Saturday, September 12, 2009

Learn More About Me: A 100-Item Bucket List

This is a called the bucket list. You review 100 items and put in italics the ones you’ve already achieved in life. Here then, with annotations, is my bucket list:

I HAVE…

1. Started my own blog – haven’t kept it up much lately, a case of the blahs has hit
2. Slept under the stars – camping in college
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 – Disney World yes, Disneyland no
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea – sort of, watched it at Fort Myers Beach, FL
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning – way too many times
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty – I’m counting this one since I walked halfway up carrying Max as a baby
18. Grown my own vegetables – every year since living in Chicago
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight – as a kid with my sister
22. Hitchhiked – lots during my Hippie years, not smart
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill – now and then when I was working
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 – a few times
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset – many times
31. Hit a home run – once as a kid, that I can remember
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community – Amish Acres, a lousy trip my family will NOT let me forget....ever
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied – I’m pretty much always satisfied about money
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David – saw the Pietà at the NY 1964 Worlds Fair, so I’m giving myself this one
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 – Jones Beach, NY
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted – again sort of – a street artist asked to do a study of me in charcoal in Central Park in the ‘60’s, sat for it, but didn’t get to keep it
48. Gone deep sea fishing
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 – now and then
53. Played in the mud – at a music festival
54. Gone to a drive-in theater – not for a long time – most are now closed
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business – engineering business with Bill – closed after 17 years
58. Taken a martial arts class – in the South Bronx while working with Mother Teresa’s nuns, one of the volunteers taught a class there for free
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen – also in the South Bronx, Fort Apache to be exact
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason – from Bill of course
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma – routinely at Iona College
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check – during college, didn’t mean to though
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy – my Teddy Bear Sammy, I tried to wash him in the washing machine years ago and he basically dissolved, I’m still sad about that
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial - twice
71. Eaten caviar – once....never again
72. Pieced a quilt – when I was pregnant with Christopher, for his crib
73. Stood in Times Square – lots in the ‘60’s
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone – more than once, wrist, ankle, toe and finger
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle – once, fell off while rounding a curve, first and last ride
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person – beautiful because I did it with Bill and my kids
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car - twice
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper – with an article about our homeschooling
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House - twice
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox – when I was little, still have a scar from it
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury – in NY, a trial about drunk driving
91. Met someone famous – just the other day…James Galway!!!! And Stevie Wonder when I was 12
92. Joined a book club – several times, did it for the cheap books
93. Lost a loved one – my mother, grandparents, friends, neighbors, too many to think about
94. Had a baby – four amazing, wonderful times – I wish there had been many more
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit – with W.T. Grants department store for my broken wrist when I was in 2nd grade…trial finally took place when I was in 5th grade
98. Owned a cell phone – yes, an iPhone thanks to Melissa
99. Been stung by a bee – for the first and only time last summer
100. Ridden an elephant – at the Bronx Zoo when I was little, my brother Jimmy shared the ride