Have and Have Nots

Have and Have Not
I saw this on a few blogs and thought it looked fun. Everything that I have done is supposed to be in bold or a different color, but I have to make a blog story out of everything, so here goes. I hope you enjoy it. If you post it on your blog, please let me know so I can come check it out.

200 Have and Have Nots!

1. Touched an iceberg- No

2. Slept under the stars- Yes, I used to sleep in the back yard sometimes when I was a kid, but I have never been camping.

3. Been a part of a hockey fight- No

4. Changed a baby's diaper- Plenty of times. I also washed them and hung them out on the line when my local diaper service decided to close its doors.

5. Watched a meteor shower- Oh, yes! Down at Smith Point, there is very little light pollution, so it's an ideal place to see it.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity- Yes, and gotten really nervous afterward.

7. Swam with wild dolphins- No

8. Climbed a mountain- Bear Mountain, I believe

9. Held a tarantula- No

10. Said "I love you" and meant it- Sure have

11. Bungee jumped- No

12. Visited Paris- No

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea- I'm not sure, but I have seen a lightning storm across a prairie while drining Route 70 through Kansas. Coming from Long Island, I had never seen land so flat and treeless. It still amazes me that I saw that storm from so many miles away.

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise- That was practically Ginny's and my hobby when we were younger!

15. Seen the Northern Lights- Not too long ago, they were visible from here. I have never traveled to see them.

16. Gone to a huge sports game.- Mets Playoff games, is that huge? For the Mets, it is. Haha. Hubby is a Mets fan. I, on the other hand, was raised right, and I am a Yankee fan.

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty- No. Hard to believe with me being just sixty or seventy miles away from it, isn't it?

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables- Yup, and looking forward to this year's veggies too!

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope- Yup. I got the kids a telescope quite a few Christmases ago, and we use it whenever there is a "night sky" event.

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment- Of course! I was raised a Catholic. In church, it's the "worst possible moment" part of it that makes the giggling worse. My brother and I were notorious.

21. Had a pillow fight- Yup

22. Bet on a winning horse- No

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill- No

24. Built a snow fort- Yes

25. Held a lamb- No

26. Gone skinny dipping- In the bathtub! Hahaha

27. Taken an ice cold bath- No, thank goodness!

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar- No

29. Seen a total eclipse- Yes

30. Ridden a roller coaster- Not since the Piratess was little. On my last ride, it felt like my heart stopped for a second, which probably used to be the thrill of it, but when I was a new mom, I thought that if anything happened to me, she'd be raised by her father, and I knew I had to be careful to make sure that never, ever happened. I might ride one again once all the kids are grown, but not before.

31. Hit a home run- No, that's my sisters you must be thinkin' of.

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking- I don't know about the fool part. My buddy Raymond taught me.

33. Adopted an accent for fun- Almost every day...hmm, I must be slacking off. When I was with Godiva, I was told some good news about something or other, and my friend/coworker, Barbara wasn't there when I was told. She asked the manager later, "What accent did she use when she found out?"

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors- Some of 'em. Many from my mother's family still live in Lancaster PA.

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment- Yes

36. Loved your job 90% of the time- Yes

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied- This is a funny question. My first husband made good money, but satisfaction has nothing to do with money. The Man of the House makes much less compared to the ex, but we are so much better off. I don't have enough money today, but I AM "truly satisfied".

38. Watched wild whales- No

39. Gone rock climbing- No

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach- Sure

41. Gone sky diving- No

42. Visited Ireland- No, maybe someday, that's the birthplace of the other ancestors

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant- No

44. Visited India- No

45. Bench-pressed your own weight- No

46. Milked a cow- No

47. Alphabetized your personal files- No

48. Ever worn a superhero costume- Not a whole costume, but yup! My brother had a Batman cape when we were little. We wore that thing to ribbons!

49. Sung karaoke- Only once, but not in public. The ex knew someone who owned a machine, and that was what they did for parties over there. The wife convinced me to sing a song with her.

50. Lounged around in bed all day- Yeah, probably have.

51. Gone scuba diving- No

52. Kissed in the rain- You mean there were some people who cease all kissing if it rains?! Of course I have, silly.

53. Played in the mud- When I was kid, I guess.

54. Gone to a drive-in theater- Many times. My most vivid memory was seeing "Jaws" laying on the roof of my mom's station wagon. It was so intense, but my brother's best friend, John Salamando, who had come with us, told me to remember that it was just a movie, and to, instead of getting involved in the storyline, to concentrate on how they must have worked the special effects. It really helped me through that, and quite a few other movies.Thanks John!

55. Done something you should regret, but don't- Yes, I married my ex. I should regret it, but I don't because of the wonderful kids I have.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China- No

57. Started a business- Yes. More than one.

58. Taken a martial arts class- No

59. Been in a movie- Not unless you mean home movies.

60. Gone without food for 3 days- No

61. Made cookies from scratch- I used to often

62. Won first prize in a costume contest- No, but this reminds me of a contest where the winner got a victory dance and he asked ME to dance with him. I still feel honored that he chose me. He was a GOOOOOOD dancer.

63. Got flowers for no reason- Plenty of times from the Man of the House.

64. Been in a combat zone- No

65. Spoken more than one language fluently- Not unless "Ubbi-Dubbi" (from "Zoom" -remember that?) and "King Tut" (which my friend, Jennifer Boss' mother made up when she was a girl, and taught to us) count as other languages. *ROTFL*

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone- No

67. Bounced a check- Unfortunately

68. Read - and understood - your credit report- Yes

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy- No

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did- No

71. Called or written your Congress person- Yes, I just recently emailed my concern about a bill that will make it illegal to refuse an immunization in NYS. Under this bill, even 11 year old girls would be forced to get the vaccine against the sexually transmitted disease, HPV. What the cha?

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over- No

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge- No

74. Helped an animal give birth- I didn't do much helping, but when we were in Ohio, visiting Uncle John and Aunt Helen, our dog came over and climbed onto my legs (I was in my sleeping bag- it was the crack of dawn) and had her puppies there. I felt very privileged that she felt that safe enough with me to choose me over my brother and sisters to protect her in this strange place.

75. Been fired or laid off from a job- Oh sure. I even got laid off from my FIRST job. (Actually my second. My first was a paper route when I was a kid)

76. Won money- Yes in a round about way. My uncle Al won the lottery once with his name, Aunt Hazel's name, and my sister Patty's name on a ticket. So, it was our family, really. It wasn't a really big prize, but that was when we got our first color TV, and a swimming pool! It was exciting!

77. Broken a bone- No

78. Ridden a motorcycle- Only as a passenger with my cousin Fred, and my friend Jill.

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph- No!

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon- No

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing- No, I've never flown.

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days- No, never even taken a canoe trip, or been in a canoe. Rowboat yes, canoe no.

83. Eaten sushi- No

84. Had your picture in the newspaper- Yes, my Nursing Class' pinning ceremony.

85. Read The Bible cover to cover- No. I tried to once, but I never got all the way through the Old Testament. I couldn't remember the point of doing it in order except to say that I had. I have read many of the 66 books contained in the Bible all the way through.

86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about- Yes

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions- No

88. Gone back to school- for a real estate course

89. Changed your name- When I got married the first time and back again when I got divorced.

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands- Yes, it's really easy when the surrounding air is cold. They fly soooo slowlyyyy.

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes- No, but I'd love to try 'em.

92. Read The Iliad- Not the whole thing, just parts...or was that The Odyssey?

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch- Um, painting ceramics.

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating- No, but with The Joy of Cooking by my side, I could, if I HAD to.

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt- Yes

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language- How would I know if there was or wasn't communication?

97. Been elected to public office- No

98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream- Yes, the one where I am appreciated for who I am.

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care- No

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you- No

101. Had a booth at a street fair- No

102. Dyed your hair- No, I colored it. (Proud of me Fred? I remembered not to call it dyed.)

103. Been a DJ- I chose the music for my sister's baby shower and pushed "Play". Does that count?

104. Rocked a baby to sleep- Countless times.

105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours- No! What if it didn't?

106. Raked your carpet- Raked? No

107. Brought out the best in people- I hope so

108. Brought out the worst in people- I hope not

109. Worn a mood ring- I was born in the sixties! Of course!

110. Ridden a horse- Yes

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap- No

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe- Yes, and one of the recipes was one I got from Ginny because I had asked for it.

113. Buried a child- Sadly, yes, my son, Patrick.

114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play- Many times, but not lately. The last one I went to was Will Rogers' Follies. It was the night of Marla Maples' last performance as she was three months pregnant.
Randy Travis happened to be in the audience, and Larry Gatlin was the star at that time. After the show, he called Randy Travis up out of the audience and the two of them sat on the front steps of the stage with an acoustic guitar, and sang "Diggin' Up Bones".
After the show, we got to go backstage and meet the cast. Larry Gatlin and Randy Travis were very nice, but what really surprised me was that when I met Marla Maples, whom I did NOT want to like in the least (at that time, she was in the news for having "broken up" Donald and Ivana Trump's marriage). I could not help but adore her instantly. She was the sweetest, most lovely person you could ever ask to meet, and in a room full of people who all wanted attention, she managed to make me feel like I was the only one there. Donald Trump was there, waiting on the edge of the room to bring her home, or maybe out to a well deserved meal. I remember he was wearing a very bright pink polka dot tie, (where are those pictures I took?!) and when I met him and shook his hand, I thought what a very nice man he seemed to be, not snobby at all. Who knew?

115. Been inside the pyramids- No

116. Shot a basketball into a basket- Yes, who hasn't?

117. Danced at a disco- Oh yeah.

118. Played in a band- No

119. Shot a bird- No

120. Gone to an arboretum- My Gin-Gin and I used to go to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum sometimes when we were younger.

121. Tutored someone- Yes

122. Ridden a train- Yes

123. Brought an old fad back into style- No, unless I'm the reason I hear other people saying groovy now and again these days. Hahaha

124. Eaten caviar- No

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need- Unfortunately

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant- No

127. Published a book- No

128. Pieced a quilt- Only partially, I have never finished one.

129. Lived in an historic place- No, not my home, but in my area is where one of the signers of the Constitution, William Floyd lived.

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage- Yes, indeed.

131. Asked for a raise- I don't remember.

132. Made a hole-in-one- Well, in miniature golf, yes. *LOL*

133. Gone deep sea fishing- No

134. Gone roller skating- Many times

135. Run a marathon- No, but I've walked a walkathon.

136. Learned to surf- No, but I've learned to surf-cast.

137. Invented something- For my own use, yes, plenty of times. Hasn't everyone?

138. Flown first class- No, I told you I've never even flown. Pay attention Quizmaster! *snicker*

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite- No

140. Flown in a helicopter- No

141. Visited Africa- No

142. Sang a solo- Yes

143. Gone spelunking- Not by myself, but I've taken tours in Crystal Cave and other caves whose names I don't remember.

144. Learned how to take a compliment- Yes

145. Written a love-story- No

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David- Not in person

147. Had your portrait painted- No

148. Written a fan letter- No

149. Spent the night in something haunted- Nothing is haunted, so I guess the answer is no.

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane- No

151. Ran away- I once ran away to my garage. I took all of the drawers from my dresser with me too.

152. Learned to juggle- No, I stink at it.

153. Been a boss- Yes

154. Sat on a jury- No

155. Lied about your weight- Just avoided telling it. Haha

156. Gone on a diet- sure

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget- I found a fossil once, and Mr. Daisy, the district science teacher took it and never gave it back. Grrrr!

158. Written a poem- Yes

159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox- Yes. Once, in third or fourth grade, my Thermos broke in my "Josie and the Pussycats" lunchbox, and when I opened it, all I saw was tiny silver bits of glass floating in the milk. I thought it was very interesting.

160. Gotten food poisoning- I guess so. We got really sick after eating shrimp from the supermarket once.

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission- Yes

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon- As opposed to hiking to the BOTTOM of the Grand Canyon, as you asked in question 80? Still no.

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks. Yes, but not at the same time. Haha

164. Gone to the opera- No

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous- Yes, Nancy Reagan wrote back when I invited her and the President to my wedding. Hey, I knew they wouldn't come, but that was the first President I ever voted for. Could I NOT invite him? I didn't think so, at least.

166. Worn knickers- Hmmm, well, knickers in some places are underwear, aren't they? We used to call pants that came to the knee and buckled or buttoned there, "knickers", so I've worn both kinds...and I still wear the undies kind. *ROTFL*

167. Ridden in a limousine- Yes, for my Godmother's wedding, Ginny's wedding, and my dad's funeral.

168. Attended the Olympics- No

169. Can hula, hula hoop, or waltz- Yes

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books- Yes, I've read well over half a dozen of the Nancy Drew variety. Have you read the old versions and the new ones side by side? They've all been rewritten into more modern language, but they've been dumbed down as well. It's sad. The Piratess always preferred my old Nancy Drews to the ones found at the library.

171. Been stuck in an elevator- Not stuck, really. I went with my friends on a club (their club, not mine) trip to a nursing home once, and they stopped the elevator between floors to sit on the floor and talk, have a snack, or a smoke. Apparently, it was a regular thing they did.

172. Had a revelatory dream- Yes, at least I think I have.

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane- Never even flown in a plane. Geez! Could you have grouped the flying questions together?

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert- I dunno

175. Saved someone’s life- Not personally

176. Eaten raw whale- No

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint- No

178. Laughed till your side hurt- Yes! Most definitely!

179. Straddled the equator- No

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing- Yes, Sharon and a few other people expressed that about a photo I took for Kelly's Photo contest. (Pleka Kat) Kathy's daughter even asked if she could paint it! I felt quite honored by that.

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival- No

182. Sent a message in a bottle- No

183. Spent the night in a hostel- No

184. Been a cashier- No

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt- No

186. Joined a union- No

187. Donated blood or plasma- No

188. Built a campfire- No

189. Kept a blog- Uhhh.....

190. Had hives- No

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots- No

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation- No

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course- No

194. Served at a soup kitchen- Not soup technically, but a food pantry, yes.

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube- With the help of a book, haha. I was so glad to get it back to "organized" that I have never mixed it up again. I am so silly.

196. Know CPR- From way back when in the late seventies.

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible. Ridden in, not owned.

198. Found a long lost friend- Yes, I have!

199. Helped solve a crime- I've given information to the police, but I have no idea if it helped solve a crime.

200. Responded to a NJP newsletter- (I had to google NJP.) Would that be the New Journal of Physics newsletter? No