THE 99 THINGS MEME

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to – leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog (first on Xanga, then many more using WordPress.com and WordPress.org)

2. Slept under the stars (been camping many times)

3. Played in a band (H.S. marching band, baby!)

4. Visited Hawaii (honeymoon)

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (honestly can’t remember, but I’m sure I did when I was younger)

24. Built a snow fort (actually, just last week)

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a marathon

28. Ridden a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run (gym class in H.S., church softball batting lefty, Wii)

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

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

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (somewhere I have the picture of me holding it up to prove it!)

39. Gone rock climbing (not a big rock, but yes)

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person

41. Sung Karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain (Yeah, just like in Spiderman, okay!)

53. Played in the mud (nothing better than mud football)

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie (do my own short films count?)

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class (don’t mess with me, I’m Asian and I could very well be a martial arts expert)

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Gotten flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

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 (my nose, twice)

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (as a kid with my uncle, with no helmet)

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible (I think, but I’m sure I skimmed over parts!)

86. Visited the White House (I’d like to see the inside of the White House someday)

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life (twice, once in a lake when my friend was drowning and once in a movie theater when my friend, not the same guy, was choking on some candy)

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous (wish I could name someone better than Horace Grant, but that’s all that comes to mind right now)

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Using Map Maker

This past Saturday, I took Abby, my daughter, to the Art Institute downtown to see the Edward Hopper exhibit (for me) and the Chris Raschka exhibit (for her). I got to see my favorite Hopper painting (New York Movie) in person and Abby got to see some original artwork she recognized from some of her favorite picture books. And though I was a bit nervous, I’m happy to report that she was great about not touching the pictures!

We had fun and it was so nice to just spend a slow afternoon wandering around the art museum and take in the city a little bit. The weekend before we went to Navy Pier and had a great time at the Children’s Museum and even took a ride on the Ferris Wheel (it was cold, but my daughter and I were both willing!). I’m starting to think that the benefits of living in the city just might outweigh the drawbacks. Suburban life is nice in some ways, but this long winter we’re having is reminding me how stifling the suburbs can be! I grew up in the suburbs for the most part, so I’m used to this life, but I’m not sure how much more of it I can take and I don’t know if I really want Abby to grow up in Suburb, USA. I don’t know if I want to look back at my life 30-40 years from now and think that I should’ve done things differently. I guess living in a suburb close to a big city is the one way of having the best of both worlds, but is that even enough? Maybe it depends on the suburb.

I’ve read some parental opinions, but I wonder how other people feel? Suburbs or the big city? Which is better? Do you agree that the suburbs are better for raising kids? Or do you think a vibrant, diverse city is the best environment for a family? Or is this just another one of those topics where there just isn’t a “right” answer?