What is the most unusual thing that you have done in your life? It was during my self-discovery period. Just out of college. Finally the OK to dump the leg brace. Always been a good kid, never drank. Now that I was free I decided if I could die in an instance that it was time to find out about the seeder side of life. The Los Angeles area has a lot of seeder things in its mist and it was my mission to find all of them. I tasted my first beer, got drunk for the first but not the last time, found a friendly tavern called The Refuge where everyone knew your name. It became my home away from home. Customers became like family. Different backgrounds coming together as friends. Sometimes like on Cheers a group would take off together and bring their joys to other establishments. I was working at a major CPA firm at the time. Three piece suit city. The only one at the friendly place to imbibe to be in a suit. I became good friends with Ernie. A former member of a motorcycle gang. Total opposites. We just kind of hit it off. He had a great sense of humor and was fascinated that I would spend my time on the wrong side of the tracks and not be scared. I was to stupid to be scared. He bcame my protector. I was fascinated that someone with his background could be such a nice, kind, and genrous person. One night we were chatting. I was asked if I had ever ridden a motorcycle. Nope. Would I like too. One to many beers made me answer yes. The bar had a front door and a back door. It wasn't air conditioned so sometimes they would open both doors. Doors were wide. I got on the bike behind Ernie. He starts it up. I thought we were going for a little ride one the streets. Nope. We went through the bar's doors. In the back out the front. I haven't been on a bike since and quit drinking shortly thereafter. It has been years now since I tasted booze. That was the most unusual thing that I have done in my life.
What brought this memory up was that I was tagged by Red Whistle on Facebook. Since I didn't really know what to do there, I decided to answer here.
Things you have done during your lifetime:
(X) Gone fishing in the snow
(X) Saw Elvis in Vegas
()Lived on a barge
(X)Danced on T.V.
()Performed at Disneyland
(X) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
(X) Gone snow-shoeing
(X) Watched someone die
()Been to Europe
() Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
()Gone White-water rafting
() Gone Kyaking
(x)Been to Texas
()Been to Pennsylvannia
() Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
(x) Gone to Washington, DC
() Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
() Sang Karaoke
() Paid for a meal with coins only
() Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
(x) Made prank phone calls
() Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
() Danced in the rain-naked (I danced in the rain but not naked!)
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Been bowling
(X) Sailed a boat
(x) Played Tennis
(X) Gone Ice Skating
(X) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
()Drove a Dune Buggy
(x)Gone Roller skating
(X) Gone to the movies
() Been deep sea fishing
() Driven across the United States
() Been in a hot air balloon
() Been sky diving
(x) Gone snowmobiling
() Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(x) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser in Person
() Seen the Statue of Liberty in Person
(x) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
(X) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
(X) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
(X) Ridden on a San Francisco Cable Car
(X) Been to Disneyland/ Disney World
(X) Truly believe in the power of positive thinking
() Been in a rain forest
(X) Seen whales in the ocean
() Been to Niagara Falls
() Ridden on an elephant
() Ridden on a Camel
() Swam with dolphins
() Been to the Olympics
() Walked on the Great Wall of China
() Saw and heard a glacier calf
() Been spinnaker flying
() Been water-skiing
() Been snow-skiing
() Been Snowboading
() Been to Westminster Abbey
() Been to the Louvre
() Swam in the Mediterranean
() Been to the Great Pyramid in Egypt
(x) Been to a Major League Baseball game
(x) Been to a National Football League game
() Been to Jamaica
(X)climbed a waterfall
()Climbed the Eiffel Tower
And I added
(X) worked on man's first landing on the moon as an apprentice.
(X) won an award for charity work.
(X) held your dad's hand as he breathed his last breath.
(X) cried at the movies
(X) been medically addicted to drugs.
(X) saved a life
(X) been told you were the most "real" person posting on a message board.
(X) Been to an NBA playoff game
(X) Been to a major college basketball game.
(X) Been on television.
(X) wrote a book.
(x) had a poem you have written be on the first page of the Sunday Sports Page.
(x) been a guest on a radio show.
(x) been a guest on a national TV show.
That is a pretty doggone long list. Of course I don't expect you to answer all the questions or even any of them if you don't desire to. However, I would be interested in knowing what the most unusual thing that you have done in your life. And if you desire to tackle the above list feel free to do so.
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12 comments:
-vacationed on a barge
- been to Europe
- been to Canada
- been to Mexico
- been to Florida
- gone whitewater rafting
- been to Texas
- been to Pennsylvania
- been to Hawaii
- been on a plane
- been on a helicopter
- gone to Washington DC
- swam in the ocean
- been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
- made prank phone calls
- been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
- laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose and elsewhere
- caught a snowflake on your tongue
- been kissed under the mistletoe
- watched the sunrise with someone
- been bowling
- sailed a boat
- played tennis
- gone ice skating
- blown bubbles
- gone roller skating (but not since those that fastened on your shoes with a key)
- driven across the US (but not all in one trip - does Tennessee to CA and Alaska count?)
- been in a hot air balloon
- lay down outside at night and admired the stars
- seen a falling star and made a wish
- seen Old Faithful
- seen the Statue of Liberty
- gone to the top of the Seattle Space Needle
- been on a cruise (sort-of - river cruises, not ocean entertainment cruises)
- traveled by train
- been horsebck riding
- ridden on a SF Cable car
- been in a rain forest
- seen whales in the ocean
- been to Niagara Falls
- been to the Olympics
- saw and heard a glacier calf (walked on a glacier)
- been water skiing
- been to a major league baseball game
- been to a NFL game
Additional:
been to Antarctica
been to New Zealand and Australia
been to a NCAA Women's Final Four
been married to the same man for 54 years
ran for public office (and lost - fortunately)
drove the Alaska Highway
traveled with and lived in a travel trailer for 3 1/2 months
Hi Mary Z
Nice to see you here and full of surprises too.
Wow have ever done a lot and of course I am curious what office you ran for?
Bill
Still trying to think what the most unusual thing I ever did was. Stuff like what you mention wasn't that unusual for me at the time. [g]
But here's a sort of similar one. My best friend's boyfriend couldn't find her, so came to see me. At his request, I got on the back of his motorcycle and we went roaring down the coast highway to (some) beach. I don't remember which one. We had some drinks and ended up in skivvies in the ocean, which had major phosphorescence that night. It was magical. And no, nothing else happened except a wet and cold ride home. I can't remember if I ever told her, but I doubt if I did.
Mary Z, you've been to Antarctica??? Please tell all! I am totally fascinated with that place after reading all about Shackleton and Endurance. I'm pretty sure I'll never see it, so I'd love to hear about your visit.
Okay, crazy thing first, then I'll look atr your list.
When I was working as many jobs as possible, when I was young and foolish, I agreed to fill in for the hostess at a strip joint, so she could go to Europe, since they couldn't find anyone else. This is the small town rural gal, raised United Brethren, whose apartment neighbor was a stripper (but not a prostitute -- only job she could find to keep her daughter in private boarding school). Not sure if Cindy put the word out or the owner liked me or my naivete was obvious, but I found myself watched over and protected by wrestlers, strippers, bouncers, band members, undercover cops and narcs. My big adventure was when a guy came in and wanted me to hook himup with one of the strippers and he was under surveillence and to keep me out of danger, three wrestlers took me to IHOP to wait until the cops took the guy down. The fun part was the after hours parties, where you discovered that most all of these folks were "real" and doing what they did becaue they're choices were limited and many were trying to suport kids or parents and certainly didn't meet the sterotypes one had. That lesson has served me well.
As to your list...
Ice fishing
Lived in an RV
Cross country skiing in AK
Watched someone die
Been to England, Canada, Mexico, Texas, DC
Lived in Alaska, Florida
Gone canoeing
Been on both commercial planes and up in small (2-4 sesater) planes
Swam in the ocean
Color with crayons, paints, inks and watercolor crayons and pencils
St Louis ARch
Snowflakes on tongue
Letter to Santa, kissed under mistletoe
Watched both sunrise and sunset with someone special
Bowling, boating (overnights), ice skating (once - fell on patooty), roller skating, still like to blow bubbles
HOt air balloon ride, SF cable car, snowmobiling, wishing on falling stars, Disney World, horseback riding
Lived in a rain forest (in Ak, honest!) watched whales and dolphins and sea otters
Been on TV and a guest on a radio station.
In addition?
Wrote a book, published by Berkley
Performed in max security prison in dance troup
Visited St. Croix several times
Lived in a RV for almost a year
Drove the Alcan, toured interior AK and parts of Canade.
Survived three hurricane evacuations
You know, I could keep going and I thank you for making me stop to realize all the adventures I've enjoyed and these just scratch the surface. One day, be interesting to sit down and really make a list -- talk about chalking u gratitudes!
We dome tent and sleeping bag camped in Kenya for 8 days. I was amazing. Lions outside the tent hunting one night. Amazing.
Hi Pat
I still learned something about you I didn't know. It didn't surprose me that you were on a motorcycle. However, it totally surprises me you we in the ocean in the skivvies.
Even though nothing happened I'm not sure I would have told her.
Bill
Hi DR
Now I am totally shocked. You are the last person I would think would even go into an stip joint let alone work in one.
I once represent a group of strippers in front of the IRS. Most CPAS refused them as clients. I took an oath to represent clients so I did.
They were there because they usually were deserted by man, had a child or two that they needed to support, were bright, most were in school learning a career that would get them out of there. They couldn't make enough money to support their family in minimum wage jobs so they stripped.
We won the case. They would send me letters updating me on the progress they were making in school, etc.
Your list reminded me of some things that I didn't mention, like both sunrise and sunsets, and like you I kept the list shorter. At first I felt kind of bad that I hadn't done near the things that Red Whistle had done but then when I looked at my list I became more appreciative of my life. I should have added won cases for stippers against the IRS!!
Your idea to make a list is a great one!!
Bill
Hi Connie
Talk about an experience most of us will never share. I'm not sure I wouldn't have had a heart attack with the lions outside hunting. Amazing.
Bill
Bill, in about 1982, our small suburb/town had incorporated about 4 years earlier. The city annexed a much larger area and expanded the city commission. I ran in the election for one of the 5 new commission seats. The top five vote-getters were elected, and I came in about 7th (maybe 12-15 candidates?) In retrospect, I am SO glad I lost.
Pat, we went to Antarctica over Xmas 1996, on an Elderhostel. We were on what had been a Russian research vessel (88 participants, plus staff and crew). We sailed from Ushushaia (sp?), Argentina, and spent three days along the Antarctic peninsula. We went ashore six times, mostly on islands, only once on the actual continent. We had gorgeous weather. Our most vivid impression was how gorgeous it was - all black, white, and blue. But we had terrific weather - lots of blue sky and sunshine. Click here to get go our photo gallery and click on Antarctica for photos.
Hi Mary Z
Those are some freaking great pictures!!!! Thanks for sharing them.
And I would have voted for you.
Bill
Wow, Mary Z! Wonderful photos. What an amazing place! I SO envy you that trip. I wonder if Elderhostel still does that one. How cold was it? I'm a California gal, but to see Antarctica, I bet I could manage to bundle up.
Bill, it was a very dark night, and a dark beach. I don't think we could even see each other's skivvies. But the phosphorescence was really an experience, and the only time I've seen that.
Hi Pat
Good thing you weren't with me, I always carry a flashlight.
And this has been a fun thread!
Bill
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