The Bucket List email

There is an email, a chain letter of sorts, going around in my family titled, "The Bucket List." It's a list of adventurous activities you are to place an X next to, acknowledging your participation in such activities.

As I went through the list, I found myself inserting comments and short stories about my experiences. I stopped half way, realizing that the email was to be kept to the point, and that if I had a hankering to elaborate, I should do so on a blog. Well, I have a blog because I get these so-called hankerings from time to time. So, here we go:

Have you ever:

(my commentary is after the --- )

This is for your Entire Life!!.......

x	Shot a gun -- several. BB guns, rifles, dart guns, pellet guns
	Gone on a blind date
X	Skipped school -- a few of us in high school skipped our 0-hr class to go get lattes instead. Rebels. College, however, is a different story. I was known to take the occasional "personal day."
	Watched someone die. --- Dying, yes. Die, no.
X	Been to Canada -- band trips, baby.
	Been to Alaska -- I hear you can see Russia from there
	Been to Cuba --- I hear there was a missile crisis. Opt out.
X	Been to Europe/Asia --- I've been to London and Ireland. I went with my friend Jen!
	Been to South America
	Been to Las Vegas --- surprisingly, no. My friend Jeff lives and teaches there now so I'm sure I'll go at some point, but I've never gone to party or walk the strip. I guess I'm not in the cool club.
	Been to Mexico --- no, but I want to. I think it'd be a fun girls' trip.
	Been to Florida --- I don't care for sharks and I feel the same about alligators.
X	Been on a plane --- a time or two
	Served on a Jury
X	Been lost --- ha!
x	Been on the opposite side of the country --- If you count the Atlanta airport and Ft. Benning in Georgia as the other side, then yes.
	Gone to Washington , DC --- however, I'm still proud to be an American.
X	Swam in the Ocean --- yes, I've even been snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. I couldn't breath most of the time because I was terrified. I wasn't one to go any deeper than the length of my snorkel. That's a funny sentence to read out of context, btw.
x	Swam in the Ocean with Dolphins --- There were dolphins outside of the supposed "secure" snorkeling area on the reef. So...by association, yes. There was also a dumb woman who ventured outside the roped off area to get closer to the dolphins. Thank goodness I was back on the boat, with a beer, so I was safe inside in case sharks attacked. In my head I was screaming, "WOMAN! WE ARE IN AUSTRALIA. YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO DIE OUT THERE," but I didn't...I just watched from the window, too scared to actually say anything, so I just drank my beer. I drank a lot of beer in Australia. There, I said it.
x	Cried yourself to sleep --- it wasn't pretty. It never is. I'm an ugly crier. (That's for you, Heather B.)
X	Played Cops and Robbers
X	Played Cowboys and Indians --- I think we played more of this than cops and robbers
?	Recently colored with crayons (within the last 2 years) The answer here is possibly. I've colored with glitter markers, but I can't say absolutely yes to crayons.
X	Sang Karaoke --- the folks I worked with at my old gig in Seattle were big time Karaoke fans. We hit the Little Red Hen and some creepy places in Chinatown more than I'd like to admit.
	Sang in a band --- I was asked to be in a band that never formed, but that doesn't count. However, I was in an acapella group in middle school and chamber choir in high school... not necessarily bands, but groups singing together.
X	Paid for a meal with coins only --- If you count food from vending machines that have to act in place of a meal, then yes.
X	Made prank phone calls --- Heather P. and I got to be pretty awesome prank callers back in the day. Sorry, boys.
x	Laughed until some beverage came out of your nose --- it stings.
X	Caught a snowflake on your tongue
	Danced in the rain --- I do not care for the rain. I will not dance in it or for it.
X	Written a letter to Santa Claus --- he's never written back.
X	Been kissed under the mistletoe --- I like mistletoe.
	Watched the sunrise with someone --- Not intentionally, anyway. I've been places with other people when the sun rose, but I've never gone out of my way to take someone somewhere to watch it. I like the idea of it. We even talked about getting up to go watch one on our Honeymoon in Hawaii, but it didn't happen. I'm more of a sunset person.
X	Blown bubbles --- duh
x	Gone ice skating
X	Gone skiing --- don't want to ever again. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I don't give up often, but when I went skiing (more like human snowball rolling down a hill) I sat down half way down a hill and waited for someone to come get me. I was also more sore the next day than I've ever been in my life. Horrible. Sledding, however, is fun.
X	Camped out under the stars --- a few times as a kid in our treehouse or on the patio to watch a meteor shower. Justin and I do enjoy camping, though we don't get to it that often in California. And here is a reason why.
	Took a vacation alone --- I'd feel bad leaving JT behind
X	Seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away --- I find it's hard to breathe when I look in the mirror. JUST KIDDING. Totally kidding. I have seen some beautiful sunsets, though.
X	Are or have been married --- Team Thompson, baby!
	Have children --- someday
X	Have or had a pet --- Yes. Here is a list, in case you were wondering. Goldie (cat), Jessica (dog), Playful (cat), Wilber (fish), tadpoles (I caught them in a pond in Pomeroy...some grew to be small frogs, but it's hard to catch flies to feed to baby frogs so they didn't make it too long), Willy (killer dog), Kirby (dumb dog), mice (yes, I found and kept field mice in a box, but threw them outside after I discovered one had died and the others were eating it. Sick.), Flopsy & Mopsy (Matt's gerbils, Pete (devil cat. A cat that I will never actually claim to be a pet, though my parents fed it and it lived on our back porch for more than 5 years).
X	Been fishing --- for small fish in the pond in Pomeroy, as well as in the irrigation pond at the Olmstead's house.
X	Been boating
x	Been Water Skiing --- more like water crashing. I'm not good at it at all. I can hardly get up. It's pathetic.
X	Been Hiking --- lots of fun hiking areas around us in CA
X	Been camping in a trailer/RV --- And I'm thankful for the time I spent there.
X	Flown in a small 4-seater airplane --- It was piloted by none other than my cousin Andrew!
	Flown in a biplane --- well, maybe, if the plane flown by Andrew had 2 seats instead of 4.
	Flown in a plane doing acrobatics
	Flown in a glider --- no thank you
	Been flying in a helicopter --- would like to
	Been flying in a hot air balloon --- not sure I want to, but my in-laws have!
	Been bungee-jumping --- I just can't see how that's good for your skeleton
X	Gone to a drive-in movie --- we had a good time with the Coxes!
X	Done something that should have killed you --- Yes, I drive in 24+ miles of California traffic 5+ days a week.
X	Done something that you will regret (feel sad about) for the rest of your life. --- yes, and I try very hard to forget about such things. They make my tummy flip and my face turn red. I'm not going to write about them, either.
	Been to Africa --- I'd like to see Egypt sometime
x	Ever ride an elephant --- at the circus!
X	Ever eaten just cookies for dinner --- C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me. Oh. Ehem. What?
X	Ever been on T.V. --- in the background of news reports, but never in a show or something in which I've been an ac-tor (please say this aloud as if you are Jenna Maroney from 30 Rock)
X	Ever steal any traffic signs --- I've attempted to, but chickened out. They're screwed on pretty well, I might add.
X	Ever been in a car accident --- In a 4 car fender-bender in 2008 while driving south on I-5 in Seattle. I also backed into someone in the parking lot in high school. My cars, however, have been in more accidents by themselves.
	Bailed out of Helicopter/Plane --- I've always wanted to skydive, but it's expensive and I'm a bit of a tightwad.

Have a nickname?	Queen Latifah, Lady Aberlin, Sister Hazel (these three were assigned by my brothers...the first two are for reasons unbeknownst to me), Chris, Chrissy-K, K-Rabe (long story)
Body piercings?	currently: 2 Previously: 6 (2 in right ear, 3 in left ear, 1 in belly button)
Do you drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle?	4
Favorite NUMBER?	5
Favorite movie?	Love Actually, Goonies
Favorite dessert?	ice cream
Where do you see yourself in 10 years	I've tried to stop planning ahead -- someone else is in control :) however, if it's an evening such as this, I'd like to be snuggled up with my hoosband and some kiddos, eating popcorn and watching a movie
Furthest place you will send this message?	Better yet, reply to this with a comment to let us know where you're reading from
Mother’s name	Ginger (Virginia)
Favorite Drink	coffee