A Long List of Have Nots

Like my friend Carmyn, I like a good list. She found this list and highlighted the ones that were true for her. I will do the same. What I found out about myself is that I haven't done a lot. I haven't been to a lot of places. Oh, well.

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
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
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...or as far as they let you go.
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
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
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
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 speeding 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
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
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

Christmas Post #1

I am one of those people who start the holiday season a little early. The tree is up. The Christmas dishes are being used. The gifts are almost all purchased. I think it is because I am highly nostalgic and enjoy all sorts of yearly rituals, but Christmas never bores me even though I do the same things year after year.

Holiday Movies
Every rule has an exception. My rule is that I do not rewatch movies...except holiday movies. I love them. Last night, I watched Love Actually and I can say with certainty that I love that scene with Hugh Grant dancing to "Jump" just as much as I did the first time. I love that movie along with most other holiday movies. It is a genre that can be terrible. But it can also be great. Elf. A Christmas Story. Charlie Brown. It's a Wonderful Life. I even like mediocre holiday movies like Christmas with the Kranks. However, I draw the line at Tim Allen Christmas movies.

Holiday Cups and Dishes
My mother-in-law gave us two cups and saucers a few years ago. They have little snowmen on them. We only use them at Christmas time, but I love them. It seems that warm and toasty drinks just taste better in these cups. I think it might have to do with the fact that we are usually cozied up with blankets and each other, but I still look forward to pulling them out each year. The same rule applies to a set of dishes I received many years ago from my friend Sara. It's weird. We usually use those dishes first even though our everyday dishes are available. I think it is Christmas spirit.

Christmas Music
This year, I am enjoying the new Rosie Thomas Christmas album. Itunes has some amazing music that is holiday, but not cheesy. Is that possible, you ask? I think so, but it is all a matter of taste because I witnessed a lady crooning along to Neil Diamond at the Target listening stand the other day and we might just have different views on what is cheesy Christmas music.

Today, I am off to finish my Christmas shopping!

Wash This

How do I say this delicately?

I hate my washer. It is about as old as I am and it could be the very most un-fun thing to purchase as a grown up. Here is an item that you use to do work that is so not fun and then, it has the audacity to not work properly.

I won't bore you with the details of my domestic woes. I can see it now. Tim and I will travel to one of the boring stores that I try to avoid like Best Buy or Sears. We will spend hours looking at washers when neither of really care which washer we should buy. After years and years of using apartment complex washers, we are not picky. It just needs to wash, spin, rinse. I don't even know if it needs to do it in that order. All I know is that this purchase is going to have to happen soon.

See...we are doing our part to get this economy going.

Sleepy Girl

What is wrong with me? I am a reasonable 32 year old woman who has stayed up too late for about a week now. I am the kind of girl who always goes to bed by 11PM and have since I was 16 years old. Even in college, I was the girl who would get grumpy when the other college girls were having some shenanigans in the hallway in the middle of the night when I wanted to be sound asleep.

I had to stay up and watch history last night when Obama gave his acceptance speech. I am thrilled for our country. That late night was totally worth it.

Even tonight, I am watching the post-mortems on the campaigns when I should really be in bed. Okay. Here is the plan. I will go to bed in 20 minutes. I will go to bed at 10PM tomorrow night and Friday. Then, I will sleep in on Saturday! By then, I should be all caught up on the goods.

Vote Barack Obama for Change in our Country

Tonight, I am asking the big questions.

1. How many minutes/hours/days will it take for "Joe the Plumber" to realize that he has been a stooge for the McCain campaign?
2. Will I be able to go to work on Wednesday if Barack Obama doesn't win the election?
3. Why do I avoid conversations with people that I know support John McCain/Sarah Palin? I know that I won't change their mind. More than anything, I am scared that I will judge them. I am just being honest.
4. Should I vote before work or after?
5. What have I been putting off until after the election?
6. Who can I still convince to vote for Barack Obama? Who is the undecided voter? Do I need to e-canvas you? Do I need to call you? I'll do it if there is a chance that you will vote for Barack Obama.
7. Does anyone else remember what the election was like before there was a Sarah Palin? I don't. It's like she was always here.
8. Will I be sad when I don't see Chuck Todd as much after the election?
9. What should I serve for my election party?

Yes We Carve!

Is it just me or does everyone else feel crazy busy? It is true that most of the busy is self-made and I could cut back on what I put on my agenda. I could also prioritize better. For example, I don't have to watch three hours of political news shows a night. This would probably help ease my election anxiety. I hoping that on Tuesday, my candidate with win.

Speaking of candidate...I carved an OBAMA pumpkin and it was posted on YESWECARVE.COM.

I am hosting an election party. It is more of a gathering than a party since it is Tim, TC, and Laura. I have been thinking about the menu for some time. I wanted to make some OBAMA themed dishes, but I am coming up blank. I know he has a chili recipe out there. I thought about CHANGE Chicken. I thought about French Dip sandwiches, but calling them American Dips. That is corny but still delicious. I have an apple cobbler recipe that Michelle Obama makes that I could try. We'll see. We might just order pizza and keep the focus on the numbers. No matter what, vote on Tuesday (even if it is for the other candidate).