What? A blogchain?

I won’t call it a meme; it’s more in the nature of a chain letter (but with no curses on anyone who doesn’t follow the chain, and you don’t get back 96,428 copies of your responses…)

I saw this on Ruminations (Hi, CW) and am just in the mood, for some reason…maybe it’s the (silly) season. Notice the utter lack of “tagging.”

THE 99 THINGS MEME

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.
Really hard to participate in this blogchain if you haven’t…

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band.
Last time was clarinet in a Modesto marching band of some sort. Four miles of a July 4 parade with that reed moving back and forth against my teeth, coupled with a singular lack of serious musical talent, cured me…

4. Visited Hawaii.
But, oddly, we’ve never stayed Honolulu. First time was around the islands via cruise ship (also our first cruise); second time was a week on Molokai. Third…well, one of these days.

5. Watched a meteor shower.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to Disneyland/world.
Three times to Disneyland–once as a child, once by myself as an adult, once as a married couple. Always wanted to visit EPCOT, but never have.

8. Climbed a mountain.
Well…I’ve certainly climbed in the Sierra Nevadas, and those are certainly mountains, but I’ve never done serious mountain-climbing and don’t plan to. Sliding nearly-uncontrollably back down loose shale at Camp Jack Hazard as a youth was more than enough for me…

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo.
Hmm. Maybe at some point I did. In the Berkeley Community Chorus, I shared the bass “solo” part on one major piece (Verdi’s Requiem? Handel’s Messiah? Bach’s B-Minor Mass? One of those…) with another bass because neither of us had enough projection to do it alone.

11. Bungee jumped.
I won’t say “there isn’t enough money in the world,” but that’s close.

12. Visited Paris.
We’ve been in Orly, but I don’t believe we’ve been in Paris.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
The closest I really come to art is writing, and I certainly had help there…

15. Adopted a child.

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.
On the California Zephyr, from Oakland to Chicago and back, four nights in all, on the way to/from ALA in 1978 or 1979. In a compact compartment…but the food was good and the scenery was better, and there’s nothing like the rocking of the rails to put you to sleep.

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitch hiked.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.

24. Built a snow fort.
No–but, oddly enough for a Modesto boy, I did help build a two-foot-high snowball on the one day in 50+ years that we had snow (two inches?) stay on the ground, in the winter of 1961/62. We (the Honors class, on our early-lunch break between two hours at Modesto Junior College and five at high school) rolled it into the Honors home room. The teacher was not pleased. But, of course, since we were the graduating Honors students and all but three of us (me and two others) were children of the town’s elite, nothing happened…

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.

32. Been on a cruise.
More than two dozen so far. And certainly intend to take many more of them…as (if) time, money, health and itineraries allow.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.

35. Seen an Amish community.

36. Taught yourself a new language.
Sure. PL/I, COBOL, BAL… Oh. You mean human language? Nope. No facility for it. I’ve tried.

37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
For a while, at least…

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.

39. Gone rock climbing.
But only very casually.

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.

41. Sung Karaoke.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa.
Albeit only Morocco and Tunisia (on very different occasions).

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.
Technically, yes. Realistically, no.

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. Gotten flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood.
I had scarletina as a child, and I’m a fainter: I’ve been advised more than once, by doctors, not to try.

65. Gone sky diving.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a check.

68. Flown in a helicopter.
Once, many years ago–and never again if I can help it.

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

71. Eaten Caviar.
Didn’t care for it. My wife loves it (in very small quantities). By the way, California produces sustainable “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 Guard in London.

77. Broken a bone.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
Motorcycle, yes. Speeding, no.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book.

81. Visited the Vatican.

82. Bought a brand new car.
Oddly, given that we treat cars as transportation, I’ve never owned a used 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.
But I’ve certainly watched it done at close range.

88. Had chickenpox.

89. Saved someone’s life.

90. Sat on a jury.
Twice so far. Foreperson both times. I recommend it.

91. Met someone famous.
Talked to Grace Hopper, shared a first-class airline compartment with Shirley Temple Black, had lunch with Brewster Kahle, shared drinks (on several occasions) with Cliff Lynch… I suppose it depends on your definition of fame.

92. Joined a book club.
The Science Fiction Book Club. Many years ago. For about a year.

93. Lost a loved one.
It would be extremely difficult to make it to 63 without ever losing a loved one…

94. Had a baby.
Hmm. There seems to be a gender bias here…

95. Seen the Alamo in person.
With San Antonio being the best venue for ALA Midwinter (sigh: it seems to be off the list) and having attended TxLA in SA, how could I not? It’s smaller than you might expect, and eminently worth doing. (And it’s only two minutes from the Riverwalk.)

96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a law suit.

98. Owned a cell phone.
Reluctantly, on a pay-as-you-go basis, and it’s usually turned off and in my wife’s purse.

99. Been stung by a bee.

One Response to “What? A blogchain?”

  1. Angel says:

    I am glad I was not the only one who worried about gender bias in the meme (or blogchain) with #94. Nice to read your answers. Have a happy holiday.