I don’t usually do these kinds of things, but this is fun. I got it off of Ciar Cullen’s blog. **waves at Ciar** All of the things I’VE personally done, are in purple.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain ~ (broke my ankle – never did it again)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
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 ~ (My mom grew carrots when I was a kid. It counts. lol)
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper ~ (“A” baby? As in singular? **cackles insanely**)
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne ~ (lotsa times ~ Gran Spumonte baby!)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity ~ (they need it more than I do)
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope ~ (holy crap, is that the American flag on the moon?? )
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment ~ (We sooo won’t go there…)
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can ~ (when I was a kid, oh heck yeah. Ask me to nowadays, and DH will run for the hills…)
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse ~ I saw a partial eclipse in a shoebox, tho.
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run ~ **snort** I was lucky to NOT be the last one picked for the team…
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking ~ (this one goes hand-in-hand with the “getting drunk on champagne” bit above lol)
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day ~ (Avast! How can ye resist talkin’ like a pirate, matey?)
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment ~ (when I was a kid, I hated my life. But I love it now.)
39. Had two hard drives for your computer ~ (DH qualifies. I get this one by proxy.)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk ~ (when DH gets the bathtub-sized margaritas at the local Mexican joint.)
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip ~ (ever taken a 36 hour road trip from Portland, Oregon on a normally 14 hour road trip to Los Angeles, California?? Don’t frickin’ ask)
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach ~ (red tide is frickin’ creepy. Oh, and btw… it’s green)
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love ~ (yup, but if the boy was never in love with ME, does it still count??)
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs ~ (only because DH is anal about some things)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day ~ (ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!)
60. Played touch football ~ (and I thought I was going to die)
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain ~ (yes, but not upside down)
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater ~ (back in the day. Saw Mary Poppins when I was like 5. I was bored out of my gourd. Of course the movie *is* like 57 hours long….)
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business ~ (BeccaBears ~ I crocheted teddy bears. )
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken ~ (DH hasn’t left me yet)
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class ~ (I don’t, but my kids do. Since I drive them to and fro, again, I get this one by proxy)
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight ~ (BOOYAH!! I’ve played for over TWELVE hours! Take that, geeks!)
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
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason ~ (Okay, DH, what did you do? Okay, then what did you buy?)
84. Performed on stage ~ (In a school choir. We sang “Nothing Like a Dame” from South Pacific. Why? I have no clue.)
*****85. Been to Las Vegas ~ (YES, I’VE BEEN TO VEGAS!! I can’t believe I didn’t see this one when I did the list awhile ago… Went on the Gawd-awful bungy-swingy SkyScreamer thingy at the MGM Grand. Prayin’ to God the whole way up to the top. You get hoisted up into the air (don’t remember the height, but it was high) and then you free-fall until you get to the end of the tether you’re on. Then you swing out over the city. I only did it because DH and DF (dear friends) peer-pressured me into going. Never again, I tell you. Never. Again.)
86. Recorded music ~ (Off the radio. What? It counts!)
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date ~ (didn’t really have a first date. DH and I had a long distance relationship, so when we met, we were together for a few days. But oh yeah, there was kissin’ goin’ on.
89. Gone to Thailand ~ No, but I sure do LUV Thai food.
90. Bought a house ~ (whoop whoop! I bought a house! And it’s big! And dear Gawd, I gotta clean it!)
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship ~ Queen Mary count?
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children ~ (Raising. Present tense)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over ~ (moved from L.A. to Portland and never once looked back.)
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking ~ (Yup! Windows down, blaring Christian music! **GASP!!** The horror!)
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 ~ HAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched 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 ~ (Three bones in my wrist, ankle, tailbone, big toe)
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol ~ No, but dang, I WANNA!!
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild ~ (Yes, actually. DH’s best friend’s uncle picks wild mushrooms. They were…interesting.)
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet ~ (Yup, and the thing got loose for *2 MONTHS*. Finally found him snuggled in the warm laundry. I think they heard my screaming all the way to China.)
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 ~ (Canoe camping up the Columbia River, baby!)
126. Eaten kangaroo meat ~ Perhaps…there was some controversy about Jack in the Box’s mystery meat about 15 years ago… Remember that kangaroo meat debacle? lol
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach ~ (not by choice)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad – and the Odyssey ~ Sorry Homer. Closest I got was “O Brother Where Art Thou”? lol
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions ~ (Why submit myself to that torture? Again? On purpose?)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language ~ (I’ve flipped someone off on the roadway. That’s communicating without language… LOL)
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream ~ (**cue sappy music** Yup. Wanted to be an author for most of my life. Here I am!)
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts ~ (DH is a computer god. He’s given me TWO by proxy. )
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you ~ (If a crocheted teddy bear is “artwork”, then yeah, I have.)
145. Had a booth at a street fair ~ No, but I looked into it extensively for my teddy bear business.
146. Dyed your hair ~ (Please. I’ve been dyeing my hair for years. Just recently dyed it to my natural color. I think.)
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life ~ (my eldest dd was Ms. Choke Queen when she was a toddler. Saving her life was an every day occurance in the Goings’ home back in the day…)

And there you have it. My checklist of things I’ve done.

~~Becka

If you like Ewan McGregor, and what hot-blooded American woman doesn’t?? **shrugs shoulders and cocks head**

Then you NEED to see a show called Long Way Round. This show is about Ewan, and his best buddy Charlie Boorman, as they travel from London to New York via MOTORCYCLES via KHASAKSTAN, MONGOLIA, & RUSSIA. **blinks**

20,000 miles. A trip around the globe on motorcycles. Holy crap! It’s a seven-episode series, each episode is about an hour long. DH and I Netflixed this show and watched it in it’s entirety on Sunday. Yup, we had roots and literally sat there and watched the entire show. It’s amazing. I loved every minute of it.

Ewan and his friend seem like the kind of guys that would have my kind of personality. DH and I were cracking up at some of the things they would say to each other, and a few times during the show, Ewan even did Obi-wan impersonations. LOL!!

But you got to see their trials and triumphs on this journey that, Lord of Love, was EPIC. and by epic, I mean THEY TOURED THE FRICKEN’ WORLD ON THEIR FRICKEN’ MOTORBIKES!

**Ahem** Something in my throat there. **cough**

But seriously, folks. Rent this. Buy this. Whatever you gotta do. It was great, amazing, and inspiring all at the same time.

Long Way Round. Ain’t THAT an understatement. **rolls eyes** LOL

~~Becka

DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW!!! Highlight the hidden text to read this entry.

**sobs** Nooo!!! My Zutara dreams are crashing down! LOL The season finale of Avatar RULED. It was so flippin’ sweet. Zuko *almost* redeemed himself and even had a tender moment with Katara. But he turned “back to the dark side” at the last moment. Sure, he’s regretting it, but Zuko with Katara is fast slipping away….

Why do I say this? Well, because it’s obvious to me now that Katara loves Aang very much. She risked her life to save his, and you can see it plain as day. I was hoping Zuko would fight *with* them and she would heal the burn on his face (which she almost did during their tender moment), but Katara used her healing water to heal Aang instead after he’d been hurt.

I think the writers are just playing with us. LOL They had Aang learn how to control his Avatar state, and one of the things he had to do was let go of those he loved, ie. Katara. So he let go of her in order to turn into a bad ass. So you’re thinking he’ll have to let her go and she’ll get with Zuko, right? But then this whole thing with Zuko happened, where you think something good will happen and nope!

To the writers’ credit, they are keeping us rabid fans guessing, but with only one more season contracted with Nickelodeon, I think it would seem contrived if Katara chose Zuko over Aang now, seen as how she’s spent two FULL seasons with Aang.

I know, I know, I really need to stop obsessing and get a life. I’m sure all of the above made absolutely no sense to you just now. LOL But hell, I’m a romance author, so the romance is obviously what I’m going to hone in on. LOL

Even if it is “just a cartoon”.

~~Becka

I kid you not, folks. First time it’s EVER happened to me. But my dreams were 100% in cartoon. How freaky is that? Is this a sign that I’m a hopeless geek?

Well, we already KNEW that. LOL But what did I dream?

None other than Avatar, The Last Airbender, of course! Was there ever any doubt? Heheh

I’ve talked about this show before, so you should be familiar with it at least. It’s a sweet American Anime cartoon on Nickelodeon. You may have seen your children or grandchildren (or DH) watching this show. I say “American” Anime, because it was created by two American guys; it’s not from Japan. And that gives the show an edge, because there’s a lot of American humor and facial expressions that makes it much more personal than an Anime cartoon from Japan, IMO.

With that said, there are some hard core Avatar fans out there. The main characters in the show are Aang, the Avatar, Katara, a master Waterbender, Zuko, the prince of the Fire Nation, Sokka, Katara’s warrior brother, Toph, a blind Earthbender, Appa, the six-legged flying Bison (just go with it lol), and Momo, the cute little lemur/bat/cat thingy.

In the show, Aang has a big crush on Katara. She cares for him as well, but she’s not sure if it’s “love”. Zuko is older than they are, but he’s a tortured hero. He’s an outcast from the Fire Nation because his father, the Fire Lord, banished him and scarred him for life with a burn mark on his face. So he doesn’t have a place in the world. He believes by catching the Avatar, he’ll assure himself back into his father’s good graces.

Now, you know how the media takes celeb couple’s names and mixes them like “Brangelina” and “Bennifer”? Well, the fans have come up with their own combos. There are two camps. “Kataang” (Katara with Aang) and “Zutara” (Zuko with Katara). These fans are rabid, wanting some kind of love story between either one couple or the other, so there’s this kind of love “triangle” on the show. (However Zuko and Katara haven’t had a lot of airtime together. There’s a mutual respect between them, but so far, it hasn’t blossomed into anything more, but dang are the fans hopin’!)

So in my dream last night, I dreamt that Katara and Zuko got together, and I was THERE! I know, I know, you’re raising your brow and thinking to yourself Becka needs to lay off the pot-laced brownies. Well… I really have no excuse why I dreamt this. It was so odd! But really really cool at the same time!

As much as I really like the Avatar’s character (the one with the arrow on his head), I’m hoping for Zuko and Katara to get together. He’s so lost, he needs a direction; something to fight for. And the idea of a master Waterbender with a master Firebender seems so perfect. Aside from the fact that in the show, a “psychic” told Katara she’d marry a “powerful” bender. Of course, this leaves room for the question: “Will it be Aang or Zuko?”

I really think it will be Zuko. And I think he’ll invade the Fire Nation with Aang, overthrow his father, and take his place as Fire Lord with Katara as his queen.

At least, that’s what I’m HOPING will happen. LOL So I’m in the Zutara camp. Now, this video is fan-made, and it’s REALLY awesome. I love the song they used. It’s called “Stand My Ground”, and it shows both Katara and Zuko doing some awesome bending with fire and water with their opponents, and at the end, it shows Katara and Zuko fighting each other. Too flippin’ sweet!

Remember, the HOUR LONG season finale of Avatar is on Nickelodeon at 8pm TONIGHT!!! Don’t miss it!!

~~Becka