{"id":2068,"date":"2008-12-29T23:31:08","date_gmt":"2008-12-30T03:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/?p=2068"},"modified":"2008-12-29T23:31:08","modified_gmt":"2008-12-30T03:31:08","slug":"the-final-meme-of-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/2008\/12\/29\/the-final-meme-of-2008\/","title":{"rendered":"The final meme of 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saw this at Margo Lanagan’s blog<\/a>, and felt like doing it.<\/p>\n

Things you’ve already done: bold<\/strong>.
\nThings you want to do: italicise<\/em>.
\nThings you haven’t done and don’t want to\u2014leave plain.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Started your own blog<\/strong> – you are reading it, running strong for more than a couple of years<\/li>\n
  2. Slept under the stars<\/strong> – in a Roman ruin outside Ouchy and on the lawn outside Village at UW, among others<\/li>\n
  3. Played in a band<\/strong> – Only if vocals count<\/li>\n
  4. Visited Hawaii – I think I like the idea, in a Magnum P.I. sense, but there are lots of places higher on the list<\/li>\n
  5. Watched a meteor shower<\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. Given more than you can afford to charity<\/strong> – only technically true, in the “have borrowed money to give to charity” sense<\/li>\n
  7. Been to Disneyland\/world<\/strong> – Epcott as a kid, and Disney as part of a Sybase TechWave once<\/li>\n
  8. Climbed a mountain<\/strong> – Both in the Rockies and in Switzerland<\/li>\n
  9. Held a praying mantis<\/strong> – with my daughter!<\/li>\n
  10. Sang a solo<\/strong> – twice, most notably the Joe Cocker number I did in P.O.E.T.S. during my laryngitis attack<\/li>\n
  11. Bungee jumped – I am not a fan of falling<\/li>\n
  12. Visited Paris<\/strong> – almost 20 years ago now<\/li>\n
  13. Watched a lightning storm at sea<\/em> – I did see a really wicked lightning storm from the patio at Moose Winooski’s once<\/li>\n
  14. Taught yourself an art from scratch<\/em> – I wish I were artistic. Sigh.<\/li>\n
  15. Adopted a child – were Trish or I sterile, I think I would have totally pushed for this<\/li>\n
  16. Had food poisoning<\/strong> – and to this day, still haven’t forgiven my wife for how she treated me<\/li>\n
  17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty<\/li>\n
  18. Grown your own vegetables<\/strong> – I have made some frightening tomatoes in my day<\/li>\n
  19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France<\/strong><\/li>\n
  20. Slept on an overnight train<\/strong> – Lots of times, mostly in Europe–I still want to actually do this on the Orient Express though, although that’s crazy expensive<\/li>\n
  21. Had a pillow fight<\/strong> – lots of times, although never with the Swedish Bikini team<\/li>\n
  22. Hitch hiked<\/strong> – this was the normal way to get to concerts in Toronto when I was a kid, and was also a big part of my trans-European travel in the 80s<\/li>\n
  23. Taken a sick day when you\u2019re not ill<\/strong> – I am a believer in the “mental health day”.<\/li>\n
  24. Built a snow fort<\/strong> – I have engineered some monsters in my day. Most recently a fort with a massive snow throne<\/li>\n
  25. Held a lamb<\/strong> – this past summer, with my daughter, if not at any other point<\/li>\n
  26. Gone skinny dipping<\/strong> – in a quarry in Cochrane, before partying in a graveyard<\/li>\n
  27. Run a marathon – I have zero urge to do this; I’d love to be more fit, but marathons always seemed a but much<\/li>\n
  28. Ridden a gondola in Venice<\/em> – I would actually like to see Murano, but I suspect that the end of the old school glassworks would sadden me<\/li>\n
  29. Seen a total eclipse<\/strong><\/li>\n
  30. Watched a sunrise or sunset<\/strong> – I watch the sunset all the damn time here; Nova Scotia is amazing for sunsets<\/li>\n
  31. Hit a home run<\/strong> – I don’t really enjoy baseball, but on occasions when I’ve had to play my at bats have generally either been strike outs or homeruns; if I hit, I hit hard<\/li>\n
  32. Been on a cruise – I have no real interest in this<\/li>\n
  33. Seen Niagara Falls in person<\/strong> – lots and lots of times<\/li>\n
  34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors<\/strong> – depending on how far back you go, my honeymoon may qualify<\/li>\n
  35. Seen an Amish community<\/strong> – do Mennonites count?<\/li>\n
  36. Taught yourself a new language<\/strong><\/li>\n
  37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied<\/strong><\/li>\n
  38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person<\/strong> – also almost 20 years ago now<\/li>\n
  39. Gone rock climbing<\/strong> – even had formal lessons in it<\/li>\n
  40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person<\/strong> – also almost 20 years ago now<\/li>\n
  41. Sung Karaoke<\/strong> – one time, at the Silver Star, a Johnny Cash tune<\/a><\/li>\n
  42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt<\/li>\n
  43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant<\/strong> – there are a few of these, but the best story was the girl Ralph and I found crying and drunken on the street, who we took for a meal at the OEP, and then drove home to her angry policeman father<\/li>\n
  44. Visited Africa<\/em><\/li>\n
  45. Walked on a beach by moonlight<\/strong><\/li>\n
  46. Been transported in an ambulance – I’d like to continue to have this unbolded as long as possible<\/li>\n
  47. Had your portrait painted<\/li>\n
  48. Gone deep sea fishing – no interest<\/li>\n
  49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person<\/em><\/li>\n
  50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris<\/strong> – with two girls from L.A. and a mad Australian, all of whom I met in Lyons and travelled with for a while<\/li>\n
  51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling<\/strong><\/li>\n
  52. Kissed in the rain<\/strong><\/li>\n
  53. Played in the mud<\/strong> – in 1984 I supervised the construction of gigantic mud pit into which people could jump while listening to Van Halen’s Jump–I was 11<\/li>\n
  54. Gone to a drive-in theater<\/strong> – I believe my first drive-in movie was Popeye, and the last was The Wedding Crasher’s (there is a drive-in operating in Nova Scotia)<\/li>\n
  55. Been in a movie<\/strong> – a documentary about Owain Glynd\u0175r, in which I was an unnamed Welsh casualty<\/li>\n
  56. Visited the Great Wall of China<\/em><\/li>\n
  57. Started a business<\/strong> – I was the co-owner of Excessa Technologies for most of my university years<\/li>\n
  58. Taken a martial arts class<\/strong> – I progressed through one belt in judo before getting bored<\/li>\n
  59. Visited Russia<\/em><\/li>\n
  60. Served at a soup kitchen<\/strong> – only a couple of times, but something I should seriously consider doing more of now<\/li>\n
  61. Sold Girl Scout cookies<\/li>\n
  62. Gone whale watching<\/strong> – although oddly never here in NS<\/li>\n
  63. Gotten flowers for no reason<\/strong><\/li>\n
  64. Donated blood<\/strong> – I used to do this regularly, but stopped since moving to NS<\/li>\n
  65. Gone sky diving – see above, re: dislike of falling<\/li>\n
  66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp – I feel like this should not be a tourist destination<\/li>\n
  67. Bounced a check<\/strong><\/li>\n
  68. Flown in a helicopter<\/em><\/li>\n
  69. Saved a favorite childhood toy<\/li>\n
  70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial<\/strong><\/li>\n
  71. Eaten Caviar<\/strong> – I did not enjoy the experience<\/li>\n
  72. Pieced a quilt<\/li>\n
  73. Stood in Times Square<\/strong><\/li>\n
  74. Toured the Everglades<\/em><\/li>\n
  75. Been fired from a job<\/li>\n
  76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London<\/li>\n
  77. Broken a bone<\/li>\n
  78. Been on a speeding motorcycle<\/strong><\/li>\n
  79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person<\/em><\/li>\n
  80. Published a book<\/em> – no discipline or talent, but I love the idea<\/li>\n
  81. Visited the Vatican<\/em><\/li>\n
  82. Bought a brand new car – I am still unconvinced that this is anything but a horrid waste of money<\/li>\n
  83. Walked in Jerusalem<\/em> – next time I go to Israel for work<\/li>\n
  84. Had your picture in the newspaper<\/strong> – most recently with Sarah on the cover of the Herald’s local news section, when we were at the ‘picnic at the Citadel’ thing<\/li>\n
  85. Read the entire Bible<\/strong> – More than once, in different translations<\/li>\n
  86. Visited the White House<\/li>\n
  87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating<\/strong> – only fish<\/li>\n
  88. Had chickenpox<\/strong> – I still have one scar<\/li>\n
  89. Saved someone\u2019s life<\/li>\n
  90. Sat on a jury<\/em> – I’ve never even been called for jury selection; I have been paying taxes for over 20 years now<\/li>\n
  91. Met someone famous<\/strong> – lots of writers, some musicians, and a couple of actors<\/li>\n
  92. Joined a book club<\/strong><\/li>\n
  93. Lost a loved one<\/strong><\/li>\n
  94. Had a baby<\/strong> – well, not personally<\/em>, but you know that’s down to biology<\/li>\n
  95. Seen the Alamo in person<\/li>\n
  96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake – I did drive by it, but SLC freaked me out, so we didn’t stay any longer than absolutely necessary<\/li>\n
  97. Been involved in a law suit<\/li>\n
  98. Owned a cell phone<\/strong><\/li>\n
  99. Been stung by a bee<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Saw this at Margo Lanagan’s blog, and felt like doing it. Things you’ve already done: bold. Things you want to do: italicise. Things you haven’t done and don’t want to\u2014leave plain. Started your own blog – you are reading it, running strong for more than a couple of years Slept under the stars – in a Roman ruin outside Ouchy… Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13,5],"tags":[221,319,131],"class_list":["post-2068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog-cliches","category-storytime","tag-blogging","tag-cliche","tag-meme","xfolkentry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5UQvw-xm","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2068"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2068\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2071,"href":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2068\/revisions\/2071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chrismclaren.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}