99 Things

I took this from a few other blogs I follow.

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.
2. Slept under the stars. (camping counts right?)
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii. (I cannot wait to visit)
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris. (although Mike despises France so I'm not sure if this will happen anytime soon)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. (a few too many times on our boat)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. (I think scrapbooking counts as an art)
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning. (unfortunately twice from the same restaurant- I'll never eat chicken at Duffy's again)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables. (I'll pretend they meant fruit too- we have a banana tree in our backyard)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train. (on my high school trip to Europe)
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. (although I haven't taken a sick day, real or not, in almost four years)
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb. (I may have when I was little- I definitely have vivid memories of milking a goat)
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice. (this will definitely happen sooner than visiting Paris since Mike really wants to go to Italy)
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise. (I'm going on my third cruise in less than two weeks)
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 in person.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa. (I desperately want to go on a safari)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance. (I think I was taken by ambulence as a baby when I fell off a bed)
47. Had your portrait painted. (my brother and I had caricatures done in Las Vegas)
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. (snorkeling- I would like to try scuba diving but Mike wouldn't be able to join me with his lung having collapsed a few years ago and I wouldn't want him to be jealous)
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater. (the movie I remember seeing is Gremlins although I went to a few others)
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. (just working on that now)
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.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp. (although not in the way Mike would like to visit- he wants to do a tour that makes you feel like you were in the army at that time, camping in the cold and all that)
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter. (I think this would be fun to do in Hawaii)
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. (this shouldn't be too hard being that I don't live that far away)
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone. (I really wanted to break a bone when I was a kid. I think it had to do with getting to leave class early when you were on crutches. I definitely don't think this is a good idea anymore)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. (I have been on two different motorcycles)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. (and honestly I wasn't that impressed)
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car. (I have bought/leased 4 brand new cars so far)
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper. (once as a kid and once for a library article)
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House. (I have been outside the White House numerous times but I don't ever remember actually taking the tour inside)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. (and I hope I never have to)
88. Had chickenpox. (I had the chicken pox shot because I never got them)
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club. (but I didn't stay long)
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake. (I'm pretty sure I've done this- I know I visited there as a kid)
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone. (um... who hasn't?)
99. Been stung by a bee.

A Big Smooch to Your Computer

How could I resist posting this video of Curtis- makes me smile each time.

A Short Trip from Friday

On Friday we went to the Florida Oceanographic Center and then went for a walk on the beach. Here are a few pictures of the day:

Flowers in Florida in November

My mom, dad, and I took a trip to the Heathcote Botanical Gardens this afternoon and it was so nice to see so many flowers still in bloom. It's still taking some time to realize that things still bloom down here in the winter, unlike in NY. Here are some pictures I took there:

My Favorite Authors

I have two favorite authors that up until recently were not very well known and to tell you the truth, I liked it better that way. I started reading Cecelia Ahern before her first novel was turned into a movie:

I have yet to see the movie, not because I'm afraid I won't like it as much as the book (although this is usually the case- not many directors can compete with our own imaginations) but because Mike is a tv hog and doesn't feel like watching the movie. So I have to wait for a time when I have the tv all to myself to watch it.

Cecelia Ahern is coming out with a new book this spring but since she is now more popular I am going to have to wait on a long list of holds at the library:

My other favorite author who has become more and more popular is Jane Green. She writes really cute chick lit books that are based in both England and New England. Actually one of her books reminds me a lot of the movie The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz.

For anyone who is looking for a place to track what they are reading now, what they've read, and what they would like to read in the future, check out Shelfari. You can see my bookshelf of what I'm reading now on the left column of the blog.

The Zoo

I'll start by introducing my own little zoo at home. Amazingly they all get along very well and like to play with each other although sometimes a little too rough. Curtis, the cat, bruised his nose by wrestling too much with Angel, the beagle. Sonny, the cockatoo, doesn't necessarily care for Curtis but I don't blame him when you have a cat stalking you around every corner. Baloo, the black lab, is the sweetest and most well behaved of the bunch so he naturally gets picked on by all the others. We also have fish but I was told at some point that taking flash pictures of fish can blind them so I'm going to pass on taking their pictures.

So here are the animals that run the house:

Angel

Baloo

Curtis

Sonny

At this point, I would need a bigger house to expand this brood anymore. Of course that doesn't mean I can't get a pet that lives someplace else, such as....... a horse. =) Then again maybe not.