Have You Ever…

Impetuous Thoughts is a blog by a fellow Canuck that I check on every now and then. Even though he’s a Habs fan, I still find his blog amusing at times. Recently he submitted a post featuring a list of seemingly unrelated activities preceded by the phrase, ‘Have you ever…’.

I found it an interesting exercise to take inventory of accomplishments and/or activities that my not have any other purpose than to live life to the fullest without caring what others think about you. After all, that’s what life is all about isn’t it?

So, I figured I’d try to answer this myself. Here’s what I came up with (The things I have done are in bold.):

Have you ever…

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink? — Although there have been many an open bar where I’ve offered. That counts for something doesn’t it?
2. Swam with wild dolphins? — I can’t swim that well, but I don’t feel bad because I don’t think they can walk at all.
3. Climbed a mountain?
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive? — I took a Turbo Diesel PT Cruiser for an hour-long test drive once. Got pulled over for speeding. By the time I got back to the dealership, it was already closed and the dealer was outside, nervously awaiting my return. To top it all off, I didn’t end up buying the car.
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid?
6. Held a tarantula? — I’m the spider-killer at home. I get them with toilet paper and then flush them. There have been moments where they seem to be as big as tarantulas.
7. Taken a candle-lit bath with someone? — It’s more dangerous than it looks when you’re as hairy as I am.
8. Said “I Love You” and meant it?
9. Hugged a tree? — It was a confusing time in my life.
10. Bungee jumped? — No fucking way that will EVER happen!
11. Visited Paris? — If the Paris resort in Vegas counts, then, yes. I’ve also been to the top of a 1:3 scaled replica of the Eiffel Tower.
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea?
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise?
14. Seen the Northern Lights?
15. Gone to a huge sports game?
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa?
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables? — Ew…vegetables!
18. Touched an iceberg?
19. Slept under the stars?
20. Changed a baby’s diaper? — Not yet…but soon enough.
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon?
22. Watched a meteor shower?
23. Gotten drunk on champagne?
24. Given more than you can afford to charity? — Giving anything is more than I can afford.
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope?
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment?
27. Had a food fight?
28. Bet on a winning horse? — I turned a $2 bet into $50, and then proceeded to lose it all the rest of the afternoon.
29. Asked out a stranger?
30. Had a snowball fight? — I live in Canada, who hasn’t?
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can? — Some may categorize my singing that way.
32. Held a lamb? — Not a live one, do chops count?
33. Seen a total eclipse? — I’ve seen a Mitsubishi Eclipse.
34. Ridden a roller coaster?
35. Hit a home run? — On my 30th Birthday!
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking? — Some may categorize my stage act that way.
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day? — Ello, elllo guvener. Wut do you mean?
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment?
39. Had two hard drives for your computer? — Ah serenity!
40. Visited all 50 states?
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced? — More often than I care to admit. I was always the de facto DD.
42. Had amazing friends? — Still do.
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country?
44. Watched wild whales? — We went whale watching off the coast of Lunenburg, NS, but didn’t see any in 3 hours. but we saw lots of sea lions.
45. Stolen a sign? — Steal or bunt?
46. Backpacked in Europe?
47. Taken a road-trip?
48. Gone rock climbing?
49. Midnight walk on the beach?
50. Gone sky diving? — See answer to #10.
51. Visited Ireland?
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love? — Used to happen all the time, I called it my teenage years.
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them? — No but on our honeymoon in Mexico, we did meet a stranger at dinner once and he had dinner with us.
54. Visited Japan? — One day…hopefully.
55. Milked a cow? — At least I think I have, when I was really young.
56. Alphabetized your CDs? — I’m not so proud of that anymore.
57. Pretended to be a superhero?
58. Sung karaoke? — Who hasn’t?
59. Lounged around in bed all day? — Used to be my favourite pastime.
60. Posed nude in front of strangers? — See answer to #10 & #50 and thank me later.
61. Gone scuba diving? — Well, I had lessons in the pool of our resort during our honeymoon. Does that count?
62. Kissed in the rain?
63. Played in the mud?
64. Played in the rain?
65. Gone to a drive-in theatre? — Every Friday in the summer! There is one just 5 minutes from my house.
66. Visited the Great Wall of China? — One day…hopefully.
67. Started a business? — One day…eventually.
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken? — So far so good.
69. Toured ancient sites? — Toured ruins of a lost Roman city in Portugal (Conimbriga) and Mayan ruins in Mexico (Chichen Itza).
70. Taken a martial arts class? — Kung Fu & Kick Boxing every Wednesday evening.
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight?
72. Gotten married?
73. Been in a movie?
74. Crashed a party?
75. Gotten divorced?
76. Gone without food for 5 days?
77. Made cookies from scratch?
78. Won first prize in a costume contest?
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice? — If the Venice resort in Vegas counts, then, no.
80. Gotten a tattoo?
81. Rafted the Snake River?
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”?
83. Got flowers for no reason?
84. Performed on stage?
85. Been to Las Vegas? — VEGAS BABY YEAH!
86. Recorded music?
87. Eaten shark?
88. Had a one-night stand?
89. Gone to Thailand?
90. Bought a house?
91. Been in a combat zone?
92. Buried one/both of your parents?
93. Been on a cruise ship?
94. Spoken more than one language fluently? — Portuguese
95. Performed in Rocky Horror? — I sang Sweet Transvestite at my own Jack ‘n’ Jill after losing a bet.
96. Raised children? — Not yet…but soon enough.
97. Followed your favourite band/singer on tour?
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars?
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country?
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over?
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge?
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking? — That was my warm-up before rehearsal or a gig.
103. Had plastic surgery?
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived?
105. Wrote articles for a large publication?
106. Lost over 100 pounds?
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback?
108. Piloted an airplane?
109. Petted a stingray?
110. Broken someone’s heart?
111. Helped an animal give birth?
112. Won money on a T.V. game show?
113. Broken a bone? — Been there..done that…have the t-shirt…AND the film rights.
114. Gone on an African photo safari?
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced?
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol? — Paintball gun?
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild? — Ew mushrooms!
118. Ridden a horse? — On the beach even!
119. Had major surgery? — Just minor stuff.
120. Had a snake as a pet?
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon?
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours?
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states?
124. Visited all 7 continents?
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days?
126. Eaten kangaroo meat? — You can eat that?
127. Eaten sushi? — At least once a week.
128. Had your picture in the newspaper?
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about? — I can be persuasive if I know what I’m talking about.
130. Gone back to school?
131. Parasailed? — See answers to #10, #50 and #60.
132. Petted a cockroach? — I’ve stepped on one…*Shivers*
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes? — I tried them because I knew that one day I’d have to answer that question.
134. Read The Iliad – and the Odyssey?
135. Selected one ‘important’ author who you missed in school, and read? — I’m going to do that very soon.
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating?
137. Skipped all your school reunions? — I went to the first one, but skipped the last one.
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language? — That happens almost daily in Canada.
139. Been elected to public office?
140. Written your own computer language?
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream?
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care?
143. Built your own PC from parts?
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you? — If music CDs count, then, yes.
145. Had a booth at a street fair?
146. Dyed your hair? — Hair? What’s that?
147. Been a DJ? — Sure, but not the the record-scratching sense.
148. Shaved your head? — Check.
149. Caused a car accident? — The pavement was wet!
150. Saved someone’s life?

There you go…

I’m actually surprised at how many of those I answered yes to and how many I’m definitely going to complete within the next year. Kinda puts things into perspective.

Feel free to do this yourself and leave me a comment or Trackback. I’ll happily check it out.