The 100 Things meme

OK, OK, since everyone's doing it, and since everyone is just dieing to read 100 dang things about me, here goes.

1. Started your own blog. Uh, I think that's a "yes". Is it me, or does this question not make sense for a blog meme?

2. Slept under the stars. Kinda, it was in an Adirondack Shelter, sort of a 3-sided Lean-to. For extra manliness points, let me say that it was February. In Maine.

3. Played in a band. Not a rock band, but me an some buddies put together a pep band back at State U. Got us into all the Hockey games for free. Whoo hoo!

4. Visited Hawaii. Long, long way to go. If we lived on the West Coast, maybe.

5. Watched a meteor shower. I was in the Astronomy club at State U.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity. Especially blood. I ran the weekly blood drives on campus (I was in APO, the service fraternity).

7. Been to Disneyland. And Disney World. With the kids. #2 Son almost broke out of the Enchanted Tiki Room.

8. Climbed a mountain. A bunch of them, in fact. Since they're all on the East Coast, they're all small (sue me; I'm lazy). A High School friend was killed falling off a bigger mountain, though.

9. Held a praying mantis. Kinda creepy, really.

10. Sang a solo. I can clear a room faster than a fire. My voice has been declared a Class 2 Hazmat.

11. Bungee jumped. Are you out of your ever loving mind? I wen on the Superman roller coaster at Six Flags, that's quite enough thank you.

12. Visited Paris. The French and Americans get along like cats and dogs, but it's an amazing city. I once saw someone driving with no tire (sparks, baby!) through the place de la Madeline. C'etait magnifique!

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. The Coast Guard advises you to seek shelter in the event of a storm. Watching a lightning storm at sea is like watching one from an airplane. Nothing good's going to happen.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. Err, how about blogging? Cooking? OK, OK, how about blogging about cooking?

15. Adopted a child. Haven't done this, but my older brother did: three kids from Russia, a brother and two sisters. Hi, Denis, Evelina, and Julie!

16. Had food poisoning. On Air France. Don't ask. Note to Air France Marketing team: this experience didn't reinforce the brand.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

18. Grown your own vegetables. Mmmm, corn!

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France. Bien sur! I also saw the Mona Lisa, in the standard Tourist Timed-90-minute-Louvre-obstacle-run.

20. Slept on an overnight train. 1963, the California Zephyr to Los Angeles. Nothing is better for a five year old than that, except maybe the glass observation car.

21. Had a pillow fight. By the time I was two.

22. Hitch hiked.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. I have no specific recollection of that, Senator.

24. Built a snow fort. With my dad, and with my kids.

25. Held a lamb. I've held some lamb, on a fork. If you like animals, you'll love lamb!

26. Gone skinny dipping. I'm a boring date.

27. Run a Marathon. I ran the hurdles, and the first leg of the mile relay (4 x 400 meters). If you want me to go 26 miles, I'll want a couple months.

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice. I skipped Venice, since I'd already seen every church and museum in Italy. Instead, I went to Desenzano del Guarda, which is teh awesome. I went because I saw a picture on the wall in the Hotel California in Florence. I kid you not.
29. Seen a total eclipse. 1972, at the Boy Scout Reservation in Maine.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. Sunset too many times to mention. Sunrise on the top of Mount Cadillac on Mt. Desert Island, Maine.

31. Hit a home run. But mostly I was a good glove man in the middle. I recall most fondly an unassisted double play while I was playing second.

32. Been on a cruise. I cruised my own dang boat to Martha's Vinyard, thank you very much. Wood's Hole is tricky because of the tides, and the ferries move fast. With gas cost, that T-Shirt from the Black Dog in Oak's Bluff cost about two thousand dollars.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. With #2 Son. And blogged it! Whoo hoo!

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. Shepton Mallet, Dorset, UK.

35. Visited an Amish community. No, and this is kind of a big miss. I lived outside Washington D.C. for 12 years, so I have no excuse.
36. Taught yourself a new language. PERL. heh.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. We've been very fortunate. Not wealthy, not weaping.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person. Never made it to Pisa.

39. Gone rock climbing. With #1 Son, but I just held the ropes.

40. Seen Michelangelo's David. It's more awesome than you think. If you get right in front of him and look up at his face, he looks scared.

41. Sung karaoke. In Tokyo, with the guys from Big Tech Company, KK. Domo arigato, Mr. Robato ...

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt. Yellowstone Park when you're 14 years old is teh awesome. Driving from Maine to Los Angeles and back is teh awesomer.

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa. Johannesburg is not the nice part, but I had a great time in South Africa.

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight. My favorite was Oak Island, NC.

46. Been transported in an ambulance. Teh sigh.

47. Had your portrait painted. Does anyone do that anymore? And I'm no spring chicken.

48. Gone deep sea fishing. In my boat. Didn't catch anything, but #2 Son had fun with one of his friends.

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person. When they were renovating it. It was half done, which made it even cooler.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. One of my favorite pictures is me and #1 Son at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling. Everywhere I've been, you can't drink the night before. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

52. Kissed in the rain. Some people go walking in the rain. Others just get wet.

53. Played in the mud. I have a Y chromosome, OK?

54. Gone to a drive-in theater. Long time ago.

55. Been in a movie. On TV. My younger brother was an extra in The Doors, and got a lot of screen time. And I was on the company tech TV. And Samantha even remarked to a room full of people that I was the "eye candy." Thanks, Samantha!
56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business. Made enough for the down payment on my first house.
58. Taken a martial arts class.

59. Visited Russia.

60. Served at a soup kitchen. Worked at a food bank, though.

61. Sold Girl Scout cookies. I have boys, not girls.

62. Gone whale watching. We were going to, but there was a mega fog bank just off Bar Harbor, so we went on a harbor crusie instead.

63. Got flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma. Gallons (literally). I ran the blood drives at State U. I can't give blood any more, because I lived in the UK. Seems there's no test for Mad Cow Disease.

65. Gone sky diving. You're joking, right? Is there something wrong with the plane?

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp. Been to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, though.

67. Bounced a check. Teh sigh.

68. Flown in a helicopter. With #1 Son and #2 Son. Over the Grand Freaking Canyon.

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. G.I. Joe Space Capsule.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial. I said I lived near D.C. for 12 years, right?

71. Eaten Caviar. I'm alergic to fish.

72. Pieced a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square. Outside Toys R Us with the kids.

74. Toured the Everglades. It's a swamp, right?

75. Been fired from a job. Yeah. Had it coming, too. I was a punk.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London. With the kids.

77. Broken a bone. Surprisingly, no.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. A dirt bike, in the town sand pit.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. From a helicopter, even! I've seen it from both the North Face and from the South Face.

80. Published a book. Articles, yes (in the technical literature). Wrote the Preface to a friend's book. I'm too lazy to write a book.

81. Visited the Vatican. It's very cool. I like te Dead Popes Under Glass.

82. Bought a brand new car. I love my Jeep Wrangler.

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper. In High School, from Track Meets.

85. Read the entire Bible.

86. Visited the White House. I got better.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. Not that I'm not willing. But so far, I don't have a place to hunt, or a gun to hunt with. Plus, it's dark, cold, and early.

88. Had chickenpox. I was 4 years old, but the memories are pretty vivid.

89. Saved someone's life.

90. Sat on a jury. The lawyers found out that I was in Internet Security, and got me dismissed.

91. Met someone famous. Some ABC News Anchor (forget who), back when I still listened to the media. It was the early 1970s, and Gerry Ford had just been made Vice President. I asked The Great Man what he thought of the new VP's golf game (everyone chuckled). He replied that Alan Shepherd had just found the right Golf Course (everyone laughed).

92. Joined a book club. Sci Fi.

93. Lost a loved one. Haven't all of us?

94. Had a baby. Two. They may be big and shooting Class 3 firearms and all that, but they're still my babies.

95. Seen the Alamo in person. I like the sign out front: The Alamo. The cradle of Texas Independence. Gentlemen, please remove your hats.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake. Been by it, but never swum in it.

97. Been involved in a law suit. As a matter of fact, yes.

98. Owned a cell phone. Don't we all?

99. Been stung by a bee. On the bottom of my foot. Don't go barefoot in the grass any more.

100. Read an entire book in one day. Lots.

Quite frankly, I can't believe I spent so much time on this. I also can't believe that anyone has read all this. At. All.