Via Walt Crawford… I don’t usually do these things, but this one struck my fancy. Plus, I’m home for break, and feeling nostalgic – so I was in the mood…
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.
I think I’m up to like five or six at this point. Plus the one I started for work.
2. Slept under the stars.
Not without a tent, I don’t think.
3. Played in a band.
So uncool, though – it was my middle-school band. I played trumpet.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
After all, what the heck can a perpetual graduate student afford?
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
Disney World, once, when I was 8. I recall that I loved it, but I think it would profoundly disturb me now.
8. Climbed a mountain.
Can I, like, triple-bold that? I climbed Mt. Rainier this year. I also made it up to 10,700 ft on Mt. Adams, and I’m probably going to do Mt. Baker next year. (Who would’ve predicted that hobby? Certainly not me.)
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
Ooo, no.
11. Bungee jumped.
I second W. Crawford’s response: “I won’t say ‘there isn’t enough money in the world,’ but that’s close.”
12. Visited Paris.
Yep – loved the Musée Rodin, but in general, the timing was bad for me, and had a terrible time. Should probably give it a second chance.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
Drawing, certainly. Though I had help. And in fact, I would challenge the idea that *anyone* can truly teach themselves an art from scratch, unless they actually invent an art form…
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
I almost wonder if my parents might still have some of the millions of pickles I made from those cucumbers in the basement.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
Not that I had a berth or anything. On the way to Chicago from Albany, I commandeered two seats; on the way back, I woke up leaning against a very polite young man from just north of NYC.
21. Had a pillow fight.
I was a teenage girl once, after all.
22. Hitch hiked.
Oooh, no. Seems like such a bad idea.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
Heh. Not more than once or twice, though.
24. Built a snow fort.
Dude, I grew up in Wisconsin. How can you not build snow forts when you’re 8 and there’s three feet of snow on the ground?
25. Held a lamb.
Sounds nice. 
26. Gone skinny dipping.
Oh, high school.
27. Run a marathon.
Wouldn’t rule it out, but probably won’t ever be able to.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
Just have to get there before it all sinks into the sea.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
I remember watching one through a pinhole with my trumpet tutor, Mr. Salzman. Of all things.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
I feel very, very sorry for anyone who can’t say they’ve done this one.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
Uh, maybe? I’m not totally sure where it would be.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
I didn’t teach myself…
37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
Yeah, pretty much my whole life. I’m a lucky person.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
Does scrambling count? (Hint: the answer is no.)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
And it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
I like Steamboat better.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
Wanna, wanna, wanna. So bad.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
Most recently, in Mexico. It was amazing, there was no need for artificial light at all.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
Yeah, so there was this time I got hit by a car… It’s a decent story. But most of you have probably heard it.
47. Had your portrait painted.
I’m going to count the very artistic caricature of myself I had done at the Madison Art Fair on the Square in high school. It’s still on the wall of my childhood bedroom. And frighteningly, it still looks like me.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
I’m sensing an Italy/France bias in this list.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Again with the Italy/France bias.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
Yup, first time was in Costa Rica, but the best time was in Mexico, at Akumal.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
I’m too young, I think. I’m not sure I’ve even ever seen one.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
At Mutianyu. It’s amazing how many stairs there are on the top of that thing. In fact, it’s pretty much nothing but stairs along the top.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
Lots of ‘em. This seems like an awfully unfair question if there are men filling this out, though – maybe one could substitute Boy Scout Popcorn?
62. Gone whale watching.
Not yet, but I’m sure I will. I live in Seattle, for heaven’s sake.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
I’m just that cool.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
So dumb.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
And I really don’t want to. For me, a helicopter ride would probably mean that I or one of my companions had just had a particularly bad mountaineering accident.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
Love it.
72. Pieced a quilt.
It was a small quilt, and I’m not fully certain it ever got sewn together. But I pieced it!
73. Stood in Times Square.
Lots of times – I worked just a few blocks up from there one summer, at the SSRC.
74. Toured the Everglades.
Same trip as Disney World. I dug the alligators and the green herons.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
Another reason I’m happy to have grown up in America’s Dairyland…
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
I wasn’t driving, but I would bet the driver was speeding at least occasionally.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
Never bought a car at all, actually. But one day, when I am faculty, I shall have a lovely little fuel-efficient automotive.
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.
Only fish.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
Basically just pseudo-famous or nerd-famous, but famous nonetheless. Folks like Lessig (nerd-famous) and the oldest kid from Home Improvement (pseudo-famous).
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
Sigh. Both friends and relatives.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
Swum, no; waded, yes. It was a little nasty.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
Remember how I said I got hit by a car? Yeah, that guy sued me for damage to his car. (I was 13.) God bless America!
98. Owned a cell phone.
Considering I don’t have a landline anymore…
99. Been stung by a bee.
Surprisingly, only once (and technically, only by a wasp). The circumstances: I was climbing up onto my grandmother’s second-floor balcony, because she’d locked her keys inside. There was a wasp’s nest built all throughout the inside of the metal railing. They swarmed; I fell.
