99 things meme

I just saw this on Two Peas, No Pod, and figured, what the hell.

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. (Several)

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. (Table Mountain)

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo.

11. Bungee jumped. (Ha! I've jumped out of a perfectly good plane, which was enough for me)

12. Visited Paris.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. (At Leebee's dad's house in Sheffield Beach. It was amazing.)

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisoning.

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

18. Grown your own vegetables. (Have done so, although not in an organised fashion; and would like to do it properly, hence the italics, too.)

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 (physically) ill. (Back in the days of the SABC, when I was but a young'un.)

24. Built a snow fort.

25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping.

27. Run a marathon.

28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.

29. Seen a total eclipse.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

31. Hit a home run. (Softball was the only sport at which I had any ability at school.)

32. Been on a cruise.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. (I'll have to travel to England, Scotland, Ireland, Malaysia, Holland, France [or wherever French-Creoles are from]. I grew up in the Western Cape, so that's one part ...)

35. Seen an Amish community.

36. Taught yourself a new language. (I'd like to learn Russian and Spanish. I've been taught German, and can use it to get by, but not well enough to have a conversation.)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. (I don't think it counts if the satisfaction is underlaid by constant worry that it isn't going to be enough for the bills.)

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.

39. Gone rock climbing. (I can't lift my own body weight with my puny arms.)

40. Seen Michelangelo's David in person.

41. Sung Karaoke. (Only when forced, at my cousin's 21st.)

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant. (Not in a restaurant, but several times for homeless people.)

44. Visited Africa. (Apart from living in South Africa, I've visited Zimbabwe and am planning on Namibia and Botswana soon.)

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance. (Crying all the way because I thought they'd killed my dog. The stab wound in my back hurt like a mofo, too.)

47. Had your portrait painted. (Not painted, but pencil-drawn.)

48. Gone deep sea fishing. (Would have done so two weeks ago if the stormy weather hadn't led to our trip being cancelled.)

49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling. (Adventure Girl will be teaching me this year, I hope.)

52. Kissed in the rain.

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive-in theatre. (Many times, especially as a kid. Then got to take my friend's kids when I was grown up, and enjoy their fascination.)

55. Been in a movie. (Been on TV several times, though.)

56. Visited the Great Wall of China.

57. Started a business. (Although the idea completely terrifies me.)

58. Taken a martial arts class. (I'd like to be able to kick some ass, and I think I'd find it more fun than the gym.)

59. Visited Russia. (One day. But only after my Russian lessons!)

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.

62. Gone whale watching.

63. Gotten flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood. (Once only, although I wasn't supposed to because of my anaemia and low blood pressure.)

65. Gone sky diving. (Once, in a tandem, as my kitchen tea gift from my girlfriends. I'll never do it again, but it was an experience not to be missed.)

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a cheque.

68. Flown in a helicopter. (One of my greatest dreams, along with wanting to fly in a military aircraft. VGF, who was responsible for the sky-diving mentioned above, has done both, too. Talk about luck!)

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. (Teddy Little and Teddy Big. My mom threw out all my books that had been stored at her house, although I'd been asking for them for 10 years. I still haven't got over that.)

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

71. Eaten caviar (It's deliciously salty.)

72. Pieced a quilt. (It wasn't a very good one, but it worked.)

73. Stood in Times Square.

74. Toured the Everglades.

75. Been fired from a job. (Been retrenched, twice.)

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.

77. Broken a bone.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. (And brought home grocery shopping on it, too.)

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book. (Although I'd have to write one, first.)

81. Visited the Vatican.

82. Bought a brand new car.

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper. (When my sister was born, because it was newsworthy back then that my mom gave birth to her three years to the day after my birthday.)

85. Read the entire Bible. (More than once.)

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

88. Had chickenpox.

89. Saved someone’s life. (It was a joint venture, and he saved my life as much as I saved his.)

90. Sat on a jury.

91. Met someone famous. (Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who bounced up and down as he hugged me, and was one of the most exuberant, happiest people I've ever met. I've also been close to Madiba at a press conference, but I doubt that that counts. And I've worked with plenty of local celebrities during my time as a journalist. And Sarel van der Merwe taught me how to the drive the Mitsubishi Evo IX on one heady day two years ago.)

92. Joined a book club.

93. Lost a loved one. (Who hasn't?)

94. Had a baby. (I'd rather adopt. Once, two people told me on the same day that I was foolish for not wanting to have a child, because I "shouldn't knock it until I'd tried it". I thought that was the most inane reason anyone could ever give for having a child. What if I didn't want it after I'd had it? Couldn't exactly put it back, could I?)

95. Seen the Alamo in person. (I'm big on the old West and cowboys. It's all those years of reading Louis L'Amour.)

96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a law suit. (I was the plaintiff in my divorce, I imagine that counts.)

98. Owned a cell phone. (It's my third kidney.)

99. Been stung by a bee. (More than once.)