Thanks Ruminations for this meme it has given me the reason to update my blog.
I love lists of any kind, and I also like memes so this is a good combo for me.
Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font
1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
No way.
12. Visited Paris.
3 times
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
If you include cardmaking as art.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
Only cherry tomatoes, of and carrots at school.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
Aaron would not let me look at anything properly at The Louvre until we had seen it first.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
I value my personal safety.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
Twice
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
I played T-ball and softball as a kid but I don't think I ever hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
Cruises don't do it for me.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
Some of the countries yes, but not exact places.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
I'd like to teach myself Italian one day.
37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
A bit overated.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
Very impressive
41. Sung Karaoke.
Only with a group.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
Never even been close to one.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistene chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Twice
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
As a kid I am sure I did.
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.
I saw Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey at teh Kingaroy Drive-in.
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.
I have always wanted to go to Russia since being fascinated by the Romanov family as a teenager.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
Aaron is a sweetie.
64. Donated blood.
I have to have regular blood tests, that is enough needles for me.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
I went to Matthausen in Austria, it was a very sobering experience especially walking into the gas chambers.
67. Bounced a cheque.
I have never owned a cheque book.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
Quite a few (I'm a horder) including a white toy dog who also happened to look like a rabbit so his name was either Deefer (D for dog) or Beefer (B for bunny) depending on my mood.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
Biting it is a strange sensation in your mouth.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
Only a small sesamoid bone in my right foot.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
Didn't see the pope though.
82. Bought a brand new car.
Don't drive
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
I think so. certainly in the QH statewide newsletter.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
Never had any of the spotty diseases as I call them.
89. Saved someone’s life.
I hope I never have to.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
Only grandparents.
94. Had a baby.
Possibly one day.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
Back to blogging
Today I have been inspired to get back into blogging. A colleague and I have developed a Web 2.0 learning program for (our) mpow and today was the official start of it. A couple of hours after sending out the first activity, which was to set up a blog, we already had 2 people complete this task. It was very exciting to see others as excited about the program as us about the program that we have spent the last 3 1/2 months working on.
It also started me thinking about why I like blogging. Firstly, I find it easier to write what I think and feel rather than saying it so it is for me an easier form of communication. I don't care if nobody reads it (well I do a little) but it doesn't bother me that this is on the world wide web for all to read. Also, I find it therapeutic. I have so many thoughts going around in my head, it is nice to get them out of there. I think too much sometimes and when I don't need to. So getting this out (and in a more environmentally friendly way of sorts than paper (I don't even want to start thinking about the energy used to power this laptop and wireless network vs producing paper)) is good for me. I just have to remember to do it more often. Short bursts (or rants) are just as good.
So one goal for May is to blog more. Another is to study, which should go without saying but April was really a dismal month in the motivation stakes. The other goal is to spend more time (the little I have left) on cultivating friendships, not new ones but the ones I already have and have neglected (just like my withering bamboo plant). A conversation I had with a friend on Saturday really brought home the fact that you can know someone for years and already think of them so dearly but not really know them at all. I know I haven't always been a good friend and I do find maintaining social relationships hard at times due to the depression and social phobia I suffer from, but friendship has always been important to me, especially as I am closer to some friends than I am to my own family.
It also started me thinking about why I like blogging. Firstly, I find it easier to write what I think and feel rather than saying it so it is for me an easier form of communication. I don't care if nobody reads it (well I do a little) but it doesn't bother me that this is on the world wide web for all to read. Also, I find it therapeutic. I have so many thoughts going around in my head, it is nice to get them out of there. I think too much sometimes and when I don't need to. So getting this out (and in a more environmentally friendly way of sorts than paper (I don't even want to start thinking about the energy used to power this laptop and wireless network vs producing paper)) is good for me. I just have to remember to do it more often. Short bursts (or rants) are just as good.
So one goal for May is to blog more. Another is to study, which should go without saying but April was really a dismal month in the motivation stakes. The other goal is to spend more time (the little I have left) on cultivating friendships, not new ones but the ones I already have and have neglected (just like my withering bamboo plant). A conversation I had with a friend on Saturday really brought home the fact that you can know someone for years and already think of them so dearly but not really know them at all. I know I haven't always been a good friend and I do find maintaining social relationships hard at times due to the depression and social phobia I suffer from, but friendship has always been important to me, especially as I am closer to some friends than I am to my own family.
2008 Year of Learning
2008 is going to be my year of learning and not just because I am going to back to uni to study Information Architecture, which in a weird way I am looking forward to. But also because I am going to learn about my body and mind. I am determined to continue with a routine exercise path and to truly become fit. At the moment I am no where near as fit as I could be, and in the process hopefully lose a few more kilos. Not too much I don't intend to get really skinny or go crazy but more just firm up some of my more flabbier parts. I lost a few kilos on our holiday which I didn't expect at all but I guess walking about 8 hours a day did do something despite the daily intake of sausages, schnitzel, gelato and the like, and I feel good for it. I think this has been the impetus I need to keep going. That and being puffed walking up steep steps in Salzburg.
On the mind front, I want to understand who I am and what makes me tick. Not to mention come to terms with my depression. My depression has been one area of my life I have not been happy with how I have handled it. Despite my knowing full well that there is nothing to be ashamed about etc etc I do still find it hard to open up about it. Anyway, my path to self discovery has been helped along in recent days by beginning to read the book The Introvert Advantage which I found out about on Marcy Phelps' blog Power Networking for Introverts and a colleague lent me a copy. I always knew I was an introvert but even after reading about 50 pages or so I have already learnt so much more about myself particularly about how I cope in social situations and why I act the way I do.
On the mind front, I want to understand who I am and what makes me tick. Not to mention come to terms with my depression. My depression has been one area of my life I have not been happy with how I have handled it. Despite my knowing full well that there is nothing to be ashamed about etc etc I do still find it hard to open up about it. Anyway, my path to self discovery has been helped along in recent days by beginning to read the book The Introvert Advantage which I found out about on Marcy Phelps' blog Power Networking for Introverts and a colleague lent me a copy. I always knew I was an introvert but even after reading about 50 pages or so I have already learnt so much more about myself particularly about how I cope in social situations and why I act the way I do.
Been updating
I have just been updating the RSS feeds in my Bloglines account so I thought it only fitting that I update my blog as well. Going through the Top 1000 subscribed blogs, a feature of Bloglines Beta, it was nice to see so many blogs by Librarians or Library's. I was surprised to see so many blogs about knitting though. I knew this craft was big, but I didn't expect knitters to be bloggers as well.
On the holiday front, I have finally created a brief (if you can call 637 photos brief) version of our happy snaps and they are slowly being added to my Flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/55078544@N00/). Continually going over the photos is wonderful as each time I remember something that I had otherwise forgotten and I am transported back to that time and place.
Thank goodness for Bloggers automatic saving function. I would have just lost everything I had previously written. I am still learning this blogging game. I will get better soon I know. Hopefully then I will learn how to include photos.
On the holiday front, I have finally created a brief (if you can call 637 photos brief) version of our happy snaps and they are slowly being added to my Flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/55078544@N00/). Continually going over the photos is wonderful as each time I remember something that I had otherwise forgotten and I am transported back to that time and place.
Thank goodness for Bloggers automatic saving function. I would have just lost everything I had previously written. I am still learning this blogging game. I will get better soon I know. Hopefully then I will learn how to include photos.
