Moi Meme...

Saw this meme over at Curtis' blog, and thought I would answer it here... The ones that are in bold are the ones that I have done.

1. Started your own blog. Yup. About a year ago.

2. Slept under the stars. Often as a kid. Sometimes as an adult.

3. Played in a band.

4. Visited Hawaii.

5. Watched a meteor shower. Quite a few times down by the lake where I grew up. And Brad took some excellent photos of comet Hale-Bopp when it went by a decade or so ago.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity. Well, not more than I could afford, but a fair amount anyway. To the local SPCA when they had a capital campaign. Brad was the SPCA President at the time. And recently to the Liberal Party of Canada because I can't stand the gall darn Conservatives.

7. Been to Disney World / Land. Both.

8. Climbed a mountain. Not me, but Brad has trecked to Everest base camp.

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo.

11. Bungee jumped. - NEVER.

12. Visited Paris. Only the airport en route someplace else. It's crazy. We've been to Europe many times, but have never visited France. And we are both fluent in French. Someday soon!

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

15. Adopted a child. -- LOL! Nope.

16. Had food poisoning. Perhaps not food poisoning, but some nasty bug got into my system while we were visiting Russia in 2006. Thankfully right at the very end of the trip (so to speak). We flew home via Newark and stayed overnight with a friend in Jersey. She took us to an Indian restaurant for dinner that night. BAD idea. Very. Bad. Idea.

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

18. Grown your own vegetables. Backyard tomatoes and raspberry patch.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.

20. Slept on an overnight train. In Russia, between Saint Petersberg and Moscow. We took the famous Red Star train and had our own compartment. You leave Saint Petersburg at midnight and arrive in Mowcow at 8:00 a.m. Was a great experience, but I didn't get a lot of sleep as we had a late dinner followed by a flaming Sambuca with a coffee bean in the glass. It kept me buzzing most of the night. Many years ago, I also took an overnight train to Montreal.

21. Had a pillow fight. Many times with my siblings as a kid.

22. Hitch hiked. A lot as a teenager. It was Canada in the 1970s, i.e., safe.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. A couple of times.

24. Built a snow fort. More often snow caves, but certainly a fort or two as well.

25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping. I grew up by a lake. Never got a nickname like Curtis did though :(

27. Run a Marathon. - Not me again, but Brad has. Stockholm 2007.

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.

29. Seen a total eclipse. A couple, actually.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. Many, many times. They're the best times for skinny dipping!

31. Hit a home run. Can't really recall, but I must have at some point. We played ball a lot when I was young.

32. Been on a cruise.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. Yup. Brad's sis lives nearby.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.

35. Been to Amish community.

36. Taught yourself a new language. Yup - sort of. I've always had an interest in Russia (the language and the place) so, I started learning it when I was in Grade 7, I think - just a few Berlitz books and some records. I took two years of Russian language at university. The little that has stayed with me came in handy when we visited in '06. I also speak a tiny bit of German and Spanish.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. We are by no means wealthy, but there've been few things that I have been unable to do because of a lack of money. I'd also love to win a huge lotto jackpot because it would be so much fun to share with all our friends.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person. Check. Last summer in fact. In the pouring rain. We all got soaked, but glad we walked there and back (to our hotel). We had just one night in Pisa - it was then or never.

39. Gone rock climbing.

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David Yup. On a school trip in 1978 or '79. We went to Rome and did Florence as a day trip. Brad and I also spent 5 nights in Florence in 1996 (when Brad saw David), and we were back for one night last summer after our week at the villa.

41. Sung karaoke.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt. - Only on a ViewMaster slide - Ha! Haven't heard THAT work in a while. ViewMaster.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa.

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight. Check. In Maine, Mexico. Brad was with me in Maine (a beach in Acadia National Park), so that was more special.

46. Been transported in an ambulance. Nope. Knock wood.

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone deep sea fishing. Nope, but we went whale watching off of Victoria, B.C. and it was amazing. We saw a big pod of orcas and were close enough to make eye contact with them. Many of them were breaching that day, too, and even our guides were impressed. An amazing experience.

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person. Check. On the school trip in the late 70s. Been back to Rome several times since, but not back to the chapel.

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

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.

52. Kissed in the rain. Must have.

53. Played in the mud. As a kid, I'm sure.

54. Gone to a drive-in theater. Many times in my youth.

55. Been in a movie.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China.

57. Started a business.

58. Taken a martial arts class.

59. Visited Russia. One week in October 2006. An incredible experience, and daunting at the same time. It's the first place we've been where we stood out like sore thumbs as tourists. Brad was the only non-priest in all of Russia with a beard and our comfortable, colourful, loose-fitting cloths and shoes/sneakers were in marked contrast to the stylish Russians who dressed almost excusively in black and wore black leather shoes polished to beat the band.

60. Served at a soup kitchen. I volunteered Saturdays at the local community kitchen for a couple of years.

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.

62. Gone whale watching. Oops. See No. 48 above.

63. Gotten flowers for no reason. Yup. Wait a minute -- does that mean purchased flowers or sent them to someone else? In any case, both, I guess.

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma. For myself - in preparation for my total hip replacement in 02. In case I needed a transfusion during or after the operation. Turned out that the nurse who put the needle in my arm somehow pricked her own finger with the needle prior to putting it in me - Nice. She only realized this after they had taken out the unit of blood, so that unit was contaminated and could not be used. She had to have a number of tests (Hep. C, HIV, etc.) to ensure that she had not given me anything. It was all clear, but oy! Other than that, gay men are "not allowed" to give blood. Incredibly stupid.

65. Gone sky diving. HA. Surely you jest.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a check. Probably at some point, who hasn't?

68. Flown in a helicopter.

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

71. Eaten Caviar. Check. Probably wouldn't again. What's all the fuss about?

72. Pieced a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square. Check.

74. Toured the Everglades.

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London. On another school trip in the late 1970s.

77. Broken a bone.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book.

81. Visited the Vatican. Check.

82. Bought a brand new car.

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper.

85. Read the entire Bible.

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

88. Had chickenpox. Don't recall much about it, but I did have it (them?) when I was a kid.

89. Saved someone’s life.

90. Sat on a jury.

91. Met someone famous. Does holding the door for the Dalai Lama count? I was a bell hop at a hotel he was staying at.

92. Joined a book club.

93. Lost a loved one. Who hasn't?

94. Had a baby.

95. Seen the Alamo in person.

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a lawsuit.

98. Owned a cell phone. Proud to say I do not now nor have I ever owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee. Many times!