Our trip to Belgium and France 2009

My husband is more on the ball than I am - he's already posted about our trip here. And if you're on Facebook, you can check out our pictures on his profile. We had a great time learning about WWI and WWII history, as well as taking long walks around Paris. My high school French came back to me (with some review), and I didn't verbally embarrass myself too much. Vive la France!

Ridiculously Awesome Things #2

Italian paper store called Fabriano with centuries of expertise in making quality paper supplies. They sell stationery, pens, pencils, sketch books, children's stationery items, calendars, some office supplies (cleverly fashioned), and a host of other things. I held myself back from buying one of everything in the store the first time I visited there, limiting myself to two journals.

My second visit, I was compelled to buy a dachshund keychain made from leather:

Fabriano:

Established: 1264 (as in, A.D.)
Personally Discovered: 2007 in Rome
Products: Awesome

Mediterranean Cruise 2008: By the Numbers

I posted .006% of the pictures we took on the cruise, but here are some of the facts:

Countries visited: 5 (Italy, Monaco, Spain, Tunisia, Malta)
Cities visited: 18 (Civitaveccia, Rome, Livorno, Siena, Monteriggio, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, La Goulette, Tunis, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, Valletta, Palermo, Mondello, Monreale, Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi)
# Gelato consumptions in Italian cities: 5
Saw brides and grooms at different weddings: 3 times
Ruins visited: 3 (Pompeii, Carthage, Rome)
Times I felt seasick: 1 evening (FELT sick, NOT got sick)
Pictures taken: 1,621
Formal nights on ship: 2
Days on cruise: 10
Days at sea on the cruise: 2
Times I checked email/accessed Internet on ship: 0
Books read: 2
Souvenir plates bought: 9
Plates that broke before getting home: 0
Teacups bought: 2
Taxis taken: 1 (Rome)
Put feet in Mediterranean Sea: 2 times
Danced late at night on ship: 3 times
# Times people circled us on the dance floor to watch us dance: 1
Nights I DIDN'T eat dessert on ship: 1
Favorite dessert on ship: Desidera
Ate ice cream cones on ship: Um, maybe 7? (and once, 2 in one day)
Exercised on ship: 2 times (NOT counting miles of walking on shore each day!)
Latest we stayed up on cruise: 2:30 a.m.
Hard Rock T-shirts bought: 2 (Malta, Barcelona)
Other T-shirts bought: 1
Swam in pool on ship: 0 times
Got in hot tub on ship: 1 time
Laid out on deck to tan: 1 time
Took advantage of free room service: 0 times
Found towels folded into animal shapes in our room from turn-down service: 7 times
Ate fish that looked like they took it from the sea and put it on my plate with head, tail, and scales: 1 time (Tunis)
Restaurant brought out the fish I was about to eat to my table, raw, so I could "inspect" its quality before cooking: 1 time (in Tunis, this is customary; we didn't request it!)
Times I got confused about what day it was/had to think about where we were: Lost count
Weight gained on trip: 2.5 lbs
Favorite port/excursion: Malta or Pompeii !
When I got home, mornings I was confused about why no one was available to serve us breakfast: 1
Times I thought what a great trip this was: Lost count!

Mediterranean Cruise 2008: Highlights

We got back from our cruise of the western Mediterranean, and I'm itching to post some pictures! John hasn't uploaded them to Flickr yet, so here are some preview highlights. I'm limiting myself to 9 for now, or I'd be here all day posting pictures to the blog.

Our ship, the MS Noordam from the Holland America Line (docked in Monte Carlo):

Touching the Mediterranean Sea at Mondello, in Sicily:

Walking in the ruins of Pompeii:

Climbing the mountains in Monte Carlo, Monaco:

On Mom & Dad's deck at the back of the ship on one of the formal nights:

On a rooftop in Tunis:

At the ruins of Carthage in Tunisia:

Riding a camel in Tunisia!:

And great food, of course, on ship; these are lamb chops with apple and mint chutney from the signature restaurant on board:

The dessert was probably the best part of dinner each night; here are some confections from the Chocolate Extravaganza (photo taken during a tour of the massive ship's galley):


And here are some facts about the trip.

Vacation IV: The Preview

This summer has been crammed with trips:

"Vacation" I: Technically a work trip, I went to Dallas in June for the PCA's General Assembly. But it WAS fun, and it was a trip, so I'm counting it.

Vacation II: To Virginia for John's family reunion at the end of June, their first in 17+ years. (They couldn't remember.) Took lots of photos, went tubing on the Shenandoah, and got to know John's extended family better, right along with John!

Vacation III: Just got back from my family reunion in Illinois. Got to see one of my Jensen cousins whom I haven't seen in several years! Took about 450 pictures (though I lost the competition - my cousin Philip took twice as many), played games, celebrated Grandma's 85th birthday, sat around and caught up with about 45 cousins, aunts, and uncles. The usual chaos. It was great.

Vacation IV: We leave tomorrow for our Mediterranean cruise, which leaves from Rome, Italy. John and I, John's parents, his brothers, and my parents are going.

Today I'm unpacking from the Illinois trip and packing for when we leave tomorrow. I haven't packed this much for a trip since our honeymoon! My goal is to NOT stay up all night packing. And dusting and vacuuming would be nice too, but we'll see.

Signing off for 2 weeks!

Return From Germany

We got back yesterday from our trip to southern Germany. Here are some highlights of the trip, by the numbers:

Days on trip: 8
Adults on trip: 8
Students on trip: 10
Suitcases taken: 2 carry-ons
Movies watched on round-trip flights: 4 (plus TV shows)
Hotels stayed at: 3
Days it snowed: 5
Maximum layers worn at one time: 4
Days it rained: 2
Castles visited: 4
Palaces visited: 3
Churches/cathedrals visited: 4
Alpine villages visited: 1
Museums visited: 2
Towns/cities visited: 12
Passed Hitler's "palace": 2 times
Saw a German dachshund: 3 times
Saw a German shepherd: 2 times
Rode on a riverboat on the Rhine river: 2 times
Passed a frog crossing: 2 times
Ate apple strudel: 3 times
Ate REAL Black Forest Cake: 2 times
Ate bratwurst: 2 times
(Tiny) sips of beer: 2
Walked up and down a mountain: 6 times
Paid to go to the bathroom: 1 time
Pictures taken: 689
Traditional German foods eaten: (pork) schnitzel, black forest cake, apple strudel, bratwurst, potato pancakes with applesauce, potato dumplings, (warm) potato salad, schneeballen
Most unusual food eaten: Lung of veal
Times I'm going to eat lung of veal again: 0

We also were able to visit the Dachau memorial, the site of one of Hitler's concentration camps.

Below is a castle where the 33rd generation of the original family still lives. In the spirit of enterprise, they open part of it to the public to help pay for the upkeep.

Times I thought what a beautiful country Germany is: Lost count

Walking In Memphis

In the words of Chandler, could that title BE more uncreative?

As John mentioned, we were in Memphis last week, working at the PCA's annual General Assembly. John worked the exhibition booth for his company, and I worked the booth for mine, trying to generate more subscriptions for the magazine.

We did manage to play the part of tourists and see some of the sights, including (unintentionally) the city jail. (After reading that, I realized it needed explanation: because we WALKED past it, not because we were sent there. Smarty pants.)

First, we visited the famous Peabody Hotel to watch the March of the Ducks. There is a Peabody in Orlando, but for some reason we never made it to that one. I had a good spot at the ropes to catch the action - which lasted all of 1 minute at about 5:04 p.m., after a short speech about the history of the tradition.

They stroll down the red carpet and onto the elevator. We didn't go see their suite on the 5th? floor, though you can visit if you want. The Assistant Duckmaster (in the red coat) said that most of the time, they behave well, but once in a while, they can do the unexpected. He didn't elaborate.
We also walked a million blocks to get to Sun Studios, the studio that first recorded Elvis as well as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and others. Here's John sitting in front of a famous photo (which I'd never heard of before this tour) of (l-r) Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis, and Johnny Cash. It was an impromptu jam session in 1956 that came to be called The Million Dollar Quartet.

It's a small building, and the tour basically consists of 2-3 rooms, but it is worth it. The guide is hilarious. Below, he's standing in the recording studio with one of the original microphones that was used by all the legends - in fact, the same one that Elvis is using in the picture behind the guide. You could line up and get your picture taken behind the mike, though we didn't do that. The guide said, "I am required to say this: Please do not lick or kiss the microphone. It has germs from a lot of people on it. Plus, it's gross."

Today, the studio still has the original soundproof tiles (or whatever they're called - the white tiles with the tiny holes), and two X's on the floor mark the spots - one where a hole was drilled into the floor to hold the string bass (back then, they didn't have rubber stoppers on the bottom), and one X to mark where Elvis stood to sing while he recorded. You can't really see them in the picture though, sorry!

Then we went to Graceland, which is located on Elvis Presley Boulevard. We debated over whether to buy the Mansion tour ($25), or the Platinum tour ($30) which also includes tours of the airplanes, car museum, and costume museum. We splurged and paid for the Platinum tour. (Note: If you're a car buff, it's worth the extra money. If you don't care about the cars or the planes, just stick with the basic package.)

From the car museum, this is the pink Cadillac that belonged to Elvis's mother (and here's a Free Elvis English Lesson: if the singular noun ends in an "s," you are STILL SUPPOSED to add the 's to it! Just because it already ends in "s" doesn't mean it stops being singular!!!! As many fans would probably say, There is only one Elvis!! Sorry, Elvis Stojko.):

I didn't take notes on what kind of car this is, but someone else out there probably knows. It sure looks cool, though:

The larger plane, called the Lisa Marie, is more interesting than the small one, which only seats about 8 passengers and looks like the inside of a bag of Skittles. The Lisa Marie contains typical 60s-70s decor: dark paneling and velour. It also boasts a 24-carat gold-plated sink in the lavatory. Nothing was mentioned about the toilet itself, which is actually the leather ottoman-ish object on the right.

Located at the back of the plane, next to the second bathroom that contained a hairdresser's chair, is this double bed. You'll notice the bed has a seatbelt on it, not because Elvis was quirky but because FAA regulations required it. Harder to see is the 24-carat gold-plated BUCKLE on the seatbelt. All of the seatbelts on the plane were gold-plated. People, we can't make this stuff up.

On to the mansion, which was very pretty on the outside, like a small southern plantation.

Then you walk inside, and the blast of 60s decor almost knocks you over. Surprisingly (don't shoot!), I did kind of like the living room on the right when you first walk in the door. The color scheme is white, royal blue, white, gold, and white. It's the least obnoxious room in the house, next to Elvis's parents' bedroom.

In the basement is the entertainment room, with 3 TVs; Elvis heard the President watched several TVs simultaneously and liked the idea. This room is decorated in overpowering yellow and navy blue and makes me realize that our guest room, painted a more muted shade of yellow, could be much worse.

I couldn't believe this pool room. Pool rooms are supposed to be masculine, aren't they? (Hey, dark paneling would actually WORK here.) But instead, the poor macho guys are supposed to play pool in a room covered - literally floor to ceiling - in fabric? Really, really busy fabric? It feels like the room is shrinking in on you.

Moving back upstairs, we passed the famous Jungle Room, a moniker chosen by fans who toured the house when it first opened to the public, not assigned by Elvis himself. It's an apt description of a room that contains odd-shaped wood furniture, a tree-trunk coffee table, and animal skins. And the vital green shag carpet - on the floor AND on the ceiling.

There's also a room that contains some furniture from the upstairs level of the house, since the tour does not include the second floor. This white, furry bed with a built-in stereo was originally in Elvis's dressing room upstairs. That is all the information about it that the tour provided, and that is all the information I want to know. (The blue object on it is a shirt or something.)

The last stop on the mansion tour is the gravesite of Elvis and his parents and grandmother, who all lived with him at Graceland. There's a sign that mentions how Graceland receives tons of flower arrangements and stuffed animals all the time to put at the gravesite, especially around his birthday and the anniversary of his death. Elvis's burial site is second from the left.

Then we visited the costume museum. You can walk through and read about each one, and they all have titles. I think our walk through lasted a grand total of 2 minutes. The costumes all seem like the same basic "suit," but with a different beading and bejeweling pattern.

Overall, it was interesting and I certainly learned a lot about Elvis. But the mansion tour felt more like a shrine to the decorating of the 60s and 70s than Elvis's house. (Elvis fans, don't send me hate mail. Not everyone thinks Elvis is the best thing since sliced bread. And That's OK. Really.)

On the way home, we Strayed From the Plan (gasp!) and stopped by the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama. We ended up only buying books, but they have everything under the sun there, including the proverbial kitchen sink. And hubcaps, sewing machines, brand-new bedspreads from Target, pots and pans, expensive cameras, clothing straight from European runways, wedding dresses, and lamps.

On the walls of the beautiful old house that serves as the "Book Nook," framed articles from newspapers and magazines hang. The articles state that contrary to popular belief, only 0.005% of bags remain permanently unclaimed, after extensive efforts by airlines to find the owners. In its history, the Center has opened bags to find legitimate ancient Egyptian artifacts, jewels worth tens of thousands of dollars (that are examined by a gemologist and then sold at half price), and even a guidance system for an F-16 fighter jet (which was returned, not sold!). I could have easily spent all day among the clothes, so I didn't even start to browse.

Our trip, By the Numbers:

Ducks at the Peabody: 5
Subscriptions sold at General Assembly (approx.): 1,000
Books bought: 12
Free books picked up at other booths: 8
T-shirts acquired: 5 (3 free ones from Covenant College, 2 bought at the Hard Rock Cafe)
Days away from Darra: 7
Number of bite-sized candy pieces I ate from my own booth's supply: Um, I lost track
Average temperature in Memphis during the trip: 91 degrees F
Number of hours worked daily at the booth: 12
Number of General Assembly worship services: 3
Number of PCA laptops stolen from the Internet cafe area: 1
Rides on the downtown trolley: 3
Smoothies bought for me by a stranger who's a male: 1
Books read on the trip: 2
Hours of TV watched in the hotel room: 7 (since we don't have cable at home)
The #1 most surprising fact learned about Elvis: He was a big reader
The #2 most surprising fact learned about Elvis: He gave a lot of money to charities
Not-so-subtle nags from my mom about how long it's been since I posted last: 1
How long it took to create this post: 2 hours

Vacanze Romane

On Friday, we got back from our Roman holiday. We blew the diet and ate authentic Italian food, and saw the sights of Rome, like:

The Coliseum

What's left of the Temple of Saturn (king of the Roman gods)

In the Vatican, St. Peter's basilica, the biggest Catholic Church in the world

A modern art exhibit called "Trash People" in the Piazza del Popolo; it consisted of 1,000 figures made of trash, serving as a commentary on today's consumer culture (the white blob at the "neck" is someone's kleenex they stuffed in there!).

We also got up close and personal with some sheep when we visited the catacombs at the edge of the city. Sheep are LOUD.

We visited a beautiful art museum located on the property of a wealthy cardinal who collected the art in the 16th-17th century; the surrounding land is now a beautiful public park for runners and people walking dogs.

The city is an interesting mix of the ancient and the modern, like this "gladiator" reading the daily paper. I had to sneak this picture; otherwise, you have to pay for the privilege.

Naturally, we (I) bought a few souvenirs, including some scarves at this store; we were disappointed to find out that the cat advertised for 5 euros was, in fact, NOT for sale. Yes, this is a real cat.

And then finally it was time to head home.

By The Numbers:

Fettucine alfredo: 1 meal
Spaghetti: 3 meals
Pizza: Lost count
Plane trip home: 10 hours, 15 minutes
Trips to gelaterias (that sell gelato): 4
Rainy Days: 2
Visits to McDonalds: 1 (only had Cokes!)
Number of times Valerie sat down on a toilet outside the hotel room: None
Tombs/crypts visited: Hundreds, counting the catacombs
Number of times we saw the current pope: None
Paintings bought: 3 small watercolors
Books bought: 9
Books read during trip: 4 (John) and 2 (Valerie)
Average price per slice of bread brought to the table as an appetizer: 1 euro
Woke up an hour earlier than planned: Once
Visits to supermarket: 1
Number of times John's mom was approached by a street vendor: Every time she walked out the door
Number of times John's mom was aggressively surrounded by women begging for money for their babies (who are already provided for by the Italian government): Once
Modes of travel used: 6 (car, plane, train, bus, bicycle, walking)
Meals at the Hard Rock Cafe: 1
T-shirts bought at the Hard Rock Cafe: 2
Visits to the fabulous Fabriano stationery store, which was established in the year 1264: 2
Pictures taken on the trip: 697
What it feels like to sleep in one's own bed again: Priceless

All Containers Great and Small

In the process of setting up my own "place" for the first time as a freshman at college, I made several trips to Kmart, the closest all-purpose store. I bought everything there: my first pair of ice skates for skating on the frozen lake, my sea-foam10-speed bike that I wouldn't be caught dead with today, and empty containers. My friend Jonetta, who frequently accompanied me on these forays to Kmart, could not understand this phenomenon.

Jonetta: So, you're buying containers?
Me: Yep.
Jonetta: I mean, containers that are EMPTY? Like, empty containers?
Me: Yep. Then I can organize my stuff.
Jonetta: But - they're EMPTY. It's like buying AIR, isn't it?

Poor soul, she just didn't understand.

In grad school (circa 1998-2000), I lived near Chicago, though I did not fully appreciate the magnitude of such proximity at the time. Fortunately, my roommate did. She had heard of a store called Ikea and wanted to check it out. We ventured out one Saturday for Ikea and discovered that next to it was a store my roommate had also heard of and wanted to visit: The Container Store.

I had never heard of this store, and so was unprepared for the mental shock I experienced as I stood inside the entrance and gazed in awe at aisles and aisles of - empty containers.

Tall, short, big, small, plastic, wood, glass, metal, paper, bamboo, clear, colored - the containers and displays dazzled my eyes until, in a fashion similar to Isaiah, I had to put my hands over my eyes and say, "I am not worthy!"

That day, I only bought one item of the thousands that called out my name - a white plastic 2-ounce travel bottle that I still have as a memento of my brief time in a magical land called The Container Store.

Sadly, that special time faded from my memory as other things crowded in, like reality and getting a job. Then, three events occurred that indicated I was predestined to return to The Container Store:

1. We moved to the Atlanta area - home to not one, but TWO Container Stores. And both stores are within an hour of our house. (There is only one Container Store in the entire state of Florida, in Miami. But who wants to drive all the way to Miami.)
   
2. A terrorist decided to try to smuggle bomb materials through airport security via liquids of some kind (I confess, I STILL have not read the original story on that plot and so remain Uninformed about the particulars). This resulted in major changes to FAA carryon regulations, as we all know.
3. We are taking a trip overseas in March.

Q.E.D., I am supposed to go to The Container Store.

My longsuffering, supportive husband agreed to go with me (since I'm terrible with directions, and there's a Barnes & Noble next door to The Container Store). As we approached the entrance, I saw a sign outside: Contain Yourself.

These advertisers and their reverse psychology! Ahem, it works. I think John was a little scared.

While John left for B&N with great reservations about my self-control in such a store, I exerted some discipline and went to the Travel aisle first, which was the whole reason for coming. THEN I went to the front of the store and worked my way through every aisle.

To give myself some credit, I saw some things they had that I'd already implemented using items from other stores, and I also saw many items that I fully recognized could be bought at other stores for much cheaper (e.g., Target). So my great desire to buy many containers was narrowed to the travel bottles on my list, a few extra travel items, and - for John, who agreed to come - a device that has a hook like a hanger, then a piece of wood with hooks on it to put belts on; the wood piece rotates. (Granted, it's not for travel, but it IS for organizing. Plus, it's a nice Valentine's Day present for John, even if he doesn't really care about how his belts are organized.)

Now I'm ready for the 3-1-1 airport inspection. But I think our closet needs some work. Maybe an Elfa system from The Container Store would make things all better....

Scrapbook #1

I have finally finished my first scrapbook, about our honeymoon in London. Yay! Here are some (not so great) pictures of some of the pages. I guess if you were really interested, you could get a super magnifying glass and read the handwritten parts ... which I know you'll do because (as my site meter indicates) you care that much. Sniff.

Medieval Times

Last week’s thwarted terrorist plot in the UK didn’t scare me as much as it probably should have. My thoughts were quite selfish. We’re going to Europe again in March, and I wondered, is it wrong to pray that the current stringent travel restrictions will be lifted by the time we go? How can one not use contact solution on a 9-hour overnight flight?? Do they have my brands of various vital hair products in Europe, and where on earth does one go to find them? Imagine how much time will be spent in a store trying to find the right shade of foundation/liquid makeup instead of seeing great historical monuments!

To my shame, I was still thinking these thoughts (to a smaller degree) even after reading a column by Leonard Pitts that, sadly, paints an accurate picture of Americans and their (my) concern for comfort over security. Here is an article that shows the British feel the same way. In one news story about the foiled plot, a female traveler complained that now she will be bored on international flights, since iPods were apparently banned under the new measures. Upon reading her comment, I self-righteously thought, “Well, I don’t have that problem, since I don’t have an iPod.” My second preferred method for alleviating boredom on planes is to read a book.

Books haven’t completely become obsolete, but with so much electronic entertainment out there (don’t even get me started on e-books), unfortunately books just aren’t as “exciting” to a good percentage of the population. Due to the new safety regulations, perhaps books will make a comeback, as it were. I received the following piece from a forwarded email a long time ago; maybe now is an appropriate time to dust it off and remind people that they still have options.

Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device,

trade-named: BOOK

BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it.

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere – even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works:

BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder, which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence.

Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now, BOOKs with more information simply use more pages.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it.

Unlike other display devices, BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, and it can even be dropped on the floor or stepped on without damage. However, it can become unusable if immersed in water for a significant period of time. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of selected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOKmarkers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS).

Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. Also, BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking. Look for a flood of new titles soon.

Travelogue

My cousins have this map on their blogs, so I thought I'd join the bandwagon. As you can see, I need to get out more. Apparently, I have discriminated against the West but endorse California. I've been to 20 states, or 39% of them (please don't think I did the math -- the site does it for you).

They also have a world map, so I did that one too. My (dad's) grandparents were experienced world travelers in their retirement and calculated that they had visited over 60 countries. Another life goal is to tie that, but I still have a LOOOOOOONG way to go. I decided not to include the country I KNOW I will visit in March! My current count: 8 countries, or a whopping 3%. However, if you consider the way the website "counts" the entire country, I guess this world map nullifies the previous States map and says that I've been to the ENTIRE United States.

(I never actually used my little red suitcase to go to Grandma's, I don't think, but I threw it in here because I like it, and it's cute. Really, it's a suitcase for dolls' clothes. Or a hamster, maybe.)

My Security Blanket

I like to make lists. It’s almost a compulsive function for me; they make me feel in control. While brainstorming for a name for my blog, I even made a list of Future Blog Entries. This entry was not on the approved list, but I’m posting it anyway.

The first list that I can recall was created sometime during sixth grade, in Mrs. Byrd’s class. I don’t know if we’d just learned the 50 states and capitals or what, but when I got bored in class, it became a game to try to list all 50 states in alphabetical order, the first time through, without leaving any out (forget the capitals – I’m not that good). To this day, when I don’t already have a list of things to write down when I’m waiting somewhere, I fall back on my trusty states list.

One of the many lists I’ve made over the years was created in high school, that era when dreams and ideals are established, until cruel reality descends after graduation. It was a simple list of general “things I’d like to do someday.” I still have the original list, and here are the items (the asterisks (*) indicate that I actually HAVE done these things, or at least somewhat, as explained in the accompanying side notes):

1. Learn how to fly a plane [who cares – see The Worst Case Scenario Handbook instead!]
2. Learn how to fly a helicopter [ditto]
3. Travel across America by car, without a schedule
4. Visit and learn about: NYC, Chicago*, Atlanta*, San Francisco, LA*, Hollywood*, DC*, Boston, Salem, Dallas, Austin, Seattle [I’ve visited some cities, not extensively, but seen enough of the sights to be appreciative, and now of course, I LIVE near Atlanta]
5. Learn to ice skate*, snow ski, and water ski* – WELL [I’m not GREAT at it, but I have enough skill to enjoy it]
6. Learn ballroom dancing* [next on my list, at John’s urging!]
7. Learn about genealogy, handwriting analysis, photography*, and interior design*
8. Make one great, UNLAUDED contribution to mankind
9. Write a Bestseller
10. Have a role in a movie, however minor
11. Become an editor for a publishing house [editor for a magazine will do, also]
12. Become an English professor* [does high school English teacher come close?!]
13. Become a math professor [I dropped my English/math double major after my freshman year, so this ain’t happening]
14. Learn sign language
15. Gain a rudimentary knowledge of ballet & gymnastics
16. Be able to drive a stickshift expertly
17. Come up with a legitimate question that my AP Calculus teacher can’t answer [he challenged us that we couldn’t find a question he couldn’t answer]
18. Run a 400m in 60 seconds
19. Run a mile in 6 minutes
20. Live to be 100 years old and not be senile [I’ve decided since making this list that I do NOT want to meet this goal – the 100 years part, not the senile part. Why torture yourself??]
21. Be able to read lips

In college, I made another, much SHORTER list with the same theme:

1. Hold a koala bear
2. Swim with the dolphins
3. Hear Itsak Perlman (the great violinist) in concert

So far, I have met 2 of those 3 goals. I had a 10-hour layover in Australia one time and had researched ahead of time where to go hold a koala. It cost $8 (whereas, in the U.S., you know it would have been at least $50 per person or something), and I don’t even remember the actual moment, I was so excited. I don't even care that people make fun of the picture (Chandler Bing voice: Could your smile BE any bigger?). For the other, a kind college friend got tickets to see Itsak Perlman and the Florida Philharmonic in Miami and invited me. Anyone who cares to help make the third item on my list come true, what’s stopping you?

They say if you write down your goals, you are more likely to achieve them. I don’t know who “they” are, but I agree. From time to time, I take out lists like these and remind myself that even the dreams that seem impossible to achieve can come true.

Now I need to go write up my grocery list, which is actually one list I DON’T like to make. Afterward, I will cheer myself up by making a list of things that must be done tomorrow, like find out if I got the job I applied for (see # 11).