Have you done it?

The idea of this past post was to highlight the things you have done out of the 200 items on the list. It got me thinking, though, that I should explain some of these things, rather than just indicate that I had done them. As I have time and inclination, I will talk about some of the things I've done and not done...

1. Touched an iceberg: I haven't touched an iceberg yet. But I will because I am determined to take my DH on a cruise to Alaska and you can bet your buttons that I'm gonna HUG an iceberg. In the meantime, I have touched and even slid down a glacier. That's pretty cool, too, you know. My nether-regions was sitting on ice that has been there for thousands of years. I did it when I was about 13 years old and I hiked up Mt. Timpanogus with a group of youth from Bountiful. It was a long hike, but I'll never forget how amazing it was to cross the saddle and realize I was at the highest point of a mountain. It was breathtaking and frightening. To get down, we slid down the glacier, bypassing a 2 hour hike back down. I remember how painful the hike down was on my knees. I've not repeated the hike since because of my unforgiving joints.
2. Slept under the stars: When I was a kid, we used to sleep out with our cousins regularly. That was back in the good-ol'-days when you could see stars. How sad it is to me that I have to take my kids on a far off vacation so they can actually see how many stars are in the sky! Anyway, sleeping out was always fun because of the fear factor. We would bed down in our coleman sleeping bags (with the flannel lining that always smelled disturbingly remotely like urine), Off repellent stinging in our eyes. Oh yeah, we learned the hard way that you had to put it close to your eyes or you awakened with huge puffy bug-bitten eyelids. We would lie on our backs, gazing at all the stars and get as philosophical as an 8 year-old could get. Sometimes we could hear cyoties howling in the distance. That was always exciting. Most often, though, the most excitement we got was when the sprinklers went off on us. Something I should point out is that we didn't have automatic sprinklers.
3. Been a part of a hockey fight: why would I want this? Unless it was a hockey fight with the Barenaked Ladies. That would be fun!
4. Changed a baby's diaper: If I had a penny for every diaper I've changed! Blech! And the stories I could tell! **if you are squeamish with this topic, do not read any further** As a matter of fact, just the other day I was telling my kids how you could tell you were a REAL mom... That was if you could WEAR your kid's poop on you and not freak out (of course it is never by choice, it just happens and you deal with it). My favorite story, though, was Dilbert's. He had changed a newborn diaper and then went to eat his sandwich. He picked it up to eat it when he noticed some mustard had gotten on the heel of his hand. His first instinct was to lick it off, but just in time he realized it was NOT mustard.
5. Watched a meteor shower: so cool to sit outside and watch the shooting stars by the hundreds. But, like I said in #2, it is hard to do nowadays.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity: There's been a few times when I've sent stuff to the DI and then realized I sent the WRONG bag. I hate it when that happens.
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain: See #1. Actually, I do this often, as I live in Utah an the mountains are RIGHT HERE. I love to hike, especially if there's a waterfall at the end of the day.
9. Held a tarantula: I haven't done it, but I've made my children do it (see previous posts)
10. Said "I love you" and meant it: Daily. Duh--I'm a wife and mother.
11. Bungee jumped: and never gonna do it, either.
12. Visited Paris: not yet, but maybe. My nephew just got called on his mission to Paris. Oh lala!
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea: Living in Fort Lauderdale for 4 1/2 years gave me ocean experiences I would never trade. I love sitting on the beach, watching the waves crash. My funnest vacation has been our trip to Newport OR where is stormed the entire time.
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise: I did the sunrise on the beach thing in Fort Lauderdale with elle_cossette (remember that?) But I've done the all night thing many times with Dilbert. Utah has amazing sunrises.
15. Seen the Northern Lights: On my list of things to do while in Alaska. I MUST see this.