Step 54: Go to the Little 500

This is in correlation with my last post because it was part of my most exhausting post-college weekend. If you go to school in Indiana, then you should attend Indiana University's Little 500 at least once during your college career, sort of like how they say if you live in Indiana, you should go to the Indy 500 at least once in your life (says the girl who's never been to the Indy 500 and just now got around to watching the Little 500 almost a year out of college).

It's actually sort of cool to watch the race. I used to run track, and I always felt that watching a competition would be so boring if you didn't have teammates or someone else important to cheer on. Going to the Little 500, I didn't know one team from the next. I just saw a pack of bikers riding around in a circle. Even though I didn't know any of the teams, I still got into the race and cheered people on.

Of course, it helps that the energy down in Bloomington is so pumped up. It's hard to be bored when everyone around you is having a good time. :)

So my question to you: Have you ever been to the Little 500? What'd you think of it?
And my challenge to you: Go next year!

Step 53: Go See Rod Tuffcurls and The Bench Press

I'm writing this blog after working all day on only 4 hours of sleep after one of the most exhausting weekends of my post-college life--but man, was it worth it. Why was it worth it? Rod Tuffcurls and The Bench Press!

No, that's not the name of some crazy new workout that I'm doing. It's actually an amazing cover band that one of my friends has been ranting and raving about for the past couple months. She finally convinced me to come hear them perform this past Friday down in Bloomington, and I must say, her rants and raves were totally justified. Enough so that I went and saw them for a second night in a row when they came and played up near my hometown.

Photos by Rod Tuffcurls and The Bench Press' #1 fan, Stephanie Simpson. :)

They perform a wide range of songs--everything from the golden oldies to today's hits, and even some randos thrown in between (never in my life did I expect to hear the theme song from Duck Tales in a college bar!)--but even more impressive than their spot on renditions is how they get the crowd pumped up. Even when you don't know the song, you can't help but continue dancing because THEY can't help but continue dancing. And I'm not just talking about head banging and toe tapping--I'm talking full out jumping around the stage, pelvic thrusts, and yoga poses. Check out their promotional video to see for yourself.

 

So, my question to you: What's your favorite band? Got any awesome local ones that you follow around, or do you stick to the guys you hear on the radio?

And my challenge to you: Go check out some of the lesser-known bands near you. Some of them are truly great performers--from an amazing sound to fun interactions with their fans-- plus, once they do make it big, you can always say you liked them before everyone else. :)

Step 52: Participate in a Clean-Up

There are so many benefits to cleaning up your local green space besides the obvious "it's good for the environment." Don't get me wrong, that's probably the most important outcome, but for some reason making the world a better place doesn't seem to be enough for a lot of people. So, here are my top reasons to get up early and pick up garbage!

1. A lot of times, you'll get something free out of it, usually a nice healthy breakfast and a spiffy t-shirt that probably won't be so spiffy by the end of the day if you choose to wear it.
2. It's a chance for you to reconnect with your friends.
3. It's a chance for you to connect with new people.
4. You get a great workout and a nice suntan at the same time.
5. You get a crash course reminding you which insects will bite and sting you and which plants will make you itchy for the next three days.
6. You'll acquire enough old tires to set up tire-swings at every elementary in your county.
7. If you're lucky enough to find a meth lab, you get the privilege of cracking down on crime.
8. You'll get to see lots of animals (no guarantee that they'll be cute and fluffy or even alive).
9. You get to take the worlds most AMAZING shower afterwards.
10. You find some really weird stuff, like blood sacrifices preserved in jars.

Just kidding! It's actually just really old elderberry jelly.

So my question to you: What's the weirdest thing you've ever picked up?
And my challenge to you: Volunteer at your next local clean-up. If not for the amazing reasons that I posted, then for the planet and all the creatures (including yourself) that have to live here.

Step 51: Attend an Artsy-Fartsy Event

A literary magazine release party is an excellent artsy-fartsy event to attend, especially when you're going to support your old crew. The girls I left in charge of SMWC's literary arts magazine, Aurora, did an AMAZING job this year, as did the staffs of the three other literary magazines that get released every year in Terre Haute. Congratulations, everyone! :)

Going to cultural and artistic events gives you a chance to see what your fellow humans are capable of creating. It can also inspire you in your own work and connect you with some very unique people.

So my challenge to you: Check out one of the below events (if you live in the Indianapolis area)

• Any theater production at one of the many Indianapolis locations (check out Indianapolis Theater)
• Walk the Indianapolis Cultural Trail
• Listen to a local band perform at a bar
• Indianapolis Poetry Slam, last Monday of every month
• The Broad Ripple Art Fair, May 17-18
• Scavenge the Ave, June 11
• Taste of Indy, July 5

And my question to you: What are some artsy-fartsy events that you enjoy going to?

Step 50: File Your Taxes

While I was in college, I had the excuse that I was too busy to do my own taxes, so my mama always did them for me. Not this year. :P

I always dreaded the idea of filing taxes--I'd always heard others complaining about them, so I'd assumed they were horrible to do. And though they do have the potential to be more confusing than building a computer from scrap, if you use an online site it's actually not so bad.

My mama and I use TaxACT. I still had to have her help me with it (I have to read every single word when reading ANYTHING, so it would have taken me all day to get through the dang thing), but with her skimming it and telling me what each page wanted, I was able to get my federal taxes done for free in about an hour.

Now, the bad thing about TaxACT is that they do charge if you want to file your state taxes through them. Since I'm cheap, I voted to go the paper route and only spend 49 cents on a stamp. And since the paper form for filing taxes is the most confusing thing in the world, my mama offered to do my state taxes for me. I'll learn to do those another year.

All and all, it wasn't the most fun thing to do on a Saturday, but it also wasn't as terrible as I was thinking it was going to be. Then again, I don't have all those exemptions like renting a home and being married with kids to deal with. Maybe I'll stick to the single life and live in my mom's basement until I die. ;)

So my question to you: How do you file your taxes? Do you do the paper version all by yourself (if so, I applaud you)? Do you have a site online? Do you pay someone?
And my challenge to you: Enjoy this beautiful spring weather and don't worry so much about the government and all their money issues. It's not worth it.

Step 49: Sell Your Soul to the State so you can get Health Insurance

So, remember that post I did back in January about getting health insurance, and how I said it would be a while before my State did anything to get me covered. Yup, still not covered. I even went to an Enrollment Coordinator back in late January/early February. Didn't hear anything from the state for about a month, and when I do, they ask me to fill out this new form. No big deal. Fill it out. Send it in. Yada yada. Silence again.

Then, 10 days before the last day to sign up for health care, I get another letter from them asking for all this paperwork from me--"Proof of Household Composition," which included wanting my college transcript and my mom's birth date, social security number, and last two pay stubs; and my most recent pay stub that included the February 21st pay period (to be safe, I sent in my three most recent pay stubs). So I bitch, but I mail it all in anyways. And to be safe, I called them on March 31st to make sure everything got to them alright because they threatened to "deny or discontinue" my benefits if I didn't send in everything that they wanted. This is the basic conversation:

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Me: Did all my paperwork arrive in the mail?

Indiana:  Blah blah blah, technical terms, blah blah, let me look up something, blah blah blah, estimate your monthly payments, blah blah blah, ok, yes, it all arrived, but it's still not enough. We need you to fax in your soul today or else they may deny your application.

Me: Woah, back up Indiana! I already sold my soul to Crowley, like, 9 years ago.

Indiana: Oh, well, then we need more pay stubs.

Me: I already gave you every pay stub I had from September to January, and I just sent you two more ontop of the one that you requested, what more do you want?

Indiana: Well, we wanted the pay stub dated February 21st, not the one that included the pay period of February 21st. And if you want to be safe, you should send in the pay stub that you just got today because, you know, they may have given you a raise in the past week since you do such an awesome job picking up dog shit. We can't risk giving health insurance to someone who's a wealthy poop-picker-upper.

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So with that logic, I faxed in two more pay stubs and think that it's finally over, that the state will now do something about my lack of coverage. And they did do something... they sent me another letter asking for more pay stubs! D:<

So my question to you: Have you given up on getting health insurance? I know a lot of people who are just going to take the fine because it's more expensive to get covered than it will be to get fined.
And my challenge to you: If you're still in the process of getting a state provided insurance, keep fighting. As much of a pain as it is, it'll be worth it if you get covered. And if your states a dick (I'm looking at you, Indiana!) and they don't cover you, at least you won't get fined because it wasn't your fault.