Stealing again!!

Thanks MB for a great followup to the Top 100 List. Number 39 on that list was "visited all 50 states". My goal is to see 50 states by the time I turn 50. I'm more than halfway there according to the map below (26 states) in which I have spent at least one night. When I include the states I've driven through or changed planes in, I can add WA, UT, OK, TN, GA, PA, and CT. I'll be visiting Hawaii for my 40th birthday (coming WAY too fast!) and will probably see UT and WA during next summer's road trip, then as soon as Disney offers an Alaskan Cruise then I can cross that off the list. Then it looks like I'll need to concentrate on going east for a while!

After 50 I can work on the countries I've visited!



create your own visited states map

I realize that seeing all 50 states isn't exactly a deep thoughtful or spiritual "life" goal. However, the experience of traveling, meeting new people, seeing incredible national parks and monuments and the biggest ball of twine, plus the bonus of spending quality time in the car (or plane or condo) with those closest to me is what really living feels like to me. What about you? If your goal isn't the 50 states, what is it that you would like to accomplish - or what does really "living" mean to you?

Not my list, but...

I saw this list on my friend's blog (thanks MB) and thought what an interesting commentary on our lives the list makes. It's not my list, and there are some things on it that I don't really have an interest in doing. Perhaps when school is out (190 days!), I'll take the time to make my own list of "100 Things I want to do". As I read this list I'm amazed both at the wonderful opportunities I've been given and at the long list of things I still want to do (some on which aren't on the list). The items in purple are those I've already done.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you’ and meant it!
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
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 (does a glacier count?)
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
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
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 not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Visited all 50 states - I'm working on this one so it's only half purple!!
40. Taken care of someone who was drunk
41. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
42. Watched wild whales
43. Stolen a sign
44. Backpacked in Europe
45. Taken a road-trip
46. Gone rock climbing
48. Midnight walk on the beach
49. Gone sky diving
50. Taken a train through Europe
51. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
52. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table, and had a meal with them
53. Milked a cow
54. Alphabetized your CDs
55. Sung karaoke
56. Lounged around in bed all day
57. Gone scuba diving
58. Kissed in the rain
59. Gone to a drive-in theatre
60. Started a business
61. Taken a martial arts class
62. Been in a movie
63. Crashed a party
64. Gone without food for 5 days
65. Gotten a tattoo
66. Got flowers for no reason
67. Performed on stage
68. Been to Las Vegas
69. Recorded music
70. Eaten shark
71. Buried one/both of your parents
72. Been on a cruise ship
73. Spoken more than one language fluently
74. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
75. Been to the Statue of Liberty
76. Had plastic surgery
77. Lost over 20 pounds
78. Wrote articles for a large publication
79. Piloted an airplane
80. Petted a stingray
81. Broken someone’s heart
82. Broken a bone
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Parasailed
86. Skipped all your school reunions
87. Shaved your head
88. Caused a car accident
89. Pretended to be "sick"
90. Surfed in the ocean
91. Saved someone's life
92. Fainted
93. Been in the room while someone is giving birth
94. Hitchhiked
95. Adopted a child
96. Been caught daydreaming
97. Been to the Grand Canyon (just three months ago)!
98. Called off a wedding engagement
99. Donated your blood
100. Become a follower of Jesus Christ

By my count, that's more than 50% that I have done already - which is better than I estimated when I first looked at the list. How about you?

Family Time

I spent this last weekend in Branson, MO with three of my cousins from Kansas. When Amy mentioned something about it a month ago, I couldn't see my way past the homework to get away. Then I took a good look at the calendar, and it turns out that the weekend they wanted to go was just after a big project and just before fall break. Timing couldn't have been better and I thought the time away would do me good. Plus there were three bonuses in it for me!

Bonus #1: The opportunity to shop at the Hallmark Discount store at the Hallmark factory (two of the three cousins work part time for Hallmark). You never know what you'll find there - but there's always something fun or useful. And it's all 75% less than regular price. I got cards, wrapping paper/gift bags, stocking stuffers, picture frames, and a few Birthday and Christmas presents!

Bonus #2: The meal stop I knew we'd make on the way at Lamberts Cafe near Springfield, MO - unbelievable food, great prices, and a little entertainment as hot dinner rolls fly across the room. I ordered the pork chops, with sides of sliced peaches and cottage cheese. Plus every meal comes with "Pass-arounds", which are brought around by restaurant staff in huge bowls and pots. The standard pass-arounds are fried okra, fried potatoes w/onions, black-eyed peas, or macaroni w/tomatoes. My plate was actually an entire skillet holding two massive pork chops and my sides. The waitress reminded us as she set our food down that we could have seconds if we wanted. Yes, that's right - if by some miracle you are still hungry after all that, you can get more of your entree - for free! My meal was about $11. (FYI - be prepared to wait at least an hour for a table as busses often stop there)

Bonus #3: Right behind the restaurant is a branch of the Osceola Cheese Factory where you can sample more kinds of cheese than you ever imagined. Plus, there's not much better than fresh cheese. I sampled and shopped while we waited for our table at Lamberts and walked out with several pounds of different cheeses - like fresh smoked string cheese, white sharp cheddar, mild gouda, garlic jack, and more. Cheese is one of my favorite foods and when I can get the good stuff, I stock up!

Then there's the destination. If you've never been to Branson, it's a combination of Nashville and Las Vegas. The lights on the strip could rival that of most any casino, and there are theatres and shows from one end to the other. The reason I go, the reason we went this last weekend, and the real gem of Branson is the shopping.

Yes there are the usual tourist trap shops along the strip that advertise t-shirts 3/$10 and Homemade Fudge, but this isn't our focus. Our focus is on the three outlet malls - outlets for Old Navy, Tommy, Jockey, Disney, Oneida, Pfaltzgraff, and MANY, MANY more. I actually got most of my Christmas shopping done, found an ornament set for my ornament exchange party (I'll post on that closer to the party), got two fancy tops for the upcoming cruise (more on that later also), and some things for the house.

It was a very successful trip and a whole lot of fun with my cousins. I think it should be an annual event!

Did I forget to tell you?

The first time I went camping as an adult, with some friends from work (one of whom is now my roomate) - there was a litany of things they forgot to tell me before we went off on our adventure. Like the fact that I was supposed to bring pillows. Not one mention of this fact. They told me that they had a camper - but neglected to mention that I should bring slip on shoes so that I could easily put them on in the night to WALK TO THE BATHROOM (another detail they forgot). They forgot to tell me to bring some sort of laundry bag to put dirty clothes in, never once mentioned that the new person is supposed to bring treats, and it completely slipped their mind to tell me that I would have to shower in place where others might see me dress.

So when I hear the phrase "Did I forget to tell you...?" - it raises some serious concerns about what's coming my way. And when my boss said it to me this morning - I knew I was in trouble. Turns out that I'm supposed to give a presentation to the entire staff tomorrow morning and have one whole day to prepare. She's known about this for MONTHS - not hours (like me) or days or even weeks - MONTHS.

So when I quit this job (at some unknown point in the future), I think I'll just stop showing up - and when they call I'm going to say - Did I forget to tell you?

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

There are only 10 weeks of school left in the semester from he!! - yippee! Only 1 presentation, 4 pieces of a group project, 6 one-page Management papers, 6 JAVA programs, 3 calculus exams, 3 JAVA exams, and 2 Management exams to go. Ok - maybe I shouldn't be all that excited that there are only 10 weeks left. In the beginning, I thought for sure that I'd be dead by now so the fact that I'm still kickin' is something to celebrate!

Plus, I have a trip to Branson, MO to look forward to with my cousins. I shouldn't take the time and I shouldn't spend the money - but the trip itself is the therapy (stress relief) I'll need to make it through!

On a completely different note, the roommate's son is no longer living with us. Turns out he didn't tell us the truth about anything (or possibly very little). You'd think I'd be jumping for joy that we have our house back to ourselves... but the truth is I was really hoping that he would do something so she could be proud of him.