45. Read 3 Classic Novels - A: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

In order to get some goals knocked out, I decided to start some of these by going simple...read - easy.  I picked my first classic novel, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway because it was only 120 pages long and it looked pretty doable.  Well, it was doable and only took me a couple of sessions to read it.  The book was pretty straightforward and was a really easy read.  I know why I hadn't read it before though - it's definitely aimed more at a male reader than a female.  It is a story about an old fisherman who hooks the big one and can't let him get away, even if it means he will die at sea.  It details the 3-day struggle for him to reel in the fish and his almost-triumphant return home with it.  Sadly for the old man, the sharks end up getting the best of the fish, but I'm glad to say he did make it home and didn't die alone at sea.  The book ends by telling us that the old man caught an 18 foot shark, a beautiful specimen that even the other fishermen were flabbergasted by.  Though the book does a decent job at bringing you full circle, I read the last page and turned it hoping for a little more closure.  Unfortunately, the closure I sought would never be, except within the confines of my own imagination.  The old man just goes to sleep at the end...and that's it.  Would I read it again?  Probably.

32. Eat a Food I've Never Eaten Before - Persimmon

What the heck is a persimmon anyway?  Well, I bought one not really knowing what to do with it and had to google what it was when I got home.  Turns out, a persimmon is a fruit, much like a tomato.  The difference between the two is that a persimmon is slightly sweeter and does not have as many seeds in the middle.  So, what do you do with a persimmon?  I decided to eat it just like a tomato, cutting it into pieces, and I added it to a salad.  It was pretty good, but I don't think I liked it enough to forgo tomatoes altogether.  However, I would like to try it cooked instead of raw next time. 

99. Go to 3 Art Festivals - #1 Denver Chalk Art Festival, June 2, 2012

Every year that I've lived in Denver, I've always wanted to go to the Chalk Arts Festival downtown.  And every year I've not made it there...except this year!  I finally made it there and it was just as fabulous as I thought it would be!  The artists create wonderful images on the streets made from only chalk and their imaginations.  Here are some images that I captured while Brian and I walked around, enjoying our festival date night. 

Our first turn of the block and it's already impressive!  We went on the first afternoon so most of the works were in progress. 

I wish I could have seen these finished.  I have a friend that has some pictures of these all done and they looked fantastic! 

This one made me think of my sister Ashlee.  It was really, really pretty! 

Here are a couple of my favorites:

This one was probably my absolute favorite out of all of them. 

Optical illusion, very cool!

I might have to try this next year.  Or maybe I'll put it on my next 101 list...and just start looking into it for now.