Going Mighty

It’s launch time for our beta, are you ready?

Yus, son! Sarah, Laura, Amber and I are popping champagne corks and clinking glasses, toasting our brand new adventure. To celebrate, we’re giving you guys a sneak peak, so please join us. Request an invite and BYOLL (Bring Your Own Life List) to upload. Go Mighty is all baby steps and beta steps right now, but that’s where you come in. We want to know what you actually want and needs before we decide which new features to roll out first. Go Mighty will be evolving dramatically over the next few days and weeks, so give us your feedback, and please be gentle. It’s possible we’re a little sleepy over here.

And, what kind of party would it be without presents? Our bangarang partner Olay is gifting goals to to a few early Go Mighty users. (Which? Full circle, y’all.) To be considered for a gifted goal, you’ll want to tag your goal with ‘Olay.’ For more details and eligibility requirements, visit GoMighty.com/Olay.

If you’re a Rachael Ray fan, look for me on the show today. Nothing like testing the servers with a national TV appearance right out the gate, am I right? Keep your fingers crossed on this point, my friends. Maybe your eyes too.

In the meantime, let us know what you want to see on the site (info@gomighty.com). Get uploading and give us your feedback so we can iterate with you in mind. Custom, baby, that’s what we’re all about.

Now. Here’s the part where I thank you again for being on my team. Thank you. After twelve years of deep kindness from all of you, it’s such a joy to finally be able to give something tangible back. I cannot wait to really get to know you. Lurkers — I am especially talking to you. Show your faces! Tell us what you want. Let’s all start helping each other.

Mighty Thirst: Persimmon Sip

A drink that sounds dainty, but packs a punch. Pow. Fall just caught you on the chin.

Persimmon Sip:

Blend these to make persimmon puree (which freezes well, by the way):
– 2 Fuyu persimmons
– 1 tsp. vanilla
– 2 shots water

And then mix these to make your cocktail:
– One shot of persimmon puree
– 1/2 shot of unsweetened cranberry juice
– 1 shot Bulleit Bourbon
– 1/2 shot Grand Marnier
– the juice of a honey tangerine

Pour everything into an ice filled shaker and shake or stir, then strain into a glass (in case you got some stray tangerine seeds in there).

Here’s to fall campfires, fingerless gloves, and dancing in elevators. What are you toasting this week?

I’m making 100 cocktails as part of my Life List. This is number sixteen. Here are the rest:

1. Shots in ‘Cots 2. Avocado Bourbon Shake 3. The Vacation 4. Sassy Lassi 5. Cherry Bing 6. The ABC 7. Toddy Shots 8. Cafe Picante 9. Gin and Juice (Box) 10. The Neighbor 11. Halloween Spiked Cider 12. Bloodthirsty Mulled Wine 13. Killer Bloody Mary 14. Bourbon Pumpkin Shake 15. Persimmon Bob

Go Mighty on Rachael Ray

This is me in the green room back stage at the Rachael Ray show. Doesn’t that blowout make me look calm? Farce. I’d never done any TV before, and I was in that slightly sweaty stupid place where your brain keeps reminding you that you don’t know how to do something. There’s a story here, of course, but first we should rewind.

A couple years ago, I came home from Mighty Summit with some goals in mind and I outlined them here. I wrote:

Sometime in the next year or so, I’d like to have a campout/meetup/conference open to everyone where we do the same kinds of things we do at the Summit, but on a larger, more-inclusive scale.

As of now, we’re gearing up for Camp Mighty‘s second year at the Ace in Palm Springs. It’s exactly what I imagined it would be, and I’m excited to see familiar faces and meet new folks this year too.

In the same post, I also wrote:

I want a place… where we can all start talking about what’s going on with our lists. What’s on them, what we need help with, how we can find each other geographically and start planning meetups… an easy way to write our lists, cross things off, and link out to the info we’ve posted online — just like I do with my own list.

This Friday we launch the Go Mighty beta. It’s exactly as described above, and it’s only going to get cooler in the coming weeks. I cannot wait.

All of this brings us back to Rachael Ray. I was there to announce our Go Mighty launch in partnership with Olay. It was a surreal moment.

In this year’s Mighty Summit post, I wrote:

It’s scary speaking your hopes out loud. I used to worry that I’d fail to achieve something I said I wanted. Or oddly, I worried that I would succeed, which means you can no longer define yourself by your struggle for a particular dream.

What happens when you’re no longer on a particular journey because you’ve arrived? This show felt like one of those moments for me. Dreamlike, not in an Achieving My Dreams way, but like I was actually in a daydream I’ve run through a million times. It’s funny how long I wanted this simple thing for all of us before I admitted it, at first I was afraid to say it out loud. But it seems like such a natural an evolution now that we’re almost here.

Backstage at the show, the awesome ladies on the hair and makeup team asked why we were filming, and we talked about Life Lists.

They said they’d been nominated for an Emmy for hair and makeup but didn’t win, and now they were determined. I said, “You should get a shelf and paint the shadow of an Emmy on the wall behind it so you can imagine filling in the blank every day when you come to work.”

We all laughed, but I realized later that this is exactly what I do every day. I’ve always said that reading someone’s Life List is the fastest way to get to know them and find out how they approach their world. I imagine all of you as an outline, the shape you take in my head, a shadow waiting to be filled in with your goals for yourselves and the kind things you do to help each other along. I’ve been waiting so long to really know who you are, but more importantly who we are as a real-life team.

For me, Go Mighty is our trophy shelf. I can’t wait to see what we claim for ourselves and put on display there. I have a feeling it will make me proud.

See you Friday.

Life List Project: 10,000 Hats

A while ago, Robyn sent me an email asking if I’d like hats for me and Hank because she’s decided to knit 10,000 of the suckers. Ten. Thousand. For 10,000 people.

Always one to support industrious manifestations of OCD, I asked for red Hadley hats for me and Hank, and here they are!

So cute! GAH!

I’m perpetually rescuing hand-knit caps from thrift stores, shocked at how many people discard things made for them by hand. I will wear my 10,000 Hat until fate wrests it from my grasp, I love it so much. Thank you, Miss Robyn! We adore them, and your grand project.

Do you have a grand project? I can’t think of many things I’d be willing to do 10,000 times, but I’m hereby committing to 10,000 warm baths. With 10,000 people. Drop me a line if you’re short, I don’t want you crowding me while I’m naked.

Mighty Thirst Halloween: Persimmon Bob

I’m posting Halloween-themed cocktails this week, because someone needs to numb us for the zombie apocalypse.

Bobbing for apples seems so time consuming when you realize the juice comes bottled now. Thanks, science.

Persimmon Bob

Blend these to make persimmon puree:
– 2 Fuyu persimmons
– 1 tsp. vanilla
– 2 shots water

And then mix these to make your cocktail:
– 1 shot persimmon puree
– a squeeze of lemon
– a shot of Bulliet bourbon
– 2 shots apple juice
– a pinch of nutmeg

Here’s to pulling the record out of its sleeve, sneaking a smoke on the stoop, and jumping on the bed — especially when the bed is a futon.

I’m making 100 cocktails as part of my Life List. This is number fifteen. Here are the rest:

Mighty Thirst Halloween: Bourbon Pumpkin Shake

I’m posting Halloween-themed cocktails this week. Boo!

This recipe is adapted from the genius Healthy Green Kitchen‘s Healthy Pumpkin Shake. I subtracted egg yolks, and added booze. If you make it without the booze, it’s super good for you, but not nearly so relaxing.

Bourbon Pumpkin Shake

– Healthy Pumpkin Shake, minus the eggs: (1 cup canned pumpkin puree, 1 cup milk, a frozen banana, 1 Tsp. vanilla, 2 Tsp. maple syrup)
– 1.5 shots Amaretto
– 1.5 shots Bakers Bourbon
– 1 cup ice
– fresh rosemary to garnish

Put everything in a blender, give it a whirl. Add a sprig of rosemary to garnish.

Here’s to looking at clouds from above, homemade hot sauce in a travel-sized container, and fresh notepaper. What are you toasting?

I’m making 100 cocktails as part of my Life List. This is number fourteen. Here are the rest:

1. Shots in ‘Cots
2. Avocado Bourbon Shake
3. The Vacation
4. Sassy Lassi
5. Cherry Bing
6. The ABC
7. Toddy Shots
8. Cafe Picante
9. Gin and Juice (Box)
10. The Neighbor
11. Halloween Spiked Cider
12. Bloodthirsty Mulled Wine
13. Killer Bloody Mary

Making Time

Yesterday, I posted about how a character in my favorite Steinbeck novel discovers the secret pleasure of slowing down.

This post from Caterina about how she makes more time in her life has me thinking. I love her suggestion of sleeping in two shifts:

“Researchers have discovered that in pre-industrial times, people slept in two shifts, waking in the middle of the night for some solitude, conversations with another person, wondering, or wandering. Then they’d go back to sleep for another stretch. I have been doing this lately, and have been able to get 2-3 hours of uninterrupted creative work done in the middle of the night.”

I’ve had a similar experience with naps.

What do you do to make more time for yourself, or at least to feel less rushed?

Mighty Thirst, Halloween: Killer Bloody Mary

I’m posting Halloween-themed cocktails this week because I love Halloween, and I want you to have a party. Live a little.

I don’t usually like Bloody Marys because I want them to taste more like spaghetti sauce. I got exactly what I wanted by adding some fresh herbs and a little more kick than usual. If I had a more time, I’d puree tomatoes instead of using canned juice, but let’s assume you’re hungover and willing to roll with it.

Killer Bloody Mary

– Shot of Ketel 1 vodka
– 2 shots Campbell’s Tomato Juice
– 3/4 Tsp. chili paste
– Dash Worchestershire
– 1.5 Tsp. lemon juice
– pinch of fresh finely chopped basil
– pinch of fresh finely chopped rosemary
– mushroom to garnish

Put everything in a lowball, mix it up with a spoon, plop in a couple ice cubes, and stir until the drink is chilled.

Mushroom Skull Garnish

– Choose a mushroom with a large cap and stem.
– Take the tip of a sharp paring knife, barely insert it where you want your eyes, then twist.
– Use a toothpick to fine-tune your work by picking out the bits you don’t want.
– Use the tip of the knife to carve your nose. You want a shape like a flower petal with two pointed tips, or a slim oval that comes to a point at each end.
– To make the “teeth” on the stem, do one cut up the center of the stem that you’ll use to balance your mushroom on the glass.
– Now alternate wide and skinny cuts so the bottom of the mushroom looks like an unevenly sliced pie.
– Dig out the “skinny” slivers to make the spaces between teeth more apparent.
– BAM! Nailed it.

I’m making 100 cocktails as part of my Life List. This is number thirteen. Here are the rest:

1. Shots in ‘Cots

2. Avocado Bourbon Shake

3. The Vacation

4. Sassy Lassi

5. Cherry Bing

6. The ABC

7. Toddy Shots

8. Cafe Picante

9. Gin and Juice (Box)

10. The Neighbor

11. Halloween Spiked Cider

12. Bloodthirsty Mulled Wine

The Best Parts of Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck

“Do you like champagne?”
“I love it,” she said and wondered what it would taste like. And she did love it.

Isn’t overeating said to be one of the strongest symptoms of discontent? And isn’t discontent the lever of change?

Man owes something to man.

[The voice], which came from his marrow would be singing, “Lonesome! Lonesome! What good is it? Who benefits? Thought is the evasion of feeling. You’re only walling up the leaking loneliness.”

Charles Darwin and his Origin of Species flashed complete in one second, and he spent the rest of his life backing it up; and the theory of relativity occurred to Einstein in the tie it take to clap your hands. This is the greatest mystery of the human mind — the inductive leap. Everything falls into place, irrelevancies relate, dissonance becomes harmony, and nonsense wears a crown of meaning. But the clarifying leap springs from the rich soil of confusion.

“It’s a crime to be happy without equipment.”

“I seen it happen so many times,” said Mack. “you take a dame and she’s married to a guy that’s making twenty-five bucks a week. You can’t kill her with a meat ax. She’s got kids and does the washing — may get a little tired but that’s the worse that can happen to her. But let the guy get raise to seventy-five bucks a week and she begins to get colds and take vitamins.”

Doc found himself shouting, “I don’t want a wife. I have all the women I want!”
“Woman and women is two different things,” said Suzy. “Guy knows all about women he don’t know nothing about a woman.”

“The nicest thing in the world you can do for anybody is let them help you.”

“…remember a lot of things: first you got to remember you’re Suzy and you ain’t nobody else but Suzy. Then you got to remember that Suzy is a good thing — a real valuable thing — and there ain’t nothing like it in the world. It don’t do no harm just to say that to yourself. Then, when you got that, remember that there’s one hell of a lot Suzy don’t know. Only way she can find out is if she sees it, reads it, or asks it. Most people don’t look at nothing but themselves and that’s a rat race… Nobody don’t give a particular damn about Suzy one way or the other. It’s hard to get them thinking about you because they’re too busy thinking about themselves. When you got their attention, first thing they want is to do something for you. Let them. Dn’t get proud and say you don’t need it or want it. That’s a slap in the puss. Thing people like most in the world is to give you something and have you like it and need it.”

“Suzy noticed a waiter drifting delicately within earshot. She had discovered something for herself. When in doubt, move slowly. Her head turned toward the waiter and he drifted away. She was delighted with her discovery — everything-in-slow-motion. She then lifted her glass slowly, looked at it carefully, then sipped and held it a moment before she put it down. S-l-o-w-ness — it gave meaning to everything. It made everything royal.”

Fauna’s conviction, born out of long experience, that most people, one, did not know what they wanted; two, did not know how to go about getting it; and three, didn’t know when they had it.

You couldn’t win an argument with Fauna because she would agree with you and then go right on as she had planned.

Vocabulary

wallager – party
“running her down” – speaking ill of her
pachucos – a particular subculture of Hispanic and Latino Americans associated with zoot suits, street gangs, nightlife, and flamboyant public behavior.
satyriasis – Excessive, often uncontrollable sexual desire in and behavior by a man.
badger game – an extortion scheme

Mighty Thirst Halloween: Bloodthirsty Mulled Wine

I’m posting a Halloween-themed cocktail every day this week, because I cannot wait for Halloween. GAH.

Did that guy seriously show up to your costume party in a T-shirt and jeans? He did. Does that guy hope to be drinking your booze this evening? Then perhaps he should consider attending as a vampire.

Bloodthirsty Mulled Wine

– 3 Tbsp. Honey
– 2 strips lemon zest
– 2 strips orange zest
– 2 strips ginger
– 2 cinnamon sticks
– 8 cloves
– 1 tsp vanilla
– juice of an orange
– 2 bottles cheap red wine
– 3 Tbsp. Grand Marnier

Add all the non-alcoholic ingredients to a pot, and bring to a simmer while stirring, adding more orange juice or a little water if necessary to keep it from burning. Once this mixture is syrupy and you can start to smell the spices, add the wine and Grand Marnier and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat to low and keep the whole mess on the stove so guests can ladle directly from the pot. Pro tip! Make sure your pot is big enough because if it boils over, the alcohol will ignite, and flames will ensue. Or so I have heard.

Here’s to pillowcases full of candy, babies dressed like fat, furry animals, and TPing the neighbor who hands out rasins. What are you toasting this week?

I’m making 100 cocktails as part of my Life List. This is number twelve. Here are the rest:

1. Shots in ‘Cots
2. Avocado Bourbon Shake
3. The Vacation
4. Sassy Lassi
5. Cherry Bing
6. The ABC
7. Toddy Shots
8. Cafe Picante
9. Gin and Juice (Box)
10. The Neighbor
11. Halloween Spiked Cider