99 things

Is anyone else having the busiest May in history??!?!!

I feel like this month is already flying by, and there's just a little too much going on. What happened to the days of having lots of free time?? Oh, that's right. They are off in a land where I still have a 25 inch waist and no responsibilities.

Anywhoo, I saw this 99 things post on Megan's blog and thought I'd give it a go since I have some new "friends" who've recently joined me. Including a new friend from New Zealand! :-)

This little survey thing is neato because it brings back lots of memories, and points out a few things that I'll need to add to my bucket list (the ones that aren't in bold). Annnnnd here we go!!

1. Started your own blog
~ Nope. This is not a blog. You are currently reading an excerpt from a literary journal on the current state of the economy of Turkey. You are also getting verrrry sleeeeepy.

2. Slept under the stars



~ Bahamas, Spring Break 2006 - my first kiss with my now husband :)

3. Played in a band
~ Does Rock Band on XBox count? Because I play a wicked guitar

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower
~ I don't know if this counts, but in Colorado I counted 20 shooting stars in one evening - gorgeous. Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars??

6. Given more than you can afford to charity
~ Yes, but at the time it was only $50, but for a broke college student that was way more than I could afford

7. Been to Disneyland
~ I've been to Disneyland Paris, that counts right??

 8. Climbed a mountain
~ In West Virginia and Colorado - booyah!

9. Held a praying mantis
~ I'm good on this one

10. Sang a solo

Everyday in the shower. And once for a tryout in choir in 6th grade. Spoiler alert... I didn't get it because I can't sing. Huh.

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris
~ Back in 2003 with my brother Adam - we had a blast practicing our high school French skills. I was better than he was. Truth.

13. Watched a lightening storm
~ Lots of times from our front porch

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child
~ I had an egg baby in 8th grade health class. I dropped it.

16. Had food poisoning
~ Yes, and it sucks @$.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
~ Been there, have no interest in going to the top because I hate crowds.

18. Grown your own vegetables
~ Sort of. We want to start a vegetable garden, but we might have to stick with just herbs this year since we're a little late in the game!

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
~ On said trip with bro back in 2003. What was she smirking about I wonder?? The actual painting is much smaller in person than I though it would be.

20. Slept on an overnight train
~ Again, on the trip with my brother, we took a train from Nice, France to Rome. It was pretty cool in an Agatha Christie, European kind of way.

21. Had a pillow fight
~ Yes, and I always lose. I'm not aggressive enough.

22. Hitch hiked
~ No, because I live in America and I don't want to be axe-murdered.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon
~ I've run 3 half marathons, so basically that means I've run a marathon and a half.

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse
~ Of the heart.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
~ In the Bahamas from aforementioned spring break trip. Now that I think back on it, I'm glad we weren't picked up for being drifters. But it was one of the greatest experiences of my life :)

31. Hit a home run
~ Yeah right

32. Been on a cruise
~ Not a real one, but we did a 6 hour cruise to and from the Bahamas. I would LOVE to do a European and an Alaskan cruise.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
~ Yep. They are neat.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
~ My maiden name is English, and I've been to England. So that counts.

35. Seen an Amish community
~ They make some delicious cheese!

36. Taught yourself a new language
~ I do want to try Rosetta Stone some day - I've heard it's legit

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
~ Again, yeah right.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing
~ In West Virginia

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
~ Not yet - Florence is on my bucket list fo sho!

41. Sung karaoke
~ Way more often than I should

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt



43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
~ Some rich dude bought us a bottle of wine at Hyde Park on Jon's birthday though!

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
~ In the Bahamas and in Florida.... ooh la la!

46. Been transported in an ambulance
~ When I sprained my ankle in my very first (and last) game of intramural soccer

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
~ Yep. It is incredible.

 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
~ Been to the Eiffel tower, not to the top because again, I hate crowds. Here is the proof:



51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
~ In Key Largo. And I threw up everything I had in my system. I have no interest in experiencing that again.

52. Kissed in the rain
~ The hubs and I have had some romantic moments ;-)

53. Played in the mud
~ Mud pit. Summer camp. 1992.

54. Gone to a drive-in theater
~ It's been awhile, but I can't wait to take Emerson.

 55. Been in a movie
~ My brother is an independent filmmaker, and I played the bit part of bitchy ex-girlfriend of the main character in one of his short films.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business
~ I would love to open my own froyo shop!

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason
~ I love looking at flowers, but I truly believe they are a colossal waste of money. They die in a week!

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
~ A few times, and I always turn yellow. I truly hate doing it, I won't lie.

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check
~ But I've over-drafted multiple times!

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
~ My favorite toys as a child were books, because I am a huge nerd. R.L. Stine anyone??



70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
~ He looks so honest from way down there.

71. Eaten Caviar
~ No, I can put away a boatload of sushi though!

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades
~ And I received 67 mosquito bites on one leg as a reward. That is not a typo.

75. Been fired from a job
~ This is my worst professional fear; failing an exam comes in close second. Again, big nerd!

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London



~ Yes. This isn't it, obviously, but this guy let me take a picture with him.

77. Broken a bone
~ Nope - I drink lots of milk!

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
~ And I have zero interest in riding on one of those two-wheeled death machines again!

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican
~ It is massive and beautiful!

82. Bought a brand new car

I had a brand new car right after high school, which I proceeded to annihilate with my terrible driving habits.

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper
~ In our college newspaper from when I was homecoming queen. It still comes up if you Google my maiden name. And so does my unfortunate blonde highlight job.

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House
~ My friend Jess and I had tickets to tour the inside, but they were for 7am, so ummmmmm.... we didn't make it. But we saw the outside???

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox
~ They were not fun, as I recall.

89. Saved someone’s life
~ This weekend, while pulling weeds, I saw a pregnant spider. Instead of killing it, I picked it up and put it in the yard. So I not only saved her, but all of her spider babies. You're welcome, ma'am.

90. Sat on a jury
~ And you can read all about my experience here

91. Met someone famous
~ The closest I've come is that the weather lady from our local CBS affiliate goes to my OB's office and we were pregnant at the same time.

92. Joined a book club
~ And it's the best one ever! But I haven't been in several months because I, well, had a baby and all.

93. Got a tattoo




~ It looks like this and is on my hip. I want to get one for Jack too but haven't found the right one yet.

94. Had a baby
~ Emerson Elizabeth is my whole world! Jack Benjamin is the most perfect angel in heaven.

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit
~ I get letters for class action suits all the time. Apparently I buy products from shady companies.

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee
~ On my hand on the way to Disney World when I was 8 - my hand was so swollen that I couldn't hold onto the bars on all the rides and I was terrified!

Phew!!! I am exhausted!