Sunday, November 07, 2004
Hey Kids!
You know how this works (but just in case you've forgotten . .
There's a list,
A long list - with lots of stuff on it.
Things like "Published a book" and "Rescued puppies from a flaming building"
One is supposed to copy the whole list, highlight the things one has done/accomplished, and post it on your website.
But I don’t always follow directions - -
So instead of forcing you to scroll through a 200 item list, I created an abbreviated list. It only includes the stuff I feel like sharing (along with extra BONOUS comments!!)
If you want to read the WHOLE bloody list (just to speculate on what I haven't told you!) Look here
6. Held a tarantula
(Yes! Dr. Bob Wolff (aka “spiderman”) was one of the best Sunday School speakers ever! In terms of religious ed. it was probably not what my SS Teacher had in mind, but I learned all about the care/feeding/lifestyle of tarantulas! At the end, he had all the brave kids come up to pet/ hold spiders. I have a picture somewhere which I might post up here someday).
Did 'ya know that tarantulas don’t drink out of a waterbottle (like your guinea pig ) and they don’t drink out of a bowl (like your cat). Instead Dr. Wolff soaked sponges in water and put them into the cages. Watching a tarantula suck water out of a sponge is SUPERCOOL!
9. Hugged a tree
(many many times!)
14. Stayed up all night long, and watched the sun rise
(although I much prefer waking up early to watch the sunrise – it makes me less cranky!)
18. Grown and eaten my own vegetables
(lettuce and tomatoes every summer!)
20. Slept under the stars
(falling asleep on a long car trip is the best sleep I can get. Sleeping out under the stars is the second best sleep I can get!)
21. Changed a baby’s diaper
(you mean there are people that haven’t?)
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
(I would love to take a TRIP and not just go on a ride!)
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
(and I didn’t like it one bit! What a waste).
30. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
(and I usually go to work when I’m sick – go figure!)
32. Had a snowball fight
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
(I know you’re all shocked!)
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse (lunar)
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
(specifically December 11 – 13, 1996)
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
(Notice how that's NOT in bold? But dancing like a fool will be one of the first things I do when they discover a cure for self-conscious-ness)
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
(The trick is in being satisfied, not in having enough money!)
53. Had amazing friends
(someday I’ll write about them all!)
57. Backpacked in Europe
(but I would love to do this someday!)
59. Rock climbing
(if fake “rock walls” count)
66. Visited Japan (Something else that I’d LOVE to do someday!)
70. Pretended to be a superhero
(more often than I should admit!)
76. Kissed in the rain
(and I had to go to the bathroom, and the rain was dripping – making me have to go worse – so immediately after the kiss I ran off to find a toilet. The poor boy was stuck standing there – alone – not really knowing why I ran off!)
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
84. Started a business
(But only the IRS would really consider it a “business”)
87. Taken a martial arts class
(Too scared of hurting myself)
97. Gone without food for 5 days
(after day 2 it’s easy!)
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
(In 6th Grade I was a Christmas tree and won the costume contest at the 6th grade dance. Little did I know that it’s not cool for 6th graders to dress up, let alone draw attention to one’s costumed self by WINNING the contest.)
101. Gotten a tattoo (not even interested)
105. Got flowers for no reason
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a check
132. Called or written your Congress person
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
(maybe it's time to do that again . . . )
144. Petted a stingray
(at Underwater World - I wonder if petting zoo animals get sick from having all those people (with their germ-y hands) touching them all the time . . . )
146. Helped an animal give birth
(when my childhood hamster was having babies my mom told me to leave it alone - - which I thought was very helpful - - but I don't think that counts)
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
(not yet, but we’ll see what happens at YA)
152. Rode on a motorcycle
(thanks to Uncle Rob!)
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
(and back up to the top!)
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
170. Eaten sushi
(Diane introduced me to Sushi, and Japanese food in general. I should write about her someday – she is one of the most amazing people on the planet!)
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
(my neighbor in Crestwood would trade her red tomatoes for our green tomatoes. She fried the green ones to share with us, and we canned the red ones to share with her!)
181. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
(Chaim Potok! Harper Lee! Ray Bradbury! Willa Carter!)
193. Built your own PC from parts
(with SUBSTANTIAL help from Jon - - like he did almost everything and I cheered him on, handed him an occasional part, asked too many questions, and generally got in the way!)
200: Been arrested
(not me - but my grandfather (the one I miss terribly) was arrested once. He was a garbage man and a cop pulled him over because his truck was supposedly over the weight limit. Grandpa asked him how he knew that (since he didn’t actually weigh the truck) and the copper arrested him for being smart. They put him in a holding cell until my grandmother could bail him out. When she arrived, he was sitting in jail without shoelaces or a belt (because the cops confiscated them from all “prisoners” before locking them up!) On the court day, the judge immediately dismissed the case. (I like to imagine that the cop got a good scolding – but I really don’t know that part of the story!)
You know how this works (but just in case you've forgotten . .
There's a list,
A long list - with lots of stuff on it.
Things like "Published a book" and "Rescued puppies from a flaming building"
One is supposed to copy the whole list, highlight the things one has done/accomplished, and post it on your website.
But I don’t always follow directions - -
So instead of forcing you to scroll through a 200 item list, I created an abbreviated list. It only includes the stuff I feel like sharing (along with extra BONOUS comments!!)
If you want to read the WHOLE bloody list (just to speculate on what I haven't told you!) Look here
6. Held a tarantula
(Yes! Dr. Bob Wolff (aka “spiderman”) was one of the best Sunday School speakers ever! In terms of religious ed. it was probably not what my SS Teacher had in mind, but I learned all about the care/feeding/lifestyle of tarantulas! At the end, he had all the brave kids come up to pet/ hold spiders. I have a picture somewhere which I might post up here someday).
Did 'ya know that tarantulas don’t drink out of a waterbottle (like your guinea pig ) and they don’t drink out of a bowl (like your cat). Instead Dr. Wolff soaked sponges in water and put them into the cages. Watching a tarantula suck water out of a sponge is SUPERCOOL!
9. Hugged a tree
(many many times!)
14. Stayed up all night long, and watched the sun rise
(although I much prefer waking up early to watch the sunrise – it makes me less cranky!)
18. Grown and eaten my own vegetables
(lettuce and tomatoes every summer!)
20. Slept under the stars
(falling asleep on a long car trip is the best sleep I can get. Sleeping out under the stars is the second best sleep I can get!)
21. Changed a baby’s diaper
(you mean there are people that haven’t?)
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
(I would love to take a TRIP and not just go on a ride!)
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
(and I didn’t like it one bit! What a waste).
30. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
(and I usually go to work when I’m sick – go figure!)
32. Had a snowball fight
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
(I know you’re all shocked!)
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse (lunar)
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
(specifically December 11 – 13, 1996)
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
(Notice how that's NOT in bold? But dancing like a fool will be one of the first things I do when they discover a cure for self-conscious-ness)
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
(The trick is in being satisfied, not in having enough money!)
53. Had amazing friends
(someday I’ll write about them all!)
57. Backpacked in Europe
(but I would love to do this someday!)
59. Rock climbing
(if fake “rock walls” count)
66. Visited Japan (Something else that I’d LOVE to do someday!)
70. Pretended to be a superhero
(more often than I should admit!)
76. Kissed in the rain
(and I had to go to the bathroom, and the rain was dripping – making me have to go worse – so immediately after the kiss I ran off to find a toilet. The poor boy was stuck standing there – alone – not really knowing why I ran off!)
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
84. Started a business
(But only the IRS would really consider it a “business”)
87. Taken a martial arts class
(Too scared of hurting myself)
97. Gone without food for 5 days
(after day 2 it’s easy!)
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
(In 6th Grade I was a Christmas tree and won the costume contest at the 6th grade dance. Little did I know that it’s not cool for 6th graders to dress up, let alone draw attention to one’s costumed self by WINNING the contest.)
101. Gotten a tattoo (not even interested)
105. Got flowers for no reason
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a check
132. Called or written your Congress person
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
(maybe it's time to do that again . . . )
144. Petted a stingray
(at Underwater World - I wonder if petting zoo animals get sick from having all those people (with their germ-y hands) touching them all the time . . . )
146. Helped an animal give birth
(when my childhood hamster was having babies my mom told me to leave it alone - - which I thought was very helpful - - but I don't think that counts)
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
(not yet, but we’ll see what happens at YA)
152. Rode on a motorcycle
(thanks to Uncle Rob!)
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
(and back up to the top!)
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
170. Eaten sushi
(Diane introduced me to Sushi, and Japanese food in general. I should write about her someday – she is one of the most amazing people on the planet!)
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
(my neighbor in Crestwood would trade her red tomatoes for our green tomatoes. She fried the green ones to share with us, and we canned the red ones to share with her!)
181. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
(Chaim Potok! Harper Lee! Ray Bradbury! Willa Carter!)
193. Built your own PC from parts
(with SUBSTANTIAL help from Jon - - like he did almost everything and I cheered him on, handed him an occasional part, asked too many questions, and generally got in the way!)
200: Been arrested
(not me - but my grandfather (the one I miss terribly) was arrested once. He was a garbage man and a cop pulled him over because his truck was supposedly over the weight limit. Grandpa asked him how he knew that (since he didn’t actually weigh the truck) and the copper arrested him for being smart. They put him in a holding cell until my grandmother could bail him out. When she arrived, he was sitting in jail without shoelaces or a belt (because the cops confiscated them from all “prisoners” before locking them up!) On the court day, the judge immediately dismissed the case. (I like to imagine that the cop got a good scolding – but I really don’t know that part of the story!)