my bucket list

the captain and i recently watched The Bucket List. i thought it was a great movie (4 stars*!) and it reminded me about life and how to live it. i've had my own "bucket list" for years...my things-to-do-before-i-die-list is LONG! here are 10 random things to do/see from my list (in no particular order):

1. sky diving (this is will be crossed off w/i a year!)
2. 7 wonders of the world (old & new) & other wonders!
3. take a gondola ride in Venice
4. visit the Vatican and attend a Papal Mass
5. volunteer in Africa
6. the roman catacombs
7. open a Swiss bank account (hehe!)
8. swim with the dolphins
9. horseback riding on the beach (w/ the captain, of course)
10. see Mount Rushmore

what's on your Bucket List?

hope

there is a blog i stalk & i went looking for an update-post this morning. what Boothe wrote about Hope brought tears to my eyes, as her writing often does. here is a tidbit:

"Because even if He killed me... I'd keep on hoping..."Job 13:15

"First there was the couple who hoped their twin boys would just get along. Then there was the guy who hoped the giant boat he was building really would end up needing use in the end. There was an old man who hoped God would make good on His promise to bless him with descendants that outnumbered the stars. There was a mother who hoped her infant son would be spared when she placed him amid the swaying waters of the Nile. And there was an entire nation of people who hoped that someday, someday, they'd be looking at the soil they were meant to inherit - not foreign ground they were forced to work."

to read more, click Keeping Awake.

saving a life

I saved this fella's life today by not making him road kill; had I not, he'd have been destined for dinner stew. (PETA can thank me later; no rush!)

Little known facts about the armadillo:

• Contrary to popular belief, the nine-banded armadillo CANNOT roll itself into a ball to escape predators!! Only one of the twenty-odd varieties of armadillos -- the three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus ) -- is able to roll up. The other types are covered with too many bony plates to allow them to curl up. Other armadillos have to rely on their armored shells for defense while they scuttle away through thick, thorny brush or dig themselves a hole to hide in.
• Armadillos always give birth to four identical young -- the only mammal known to do so.
• All four young develop from the same egg -- and they even share the same placenta!
• Armadillos are used in leprosy research because their body temperatures are low enough for them to contract the most virulent form of the disease.
• Some female armadillos being used for research have given birth to young long after they were captured -- up to two years afterwards, in some cases! These "virgin births" are a result of the female's ability to delay implantation of the fertilized egg during times of stress. This reproductive tactic is one reason why the 'dillos are so good at colonizing new areas (such as the United States!).
• Armadillos like to swim, and they are very good at it. They have a strong dog paddle, and can even go quite a distance underwater, walking along the bottom of streams and ponds. When they need to float, they gulp air into their intestines to make them more buoyant.
• Armadillo teeth have no enamel (the hard outer covering of the tooth). They also have very few teeth -- just several peg-like molars. Since they primarily eat insects, they don't have to do a lot of heavy chewing, making big, strong teeth a waste of energy to grow.
• Like most insect eating mammals, armadillos have a very long, sticky tongue to slurp up bugs as quickly as possible. They also are equipped with strong claws to tear open ant nests.
• Armadillos have a very low metabolic rate, which means they don't waste a lot of energy producing heat. This also means that they are not good at living in cold areas, because they can't keep warm very well! They do not have any fat reserves, so they must forage for food on a daily basis. Just a few cold days in a row can be deadly to a 'dillo.
• One way they conserve energy is through reta mirabila (Latin for "miraculous net")-- a system of veins and arteries in their legs. Hot blood going out through arteries is cooled by cold blood coming in through veins, and vice versa. This means that not much heat actually goes out into the legs, keeping it in the body. This also means they will get frostbitten very easily, since they have no way to warm their extremities through blood flow.
• Baby armadillos have soft shells, like human fingernails. They get harder as the animal grows, depositing bone under the skin to make a solid shell.
• According to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, it is illegal to own an armadillo in the state of Maine. Hawaii has strict regulations against the import of any foreign animal, including armadillos. The state of Montana classifies them as livestock, and regulates their import accordingly.

Long live the 'dillo!

Tag! You're It!

I've been tagged by my friend Jen in the game of Meme.... and I wasn't really sure what that meant, but here are the rules,if that's what you can call them....

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then go to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. What was I doing ten years ago: I was just finishing up my freshman year in college...and I was thrilled to find out I made the Dean's List! And the Captain & I had been dating for about 5 months.

2. Five things on my to do list for today: Clear the pile of work from my desk, pay 2 bills, bug my sister all day (it's her b-day), reply to personal e-mails, sleep...need lots of sleep...lol!

3. Snacks I crave: anything crunchy & salty. Salt & Vinegar are my fav, as are gold-fish!

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Pay off our debt, travel around the world, college accounts for my brother and nephew, donate to SafePlace, volunteer in Africa....I could go on-and-on but honestly, the one thing I know I would do is quit work and be a permanent volunteer for a few causes near and dear to me.

5. Places I have lived: Texas, Colorado, Florida

6. People I am tagging: Kelly, Jade, Christina, Kendra, Kelly (the trick is to see if any of them will actually do this...lol)

change

within the last week or so my life has been filled with change...nothing too major but big enough to have an impact.

1. new boss - my boss, K, resigned and last Thursday was her last day. it was a sad day for me - for everyone involved; she will be missed. i met my new boss this morning - nice man...jury's still out.

2. ww - began weight watchers on Saturday. so far, so good. my next weigh-in is @ 6:30am Saturday morning...yes, i know i'm crazy for going that early but honestly, it's a great group and a great time to get the day started.

3. hair cut - i got my hair cut yesterday. i hate it. it's too short. i.HATE.it. and i thank G-d that my hair grows fast. thank G-d!

4. ttc - i think i've alluded to this but haven't actually spelled it out. the captain and i have had to put ttc on hold until at least January. although there are multiple reasons for this the main one is that i need to have 6 "normal" cycles before my dr feels comfortable with us proceeding using fertility treatments. i really am more "at ease" with this than i thought i was going to be...i guess after 27 months, what's 6 more? sigh.

5. not really a change but an annoyance. as y'all know, i have music playing for you to enjoy as you read along. you've probably noticed it hasn't changed in some time. let me be clear - this is not my choice! i would prefer to change my jams up about once a week...but PLAYLIST has other ideas. i've entered about 1000 different passwords - none seem to work; i've requested they send me a new one - nothing. NOTHING. and i'm getting pissed. so, i'm off to find a new plug and update my tunes.

peace!

one word: FABULOUS.