100 Things In Life
(copied from most of my hoodies)
Copy the list and highlight the things you've done.
Give your readers MUCH more than they ever wanted to know about you!
1. Started your own blog (yer reading it!)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (was in a marching/concert band in high school)
4. Visited Hawaii (this should be crossed off next Xmas as my family wants to rent a house in Maui for Xmas)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity (want to do this.....been scared to)
7. Been to Disneyland (see#3 - marched and played along Main Street)
8. Climbed a mountain (not a big one - the literal ones are easier than the mental ones...)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (does kareoke count?)
11. Bungee jumped (never happening)
12. Visited Paris (this is soooo on my list of things I want to do)
13. Watched a lightning storm (watched one a few years ago and it was AMAZING and a bit scary as it was summer, we were on the beach, and it was starting fires all over the place)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (define art)
15. Adopted a child (sort of...if you count that my sister adopted 2 kids, I am the god-mother, and I wrote a reference letter )
16. Had food poisoning (too many times...ugh!)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (I prefer to call in calling in well!LOL!)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (soooo on my list)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (on my list)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (should crosss this one off this year as my brother lives near there now)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (it's the aim)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (on the list)
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (on the list)
41. Sung karaoke (very badly)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (on the list)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (my friend was in the back being treated and I rode in front)
47. Had your portrait painted (not painted but a charcoal sketch)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person (on the list)
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower (on the list)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (snorkeling)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (on the list)
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class (on the list to learn)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (in Canada, its Girl Guides)
62. Gone whale watching (on the list)
63. Got flowers for no reason (I miss getting those!)
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone skydiving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (a funny, convoluted situation where someone bounced a cheque to us because we deposited his cheque to us before he deposited his cheque from someone else...which caused us to bounce a cheque to him for something else)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the changing of the guard in London
77. Broken a bone (funny enough, with all my injuries, I have yet to actually break a bone)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (oh ya, babeee!!!)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (on the list)
80. Published a book (on the list)
81. Visited the Vatican (on the list)
82. Bought a brand new car (on the list)
83. Walked in Jerusalem (on the list)
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (on the list)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (see #46 - my friend tried to jump out of a 15th storey window and I yanked her back in)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (a few....but no name dropping...sorry!)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one (too many....)
94. Had a baby (hoping, wishing, and praying for one day)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a mobile phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day (many, many, many times)
Almost 50% - not bad, I guess!
My brother got me this "thought a day" book for Christmas and here is the thought of the day for December 28:
Why must we suffer? Well, I like the example given by M.R. DeHaan.
" A five dollar bar of steel when made into horseshoes is worth ten dollars. If the same bar is made into needles, it's worth three hundred and fifty dollars. But if it's made into delicate springs for expensive watches its value rises to more than half a million dollars.
The same bar of steel becomes more valuable by being cut up, passed through one furnace after another, hammered, manipulated, beaten, pounded, and polished until it is ready for those delicate tasks. "
I know the people I would best trust with "delicate tasks" have all been through life's mill.
That's right, folks, the Challenge returneth!! And it's got some BIG changes!
The last round of the previous Challenge went to bust and my ass is now getting large again (we won't even discuss the huffing and puffing up hills).....so it's TIME for some serious changes in my routine....and I am assuming in some of yours after all that holiday foods! :)
Sooooo, without further adieu......May I present: **drum roll**
THE VOX FITNESS CHALLENGE: 2009 EDITION
Starts: JANUARY 1, 2009
Ends: ???
The 2009 Edition is different in that it's no longer a 12 week Challenge. It's an indefinite challenge...for life.....because fitness, health, and wellness is best if kept up for a lifetime! (If you want, we can call it "Last Voxer Standing".....) It's not just about getting in shape....it's about maintaining it, too! And with it being an indefinite challenge, there will be re-evaluation points every 12 weeks where you can choose to continue on as part of the group or not.
The point and purpose of the challenge group is really two-fold:
1. To challenge people to try and stay on a course of being active and healthy and see if you can surprise yourself with what you can accomplish if you stay the course. For most people just staying the course for is the biggest source of pride. Even if you aren't working out big, just staying consistent is huge and is also a huge step towards having future successes since most people cannot stay consistent...and lack of consistency is the biggest cause of people not getting in shape and staying in shape.
2. To have a place of support where you can have people cheer you on and lift you up.....because you don't have to do or be in this all alone!
The only real stipulations of the Challenge are:
1. You report in your opening stats (see more info here) when you join.
2. You report in an update on your stats (see more info here) every 4 weeks.
3. You report in with an update "from the field" a minimum of once a week. These weekly updates are not meant to be stats but just an update on how you are doing, feeling, or an update on what you are doing.
* It is here that some people had some challenges with previously because they forgot or got busy. This is a stipulation not meant to hem anyone in or to be too stringent. But if you are joining because you want support in your fitness/wellness journey, then checking in once a week shouldn't be too much to ask? As well, when you don't check in regularly, then its easy to have "out of sight, out of mind" syndrome and totally fall off the wagon...which is what we want to help you not to do. The point here is to have an active, supportive group....not just a group with a big membership where no one posts or is there offering support to each other.
4. You are positive and non-judgemental towards your fellow group members (bonus points if you add fun to the group! :))
5. You "sign" a commitment contract, to yourself, for a minimum of 12 weeks of participation. At the end of 12 weeks, you can re-evaluate if you want to continue and then if you do, you can commit to yourself for another 12 weeks.
What you do to be and stay healthy is up to you (as long as it is healthy). You can be hardcore....or you could be just ready to put one foot in front of the other. We are a mixed bag here at the Challenge and it's a good thing as we all learn from each other as we lean on each other.
Soooo....are you ready? Are you in?
Please let me know if you are interested in joining in on the new challenge so we can get things rolling! And if anyone has any questions, please let me know!!
Come on!!!
I double-dog dare you! What have you got to lose?....except your bad habits and maybe some pounds and inches.......
I can't stop watching this video over and over again. It makes me laugh and smile everytime. It's a total mood lifter.
I *love* this dog! :)
1. Nickname
Dee, Foxsydee, Blondie
2. Mother's name
Mom
3. Favorite drink
non alcoholic - hot mulled apple cider (the real stuff, not fake crap), soy vanilla latte
alcoholic - bellini, slushy kahlua mudslide, chocolate martini
4. Tattoo's?
Nope!
5. Body Piercing?
Ears
6. Ever eaten cookies for dinner?
Moi? *cue innocent puppy dog eyes*
7. Ever been on TV?
Yes.
8. Ever sang Karaoke?
Yes....and badly.
9. Ever done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
Of course! Isn't that what life is all about?
10. Ever made a prank phone call?
Not for a long time.
11. Favorite salad dressing?
Depends on the salad.
12. Favorite pie?
All. Yum.
13. Favorite number?
Don't have one.
14. Favorite Dessert?
Creme Brulee
15. Favorite food?
It's a very long list. I love food.
16. Favorite day of the week?
Saturday
17. Ever laughed until a beverage came out your nose?
No. But I snort when I laugh hard.
18. Ever swam in the ocean?
Many, many times. Favourite was Jamaica which was just like bath water.
19. Ever cried yourself to sleep?
Too many times...this year.
20. Ever watched someone die?
Sadly, yes.
21. Favorite smell?
Vanilla, fresh baked cookies, fresh laundry, a sexy man up close (about 1mm away).
22. What do you do to relax?
Relax? What is that?
23. Ever paid for a meal entirely with coins?
Yes.
24. Ever watched the sunrise with someone you love?
Yes!!
25. Ever danced like no one was watching?
Yes...and trying to do it more often.
I challenge any of you who read all the way through this to answer the same questions.
What are you doing to "give back" during the Christmas season?
Submitted by jacolily.
I've been thinking hard about this one for the past couple of weeks. I really want to do some giving this xmas but have been trying to think of where and how much. I don't have a lot but there are so many who have zero.
Last year, we gave some living gifts from Heifer International. That is always a good thing to give instead of just stuff.
I might do some of that again this year but I think my "giving back" this year is going to be more charitable and more local. Things are tough these days and I think that our communities need our help to feed and assist those struggling more than usual this year. And I have already given some money to my church for a school building project for some children in Haiti.
I think my official giving this Christmas is going to be donating money and items to the local food bank. I would donate food straight up but I know that the food bank can stretch my dollar so much more that I can as they get access to things much cheaper than I can get them. Plus with money, they can buy what is needed and required. Other than money, I think I will donate some baby items (diapers and formula) as those are in really short supply at the food bank.....and are much needed items.
It's easy to be a hoarder in tough times but I think everyone loses when we all hoard and only take care of ourselves.
I got this in my email today. Wow! This woman does not mince words!
This was written by a Canadian woman, but oh how it also applies to the
THIS ONE PACKS A FIRM PUNCH
U.S. , U.K. and AustraliaHere is a woman who should run for Prime Minister!
Written by a housewife in New Brunswick , to her local newspaper. This
is one ticked off lady.'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not
started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001
and have continually threatened to do so since?Were people from all over the world, not brutally murdered that day,
in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from the nation's capitol and in
a field in Pennsylvania ? Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible,
burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?
And I'm supposed to care that a few Taliban were claiming to be
tortured by a justice system of the nation they come from and are fighting
against in a brutal insurgency.I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents
for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start
caring about the Holy Bible, the mere belief of which is a crime punishable
by beheading in Afghanistan .I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking
off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed
throat.I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Afghanistan come
out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by
hiding in mosques.I'll care when the mindless zealots who blows themselves up in search
of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide
bombs.I'll care when the Canadian media stops pretending that their freedom
of speech on stories is more important than the lives of the soldiers on
the ground or their families waiting at home to hear about them when
something happens.In the meantime, when I hear a story about a CANADIAN soldier roughing
up an Insurgent terrorist to obtain information, know this:I don't care.
When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not
to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank:I don't care.
When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat,
and 'fed special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining
that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in
your heart of hearts:I don't care.
And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran'
and other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn you guessed it,I don't care!!
If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail
friends Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this
ridiculous behaviour!If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should
you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities
committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country!
And may I add:'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a
difference in the world. But, the Soldiers don't have that problem.'I have another quote that I would like to add, AND.......I hope you
forward all this.One last thought for the day:
Only five defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The Canadian Soldier.
3. The British Soldier.
4. The US Soldier, and
5. The Australian Soldier
One died for your soul, the other 4 for your freedom.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET ALL OF THEM.
It's been a long time since we had a good meme going around.
(I stole this from a random blog....)
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My dad. Long story short....they thought I was going to be a boy and were going to name me after my dad....but I was a girl so they feminized it and created a unique name just for me! (this will only have clarity for those who know my actual IRL name!)
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Yesterday and today is still young....
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes. I tend to get lazy and be kind of scribbly sometimes.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? I try to stay away from traditional lunch meat due to all those nitrates as they are bad for you and they give me headaches....but I do love garlic coil sausage or roasted turkey breast.
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not yet.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Absolutely...who wouldn't want to be friends with me??? :) Actually, I would be probably be intimidated by me...like most people are which is such an anomally to me...since I am intimidated by most people, myself. I think I come across as strong....but I am really just a big shmellow.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Moi??
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Not unless I was going to get really hot sex afterwards with a really hot man who loved and adored me. Other than that...no.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? hot chocolate oatmeal with dried cherries (don't laugh until you have tried it)
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Smell isn't everything. I try to shower regularly.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? I can't have dairy anymore. But when I did....hazelnut or caramel de leche...or coconut ice...mmmmm
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their general demeanor and eye contact.
15. RED OR PINK? Depends on what for. I don't really wear either colours much at all...but I do like the colours and each has their place.
16. WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT YOURSELF ? my weight, how I have a hard time relaxing, and how much I procrastinate
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? The man I married. He was such a blast and I loved him deeply. It's such a shame that he no longer exists.
18. FAVOURITE INDULGENCE? Spa treatments like facials or pedicures....oh ya!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? blue capri exercise pants and no shoes
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? sausage, egg, and soy cheese grilled breakfast sammich
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? the dryer down the hall and cars on the street....and the ticka ticka ticka of the keyboard as I type this
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? hot pink, of course!
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? vanilla, freshly baked bread or cookies, the man I married
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? either my dad or a customer at work
25. BROTHERS AND SISTERS? 2 brothers and 1 sister...all older. Yup...I am the baby.
26. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? hockey if any...I prefer to be a participant rather than a spectator
27. HAIR COLOR? dirty blonde :p
28. EYE COLOR? Blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? sometimes
30. FAVORITE FOOD? I tend to love food...a lot...so this is hard to answer. I love good sushi or a really good grilled ribeye cooked rare.....but my favourite meal would have to be a BIG pile of steamed crab with a big vat of hot, melted garlic butter to dip it in. You want to see a serious happy person enjoying a meal?....watch me eating steamed crab and garlic butter. I apparently amuse people greatly when they see this.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I am a totaly cheese-a-holic so I would have to go with happy endings. I am the type of person who always wonders what would have happened in the story after the movie ending is over.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? I honestly cannot remember. Its been so long.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? I'm not wearing a shirt
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer...most definitely
35. HUGS OR KISSES? lots of both...at the same time
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? creme brulee or chocolate ganache torte with homemade caramel sauce
37. TOP OR BOTTOM? oooh....top of course! :p
38. FAVOURITE SHOES: Jeez....shoes are my weakness. I love shoes and boots.....so just call me Becky Bloomwood! Favourite kickarounds are my brown suede adidas. I can't choose a favourite boot because they are all different for different looks. And favourite dressy shoes, right now, are my black satin peep-toe heels with jewelled top.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? That would be books. 1) The True Measure of a Woman, 2) The Search For Significance, 3) Success Is Not An Accident, 4) The Slight Edge, 5) How To Talk To People, 6) Ikea catalogue
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD? My mouse? duh.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? I don't own a tv.
42. FAVORITE SOUND? children laughing.....or the joyful sounds of "making children" (only when I am involved...LOL!)
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? The Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Holland
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? being annoying........that and being a really good kisser
46. WHERE AND WHEN WERE YOU BORN? North Vancouver, BC...in January....a few years or so a while back...
Ok...now your turn. Copy and paste to your blog and put in your own answers.
What's your most memorable scene from a movie?
Submitted by danadee
I LOVE movies so choosing just one memorable scene is really impossible to do.
I will, however, share, the one scene that first popped into my head when I read the Qotd. This is, in my mind, probably the best kiss ever. If you have never seen the movie that the scene won't be as powerful or understandable but its still a fabulous kiss. I love the way he just walks up and.......rowrrr! :) Its smooth and well-executed. Two thumbs way way up!
And yes, I am a total romantic sap....and you are just going to have to learn to deal with that! LOL! :)
