flora Bowley (check out the video on her website - it captures her style and some of her techniques and is amaaaazing).  After the participants spent painted a large canvas using Flora's style and guidance, they lined up their canvases and each of the participants picked one that was not theirs.

According to my mom, she ended up with one of the best from the retreat, and after she brought it home and had time to talk with her husband about whether they were going to hang it in one of their homes, they decided against it.  So shortly after, she asked me if I would like it for my apartment, and after all I knew about her time at the retreat, the artist she worked with during this class, and all the talk about how she got the best one, I immediately said yes for the chance to have it for my own.  And now, I'd like to consider myself the incredibly lucky owner of a very new piece of art for my apartment:

Happy Hour
Well, Happy Hour did not actually happen during the happy hours, but I still had an evening event at 7pm, so I scarfed down some quick food I had in my refrigerator (I am definitely making a nice dinner soon - enough leftovers!) and headed there after hanging my painting while eating my leftovers and being completely captivated by what is now on my wall.

Now, as you'll recall, I said I spent the first of my $100 today, and that is a fact because I needed to take the Metro to my meeting (I serve on this Steering Committee for a huge annual DC alumni event for 1500 alum each year called University Row).  Once I reached the nearest Metro station to board the train, I immediately realized my SmartTrip card balance was too low for the trip, so I was forced to add $5 to me $3.15 balance in order to get round trip covered.

Dinner
Instead of coming home after my meeting at 9pm, I tried to make a little progress on my painting to not neglect it, and since I am at a point where I am painting small one inch squares in the blanks strips between the shapes, it was much easier to move it to my kitchen table.  Here's the small progress I made tonight to prepare the blank tracks for some paint, and the last time I did this, I didn't use tape, so taping them should make it go much faster:

Alas, I am exhausted, and we have our annual conference for the next two full days at work, so although there will be loads of free meals (yay!), they will also be two very long days ahead. 

Speaking of long days, I now have $95 and eight full days left!  Stay tuned for Day #3's recap tomorrow!

Living on $100 for 10 days: DAY #1

The first full day of my challenge is now over.  I am home for the night, and I still have my original $100.  Win!!  I will be honest with you, it is only Monday and its the first day of my challenge, so my motivation is at its highest possible level.  I did, however, tempt my spending fate a few times!  What follows is a short recap of where I could have (but didn't!) spent mah money:

Breakfast
It is important to point out that I refuse to get or eat breakfast on my walk to work.  I enjoy my morning routine--sitting in my kitchen nook, eating my breakfast, and people watching.  If the people watching becomes boring, I usually settle with reading the news or a magazine, and when you have a subscription to New York Magazine, it is so much harder to keep the morning routine to just eating breakfast..

I eat one of the simplest breakfasts (but really, it is a pretty standard breakfast for any single bachelor): a full bowl of regular Cheerios with skim milk along with a large glass of skim milk with ice.  This morning, I also made a percolator of coffee, and I immediately realized as I made it that it will be my morning coffee that will be the end of my inexpensive mornings because I will inevitably run out of coffee - soon - and since I must have my morning coffee, I will be spending some of my cherished $100 on that before these ten days are up.  Damn addictions.

Lunch
Today, I was pretty lucky at lunch because I did not need to pack my lunch, therefore saving my stash of lunch food (roast beef, swiss and rye bread, carrots, chips and fruit -- soon enough I'll be eating this sexy brown bag lunch).

The organization I work for is hosting its annual conference this week, so I spent a majority of my morning with the others on our staff preparing materials for the conference participants.  As a thank you, my organization treated everyone with pizza and salad for lunch.  This felt like a really good start to the next ten days as it was the first big save--from depleting my lunch food stash, or even better, preventing me from spending $5-8 on sub-par lunch from a food truck or a Potbelly sandwich.

I still think I tempted fate here a little bit because, for how hungry I was today at lunch, I assumed I would be full from two small slices and a side salad.  But after my free lunch, I also remembered that I have 9.5 days left to live on $100, so I managed to tough it out.  Plus, I had no reason to complain when I started the day off with two meals and had spent no money!

Happy Hour
I know what you're probably thinking - why on Earth during a challenge to live on $100 for ten days would I try to fit in some damn happy hours??  Stupid, right?  Well, you gotta live a little, push the envelope more than once in a while and tempt fate.  I agree with what you're likely thinking, that starting the first day of my challenge by going to a happy hour was not a wise decision.  Nevertheless - I did.  And, I had one drink (amazing self control, thank you), which was a very tasty Hot Hazelnut Toddy from A&D Neighborhood Bar.

And the best part?  My new friend Leigh was so kind to pay for my drink at the bar, and I didn't even bring up my challenge.  She simply thanked me for the hour conversation and my advice/suggestions, and delightfully offered to buy my Toddy.  I definitely owe her an email, and need to put some time and thought and sincerity into what I'll send her (re: job search, DC nonprofit scene, etc.), but I think the bigger point is that not all HHs need to end with a $40 tab!

And if you're reading this, Leigh, thank you for my drink.

Dinner
Alas, I left the happy hour around 7pm to come home for a light dinner alone, which was hard because everything looked so mouth-wateringly good on A&D's new food menu, so I will indeed be back there in 10 long days!

After settling in at home, following an 8pm telephone meeting, I found the last of some weekend leftovers and have now found myself completely entertained with the next steps on my painting.  As promised, here's the update:

Living on $100 for 10 days

In an effort to blog more this year, I am sharing what I am thinking and doing in life (for the first, see Seven Layer Dip for Super Bowl Sunday), so to continue, I have set another challenge for myself: to live on $100 for 10 straight days.

Why?  Well, it is a challenge, and who does not like a good challenge?  But in all seriousness, I would like to try as hard as I possibly can (for just 10 days, mind you) to save for a 10 day trip I have planned in two months.

Basically, I am sacrificing 10 days of living in DC now to save for 10 days in the future, where I will enjoy beautiful, sunny California and the red rocks of Sedona.  It is a pretty good trade-off, don't you think?  Plus, it gives me something interesting to do for 10 days as well as something interesting to blog about.  Are we not here to make things in life interesting?

So here is my plan: starting on Monday, February 4 (the day after the Super Bowl), I will live on $100 for ten straight days.  I will chronicle each day of my challenge as well as share how I have spent the money pictured above.

Although I begin this challenge with a refrigerator and pantry full of groceries, I would have done that anyway, so relax.  The underlying feature to this challenge is to share how I live for 10 days--in an effort to be very conscious about what I spend so I save for my trip out west.  I am sure you have all done something similar, and living on $100 in 10 days might seem like a luxury?  I will save you the details about how it really is not a luxury and more of a challenge because the cost of living in DC is a bit higher than other cities in the USA...

So, my dear readers, have I interested you in following me on this challenge?  If not, I will add another layer of my challenge to entice you just a bit more...

I am also currently working on a painting, which will cover this massive canvas I found by my apartment complex's dumpster one afternoon (along with a gallon bucket of Gesso - win!).  This canvas once had a painting of a very awkwardly-looking naked person (yeah - I wish I had a picture of it, too), but I recently used the massive bucket of Gesso to paint over that ugly thing of a portrait.  

I have made some really good progress so far, and as you know, painting in my apartment is an incredibly cost-effective way of spending my nights and weekends, and it is perfect timing for this 10 day challenge.  So, with each new post for my "Living on $100 for 10 days" challenge, I will also provide a pictorial update of the painting's progress, with the hope of finishing it by February 13 (Day 10 of the challenge).  To catch you up on the progress thus far, which has occurred in the last 30 days, here are a few pictures:

On Monday night, visit The Dandygram again to read the first of a 10-post series on "Living on $100 for 10 days!"  Now go, enjoy your weekend and the Super Bowl, and of course, root for those San Francisco 49ers!!

Seven Layer Dip for Super Bowl Sunday 2013

For Super Bowl Sunday, I am determined to make the best Seven Layer Dip my friends have ever had, so I scoured websites for a while, read comments about the adjustments people suggested, and I have come up with a damn good recipe, which will also incorporate numerous techniques from the comments below (just like a Peyton Manning audible!).  

Servings

• 9x13 inch serving tray
• 2 pounds ground beef
• One package of taco seasoning
• 2 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 4 cups shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 2 cup guacamole
• 2 cup salsa
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can black olives, chopped
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped green onions

Directions

In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Set aside to drain and cool to room temperature.  Add one package of taco seasoning and a half cup of water and mix, with heating, until meat is coated.

Then, make these seven layers:

1. Spread the beans into the bottom of a 9x13 inch serving tray that is about 1 1/2 inches deep.
2. Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheese on top of beans.
3. Sprinkle beef on top of cheese.
4. Spread sour cream very slowly on top of beef.
5. Spread guacamole on top of sour cream.
6. Pour salsa over guacamole and spread evenly.
7. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese, black olives, tomatoes, and green onions on top.

Serve this dish immediately, or refrigerate it over night and serve cold. I think it tastes better at room temperature.

Comments for considerable improvements:

“Brown your beef with a packet of taco seasoning (no water), 1.5 tbs of cumin, 1 tsp of chili powder 1 tsp of garlic and 2 tbs of dried minced onion. Added finely chopped cilantro with the black olives, tomatoes and green onions. Mixture of pepperjack and cheddar cheese gave the dip more complexity than straight cheddar! Superb flavor!!!”

“I substituted cream cheese for half of the sour cream, used a packet of taco seasoning in the beef, and another packet in the sour cream / cream cheese mixture. A half cup or so of canned sliced jalapenos as layer #8 makes this a lot better. If you like guacamole, use about twice as much, because the recommended amount isn't enough to even spread out to make a whole layer.”

“I omitted the guacamole and upped the sour cream to 16 oz. Added 2 TBS of taco seasoning to sour cream. Thanks!”

“Apply the meat while its still hot so it melts into the first cheese layer and really meshes. I also agree that seasoning the meat is the best way to go whether it be with taco seasoning or your own personal spices. Only other thing I love to do is to take all the veggies (tomatoes, olives, and green onions) and dice together well to create a beautiful and tasty mixed layer. You can either take it and apply it on top as instructed or what I like to do sometimes is whisk it into the sour cream to create a more creamy vegetable layer to use underneath top top cheese layer.”

--

I hope this Dandygram helps all the other people looking to bring the best dish you can possibly bring to a Super Bowl Party, but more importantly, I've been getting the bug to blog again (as well as being bugged), so this is just a preview for what's in store for 2013.  

Oh, and I've been painting a lot more lately.  And I am back on Twitter (@trevorsparks).  So there's that.  

Futile subtleties? I 'hope' not.

Since moving to DC - the undisputed epicenter of U.S. politics - I would be remiss if I didn't send a follow-up to my 2008 election-season email, which if you remember, was a simple effort to encourage the recipients to go out and vote, and not particularly one way or another, but just to exercise their right to vote.  

I did that for a variety of reasons, but mostly, I sent that email because for six years prior to sending it, I defended (and now, so does my sister Erin) our right to vote.  I am fairly certain none of you need(ed) convincing from me, but I would be ashamed to know that you did not exercise that right in 2008, so please don't let me down next Tuesday.

For my follow up this year (and what an incredible year it has been!), I'd like to preface it by first stating that I sincerely understand and truly support the difference in opinions going into this upcoming election.  Sure, that probably sounds all fine and dandy, but let me explain why..

In the last four years, I've talked with so many of you about politics--local, state, federal and international--and what I've found to be most common during the election season is that people can't understand why someone would vote as a conservative (for Romney) or as a liberal (for Obama) if there isn't a resounding reason for doing so. 

Now I'll admit, I'm a registered Independent, which basically means I vote issue by issue, candidate by candidate, and I don't proscribe to party politics.  If I was registered to vote in a state, however, I'd give up my right to vote in the primaries, but in DC, we don't vote in primary elections, so registering as an Independent is safe (and smart).  Otherwise, I would truly be giving up some of the benefits of voting, which I will never do.

Your voice is true power, and in U.S. politics, your vote--at the minimum--is your voice.

Anyway, getting back to my original point.  The single greatest reason why so many people agree to disagree during the general election season is because they can't seem to figure out why people would vote for their candidate.  Why?  It is because people just don't want to take time to listen to the reasons why someone would vote for the opposition.  That is basically it, and that, to me, is the sign of an ignorant voter.  

As I stated above, "I sincerely understand and truly support the difference in opinions going into this upcoming election."  Well, I still do, but what I didn't say was that comes with a caveat because I can only "sincerely understand and truly support the difference in opinions" when you express them.

Personally, I wouldn't want to vote knowing I hadn't heard from those closest to me about how they will vote.  Granted, I don't need to be convinced to vote, duh.  But, I would be delighted to learn more about why you think your candidate would make the better president.  

Call me undecided.  Call me easily persuaded.  I tell you what I call it: Being open until calling it actually counts: Election Day 2012.  

That's the day you make the decision.  Up until that point, be an open book!  And like they say, don't judge a book by its cover, so be willing to hear arguments.  Be willing to listen to complaints.  Make the candidates work for your vote because once they get it, it's a whole different story.  

Your vote puts them where they need to be to carry through on their promises (or not), so make sure you get all the information before you cast your coveted vote.

Most importantly, be willing to listen to reason.  

To that point, I recently came across an interesting source for why people will be voting for Obama.  Take it with a grain of salt (salt takers, see #43 and #61), but I think you'll each find someone you relate to from the 80+ people listed on the website, "90 Days, 90 Reasons," which can be found here:

http://90days90reasons.com/index.php

Without going into detail about the site (it really is self-explanatory), I will say that more than 80 people have publicly stated on this website their reason for voting for Obama.  

The simple thought of this website will be something many of you overlook, cast aside or just plain scoff at, but I urge each of you to take a moment to peruse the names and find someone you recognize, respect and/or relate to, read their reason and then draw your own conclusion.  By doing that, you've at least acknowledged my ask for 2012: Don't just vote, educate yourself on the issues, the candidates and why people you love, respect and admire vote the way they do.  Then vote.  

Get educated, get registered and go vote.  In that order.  Please.

Signed,

Trevor Sparks

P.S.  For all you Obama supporters, I suggest using a friendly and fun website as your ammo in the days to come.  It can be found here.

Making East Coast Friends...

I moved to the East Coast six months ago, and since arriving, I've spent most of my free time making new friends.  It's what I do.  I go out.  I network.  I meet people.  I introduce myself to complete strangers.  I become new friends with my friends' friends.  Heck, I even joined a kickball team, and of course, I go to the happy hours.  You get the point..

From all this social activity, I've honestly and proudly made friends with other twenty-somethings who have also settled and now live in DC.  These new friends hail from the Midwest, the Southwest, the South and even from so far as the West Coast (all places I've also lived), but also those who have been here from the beginning--and are still here--the "East Coasters."  This bunch, however, has been the most difficult to befriend, but why?

Without a doubt, the East Coasters maintain an "air of reservation," which I have come to understand.  Perhaps, East Coasters might lack some trust for those of us who subscribed to Manifest Destiny (but there is something to be said about the fact we all say "go back East" and "head out West").  The simple fact that East Coasters are the most difficult of all Americans to warm up to and befriend, from my experience, unequivocally stems from the reasons derived from these observations:

First, East Coasters are more reserved.  They let on much less (and a lot less at first) to new people, friends and strangers.  Therefore, it takes longer to really get to know them, and they also reserve much more about who they are, what they do and who they know.  Maybe this is because they have larger and more numerous circles of friends, but it might also have to do with old money: how far back their families go into America's history and how politically, socially, and/or financially connected their namesake might be (and don't even begin to ask about their family's coat of arms).  Nevertheless, those who have lived on the East Coast their whole lives, along with their parents, grandparents, and their grandparents' parents (who were probably Pilgrims) just don't warm up very easily.  I've even experienced this with women dating back to my very first girlfriend in high school (who was from Middletown, NY) to the more recent pursuit with a wonderful East Coast woman.  I've also experienced this with new East Coast guy friends who look at me strangely when I make commitments early, easily, or tell them I can do this or that without thinking through it all for more than a moment.  It's fair I get those looks from my East Coast buddies, and to be honest, West Coasters are synonymous with flakiness.  This I know.

Second, East Coasters are just busier, and their busyness largely results from allowing an insurmountable amount of nightly and weekly events onto their plates (which I have also started to do..).  Yet, it also has to do with making decisions about where they go and what they do in their free time a bit more carefully.  From what I've collected in the last six months, it takes a lot more vetting from an East Coaster before they commit to (let alone attend) an event, get-together, happy hour, etc.  Trust me, I've tried them on all fronts--from happy hours to fundraisers, dinners to visiting local art galleries.  It just takes more persistance, more eagerness, and you must always be honest with them, both about what to expect, but more importantly, who will be there.  East Coasters will always fulfill their commitments, which is in stark contrast to West Coasters (sorry, I had to go there), but it also takes a lot more to get their commitment.  In DC, this is more of a commonality than anywhere else because, (I mean, come on) it's DC, so you never know who's going to be out where you're going or who that stranger might know--about you, your organization, your boss or your coworkers while you're out doing your thing.  Thus, East Coasters are more reserved (see #1 above).

Third, East Coasters are more selective, but please, allow me to explain this before my East Coast friends take offense.  By this point, I simply mean that East Coasters allow a much smaller spectrum of West Coast's (et al.) fashion, style, dialects, lingo, slang, and demeanor into their diaspora.  Although the East Coast can stake their claim in the moon of style and fashion (Manhattan), and the various movements across the nation either spur from the East Coast or just plainly do not survive (read: Ed Hardy and tribal  tattoos).  Basically, most of what bleeds TMZ is really a recipe for disaster amongst the East Coast high crust/brow.  As well, East Coasters' appreciation for tradition (but not traditional), and their preservation of continuity is instrumental to their selectivity, which exists.

Fourth and finally, East Coasters have more depth.  I know I'll catch a lot of shit from some Cali friends about this, but if you read this post, you'll understand my claim..  In no specific order, East Coasters create better invitations, write more meaningful emails, leave lengthier voicemails, entertain thoughts longer, delve deeper into the emotions one feels, stay out later or longer (and to make sure you're home safe), tell you their thoughts without sacrificing their emotions, and they get straight to the point on matters.  Does this all come from their mutual concern for not letting on to others as easily and being more selective?  I think that truly plays a big part, but I also think that this nation has a melting pot of truly different people who are a conglomerate of their whereabouts.

In conclusion, I've merely tried to note a few of the qualitative differences between the people I've grown to know from living in the different parts of the nation.  My basic premise was that East Coasters have been the most difficult to befriend, and this feeling hasn't changed in the course of writing this post, but one thing is for sure, the sustainability of friendship with the few East Coasters I have made (and cherish) are unprecedented friendships.  They've not been fair-weather friends, they've given the best advice, and they've truly been there.

Night and day, I'm becoming more and more an East Coaster: more reserved, busier, more selective, and a deeper human being.  I've also been committing more of myself to the relationships I currently have (both here and afar), creating lasting friendships but also making inroads for a way of life that might soon proscribe to what's above.  However, I can only culminate as an East Coaster from my upbringing in the Midwest (Indiana), Southwest (Arizona), the South (Texas), and the West Coast (California), but never in spite of this whatsoever...

...who can relate?

For the Sake of Men this Movember.

It's not uncommon that I support causes.  It's also not uncommon that I've joined causes, ones that are bigger than myself and claim the lives of others.  So you shouldn't be surprised to read this Dandygram about what the next one is all about...

Moustache Season--better known as Movember--is upon us, and you all can be damn sure I've registered myself this year.  In fact, I've gotten other great guys and gals to register for Movember where we'll embrace the hair of the wild.

Basically, I've pledged to cultivate a genuine, 100% face grown moustache for the entire month of November.  Why, you ask?  To raise awareness and funds for men's health, specifically cancers affecting men.  To start this month, I have sent emails to my DC Mo Bros, Mo Sistas, and am now dedicating this Dandygram to it, too.  More importantly, I would like to ask you, my trusty and fearless readers, to join me by signing up or donating or growing a moustache or being a Mo Sista or just simply encouraging the men in your life to think about our health.  Together, we can change the face of men's health and do it in a thoughtful, fun way.  

Before I get more into what the Movember movement is all about, here are some cold, hard facts and a very personal story to put my involvement into better context:

Did you know that 1 in 6 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime?  True story.  Also, 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.  Thirteen million adult men over the age of 20 in the United States have diabetes--and a third don't even know it.  One in eight men who suffer from mental illness actually seek help, and finally, a third of the 571,950 cancer deaths expected to occur in 2011 will be related to obesity, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and thus could be prevented.  Those are just the cold, hard facts of the matter.  Now, here is my personal story and the reason for my involvement this particular year:

During August 2011, my stepdad was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  He became one of the six who get diagnosed.  After a colonoscopy, a tumor was detected--and buried--in the transverse (horizontal) section of his colon and very close to his spleen.  Ligaments hold the colon in place there, so the doctor had to cut out a major part of that section and re-attach the pieces.  In all, he had about 14 inches removed from his lower intestine and now has a gnarly scar.  Presently, he is days away from going in for a second opinion to discover whether he will undergo chemotherapy.  He is just one.  One story of the millions of affected men, but he's the one that has made this month personal for me.

My dear readers - as more people (men and women both) become involved in Movember, more lives will be impacted.  It's plain and simple, but with a hairy twist!  Guys (Mo Bros): start growing your moustaches today, and tomorrow, make a statement, provoke conversation in the workplace, talk with your friends, call your doctor for a check up, style it for Thanksgiving over the turkey and dumplings, smile while riding your bike or in the coffee shop or everywhere.  For the sake of men, be healthy.  Gals (Mo Sistas): support your guys this month as they grow out a moustache, smile about the irritation from the fact we're growing moustaches, encourage us to visit our doctors and get ourselves checked out, make healthy meals with us, and remember, the moustache will be gone on December 1.

Here are the rules, and it's not too late to participate:

Now, if you truly want to take part in what I've joined (along with my friends) and start raising money for men's health, then get registered with DC Moustachery here (it's FREE and no moustache growing is required...that means you Mo Sistas!).  With that done, Movember will send you all the information you need to start raising awareness and funds on your own or with us for men's health.  We've had a good first two days -- $110 for the cause! -- but that's just the tip of the iceberg (or should I say the stubble above our upper lips) for Movember, DC Moustachery and men's health!

If you would like to participate, but don't want to register or grow a moustache, you can always donate directly to our cause by typing in "Trevor Sparks" here or "DC Moustachery" here.  All proceeds go to the cause, not me.  I promise, and it's really that simple, but honestly, more than your money and new Movember moustaches, I want you all to know it's cooler than cool to be healthy.  I just rock a moustache as a reminder (pictures and a Moustache Party coming soon!).

Movember will now forever be a part of my future Novembers, and as your friend, I ask that you please take a stand with me too.  It only takes one to make a difference, but working together, we can make and do so much more.  I leave you with a moustache style guide: