99 Things

99 Things

I found this on a new blog I just found through Follow Friday and I want to play: Danielle's "Diamonds on my Soles". Like Danielle, I'm a sucker for lists. I used to think I was the only one. My dad even once asked me when I was a kid, why I made lists. As a working girl, I HAD to keep a list to keep up with my boss so I wouldn't forget what I had to do. My lists saved my neck more than once.

Below is a list of 99 things you could have done, or not. IF you want to play, go through the list and bold the things you have done, and post.

Here's mine.

1. Started your own blog.

I'm not sure...is this a blog? :)

2. Slept under the stars.

Yep. When I used to go to YMCA summer camp for two or three weeks every year. Sometimes we'd camp out under the stars in just our sleeping bags.

3. Played in a band.


4. Visited Hawaii.

I wish...

5. Watched a meteor shower.


6. Given more than you can afford to charity.


7. Been to DisneyWorld.

Once, with my dad when I was 16. The really pathetic part is that I live in Florida, only 4 hours away from Disney and have been to Orlando for other things. But it's a big chunk of money to take my big family and I don't feel right just taking one or two at a time. But my kids have each gone with their schools or other friends at least once. All the kids in Florida manage to go one time or another.

I did, however, not only go, but work at Kings Island in Ohio for 3 summers. It's also a huge amusement park not too different from Disney, so I'm not amusement park deprived. My hubby and I met at Kings Island. It was also my first real job.

8. Climbed a mountain.

I've climbed many hills, but never a mountain.

9. Held a praying mantis.


10. Sang a solo.

Only to my kids at night like a lullaby or in my car to myself. But no, not a solo in front of an audience.



11. Bungee jumped.

Hell no!!!!



12. Visited Paris.



13. Watched a lightning storm.

A lot.



14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

If cooking counts, yes.


15. Adopted a child.


16. Had food poisoning.

I think so, back in the late 80s. I had to work 4th of July so my company treated us to barbeque dinners. I was never so ill and for 3 days I wanted to die. I also missed the fireworks because I couldn't get out of bed. This is one I wish I could've missed.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

My parents took me to NYC when I was 6. I don't remember much at all about the trip. I don't recall seeing the Statue of Liberty but maybe I was there and at the top. I'll have to ask my dad.

18. Grown your own vegetables.

I've tried. One or two survived long enough for us to eat them. Most died a very sorrowful death and so now I've taken pity on vegetable life and stopped trying to grow them.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.



20. Slept on an overnight train.



21. Had a pillow fight.

Duh! Of course. Maybe I'll have one today again. Sounds like fun.



22. Hitch hiked.

Another hell no! I've seen those horror movies about hitch hikers. (shudder)



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

Never ever ever.



24. Built a snow fort.



25. Held a lamb.



26. Gone skinny dipping.



27. Run a Marathon.



28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.



29. Seen a total eclipse.



30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

Hasn't everybody?



31. Hit a home run.



32. Been on a cruise.

Only if you count a dinner cruise in Tampa Bay.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.



34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.

I was born in the birthplace (Cincinnati, Ohio) where at least 4 or 5 generations of my family was born, if that counts. If you mean Germany, where the first people in my family were before migrating to the United States, then no. But I'd love to.



35. Seen an Amish community.



36. Taught yourself a new language.

I haven't but my daughter and her best friend are teaching themselves Korean and Japanese. Also, my best friend taught herself as many Spanish curse words as she could find (so she'd know if her boyfriend was swearing at her - so she said.)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.


38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.


39. Gone rock climbing.



40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.



41. Sung karaoke.

I got roped into it at a church party one night. I'm sure the people who forced me were very very sorry they did that.


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.

In South Florida and especially in Biloxi, Mississippi. I was even proposed to on the Biloxi beach under the moonlight. Also one of my book covers, "Civil Affairs" shows the hero and heroine together on the Biloxi beach under the moonlight. I think that's my favorite all-time cover.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.



47. Had your portrait painted.



48. Gone deep sea fishing.



50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.



51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.



52. Kissed in the rain.



53. Played in the mud.



54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.

Many many many times. There's only one left I know of in South Florida which is the Thunderbird Theater at the big Swap Shop. But that's a zoo with cars zooming in and out so I rarely go anymore. But I loved it as a teenager. My friends Julie, Cindy, and I went all the time. I also visited a lot with my hubby - but didn't necessarily see the movies. :) I find it very sad that they're dying. They were so much fun and had so many good memories.



55. Been in a movie.

No, but I was in my highschool newscast as an anchor person every month. Once I read my script off a roll of toilet paper. My cousin, Vicky, teased me mercilessly for years about that.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China.



57. Started a business.

Yes, a ceramics greenware shop with my hubby. It was NOT a good experience and one I wish I had never experienced.

58. Taken a martial arts class.

I took Taekwondo with my three youngest children and my grandson for a couple years. I decided it was too much about nothing after I had got all the way up to brown belt. It had its good points, but I wasn't ready to give up the rest of my life to be at the karate studio every day but Sunday.



59. Visited Russia.



60. Served at a soup kitchen.

Yes. When I went on a missions trip to Jamaica with the charity I work for. We helped the Salvation Army serve the street people in Kingston.

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.

Yep. Every year for many many years. And then I also helped my daughter sell them as I was a Girl Scout parent.

62. Gone whale watching.



63. Got flowers for no reason.



64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.

You bet. Both. My younger daughter donated blood for the first time 3 weeks ago. I was very proud of her.

65. Gone sky diving.

Hell NO! WHY would I jump out of a perfectly good plane???



66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.



67. Bounced a cheque.

Maybe when I first had a check book, but not in many many years.



68. Flown in a helicopter.



69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.

For a long time I saved my "Polly the Parrot" even though one of my pets had chewn him up pretty bad. But this just made me realize I've not seen my polly in a long time so I don't know if he's out in the garage or if someone threw him away. I sure hope they wouldn't do that to poor Polly.



70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

A couple times when I was a kid on school and Girl Scout trips.



71. Eaten Caviar.

No way, Jose! At least I wouldn't on purpose, and not that I know of.



72. Pieced a quilt.

Part of one, not a whole one. I took a quilting class at church several years ago and made a few pieces of a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square.

MAYBE when I was six on that trip with my parents. I'll have to ask my dad.



74. Toured the Everglades.

This is pathetic as I live one mile from the Everglades and have for the past twenty one years, but NO. I have this silly aversion to alligators so I don't venture out into the swamp and keep a fence between me and the canal behind our house.

75. Been fired from a job.

sigh...Unfortunately yes.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.



77. Broken a bone.

Two bones in fact. My big toe on my right foot. And when I was 6, my nose - or maybe that was the cartilage that got damaged. Anyway, my nose was in an awful burlap cast the entire summer I was 6 and I HATED it!

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle.

Nope. Not even when my hubby owned a motorcyle. I asked him to give me a ride but he never did. Bad bad hubby. :(



79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.



80. Published a book.

;) All the time. This month, March 2010, I have three books being published: one sweet under my alter ego's name at The Wild Rose Press and two as Ashley Ladd with Total-E-Bound.com - "Crazy in Love" March 22nd and "Welcome To Paradise" came out already on March 8th. Then there's one in April, two in May, one in July, and one in August.

81. Visited the Vatican.



82. Bought a brand new car.

The van I drive now was bought brand new. One or two of my other cars were. Most were used.



83. Walked in Jerusalem.



84. Had your picture in the newspaper.

In the high school newspaper definitely.



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



86. Visited the White House.

Yes, a couple times when I was a teen - the same trips I saw the Lincoln Memorial.


87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

No. I grew up shooting guns, but always target practice with non-live targets.  (rifles, pistols, skeet, and trap). Once my dad took me hunting but I couldn't stand to put an animal in my sites or hurt one. We ended up putting old cans on a hillside and shooting at them instead. I hate fishing too for that reason. I don't want to hurt a poor fish anymore than any other animal.



88. Had chickenpox.

Twice. When I was about 5 and again when I was 26. It wasn't bad at all when I was younger, but I when I was 26, it was absolutely horrible. I caught it from my 3 year old daughter. I was surprised as I'd always heard a person could only get chickenpox once in their life. Now I wish it had been worse as a child.

89. Saved someone’s life.

Maybe. My family was in a burning car in Biloxi, Mississippi when my oldest three children were still babies. My husband took the two older boys out of the car and stood on the side while I wrestled to get my infant daughter out of her car seat while they were yelling, "Hurry up before the car blows up." The car never blew up but continued to burn. So if I'd left her in the burning car (which I never would of course) she probably would have died. So the answer is yes.



90. Sat on a jury.



91. Met someone famous.

Yes. Both big name romance authors and also my bosses where I work are pretty famous and they bring a lot of other famous people into our offices a lot.


92. Joined a book club.



93. Got a tattoo.



94. Had a baby.

FIVE



95. Seen the Alamo in person.

Yep. I was inside the Alamo for at least half hour on a tour. When I was in Basic Training for the Air Force I was stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. They let us loose one Saturday afternoon toward the end of our training and my friends and I went into San Antonio and the Alamo was one of our first stops. I was expecting a really big, impressive fort. It was a really dinky structure in the park surrounded by tall buildings, maybe even some sky scrapers. I'm sure it looked way different back when it was attacked by Indians.

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.



97. Been involved in a law suit.

Unfortunately, yes. A couple. NOT fun.

98. Owned a mobile phone.

I'm on my second or third and need to get a new one as the screen has a giant crack in it. We don't even have a house phone anymore.



99. Been stung by a bee

Several times. But bee stings aren't as bad as wasps. Once I was stung by seven wasps at once when I was a kid. I sat on the steps going up to the second floor of my grandpa's old and pretty dilapidated garage when a nest of very angry and hostile wasps barrelled out at me. Ouch!

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