More Things 24

Looking at the "Do" list, I've already completed quite a bit. I have been blogging off and on, (sometimes more off than on, but...) and have changed my blog around for the third time. I used one of the standard templates first, then switched to one from http://candytemplates.blogspot.com/. I liked that one (called Icy Blue) but got antsy to find one that I could make fit the whole "diva thing."
I've looked around at a lot of sites for blog templates, but didn't find just the right one. The one I'm using now is from http://www.ourblogtemplates.com/ and I just made up my own header, and deleted a widget or two, (or maybe three...) One thing I like about this site is it tells you how large the blog header needs to be if you want to make your own. I just used Paint to do the one I made up - it was pretty easy.

I didn't feel like redoing an avatar - but put a small pic up instead. Maybe I'll change it out every so often - it's kind of fun looking around at and fooling around with icons and avatars.

99 Things

THE 99 THINGS MEME (via Blue Skunk)

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.

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. (OK, I feel guilty about this one...)

7. Been to Disneyland/world.

8. Climbed a mountain. I've been to the Turtle Mountains in North Dakota....

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo. Probably a bazillion times...

11. Bungee jumped. No - do I look stupid to you???

12. Visited Paris.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. I'm working on knitting and crocheting - taught my self cross-stitch and design.

15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisoning. Not that I wanted to, mind you...

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.

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitch hiked. Never in a million years.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. Haven't we all? I prefer to call it "mental health day."

24. Built a snow fort. I am from Minnesota, after all. :-)

25. Held a lamb. My husband's family raises sheep. Baaaah!

26. Gone skinny dipping.

27. Run a marathon. Nope. Don't wanna, either.

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.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. For some...just saw where my great grandmother was born in Ireland, went to Scotland but didn't go to a specific site...

35. Seen an Amish community. I don't think so. The closest I've been is the Amana Colony in Iowa, but they aren't Amish.

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. Absolutely no interest.

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.

41. Sung Karaoke. lots and lots!

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa. We have a friend from Kenya so may just do this one of these days!

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance. Don't want to, either!

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone deep sea fishing. My husband has done this - cod off the coast of Iceland.

49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.

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

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling. Darce has done this too.

52. Kissed in the rain.

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive-in theater.

55. Been in a movie. Not that I know of...:-)

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. Mom and Dad sold them too! lol

62. Gone whale watching. I'm almost the only one in my family that hasn't, so I'd better get on this!

63. Gotten flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood. I haven't since the melanoma, but I've given a few pints in my day!

65. Gone sky diving. Nope - one of my best friends broke her back doing that. :-/ She's fine now.

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. Ish, no.

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. I want to go to London, but I'm don't care if we do this or not.

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. I have enough trouble finding time to read the things I want to, let alone stuff I'm assigned!

93. Lost a loved one. many times.

94. Had a baby.

95. Seen the Alamo in person. It's over-rated - don't plan a trip around it.

96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a law suit.

98. Owned a cell phone. A few - my latest is a pink Katana DLX. :-)

99. Been stung by a bee.

Billboard Top 100

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-10.shtml

Okay, just looking at the first page, I can see I won't agree with a lot of this.
Unbreak my Heart - Toni Braxton is number 10?? yech. We belong Together - Mariah Carey number 9? Double yech. Leann Rimes' version of How Do I Live??? Okay - this must be satire, right?? Ugh. If I took out everything I disagree with, this would be a much shorter list. Ebony and Ivory??? I need to stop looking now.

Check them out

A blog dedicated to newborn zoo animals! Too cute.

http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/

Cat Haiku

http://www.willbraden.com/cat_haiku.html

and of course, Cute Overload.

http://www.cuteoverload.com

Resolutions? Nah.

I think resolutions are a great idea, but as far as that goes, I try not to make them at New Year's. I seem to feel compelled to be very ambitious to keep up with what everyone else is resolving, and resolve things I probably won't manage. So, since I finally seem to have figured that out, I prefer to resolve something as it strikes me. "Hmmm - that seems like a good idea - maybe I'll try that!"
I could resolve to write more here - but all my brilliant ideas come when I'm not around a computer. So, perhaps I should resolve to always carry a laptop. Or not.
I want to pick up where I left off in learning to knit/crochet - I have tons of yarn and need to use it. When Dad was sick, I bought tons of yarn for him to wind into balls for me - he used to do it when Mom crocheted, and it gave him something to do. He once commented to my sister in law that I must be knitting a cover for my house! Knitting seems to be a little less complicated so I'll probably start that first. I also should start quilting - I've been interested in that for awhile too.
But, I suppose, before I start any of that, I should finish getting the house in order! I have too many clothes and things I don't wear (although I prefer to say I don't have enough closet space) and really need to get the "office" organized. Ugh. PLus paperwork all over the place, although most of it is my husband's. I think I'll make the resolution for him that he'll finally go through all that stuff!

This and That

We're very happy about the election results for the most part. For some reason, my area elected Erik "Whackjob" Paulsen over Ashwin Madia, which was pretty annoying. And it seems to me that Coleman is making such a fuss because he knows the votes aren't really there for him.

When we were in Ireland, once people heard our accents, they wanted to talk to us about the election. Once we hastily reassured people that we hadn't voted for Bush, (either of them) they were very happy to talk with us. :-) Everyone wanted to make sure we would do the right thing and "put Mr. Obama in." And, of course, since they get real news in the UK, everyone was well aware that Bush wasn't legitimately elected either time. As my cousin said "It was bloody obvious!" Yes, it was.

One older gentleman in Ballyhaunis shared with me that he had known my Great-Grandmother's family, and evidently one of my great (Or great great?) uncles was able to cure cancer. He had a special concoction that he mixed up, but unfortunately the secret died with him. Who knows? Chemotherapy is concoctions, when you think about it...

I will recommend having crutches when you're traveling by air. It got us to the head of the lines, I got rides in the airports...if I had had to walk in the Amsterdam airport, I'd STILL be trying to get to the gate a month later. Schipol is a humungous airport - we landed, and then taxied about a half hour to get to our gate. (Well, maybe not a full half hour, but at least 20 minutes.) We were joking that we got to see half of Amsterdam just out the window of our plane.

I am down to one crutch now - but am still doing PT and such. Even a month later, I still have a good sized goose egg on my shin, (and a dent, even) and all the other fun things that go with "injuring everything in the knee that you can injure." I guess I tore everything, but didn't totally tear anything. So hopefully I won't need surgery. Well, as I told the Doc "I don't like doing things halfway, y'know." He started laughing and told me that my dad had "said the same thing when he tore his shoulder all to hell." Like father, like daughter!