The Plan

**UPDATED**

The fine details are still being worked out, but we now have a 3-year plan. Xander just won a grant from the National Science Foundation, which is a pretty big deal since few of them are awarded each year. It provides funding for 2 years without teaching, so Xander will have two full years to devote entirely to research. This means that we will be in Montreal for one more year AND that we can finish our adoption paperwork without having to do it all over. He will take the second year at the University of Georgia. The year after his fellowship ends, UGA will provide an additional year of support. So to sum up, we have to suffer through one more Montreal winter, after which we will suffer through two years of extreme Georgia heat. I am hoping after that we can return to the Mid-Atlantic where temperatures are more reasonable. The funny thing is that I didn't know what I wanted to happen, but now that we know, I feel really content. I think this is a great compromise, and I am really happy for Xander.

The other nice thing about this grant is that we no longer have to worry about fluctuating currency. It's not like we'll be rolling in dough and go on a big spending spree or anything, but we can relax a little bit. We're pretty frugal as it is, and I don't think anything is going to change that, but it will be nice to not feel guilty about the occasional take-out when I don't feel like cooking. Or, more importantly, to be able to visit our families. We declared we weren't going to fly for at least a year because we needed to save as much as we could for the adoption fees, but it is really hard to go so long without seeing any of our family. (And since our families aren't the traveling kind, it's pretty much up to us to make the effort.) Two of our best friends (and cousins) are getting ready to have their first baby, and now maybe we can go see them. I just feel like we can breathe a little easier not having to keep one eye on the Canadian dollar.

And now, dear reader, I have a question for you. Xander and I haven't owned cars in about six years. Montreal has public transportation, which is what we use and will continue to use as much as possible. But the city is not as well connected as, say, New York. And we are getting ready to have 2 babies sometime in late 2009. So the question before us is whether or not to re-enter the world of the automobile. We've been thinking about buying a (very used) car. We will definitely need one in Athens, so we will have to do it eventually. It would make certain things, like going to the farmer's market, much easier here. In the winter, it would mean being able to get out more because it's not so easy to wheel a double stroller through snow, much less a good idea to wheel babies around in minus-25-degree weather. It would mean we could go hiking or camping on the weekends without having to rent a car. It would mean that we could drive to visit Xander's family in PA rather than having to take an 11-hour train ride to New York, then a 4-hour train ride to Harrisburg with two (possibly screaming) infants. But it would also mean dealing with street parking, which is kind of a pain, and shoveling in the winter. And of course there are the expenses involved, like insurance and snow tires. And there's the fact that not owning a car is much more environmentally friendly. However, maybe the joy of being able to go somewhere in mid-January when I feel like jumping off a bridge onto the frozen St. Lawrence would be worth it.

What do you think? Should we buy a car? Is it worth the hassle? Cast your votes.

**UPDATE**

We've changed our minds. If we bought a car, we wouldn't do it until May, and in order to do so here would involve an impressive amount of paperwork, never mind the snow tires. We'd also have to get new driver's licenses only to turn around and go back to Georgia, where we would be treated as all-new drivers because we'd have foreign licenses and have to take all the tests, even though we've both previously had Georgia licenses. And I'm sure I'd fail the Georgia written test after not living there for 7 years. It's all very complicated, and we feel like the time and expense just isn't worth it. We're going to remain renters for the moment.

Your Tax Dollars Hard at Work

That's right, American taxpayer. For the next two years (maybe three), you'll be supporting this guy:


My super smart mathematician husband (geek!) just won himself a National Science Foundation grant! Seriously, I couldn't be more proud.

I'm Addicted to Crack

Not really, but I'm starting to suspect I could become addicted to crack. They--does anyone know who "they" really is?--say certain people have "addictive personalities," and that people who do can become addicted to almost anything that presents itself. So that makes it sound like if I can form one addiction, then I can easily form another.

I'm addicted to Lost. The television show about all those people who crashed on an island. It's 8:40 right now, and I refuse to move from the couch because I don't want to get distracted and miss the beginning of the new episode at 9:00. In fact, it's even worse than that. I'm watching last week's episode for the third time hoping to learn something new. Because that's all I have. I'm like a nicotine addict digging through an old ashtray looking for that one last bit of tobacco still clinging to a mushed, lipstick-stained cigarette butt. And nothing annoys me more right now than when I tell someone about my Lost problem and they respond with, "Oh. I don't watch television." I mean, just who the hell do these people that don't watch television think they are? Honestly! What, they think they are better than the rest of us? Smarter? More productive? There's no merit badge for being disconnected from popular culture, ya know!

Boy, do I sound grumpy! I'll feel better after I get my fix.

COLD

Several days ago, the highs--HIGHS!--were in the negative 20s (Fahrenheit) for a few days in a row. That's not including windchill. Let me tell you, in case you're one of those people that has trouble with numbers, that is cold. Snot-freezing cold. In weather like that, your eyes tear up to keep them from freezing, and then the tears freeze on your eyelashes, and then your eyelashes freeze together so you can't open your eyes the whole way. It's truly phenomenal. (Have I ever mentioned that I'm from Georgia, where people wear wool sweaters when it drops below 60?) I really love all the snow, but I can say with complete confidence that I'd get by just fine without the -20-degree weather. Anyway, here's some photographic evidence, although the photos don't begin to convey the kind of cold we're talking about here.

Frost



Ice on the branches


Can you find the car in this picture?


The trenches


Thirteen dump trucks full of snow lined up at the snow-dumping station


On top of Mont Royal, wearing 2 pairs tights, one pair pants, one tank top, one long-sleeved t-shirt, one sweater, one down coat, two pairs socks (should have been three), one pair ridiculous snow boots, one pair gloves (should have been two), one pair ear warmers, one scarf with fold-up balaclava-like feature, and one fleece-lined wool hat



One frozen child


One frozen river (the St. Lawrence)

The Fuckits

I worked with a guy at MJH named Matt. Matt frequently had a disease he dubbed the "fuckits." You know you have the fuckits when you just don't care about the issues before you. The big issue before me is that my French sucks ass. I would put it more delicately, but really, it's best to just be honest about the situation. It's pretty bad. I can say more than I understand, but if you can't understand anyone, then it is hard to know what to say. We don't qualify to take French classes due to visa status, and we can't afford a tutor, so the majority of our French learning comes from metro posters. The other hard part is that there's a sort of constant feeling of being unwelcome. We don't speak the language, we don't know how the system works for things like health care and taxes, we don't get most cultural references, and the worst part is that because so many people here are from Quebec or at least Canada, there are very few people who understand what we are going through. They say really unhelpful things like, "Can't you take a French class?" And we're like, "A class! What a brilliant idea! It never occurred to us!" At first, we really wanted to try to assimilate ourselves and blend in. But now, we're feeling kind of worn down. We have definitely gone through moments where we feel like getting out of Quebec at all costs. In short, we've got the fuckits.


Anyway, this conundrum plus the adoption plus the financial crisis have all lead us to consider our options. Alex applied for jobs back in the US. But the real question is where do we want to be? We can't really decide what we want to do. Luckily, committees make these decisions, and we are basically stuck with whatever is offered. Staying here means not having to do another international move so soon. It means finishing our adoption faster. It means getting to spend more time with our new friends. But it also means a bigger day-to-day struggle. Getting out of here would mean being closer to friends and/or family. It would mean going back to a system--flawed as it may be--that we know how to navigate. We'd be back amidst cultural references that we understand. But maybe more significantly, it would end this Franglais experience. We'd be living in a country where we know how to communicate. And when you've got a bad case of the fuckits, that sounds awfully appealing.

We Want Some Babies!

I just read a blog post by a couple who got their referral on Inauguration Day. We are so far away from that right now. We're still waiting to find out where we'll be living next year. We know we'll be redoing at least some of our paperwork if not all of it. And we know that, with so many friends unemployed or underemployed, that we should not be complaining about a snag in our adoption plans. We know. But it's hard. It's been almost a year since we started this process. As Alex says, "I want some babies!"

We got a bit of cheer sent our way in the form of two adorable brown children (or "chirren," as artist Theresa L. Adams calls them), named Fay and Atsu. They're not real, but they are super cute. Thanks, Bobbi!

I'm Gonna Live Forever (on the Internet)

It's probably really dorky that this made me so happy, but I sent my Inauguration Day photo to the NY Times, and they posted it. Seeing it amidst hundreds of others on the virtual wall made me feel as though I were really connected to everyone else, even though I was all alone at the time. It's almost as good as the time Garrison Keillor answered my letter.

Looking Back

Maybe it's only natural to want to look back at history when something new begins. Here at the library, an exhibit has gone up of Lincoln memorabilia to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth. McGill, surpisingly enough, has one of the largest collections of Lincolniana in the world. You can view some of it online.

One of the areas in which McGill holds materials pertains to slavery and emancipation. I spent part of the morning viewing our collection and looking at some of these materials. The advertisements for slave auctions were particularly interesting to me. You can see people listed the same way one might list items for sale on Craigslist today. Some of the advertisements, such as the one shown here, have handwritten notes in the margins that suggest the amount the holder of the advertisement was willing to bid for each person. In this part of the world today, it is hard to imagine being put on an auction block, our entire selves reduced to numbers and a few empty sentences. It is painful to think about, and I think this pain prevents a lot of people from thinking about it at all. This pain is, I believe, a large part of the reason so many continue to avoid racial issues and become defensive when they arise. It's hard to let yourself go there, so to speak. But I believe that thinking about the past can help us better understand our present. And of course that's why I'm in the history preservation business.

All About Love

I can't seem to figure out what I want to say about today, and I doubt what I write will be at all eloquent. I slipped out of the office at 11:15 and went over to the Canadian Architecture Center, which is part of my department. It was empty as expected. I brought my computer, so I signed onto McGill's wireless network while simultaneously starting the center's PC. It took about 15 minutes to figure out how I could watch the inauguration. My computer was rejecting video today for some reason, and the center's computer doesn't have sound, so I streamed NPR on my computer and watched CBC's video coverage on the center's computer. CBC was several seconds behind what was happening, but I got the general idea at least. My favorite parts were when they showed people in the crowd. I think as an expat in particular, it made me feel more connected to see people experiencing the same emotions I was. After it was over, I spent some time going through photographs online just so I could keep feeling that connection.

I must admit that I felt a little sad once again to not be in the US. Moreover, Xander is in Georgia to give a talk and staying with my family, so they were all together watching while I was stuck in Canada alone. But even so, I was very excited about the Inauguration. A fresh start. I can almost convince myself the last 8 years didn't happen. That maybe, like in some movie where the evil sorcerer is overthrown and all his magic spells are broken, we could get all those lives back. But I'm not going to think about that now.

It's really hard not to think about all of the sacrifices that were made by so many so that today could happen. Think about the things our parents witnessed. Our grandparents. Our great grandparents and so on. Think about all the people who were excluded or persecuted or murdered for the color of their skin. And those who still are excluded and still will be. You think really hard about that and tell me today didn't matter. I have no patience for the cynics right now. Today mattered. And I feel sorry for people who cannot see that.

Yet I'm also one of those people who believes this guy is so much more than the first African-American President. I feel like we just took back our government, like maybe we really do have some say in what happens next. We'll see if it turns out that way in practice, but that's how it felt to me today. I hope desperately for a government that has room for everyone, that really cares for its citizens and the world, that is accessible, that answers to its people. And I think if any politician can deliver that, it's our President. PRESIDENT! Yep. Barack Hussein Obama.

The thing that I was perhaps most touched by was the President and First Lady's first dance. It was so sweet. And you got the impression that these two people genuinely care about and believe in each other. Though they may be flawed like the rest of us, they're all about love. And that's gotta be the most wonderful thing anyone could ask for. When I think about it, that's all I really want. A country founded on love and a President who inspires it.

Watching in Montreal



Reflections to follow . . .

Forget Ye Not

In this time of economic hardship, forget ye not the nonprofits--these organizations that employ people who go out into the world and try to make it better for all of us, often for little or no pay. When one is cutting corners, it is easy to let these contributions to the greater good be forgotten. But if you have a spare $1, $5, $20, or whatever, consider giving it away to someone else. A lot of people continue to give to their churches or temples and pat themselves on the back afterwards saying they've done their part, but there are a lot of non-churchy organizations out there doing great things. Don't forget them!

All of this is leading up to me telling you about our friend Brian's fundraiser, Scrabble for Cheaters. You can read more about it over at Deb Central, but consider donating a few bucks if you can.

What are we donating to this year? NPR, actually. We've been meaning to do this for years and never got around to it. But since we became expats, NPR has become our lifeline to the US. And goodness knows it takes money to provide all that news and entertainment, so we figured it was past time for us to help pay for it. We also supported Carpenter's Kids this year and our nephew's school.

Anyway, my point is not to forget the people who enrich our lives and work for the greater good. Nonprofits are always hit hard during recessions. So think about the ones you would be most sorry to see go and consider making a donation. Most of them will accept donations in any amount, so if you only have $5, that's fine. (We've stopped donating to organizations that refuse to take small contributions, actually, because we feel like if they aren't willing to take our $5, they won't really appreciate $50 or $500. The Obama campaign was proof that small donors can make as much a difference as big ones.)

And to those of you who contributed to the greater good by supporting our adoption or making a purchase at Molasses, a most heartfelt thank you. We are so grateful to know that, thanks in part to you, our adoption will not be a victim of the recession.

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor . . .

Xander on the negative-degree weather we're having this month:

In other news, I was ok outside for about 10 minutes, at which point my face suddenly felt like it would explode. Montreal is trying to kill us, and no one else on the sidewalk seemed to understand the enormity of the situation. They all looked cold, but not scared for their lives. So here's an observation. Suppose a guys walks up to you on the sidewalk and says, "If you stand here for about an hour, I'll kill you." Suppose he then proceeds to start beating you. The police would arrest the guy and he would be charged for attempted murder. So why is it any different when the weather is trying to kill you? I want to press charges against winter. I feel threatened. Maybe I can get a restraining order ... there has to be 100 meters of non-winter weather (spring or summer) around me at all times, by rule of law.

The forecast this weekend? -11, -7, -14. And those are the highs without wind chill.

Furrific? Furrawful? Furrugly?

The only part that really bothered me was the woman who said, "Once the time comes to put Charlie to sleep, I will always have a little piece of him left behind." It makes it sound like she's already planning his demise.

Dream

Last night, I dreamed that I got to hold our son for the first time. It was so strange and real. He was naked and had lovely, dark brown skin. We were in a nursery, and there was a really bright light shining in through the window. And in the dream he had real weight. He was heavy, like he was about 10 months old. And he had a perfect name. I can remember the first name, because it's the one we think we will probably give him, but I can't remember the middle name from the dream. I do remember the two together were so perfect. I'm not particularly gushy about babies, but those few moments in my dream were wonderful.

Then, we found out we couldn't take him home with us because they couldn't find his paperwork or passport. They sent us home without him. We were waiting at a gas station in the dark in the middle of nowhere for a bus to take us to the airport. The only light was this orange glow from a street lamp. We weren't sure if the bus would come, or if when it did come it would really take us to the airport, or if it could even get us to the airport on time. We didn't have watches, so we had no idea what time it really was. It was just dark, and chilly, and scary. The bus finally showed up, and one of my old math teachers was inside and very sick. It was all so strange, and I woke up feeling simultaneously defeated and hopeful. I just wish I could remember what his name was.

How We Did It

The thing I have heard most people list as a resolution at some point or another is to eat healthier and/or lose weight. Luckily, my metabolism is hanging in there, but Xander and I have both made many changes to our diet over the years. Okay, the truth is I make most of the changes. And because I cook, he makes them, too. But we both agree that eating local, fresh foods and maintaining a mostly vegetarian diet is a good choice for us and our environment.

The thing is, we didn't set out to become vegetarian locavores. It all happened gradually, and we're certainly not overly strict about it. Several years ago, after years of growing up around chicken farms and chicken plants and chicken processors under quarantine for icky disease outbreaks, I just couldn't eat chicken anymore. Then, the more I learned about the practices at big meat-producing farms, the more I cut back on other meat. Eventually, I wasn't eating meat at all. Then my sister-in-law clued me in to problems in the seafood industry, so I cut back on fish and now look for sustainable seafood options when I do eat it. About four years ago, I figured out that I'm lactose intolerant, so milk had to go. We still eat locally-produced eggs and sometimes cheese. Xander gave up meat after a bad experience with a sausage pizza and learning more about meat production in the US. Making the change to an almost entirely vegetarian diet meant learning how to cook new dishes, and that took years, but now I think I'm getting pretty good at it. And we don't miss the meat.

A few years ago, we realized that an even better way to eat would be to seek out locally grown and produced foods as much as possible, so we tried to eat only things from our region, and we started spending more money at our local farmer's market and less at the grocery store. When we made this change, we began consuming higher-quality foods as a result. A dozen apple varieties that all had unique flavors. Asparagus only in spring, when it's at its tastiest. Blueberries and peaches, sweet and juicy in the summer. Tangy New York and Vermont cheddars. Local honey. In the winter, we lower our expectations and would use more canned tomatoes or frozen veggies, but for the vast majority of the year now all of our fruits, vegetables, eggs, maple syrup, and honey are locally grown. We limit our purchases of processed foods to cereal, granola, yogurt, sliced bread, soy milk, local beer (of course), and occasional indulgences like eggnog or soda or tortilla chips. (I do make some of our bread myself.) When you don't eat processed foods so much, they take on the role of being a real treat. When we're going to the movies, for instance, the prospect of a Coke is really exciting because I have it so rarely.

The thing about eating this way is that it feels soooo indulgent. People think of changing their eating habits as "dieting" or as being restrictive. But after a couple of years, you learn what to cook and what to buy. And then it feels glorious and some days downright sinful. During the bountiful months, we come straight home from the market and prepare meals of just raw fruits and vegetables. We buy fresh peppers in red, orange, yellow, green, maroon, and purple. The reddest, sweetest strawberries. Fresh, crunchy greens that were picked the day before. Pretty yellow and orange carrots. Juicy red tomatoes. Vibrant purple onions. Basil so fragrant you can't wait to get home to sample a leaf. In the less-bountiful months, I cook things like apple chili, potato-leek bisque, pumpkin soup, stew with black beans and sweet potatoes, mushroom bread pudding, pears with blue cheese, and other things that are hearty, indulgent, and reheat well. I've learned to cook so many tasty vegetarian dishes at this point that each week it is hard to decide which ones to cook. It's not about what we can't have, but about all of the wonderful things that we can. But this lifestyle took years to achieve. Our next goal is to start growing our own food. Right now we are limited to small things because we live in an apartment, but there's no shame in starting small.

So my advice to all of you contemplating a change in eating habits is to choose small, attainable goals and meet them one at a time over the course of a few years. When you introduce a new change, make yourself stick to it absolutely for the first 30 days. After 6 months or so when you are getting the hang of it, add a new one. I for one think it is completely unrealistic to try to do it all at once. If I could get my friends and family to keep only one resolution, it would be to consume less meat and processed foods, and to eat more local, sustainable foods. We consumers have the ability to change the market, as we are unfortunately learning the hard way, but we can use our powers for the good of ourselves, our communities, and our earth by changing the way we eat.

For those of you who want to learn more about food in the US, I recommend above all two really interesting books. The first is Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It's engaging, fascinating, and I like her attitude because she's more down-to-earth than some people out there. If you don't have time to read the book, then I recommend at least listening to her interview called "The Ethics of Eating" on NPR's Speaking of Faith. The second book I would recommend is Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, in which the author explores multiple ways of acquiring food and points out some of the weaknesses of the American food system. For part of the book, he follows a cow from calfhood through processing, but he doesn't do it in a sensational way that is meant to shock people. He also tries his hand at mushroom and boar hunting. Pollan is actually pushing for the new administration to appoint a Secretary of Food to act as an advocate for the public. (Read more about this idea and even find a link to a petition here and here.) Currently, decisions made about farming practices and food production are made primarily for economic reasons, not for health or environmental reasons, and Pollan wants to change this. Following WWII, we began digging ourselves into a hole in our food system, and it is time to start looking for a way out.

Lastly, Xander and I aren't perfect, but we do put thought into the products we bring into our home. If anyone out there wants more specific details about what we eat, how I plan meals, what I cook, how I avoid going crazy in the kitchen, recipes, or anything else that you think might be helpful, please let me know. I also have plenty of friends who would be willing to offer tips on how to grow vegetables, canning, greening your home, and other things that can help you lead a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. This isn't about depriving yourself of things, but simply about finding new things to love.

EKSKAYSEEDEE

I don't like to admit that I ever read XKCD. It's strictly for geeks, and as you all know, I am super cooooool. But not everyone in my household is as super cool as I am, so let's just say one of the geekier members of the household pointed this out to me. It's a very helpful flow chart to help people learn to read flow charts.

What a Year, What a Year

Oh, how I hate dancing, talking babies! Almost as much as I hate dancing, talking animals. (Yes, Ally, I was one of the few people who did NOT find the dancing baby funny.) That said, here's a recap of 2008. We kind of can't believe how much crazy stuff happened this year. And looking back at the last eight truly makes our heads spin. Thank God for new years.

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The Holiday Post, Part II

Late Christmas day, we took a bus down to New York to cat sit for our friends Matt and Sarah and to meet up with Xander's mom and sister. We also got to see our good friends John and Dana and our favorite baby, Joyce. As I've said many times, there's no place like Manhattan during the holidays. Everything is decorated and the mood is generally festive. (Midtown Manhattan had to be the one place in America that you couldn't tell there's a recession going on this holiday season.) Despite the crowds of tourists--technically we were among them--we had a great time. We walked around Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a bit and were really surprised by how much it has changed in the last few years. We went to the Met and saw a nice exhibit of African fiber arts and a mini-Met made of sugar. We saw some of the holiday windows. But the best part was just walking around the city and following old familiar paths. It was a foggy weekend, which enhanced the feeling that we were taking a trip down memory lane. Everything was just a little bit blurry and movie-like.
















We also visited our old church, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The cathedral has been partially closed for years in order to clean soot, smoke, and water damage following a fire in 2001. It was rededicated recently, and this was the first time we had seen the whole thing in quite some time. Afterwards, we had brunch with friends from St. John's. It was wonderful to be home for the holidays.

The Holiday Post, Part I

We had a low-key but nice holiday. We spent Christmas Eve and Day in Montreal, then headed to New York for a few days. Our friends Matt and Sarah and Sarah and Rob were nice enough to donate their empty apartments to us, which made the trip virtually free. (Thanks, guys!) The weather was bizarrely mild, but we weren't complaining.

This year, Xander and I decided to set some new guidelines for gift giving. Everything we gave each other was either recycled or handmade or both, with the exception of candy. I gave Xander a sweater vest from the Salvation Army, a t-shirt that I made, an ornament made from beer bottle caps, and some Maynard's candy. He gave me a bunch of vintage Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books, some old steroview cards (including a Rainbow Brite one), and some seriously fancy chocolate from Choco Style. The best part was that he wrapped everything in old newspapers and managed to do it so that really bizarre ads served as the decoration on the packages. The kitties got handmade stockings and felted wool mice covered in catnip. For Christmas brunch, Xander made the best latkes in the world. We ate them with sour cream and green onion. Delicious.















Photos from NYC coming soon . . .

Taking Stock

This list has been going around Internetland. The idea is (pretty obviously) that you highlight or bold things you've done. And I guess afterward you are either supposed to feel like a total loser or very proud of yourself. I've done just over half of these things, but I'm not sure what that really means. Is it really all that tragic that I've never seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa? I haven't climbed that Statue of Liberty (you can't anymore), but I have climbed a Mayan temple. I haven't held a praying mantis, but I've held a few snakes. I've haven't given more than I can afford to charity, but I have given more than I'm comfortable with on a few occasions. Is it really a bad thing if someone has never been to Disney World? And is it really a good idea to list seeing an Amish community alongside things like going on a cruise? What things do you think should be added to this list or taken off? Anyway, here's my list for better or worse.

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--well, maybe not in public
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child--We're working on it!
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
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 in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run--does kick ball count?
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language--kind of
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa--soon!
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted--many times
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
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
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
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 Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible--not at one go, but yeah
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox--TWICE!
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury--just for a day
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day