Life List #36, with a side of #17

Number 36 on My Life List is Visit New Orleans...number 17 is setting foot in all 50 states. I just love it when a plan comes together.

Rob's conference was held at the (MASSIVE - it goes on for miles, literally) New Orleans Convention Center, which is in the Warehouse District.

Just down the street from our hotel was a Wyland.

One of my fellow conference spouses expressed disbelief that so many restaurants and shops had the old brick walls just...exposed. She must not watch much HGTV.

Sculpture.

Nature.

Apparently even the little Geico dude goes on vacation.

I forgot to pack sunscreen and had to buy the $9 tourist bottle, but it was worth it.

A Satisfying Evening

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,
followed by
the last half of Hairspray,
followed by
Oklahoma.

All by the fireside.

My Life List

This is my 500th post. (pause for imaginary noise-makers and confetti-falling)

I've been dragging my feet posting (for 10 days, I see, sheesh)because I thought my 500th post should be something that would appropriately mark the occasion. I've had this list sitting in my drafts for a while now because I've been adding to it little by little, and it finally occurred to me that HEY, maybe I could post THIS. Sharp as a tack, I tell you.

Originally, I wasn't sure I would ever post this list; I thought I would keep it just for myself. I was concerned that it would become a list of accountability...I imagined being presented with an opportunity to do something on my list and not feeling ready to do it...and someone saying, "Well, you put it on your list. Why aren't you going to do it?" I imagined a lot of time passing before I actually knocked something off the list...and someone saying, "I thought you were going to do all these things." I realize none of you can hear that in the same tone that I can...you just have to trust that it's very familiar to me.

I was holding out for 100 items, like Mighty Girl Maggie did when she originally posted this brilliant idea, and I think Karen of Chookooloonks had 100 in her original list as well...but for me, after the first 30 - which I will readily admit, mostly consisted of things we're planning/hoping/considering to do in Hawaii in a couple of years - well, after that first 30 the ideas have been coming more at a trickle. As I found the links above, I realized Maggie no longer has hers numbered, if she ever did (maybe I imagined it). Some of my items have been borrowed from other lists I've read - Maggie always says, "cribbing encouraged", and others are things that have just wandered through my mind and caused me to think, "Oh, I should add that to the list."

In the end, besides wanting something to mark my 500th post, I decided just making the list was enough. Enough. For ME. Anyone that has an issue with that can just go make their own damn list.

It's a very enjoyable work in progress...even if some of the items appear to be more 'to do' than 'for fun'. I'm a list-maker; I guess the planning is part of the fun for me. Many of the items are travel related and things I remember discussing with Rob...I think we still have a vacation idea list somewhere. I am fighting the urget to 'organize' the list in some way...hopefully putting it out there will squash that.





1. Ride in a seaplane.
2. Establish a birdhouse of purple martins in our yard to combat mosquitoes.
3. Ride in a zepplin.
4. Night snorkel with manta rays Big Island, Hawaii.
5. Hike Diamond Head on Oahu, Hawaii.
6. Learn about photography- so I can make intentional, instead of random fingers-crossed, adjustments.
7. Move forward on a photo storage system before computer cries 'uncle'.
8. Learn to edit photos in Photoshop.
9. Learn to make flavored rice so we can ditch the packaged.
10. Clean up our music playlist and update Itunes list.
11. Create official peanut presentation for teachers or others in charge of E3.
12. Create flu season supply list.
13. Finish up missing details from (all) scrapbooks.
14. See and photograph red hot lava in Hawaii.
15. Take Outrigger canoe ride on Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii.
16. Make inspiration file with notes on computer for kitchen/living room remodel.
17. Set foot in all 50 states (Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Kansas, Iowa, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, California, Mississippi, Louisiana).
18. Set foot in all U.S. territories.
19. Travel the Panama Canal.
20. Gondola ride in Venice.
21. Go Parasailing.
22. Travel Route 66 from end to end, as closely as possible.
23. Boat trip on the Mississippi River - as much of it as possible.
24. Walk across the Mississippi River at it's start.
25. See a Broadway show in New York.
26. Tour The Statue of Liberty.
27. Tour Washington, DC.
28. Tour the Eiffel Tower.
29. Remodel kitchen and living room.
30. Create a patio in back yard.
31. See the Redwood forests.
32. Eat a frozen concrete at Ted Drewes in St. Louis.
33. Hot air balloon ride.
34. See Mt. Rushmore.
35. Drinks and entertainment at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis (bonus if Chuck Berry turns up).
36. Visit New Orleans.
37. Travel to Easter Island.
38. Travel to Christmas Island.
39. Attend the launch of a spacecraft.
40. Learn how to hand make a lei while in Hawaii.
41. Visit the Grand Canyon.
42. Walk a portion of The Great Wall of China.
43. Travel to Tibet.
44. Remove toxins from our food and household (in progress:artificial colors).
45. Institute 'fruity water' as the house beverage at our parties.
46. Refine and update our toiletries travel bags.
47. Go Dog Sledding.
48. Create a peaceful, simplified living space - declutter to achieve a place for everything.
49. Tour The Muny in St. Louis.
50. Tour The Fox Theatre in St. Louis.
51. Tour New Busch Stadium.
52. Get cd's of all my photos from website where I used to send rolls of film.
53. Travel to our families' birthplaces in Germany.
54. Start a list of places I'd like to see in Europe.
55. Attend a Cardinal's game in every stadium (done: St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago Wrigley)
56. Spend the night in a tree-house (I had a link for this somewhere...).
57. Listen to all of Maggie Mason's song links from her 1,000 song project.
58. Attend a game in the American League stadiums.
59. Witness a flash-mob, live and in-person.
60. Try acupuncture for migraines/cluster headaches, and stress reduction.

I Wish My Prom Was This Joyful

I saw this clip about an hour ago and I can't stop thinking about it...watch the video in the upper right corner (although the article is the same).


It has set my mood for the weekend, rain or shine; wishing you a great weekend as well.