I've Been Busy

I haven't written anything in a long, long while. What can I say? We've been busy. Here are a few snapshots of the things that have kept us hopping:

1. Traveling to Florida

2. Teaching Kindergarten

3. Redoing the kids' shared bedroom (including a LOT of declutteirng and organizing)

4. Redoing the kids' playroom/schoolroom


5. Enjoying fall


So what have YOU been up to?

On My Mind

Despite committing to posting every day this month, I somehow neglected to write anything for today until now, when I should be getting ready for bed.

Here are some things that are on my mind (and in my internet search history):

• Homeschooling requirements for TN
• Unit studies
• Planning our school/family calendar for Kindergarten
  
• Budgeting for curriculum, etc.
  
• Frugal meal planning
• Square-foot gardening
• Finishing all of the books I'm currently reading

So...what's on YOUR mind?

You may have noticed that I haven't been blogging much lately. It's not because of time constraints, or a busy schedule, or a self-imposed hiatus, or anything of that nature.

It's because my brain, it is empty.

Unless you want to hear a litany of pregnancy-related complaints.

(I'll just say this: I'm starting my third trimester, and could totally make my own Pepto-Bismol commercial. Nausea! Heartburn! Indigestion! Upset stomach! Diarrhea!)

(But I wouldn't make a Pepto-Bismol commercial, because it's not something you can take while pregnant, so there.)

Anywho. If at some point I have something worthwhile to share, I'll be sure and do that. Meanwhile, you can look forward to more random cute pictures of Wendy, and more pregnancy updates. We have an ultrasound on Thursday to see how little David is growing, and I'm hoping we'll get some good images this time.

Olfactory Overload

I've always heard that a pregnant woman has a heightened sense of smell. I never noticed it when I was pregnant with Wendy, and I didn't notice it this time around, either - until the last couple of weeks. I don't normally have a very sensitive nose; I think the years of working with animals burned out some of my olfactory receptors. But now, it's like I've had a sudden awakening, and some unusual scents are particularly good.

Most people like certain smells, like flowers, fresh-cut grass, cookies baking, etc. I like all of those, too, but here are some of my more unusual favorite smells:

• Dial antibacterial gold soap. I love it.
  
• Band-aids.
• Sizzling onions/peppers/steak. Like, the fajitas being brought to the table next to yours, when you ordered a healthy, boring salad.
  
• Warm, clean, happy cat. Usually found purring in the sunshine.
  
• April Fresh Downy. I don't use it often, but I keep snuffling the clothes when I use it.
  
• ripe peach. I would almost rather smell it than eat it. Almost.
  
• Lemon Endust. The house isn't clean if it doesn't smell like Lemon Endust.
  
• freshly-bathed Wendy (that's kind of a given)

The flip side of this is that some smells are intensely displeasing to me now, things that ordinarily wouldn't bother me at all. Things like:

• Garlic. Not fresh garlic in a meal, but the garlic that you ate yesterday that is now oozing from your pores. Yeah, I can smell that. Go stand way over there, please.
• Ripe bananas. Green or just-barely ripe ones are fine, but once they cross that threshold, I don't want them anywhere around.
• Gasoline. Normally, I kinda like the smell. Not right now.
• The Refrigerator. All those closed-in smells. Normally, I don't think our fridge smells like anything, but when I'm pregnant, it stinks.
• The Microwave. When you cook something and then shut the door, the smells stay in there & get funky - did you know that?
• Cat breath. Especially Maestro's. Smells like something died in there.

Do you have any strange favorite or least favorite smells?

My Favorite Sounds

This morning, I was taking a break from sorting Wendy's outgrown clothes & I heard James vacuuming upstairs. I realized that's one of my favorite sounds - someone else vacuuming. A lot of my favorite sounds are enjoyable by themselves, but some are good because of what they represent. Examples:

• Wendy giggling
• Wendy's sleepy sigh
• cats purring
• coffee brewing
• the slight creak of the bed when I lay down
• the dishwasher/washer/dryer running (esp. all 3 at once!)
• the zip of a tent (no other zipper sounds the same)
• crackling campfire
• the spray & sizzle of using starch while ironing
• James coming downstairs from work

What are some of your favorite everyday sounds & why?

Simple Pleasures

I've recently become more aware of some of the basic pleasures in life. We don't live a luxurious life by American standards, but by the standards of the rest of the world, we're quite wealthy! Here are some specific physical things I'm thankful for:

1. Coffee. I've never been a serious coffee drinker, but I do enjoy a cup every now and then. I had to give it up early in the pregnancy, because the smell didn't agree with me. Yesterday, it sounded really good, so I gave it another try, and YUM. My personal favorite coffee concoction is coffee, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a generous slug of Hershey's syrup, milk, and Splenda. I've always loved my coffee sweet!
2. Heat and hot water. Several of my friends teach English in China, and it gets plenty cold there, and rains most of the winter. My friends have heat (sort of) and hot water, but NONE of their students do. Can you imagine going through a whole winter without heat or hot water??
   
3. Washer & Dryer. As much as I whine about the endless laundry, etc., how wonderful is it that I can just walk to my kitchen and plop some dirty clothes into a machine, turn a few dials, and get clean clothes? Then I can put those clean clothes into another machine, and they get all warm & dry & fluffy. It's a great blessing, when you really think about it! (Now getting the laundry folded & put away is another matter...)
4. Clothes. Now that I'm wearing maternity clothes, my options are somewhat limited. And yet, when I chafe against boredom & lack of variety, I think of our Compassion kiddo in the Dominican Republic - he's got 2 shirts & two pairs of shorts, if he's lucky. I'm getting bored because I only have 8 shirts to choose from?? What a blessing it is to have extra clothes to wear!
5. Books. I'm an avid reader, and I'm trying to raise Wendy with an appreciation for books, too. I love reading to Wendy (as long as she's not elbowing me in the belly), and I really enjoy most of her books. One of my favorite ways to spend a lazy afternoon is snuggled up in bed with a good book. I especially like Christian fiction - stories that involve you and help illustrate important principles of life.

What are you thankful for today?

A Cabin-Fever List

Last night and today, we've had freezing rain. That means, for this girl, there will be no going out. At all. Not even to the mailbox. Pregnancy makes me afraid off all kinds of things, like falling & going splat on the pavement. And driving on slick roads? Nu-uh.

I've got a little bit of cabin fever; before I heard the forecast, today was going to include a big trip to Target to look at baby stuff. Since that's not going to happen, I'm writing a list of randomness.

1. I had my first Braxton-Hicks contraction last night. I had a lot of them with Wendy, so I'm familiar with the slightly-uncomfortable tightening, and feeling like I suddenly have a fully-inflated basketball in my belly. I'm 21 weeks, so I guess it was about time.
2. It was bound to happen - we've been asking Wendy where "Mommy's baby" is, and laughing when she pats my tummy. Yesterday, I asked her where her baby is (meaning her baby doll) and she patted her own tummy. It was pretty cute!
3. I don't think we're going to get everything on my list done before David arrives. And in addition to my long list, James has to take a day-long licensing exam on April 24th, about a month before David's birthday. He has a lot of studying to do, which means that much less time to get other stuff done.
4. I'm ready for spring.
5. I'm thinking about finding a new home for our dog. She's a good little dog, but she's definitely at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to care & attention. She would probably be happier with someone else, someone who can dote on her & lavish her with attention & let her sleep on the bed at night.
6. Taking a newly-potty-training toddler to church is an exercise in, well, exercise. I think we average 3 trips to the potty during a worship service, because it's too early in the process for me to tell her to hold it.
7. Wendy loves fish & tartar sauce. I don't know why that surprises me, but it does.
8. I'm getting bored with my maternity clothes. Since I only have 16wks left, I'm just going to deal with the boredom. I am going to look through the stuff I haven't tried lately, since I've lost 25 pounds. The stuff that didn't really work early on might work just fine now.
9. Confession: I've been eating Wendy's M&Ms. The ones that are in a container as a reward for her potty-training successes. I'm a bad Mommy.
10. I can't think of a #10, but it would seem strange to have a list of 9 things. So here's#10.
    

Random Things...

I was tagged by Heather at Not a DIY Life for the "Seven Random Things" meme. I like participating in things like this, especially when I don't really have anything enlightening to say. I'm pretty sure I've done a "random things" meme before, but it's been awhile. You'll just have to bear with me.

Here are the rules:

1. Post the rules on your blog.

2. Write 7 random things about yourself.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post.

That's easy enough, so here we go!

1. I didn't get my driver's license until after my freshman year of college. I was almost 19. I started learning to drive at 15ish, like everyone else, but then circumstances intervened & I just never got my license. I wasn't going to have a car, anyway, so I was in no real hurry.
2. While I love my children, other children in my family, and my friends' children, I don't really like children in general. They can be cute, but are usually messy, loud, and/or annoying. Those are all things you can overlook when you have some connection to the child, but just a random kid - no thank you.
3. I often have times when I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing in any area of my life. One of those times is now. I'd like to think I'm not alone in having times of zero confidence.
4. I feel guilty sometimes for not using my costly education...but then I remind myself that my current job is the most important one I'll ever have. The pay stinks, but the benefits are out of this world.
5. I've mentioned before that I struggle with anxiety attacks. Well, it's very easy for me to get panicky if I feel trapped, literally or figuratively. Whether it's in a small place or a situation I just can't wiggle out of, it's hard for me to keep my thoughts clear & do what I need to do.
6. I was stepped on by a horse on my first day of equine clinics in vet school. It was more my fault than hers, but that sure didn't make it feel any better. Luckily she was a small-ish mare and it was more of a glancing blow than a full weight-bearing step.
7. I read a story online today about a man in Massachusetts burning a large part of his house because he was melting the ice on the porch with a blow torch. It made me laugh out loud, and then immediately feel guilty. (But seriously, a blow torch??)

I'm not going to tag 7 people, but feel free to play along! Let me know if you participate!

News of No Consequence

Alternate Title: I Have Nothing Important To Say, And So I Shall Make A List.

• I should hear back about my glucose tolerance test sometime today.
• Christmas shopping is done. YAY. Waiting for the nice UPS man to deliver the rest of the gifts, so I can have one big marathon wrapping session.
• I spent nearly $100 on stocking stuff yesterday. Yikes. I was buying for Wendy, James, my brother, my sis-in-law, and my nephew. When stuffing stockings, adults are much more difficult. And the $1 section at Target was pretty much empty - that's what I get for waiting until right before Christmas.
  
• Santa will be good to Wendy this year, but not TOO good. We don't want her to grow up getting gifts in excess; most of the things she's getting this year are ones we saved from last year.
• I realized I will have to be sneakier next year. Wendy is already very observant; after another year, she'll be able to read through my code-words & find my hiding places.
• Jumping Bean is definitely moving now. Not regularly, not all the time, but little bumps & jumps here & there. We should have our BIG ultrasound in less than 4 weeks. YAY!
• On Thursday & Friday last week, we had a great reunion of college friends - my roommate, our suitemate, and their hubbies & children. We all stayed up WAY too late, ate WAY too much, and talked and talked and talked. They're just about my favorite people on the planet. (Also - a seven year old, when cooped up indoors for 48 hours due to rainy weather, becomes extremely annoying. Even when she's trying to be good.)

That's all I have! Wasn't it fascinating? Today's agenda: muddle through until naptime, then sleep as long as Wendy sleeps. I'm still recovering from our ridiculous late nights with friends!

A Literary Expedition

I did something today that I haven't done in at least six weeks: I went somewhere with Wendy by myself. I haven't done it in so long because one of the medications I'm taking for nausea can make me groggy pretty much all day long, and I haven't felt safe driving most of the time. Today, however, I woke up feeling pretty alert & refreshed.

I decided it was time to go to the library - after all, if Sandi can do it with three boys under the age of five, I can do it with just Wendy and the Jumping Bean!

We loaded up, and off we went, into the cold, pouring rain. Our first stop was the circulation desk to pay a leftover fine - $14. That's what happens when you lose two books for over a month.

Then we went to the children's section of the library for the first time. Wendy has been to the library before, but it was when she was quite a bit younger and confined to the stroller. When she saw that they had a train table, she was thrilled! She loves "choo-choo trains," and really enjoys playing with them or watching them on TV.

After choosing several things for her, we went to pick out books for me - and we were a little less successful. I had to chase her down several times, and rescue her off of a step-stool three different times. I may have to invest in one of those toddler harnesses to keep her with me; it's hard for me to chase her down, and I'm not allowed to pick her up. (OB's orders.)

We ended up getting her a library card of her own, so that we could check out more items. It was a good trip, and I hope to make it a weekly or every-other-week outing!

And even though I was exhausted by the time we got home, it sure was good to be out & about for a change!

Lots To Do

Somehow (I think it has to do with my muddled mind & nauseousness) December snuck up on me. And here we are, almost a third of the way through the month, and I'm not ready. We have our tree & stockings up, but that's it. I haven't done any baking, shopping, Christmas cards, nada. To top that off, we're hosting some friends for a couple of days in less than two weeks, and our house is NOT company-ready.

And so, on that note, here is my to-do list for this week, in no particular order:

• Steam-clean dining room carpet. Again. Threaten cats within an inch of their lives.
• Take Wendy for a haircut.
• Schedule long-overdue 2-year pictures for Wendy. Hopefully get them done this week.
  
• Make Christmas card list. Order/make cards.
• Work on Christmas budget. Yuck.
• Make Christmas gift shopping list.
• Plan a rough Christmas baking schedule.
• Make grocery list for baking supplies & Christmas dinner supplies.
• Figure out how to fit everyone who is visiting into our tiny house.
• Generally work on straightening/cleaning house.

I'm off to a great start - it's almost noon on Monday and I'm still in PJs, having accomplished nothing. Sigh.

But I don't want to end on a downer - here's a cute picture of Wendy from a few minutes ago. She was really playing with her baby doll for the first time! She changed its diaper (even wiping its little vinyl bum!), then had me dress & swaddle it so that she could rock it to sleep. She's a good Little Mama!

Writer's Block

So much for NaBloPoMo...

It's Hard to be Two.

From Wendy's room, I hear pitiful cries of, "More waher, peese! More waher, peese!" I might actually take her seriously if it wasn't punctuated by random singing. She's supposed to be going to sleep - it's way past her bedtime.

Two is a hard age, apparently. I know (oh, BOY, do I know) that it's hard on the parents, but apparently it's quite tragic for the child. Only true, deep anguish could cause the kind of drama we see on a daily - no, hourly - basis around here.

The most common thing we hear from her these days is, "Oh, NO!!" Usually when she says this, something truly heartbreaking and profoundly sad has happened. Like the cat jumped off the couch. Or Momma dropped a book. Or the "Elmo's World" segment on Sesame Street is over.

I've heard that three is a very dramatic age. If it's worse than two, we're really in for a rough time!!

Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble...

...and that's just in my tummy. Yuck.

In other news, I had a really, really strange dream during my nap today. I remember from being pregnant before that the hormones make me have very vivid, detailed, convoluted & strange dreams. They aren't all nightmares, but they are certainly weird.

Today I dreamed I went to a jewelry store to pick up an order. Apparently, I had gone in last week to check out a big sale they were advertising. I looked at all of their sterling silver jewelry, and picked out several things, because it was 50% off. I ordered the pieces & signed my name, saying that I would buy the pieces when they came in. The total was $153.33 - more than I should have spent, but I somehow justified it in my mind.

Anyway, today I went in to pick up the jewelry. The nice saleslady brought it out in nice little black boxes, and presented me with the final bill - for $15,333. I was shocked!! It turned out the nice sterling silver jewelry I had ordered was actually white gold. And wasn't on sale. I tried to cancel the order, to say that there was no way I could pay for this jewelry, but they (very nicely) said that I HAD to buy it - I was legally obligated.

There was much weeping & gnashing of teeth. I told them I was a SAHM with a 2 year old & a baby on the way, and had NO income. I said we'd probably have to sell one of the cars - which is strange, because we only have the minivan and a very old junker truck that's worth about $50. I asked if I could apply for a job there, and they could garnish my wages until the bill had been paid.

I woke up around that point, covered in sweat, trying to figure out how I was going to work when I'm so sick all the time, and who would watch the Girlie, and if I'd even have the bill paid off before May, when JellyBean will arrive...

I am so glad that was just a dream.

Whistling

I have a whistling tea kettle. It's a classic, a nice pretty Revere tea kettle, and it was a wedding gift about 150 10 years ago.

It's been a faithful servant, quickly boiling water for my tea, cocoa, and instant oatmeal. It usually lives out on the top of the stove; when it gets grungy, I find great satisfaction in scouring that copper bottom & making the sides all shiny & new-looking again.

But my kettle isn't perfect. It has one major flaw, and if you've been in my house when I've used it, you're aware of this flaw.

My kettle is impatient.

I've seen kettles on tv and in movies that whistle cheerfully when the water boils, chirping in the background as if to say, "Hello! Your water is piping hot, so you can make your cocoa at your convenience!"

None of that with my kettle. My kettle has about 0.21 seconds worth of cheerful whistling before it changes to screaming. Our house is small, but if I run to the kitchen as soon as I hear the whistling start, it's still almost unbearably loud by the time I pull it off the burner. There is no danger of that kettle burning dry, I promise!

As annoying as it is, sometimes I wish more things in life were like my kettle. It might be handy if my checkbook squealed when I used up my grocery money too quickly. It would be nice if the last roll of toilet paper in the house let me know, maybe with a siren, that it is, in fact, the LAST roll of toilet paper in the house.

But most of all, I wish the non-physical needs of my family would be brought to my attention with that same screaming urgency. Hubby really needs to unburden himself after a long, difficult day? Girlie needs reassurance as she senses the changes coming to our house & family? Sister-in-law needs a shoulder to cry on as she copes with a tough work environment?

It's way too easy to get caught up in the minutiae of life. I think a siren, or bell, or alarm, or even a screaming tea kettle, would help me pay attention to what really matters.

When it rains...

If it looks like I've been neglecting my blog this past week, well, I kinda have. But not intentionally. Last week was a bit crazy - here's a recap:

• Sunday - starting to get sick. Make it to church & small group anyway, even without an afternoon nap.
• Monday - SICK. Girlie banished to her grandparents' house.
• Tuesday - a wee bit better. Go to grandparents' house to pick up Girlie. While there, Girlie dislocates her elbow again. Rush Girlie to doctor. All's well that ends well.
  
• Tuesday night - insomnia, hit with Random Stomach Bug of Doom.
  
• Wednesday - Girlie banished to her grandparents' house again.
• Thursday - a little better, still not fully functioning.
  
• Friday - spend the day working on writing for Inspired Bliss.
• Saturday - wrestle with WordPress for hours, trying to get things posted for Inspired Bliss.
• Sunday - Inspired Bliss reprieve, work on cleaning/organizing kitchen.

And so, at the beginning of another week, I've got lots to do - books to read for review, a bunch of writing to do, laundry (ALWAYS), etc.

But today? Today, the Girlie and I are going shopping, and then meeting a friend for lunch. No deadlines, no big to-do list, no critical things that just have to get done. We're taking it easy today. We're even having leftovers for dinner, so I don't have to cook.

So tell me - how often do you give yourself a "day off"? What do you do?

Going To Town

To market, to market to buy a fat pig...home again, home again, jiggity jig!

That nursery rhyme is in my head on a regular basis around here, due to a change in our vocabulary.

When we lived in Missouri, and were 5 minutes from just about any store you'd need, the vocabulary was different:

"I'm going to Target."

"I'm going over to Hy-Vee, need anything?"

"I'm going to go to the mall - I'll be back in an hour!"

Then we moved here. To a small town. To a tiny town. No longer could I get in the car, drive to Target, shop, and be home within half an hour. No longer could I go to the mall and be back in an hour - I can't even drive there & back in an hour, let alone do any shopping!

The new phrase that has entered our conversations is "go to town." I generally "go to town" once a week or so, and it usually eats up half a day. After all, if you're driving 40 minutes to get there, you want to make it worth while.

And so, on Friday, I asked my husband, "I'm going to town today; do you need anything?"

In my head, I was singing, "To market, to market, to buy a fat pig..."

Microwave Popcorn

I found this video very interesting and a little scary - and the scientist in me can't wait to try it to see if it really works. What do you think?

It might explain why I have trouble remembering things sometimes...

How Would You Fare?

65 As a 1930s wife, I am Superior Take the test!

This quiz was pretty funny - some of the things were obvious, and the way things were worded was amusing - "marital congress?" Who calls it that? And I must say I gave a very unladylike snort when I got to the question about the house being neat and tidy...as I sit among the laundry piles...

A List for Thursday

I thought I'd be home today, and have plenty of time to compose something whimsical and well-thought-out like this, but then plans change. I saw this list on Holly's blog, and it looked fun - let me know if you participate, so I can come look!

Copy and paste the list, then bold the things you have done. Like so:


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink

02. Swam with wild 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 (married folks are allowed)

08. Said “I love you” and meant it

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

14. Seen the Northern Lights

15. Gone to a huge sports game

16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (not really, but the Arc de Triomphe in Paris should count)

17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

18. Touched an iceberg

19. Slept under the stars

20. Changed a baby’s diaper

21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon

22. Watched a meteor shower

23. Gotten tipsy on champagne

24. Given more than you can afford to charity

25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (SO many times)

28. Bet on a winning horse

29. Asked out a stranger

30. Had a snowball fight

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can

32. Held a lamb (and a calf, and a kid, and a camel...)

33. Seen a total eclipse of both the sun and moon

34. Ridden a roller coaster

35. Hit a home run

36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

37. Adopted an accent for an entire day

38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment

39. Had two harddrives for your computer

40. Visited all 50 states (I'm missing Hawaii and some in New England)

41. Taken care of someone who was drunk

42. Had/Have amazing friends

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

48. Gone rock climbing

49. Midnight walk on the beach

50. Gone sky diving

51. Visited Ireland

52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love

53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them

54. Visited Japan

55. Milked a cow (too many to count!)

56. Alphabetized your cds

57. Pretended to be a superhero

58. Sung karaoke

59. Lounged around in bed all day (when I was pregnant, but that's because being upright made me puke...)

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 theater

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 (many in Greece & a few in other countries)

70. Taken a martial arts class

71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight

72. Gotten married

73. Been in a movie

74. Crashed a party

75. Gotten divorced

76. Gone without food for 5 days

77. Made cookies from scratch

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 television news programs as an “expert”

83. Gotten flowers for no reason

84. Performed on stage

85. Been to Las Vegas

86. Recorded music

87. Eaten shark

88. Kissed on the first date

89. Gone to Thailand

90. Bought a house

91. Been in a combat zone

92. Buried one/both of your parents

93. Been on a cruise ship

94. Spoken more than one language fluently

95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show

96. Raised children (raising...)

97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour

98. Passed out cold (I was hit by a motorcycle when I was 5)

99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country

100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking

103. Had plastic surgery

104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived

105. Wrote articles for a large publication

106. Lost over 100 pounds

107. Held someone while they were having a flashback

108. Piloted an airplane

109. Touched a stingray

110. Broken someone’s heart (I sure hope not)

111. Helped an animal give birth (many times, both Cesarean & natural)

112. Won money on a TV game show

113. Broken a bone

114. Gone on an African photo safari

115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears

116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol

117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild

118. Ridden a horse

119. Had major surgery

120. Had a snake as a pet

121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame

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

126. Eaten kangaroo meat

127. Eaten sushi

128. Had your picture in the newspaper

129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about

130. Gone back to school

131. Parasailed

132. Touched a cockroach

133. Eaten fried green tomatoes (only whenever I get the chance!)

134. Read “The Iliad”

135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

137. Skipped all your school reunions

138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (Funny story - met Paolo in a hostel in Rome, he only spoke Italian & Portuguese, I only speak English & a little Spanish, but we conversed - him in Portuguese & me in Spanish!)

139. Been elected to public office

140. Written your own computer language

141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream

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

147. Been a DJ

148. Shaved your head

149. Caused a car accident

150. Saved someone’s life (Do animals count?)