work avoidancy hoy

Yeah, so everyone and their brother's done this, so I'll do it too, instead of typing the exam I should be typing. I'm gonna add commentary as well:

(You know the drill: bolded means it's something a person has done)

Started my own blog

Slept under the stars If you count being in a tent. I camped a few times as a kid. I do not camp as an adult and actually strive to avoid it as ardently as possible.

Played in a band Junior high band, yeah. Not the cool kind of band, though.

Visited Hawaii

Watched a meteor shower Heck, I've watched a meteor shower IN Hawaii. (It was the Perseid time)

Given more than I can afford to charity - not quite.

Been to Disneyland/world World but not Land.

Climbed a mountain - I did climb a SMALL mountain (well, they called it such) on a visit to Hot Springs but I'm not going to count it because it didn't require training or gearing up.

Held a praying mantis. I've also held stick insects. Funny story: there was one of those "cool" guys from the wealthy Chicago 'burbs in my ecology class one semester when I was a TA. He was almost a little bit like the stereotypical "guido" only higher-class and marginally less annoying. Well, one day a stick insect landed on him and he Freaked. Out. Started screaming "Get it off me! Get the ****** off me!" So I walked over, calmly picked it off with my bare hands, and proceeded to show it to the class and explain their role in the ecosystem. It was one of the sweeter moments of my TA career. Guido treated me with more respect after that incident.

Sung a solo - Nope.

Bungee jumped - Hell no! (As Maggie May said)

Visited Paris - Not even Paris, Texas.

Watched lightning at sea

Taught myself an art from scratch Most of the stuff I do I had help with but I did learn thread crochet from scratch using a book.

Adopted a child

Had food poisoning Crikey. Who hasn't?

Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

Grown my own vegetables . Yes. I try not to tally up what they actually cost me per item in terms of effort, irrigation water, and fertilizer.

Seen the Mona Lisa in France -
Slept on an overnight train - I do this (well, I HOPE I sleep) every time I go to visit my family

Had a pillow fight - Why do people think women are all about this? I have never participated, not even actually seen one

Hitchhiked - Oh hells no. I value my life too much.

Taken a sick day when not ill - it's hard for me to do it even WHEN I am ill

Built a snow fort Yes, yay! And even when I was a not-so-little kid: that's one of the joys of having a younger sibling; you get to do stuff you might be deemed "too old" for in the name of "I'm just helping him."

Held a lamb

Gone skinny dipping - Far too many body issues for this

Run a marathon

Ridden in a gondola in Venice -

Seen a total eclipse - Not in person, no. I've seen them on tv.

Watched a sunrise or sunset Yes - I've both sat and watched (usually sunrise) and noticed-in-passing (sunrise as I'm driving to work

Hit a home run - I am so not athletic.

Been on a cruise

Seen Niagara Falls in person Yup, twice. It's pretty cool.

Visited the birthplace of my ancestors - Depends on how you define it; recent ancestors (like great-greats) yes (Massachusetts), more distant, no (Ireland, Scotland, and Germany)

Seen an Amish community I've eaten in Amish-run restaurants.

Taught myself a new language - I speak French and a wee bit of German, but both of those were taught in a classroom setting.

Had enough money to be truly satisfied Pretty much have it now.

Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

Gone rock climbing - No, but I would like to someday. I'd like to have access to one of those rock-climbing gyms to train; I'd love to build up my upper-body strength more.

Seen Michelangelo's David - Not in person

Sung karaoke - No, I have too many dignity issues

Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt - No, actually never have been to Yellowstone

Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant I figured that was better than giving the guy cash as a handout

Visited Africa -

Walked on a beach by moonlight

Been transported in an ambulance - Not that I can remember

Had my portrait painted - Nope

Gone deep sea fishing

Seen the Sistine Chapel in person -

Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris -

Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

Kissed in the rain

Played in the mud all the time as a kid. My mom used to have to take the hose and blast the excess mud off of me in the backyard (in my play clothes) before she'd let me come in the house.

Gone to a drive-in theater - I don't remember ever doing this. Maybe when I was a tiny kid for one of my parents' "Date nights"

Been in a movie - Not an "official" movie but my dad took a few old Super 8 movies of Christmases from when I was like 6 and 7.

Visited the Great Wall of China -

Started a business

Taken a martial arts class -

Visited Russia - Gosh, there are an awful lot of travel questions in this.

Served at a soup kitchen

Sold Girl Scout Cookies Which is what made me quit the Girl Scouts. I hate selling things.

Gone whale watching -

Gotten flowers for no reason - Waaaah! No.

Donated blood, platelets or plasma And it's about time to do it again.

Gone sky diving - No, but maybe someday.

Visited a Nazi concentration camp

Bounced a check - No, I can say with some pride.

Flown in a helicopter

Saved a favorite childhood toy More than one, in fact. The one thing I would grab if my house were on fire is, in fact, an old childhood toy I have saved.

Visited the Lincoln Memorial - Yes, but I was four, so I almost don't remember it.

Eaten caviar

Pieced a quilt Yup. In fact, I have one in-process right now.

Stood in Times Square -

Toured the Everglades Spring break circa 1980. Trip with my family.

Been fired from a job -

Seen the Changing of the Guard in London -

Broken a bone - Broke my elbow about 15 years ago. Luckily it didn't go out of place and so all they had to do was slap a cast on it and watch it.

Been on a speeding motorcycle -

Seen the Grand Canyon in person North Rim, 1995.

Published a book - No, but I have had a few scientific journal articles published.

Visited the Vatican -

Bought a brand new car - Not, I admit with embarrassment, with all my own money. (My dad helped me out.)

Walked in Jerusalem - No, but I'd like to see it someday. If it doesn't get all blowded up and stuff.

Had my picture in the newspaper - Spelling Bee, seventh and eighth grade. Yes, I am a big big geek.

Read the entire Bible - Probably not in its entirety. Most of it though

Visited the White House -

Killed and prepared an animal for eating - I am grateful that I do not need to do that.

Had chickenpox Yes, and I missed the ONE field trip my fifth grade class got to do that year. Thanks a lot, little brother!

Saved someone's life - Not that I'm aware of. Possibly some of my past blood donations did, but that would not be entirely thanks to me; the doctors would have to get most of the credit

Sat on a jury - No, but have been on duty.

Met someone famous - Not that I can think of. No, wait. I met Earll Kingston (probably most of you don't know him) once.

Joined a book club - Yeah, but it wound up to be more of a mommytalk session so I dropped out.

Lost a loved one That was kinda the theme for 2008.

Had a baby

Seen the Alamo in person -

Swam in the Great Salt Lake - I've seen it but not swum in it

Been involved in a law suit - Only those class-action things, like I got some of my money back from the Worldcom stock crap-out.

Owned a cell phone Yeah, but I don't treat it like an appendage.

Been stung by a bee Again: who hasn't?

Ridden an elephant - I would totally love to someday

Read all three volumes of the Lord of the Rings - I bogged down in Book Two. Too many battle scenes.

Visited the Taj Mahal - No.

Performed in a dance recital - That is like one of my nightmares. Think Hyacinth Hippo, only less graceful.

Been on horseback while the horse jumped over something

Won an athletic competition -

Gotten a straight-A report card

Prayed to Zeus - What? Are we in 650 BC all of a sudden?

Watched news coverage, rapt, to see what was going to happen - More times than probably is good for me. Most recently the attack in Mumbai. (I have friends who are Indian, and though none of them were there of course, I still felt kind of sad for them.)

Gotten lost in a building more than 500 years old -

Kissed somebody milliseconds before bells started to ring - What? Is that supposed to symbolize something?