150 Things.

Yesterday, one of my co-workers passed me a link to an interesting new blog (as if I needed to add another one to the list of blogs I try to keep up with). The author is, like me, retired from the Air Force, and has a lot of interesting observations on a lot of topics. The particular link my co-worker sent me was to a post titled "150 Things," evidently a meme, which the author credited to another blogger, who in turn forgot who he got it from.

I have adopted the "150 Things" meme for today's post. It's an interesting look at some of the ordinary and the weird things we may do in our lives. The things I've done are bolded; where I've given myself partial credit, or have explanatory notes, I've added them at the end of each line. It's a bit long...here goes...

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink.
02. Swam with wild dolphins (half-credit: swam with trained dolphins).
03. Climbed a mountain (East Trinity Peak, Colorado, July 1969).
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive (I've test-driven a high-end Mercedes, but it's not the same).
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid.
06. Held a tarantula.
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (Agnes, who else?).
08. Said “I love you” and meant it.
09. Hugged a tree (while climbing it).
10. Bungee jumped.
11. Visited Paris.
12. Watched a lightning storm.
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.
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables.
18. Touched an iceberg.
19. Slept under the stars.
20. Changed a baby’s diaper (many, many times!).
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon.
22. Watched a meteor shower.
23. Gotten drunk 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.
27. Had a food fight.
28. Bet on a winning horse.
29. Asked out a stranger (and had about a 50% acceptance rate).
30. Had a snowball fight.
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can.
32. Held a lamb.
33. Seen a total eclipse.
34. Ridden a roller coaster.
35. Hit a home run.
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care 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 hard drives for your computer (actually, I have 3 external drives).
40. Visited all 50 states.
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had 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 (dawn, yes; midnight, no).
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.
56. Alphabetized your CDs.
57. Pretended to be a superhero (not very recently, though!).
58. Sung karaoke (very badly).
59. Lounged around in bed all day.
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.
70. Taken a martial arts class (I have a blue belt in Karate).
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight.
72. Gotten married (twice).
73. Been in a movie.
74. Crashed a party.
75. Gotten divorced (once).
76. Gone without food for 5 days (3 days, but not 5).
77. Made cookies from scratch.
78. Won first prize in a costume contest.
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice (at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, but it's not the same).
80. Gotten a tattoo (are you kidding?).
81. Rafted the Snake 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 (twice).
86. Recorded music.
87. Eaten shark.
88. Kissed on the first date (hand or cheek only).
89. Gone to Thailand.
90. Bought a house (twice).
91. Been in a combat zone.
92. Buried one/both of your parents (Mom passed away in 2001).
93. Been on a cruise ship (twice!).
94. Spoken more than one language fluently (German).
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour.
98. Passed out cold.
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 (two letters to the editors of newspapers, but no articles).
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.
111. Helped an animal give birth.
112. Won money on a T.V. 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 (all three).
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild.
118. Ridden a horse (fallen off, too).
119. Had major surgery.
120. Had a snake as a pet.
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours.
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 (I love 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.
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey.
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.
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 (moral: don’t make stupid bets).
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life.

So there you go. By my count, I can claim 59 out of 150; a few more if we accept partial credit. Those of you who are newer readers of this blog (and give a rat's rear end) can learn more about me from these previous posts: Crazy Eights, In 10 Words or Less, and 13 Things About Yours Truly.

Life's short, and none of us gets out of it alive. How many of the 150 can you claim?

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo