Gossamer Tapestry

Reflections on conservation, butterflies, and ecology in the nation's heartland

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

100 Things Meme

It's so hard to keep an insect blog sparkling and appealing during a long Chicago winter. Plus I'm bored- the holidays are over. Key West is still weeks away. The weather is just dull. A meme might liven things up. This one's from a pretty cool blog called Guadalupe Storm Petrel. I found it when I was doing a Google search on island endemic birds. It's a random list of thigs one might do. I've bolded the ones I've actually done.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis- This is noteworthy?
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch- Cheesemaking!
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked (sadly, no racy stories)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb- Gary Lee or Gary could probably help me achieve this one.
26. Gone skinny dipping- occasionally with others.
27. Run a Marathon- But Leon has. Twice.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse Two, actually.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise - but not until about a year ago.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - being gainfully employed for an uninterrupted 25 years helps.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing - Mostly during grad school. I gave it up. Too many wasp stings. Try injecting yourself with epinephrine while dangling from a rope some time.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight- sadly never in a romantic context.
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted I may be cheating a bit here. It was pastels rather than paints. I was 12 at the time.
48. Gone deep sea fishing - but I've fished in the ocean many, many times
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain- Um, once was even with a girl.
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie- Nope. Not all of us can experience the glamor of being a cowboy zombie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching- I've even seen the whales.
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma -but my blood has been unwelcome for many years.
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check :-(
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - My stuffed elephant Tuzzy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square- Years ago, it was pretty seedy back then.
74. Toured the Everglades- Does canoeing count?
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London- Briefly, from a taxi while driving from the train station to Heathrow.
77. Broken a bone -two, actually. Not at the same time.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle- The driver was straight, but I still enjoyed hanging on while speeding through town.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person Edited to add: My Dad and I even had to carry Chilmark Girl back from Bright Angel Point (she was recovering from mono).
80. Published a book- Only a chapter
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper- yeah, Media Madness and all that. (A lot of the links on that page have expired).
85. Read the entire Bible- not in one sitting, of course.
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - Trout
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury- For one afternoon. Then the defendant (an insurance company) settled.
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one- too many.
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone- OMG I just got a new iPhone!!!
99. Been stung by a bee- Once it even resulted in full-blown anaphylactic shock.
100. Ridden an elephant

55/100. Not bad.

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7 Comments:

At 22:55, Blogger Ur-spo said...

Good list
Many you don't have highlighted i don't consider worthwhile at this time to pursue - like the girl scout cookies or the lawsuit.

The elephant sounds like a good idea.

 
At 23:49, Blogger TR Ryan said...

Hey, I got 52 with a girl too! It was the first of its kind and I do believe it was the last of its kind. July 1974, Hot Springs, Arkansas - in a downpour.

 
At 00:36, Blogger SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

Quite an impressive list you have here Doug but I can't believe you have not held a mantis!! You also HAVE to put Africa on the top of your list, ask Ted, it will be a fantastic experience and one you will never forget. Kissed a GIRL!! Oh my goodness!! What will you try next!! LOL!!

 
At 07:10, Blogger Doug Taron said...

Spo- I agree with the not worthwhile part. Some of them that are highlighted probably aren't worthwhile. I definitely agree about the elephant.

TR- I think of this as a phase we were going through :-) We had these experiences at about the same time. Mine was in 1976.

Joan- My comment about it not being noteworthy wasn't because I've never held one but because it's such a common occurrence for me. I used to play with them as a kid. Now we keep them for floor programming at the museum where I work.

 
At 18:06, Blogger Kathie Brown said...

Doug, I hope things liven up for you there. Perhaps a trip to the desert is in order? :)

I'm looking at your list here and I can claim some of them. Of course I've had a baby, 4 to be exact, but I've also killed and prepared my own food-rabbits when I lived on a farm. I've milked a cow and a goat and skinned a deer before. I've gone swimming in the Great Salt Lake (you really do float but you have to get past all the flies on the beach first.) Fun post to read. I hope you can keep yourself and us entertained until the sun and the insects return to your cold, dark land!

 
At 13:06, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh man........what great memories of a life being lived WELL !!! I don't know about swimming in Great Sale Lake though............

 
At 16:51, Blogger Doug Taron said...

Hi Kathie- Although a trip to the desert would certainly perk things up, what's actually on tap is a trip to Florida I'm envious of the goat milking, and I'm pretty sure you can figure out why.

Mark- I bet that you would have some interesting stuff in bold on this list.

 

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