If you see a whole thing - it seems that it's always beautiful. Planets, lives... But up close a world's all dirt and rocks. And day to day, life's a hard job, you get tired, you lose the pattern. - Ursula K. LeGuin

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Life Lists

Saw this over at Minor Revisions and thought it would be fun to play along.

Bold things you've done. Italicize things you absolutely need to do. (My version at the bottom)

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink (Have no intention of doing this. I don't think I'm particularly cheap but this is not my style)
02. Swam with dolphins 
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it (I do this on a daily basis)
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise (Several times, in my younger days)
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (I'm not sure what is meant by huge here. But I have no desire)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars (I've camped quite a bit but always inside a tent. Not sure if that counts)
20. Changed a baby’s diaper (A lot, but a long time ago)
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne (Not my favorite kind of drunk)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity (If charity begins at home, then yes, but otherwise this is not likely to happen)
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (I'm not really the giggling type)
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger 
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can (Its called a kiai--also childbirth)
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster (I LOVE roller coasters)
35. Hit a home run (Again, never going to happen. Am not a team sports fan--playing or watching)
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking (This is generally how I dance, when I dance)
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment (Most of the time)
39. Had two hard drives for your computer 
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends (Still do)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip (Whenever I can and preferably with b)
48. Gone rock climbing (Indoors twice--hated it both times)
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love (luckily no)
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (I was the stretchy guy in the Fantastic Four when we were kids)
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day (Does being sick count?)
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theatre
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken 
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class (Taken many--taught quite a few)
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married (Twice)
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced (Once--never again)
76. Gone without food for 5 days (Used to do 3-day fasts. Have no desire to do a five day)
77. Made cookies from scratch (Frequently)
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted a river
82. Been on a television news program as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason (From my ex once when I was leaving him and several times from b)
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date (Of course)
89. Gone to Thailand 
90. Bought a house (Once. Hope to make it twice)
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents (My dad)
93. Been on a cruise ship (So not me)
94. Spoken more than one language fluently (I'm linguistically challeged)
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (Raised child)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold (More times than I care to admit)
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (SouthLite)
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking with the windows open (It is the only place I sing.)
103. Had plastic surgery (Hope never to do this)
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication (Plenty of times)
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray (In an aquarium)
110. Broken someone’s heart (The ex. It was NOT fun)
111. Helped an animal give birth (Well I don't know how much help I was but I was a doula for my cat)
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone (Several)
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (Oh how I've wanted to do this)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse (Ridden several, fell off one)
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days (Used to take week long canoe trips with ex and my sister)
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi (as often as I can)
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about (Do faculty meetings count?)
130. Gone back to school (Took a short break to have Angel so I think that counts as going back)
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach (Touched, captured, killed)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes (yum!)
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read (Many)
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions (Haven't really been invited to any)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (Every day)
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair (Does highlighting count?)
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

The Score

Things I've done: 47 (But I think I cheated on several)
Things I want to do: 8 (Mostly travel & outdoor-related)

16 Things NOT on the List That I've Done (In no particular order)

  1. Owned a pet rat (well several rats)
  2. Helped a woman give birth (well several women)
  3. Got a black belt
  4. Got a doctorate
  5. Financed a college education for myself (actually still paying that off)
  6. Financed a college education for my son (actually still doing that)
  7. Participated in a sweat lodge ceremony
  8. Broke wooden boards with my bare hands (and feet)
  9. Hunted for worms in the rain
  10. Learned to drive stick
  11. Begged for money on the street (when I didn't really need it and feel pretty awful about it now)
  12. Rode the subway on my own when I was 10
  13. Broke someone else's bone(s) (in tournament and class--both by accident)
  14. Was the "other woman" (again, feel bad about that one now)
  15. Drove on the "wrong" side of the street in South Africa (and almost caused an accident)
  16. Had to issue a DNR for someone I loved
5 Things I Want to Do That Are NOT on the List
  1. Become a grandmother
  2. Publish a book
  3. Love the same man until the day I die
  4. Own a tortoise as a pet
  5. Live debt-free

4 comments:

Annie said...

Hi Brigindo,
It's an interesting list, and I may, may, participate at my blog. I'm surprised you've never climbed a mountain, looked through a telescope at the night sky, or watched a meteor shower. Along with getting married and finding the love of my life, I have done those things, if hiking to the top of a mountain counts as climbing (not sure). I went four miles down into the Grand Canyon, but I can't count that. My husband has been down to the bottom, twice. I have gone rafting a couple of times, but only up to a class 3 rapid, mostly 1's and 2's, for a short run. OOPs... I guess I've answered a lot of it here, all the good things, at least. Thanks for the reminders!

Julie said...

Very interesting lists. We share several experiences, but some are unique to you, which is cool. I've never been to South Africa. That would be awesome. I'm glad there wasn't an accident, though.

Catherine said...

My quick tally: I've accomplished 44 things so far and there are about 7 or so that I'd like to do, plus several that I've already done but would like to do again (not, however, change a diaper).

K said...

55 checked off, but not really more than three or four (on this list anyway) that I really want to do.