Melissa is an awesome blogger.  She is so awesome, in fact, that I am borrowing a format she recently used on her blog for this post, because I have too many things I’d like to write about and not enough time to write about them all properly.  Hope you don’t mind, Melissa!

So… here is a list of stuff I want to write about:

• Weddings, and how people get crazy and act completely irrational – even though they are not actually completely irrational.
• The weirdest gift I have ever received (I’ll give you a hint: it’s a do-it-yourself kind of gift.).
• The death of my trusty lap top, from which I have written many blogs, 2.5 novels, and my masters thesis.
• My new-found fixation on learning how to can,  and also how to make a vegetable garden.

For today, I will just tell you all that my lap top, which I have suspected was getting ready to break for a while now, finally gave up the ghost last weekend.  It does not turn on.  It doesn’t believe me when I tell it I have plugged it into the wall, and therefore has no excuse to not turn on.  I suspect this is the work of the possessed DVD drive in the computer, which has taken to opening up all by itself, even when there is no power to the lap top.

Luckily, Whitney convinced me I needed to back up my computer a while back, and I purchased a Seagate FreeAgent Go 500 GB External Hard Drive, where all my pictures, videos, and other important and irreplaceable files are safely stored.  My lap top is lost, but my data is not!  I was going to wait on buying a new lap top, since right now is not exactly the best financial period for me, what with a wedding, honeymoon, and home purchase all in the near future.  Then I realized waiting would mean not getting to download all my pictures from these once-in-a-lifetime events right away… and let’s just say I’m an instant-gratification kind of girl.

So the plan is to find time to go buy a new lap top before the wedding.  The big question is, do I go PC or Mac?  I can’t decide.  I can use both, although I am definitely less familiar with Macs than with PCs.  Do any of you have suggestions or opinions for me?

© 2010, The Table Has Shoes (and Other Ambiguities). All rights reserved.

I usually don’t like the month of November.  It gets cold, it gets dark early, and the trees lose their leaves, which all adds up to depressing in my book.

That all seems rather negative!  So I decided to make myself a list (I love lists, so this should not shock the people who know me well) of things that make November GOOD.

Here it is:

1. NaNoWriMo.  If you follow this blog, you probably have a good idea of what NaNoWriMo is and why I would put it on a list designed to convince myself that November is awesome.  But for those of you who are new… NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month.  This means budding writers around the world come together and attempt to write a novel – in one month.  To “win,” you have to write a novel that is at least 50,000 words long.  I’ve participated for 3 years now, and I’ve got to say that NaNoWriMo is definitely something I look forward to each November.
2. Starbucks releases its holiday drinks! This is something I just learned today via @Starbucks on Twitter – the Gingerbread Latte, Eggnog Latte, and Peppermint Mocha all launch tomorrow.  I cannot wait!  The Gingerbread Latte is my absolute favorite coffee drink – it is the exact right amount of sweetness and espresso and holiday cheer rolled into a 12-ounce cup.  I have been foiled in recent years when it comes to Gingerbread Lattes, but I have hope that this year I will be able to have them once more.
3. Bon Jovi release their new CD: The Circle. I will give you all a moment to calm yourselves; I know I had to!  My love of Bon Jovi goes back to college, when Whitney brought me to my first-ever Bon Jovi concert.  I can assure you, I will be purchasing this CD on November 10th!  If you’d like to purchase it, too, here is a link to Amazon for the pre-order:
4. THANKSGIVING. By far my favorite holiday, and it is always in November, right?  You get all the delicious holiday foods with none of the stress over buying holiday gifts!  My mouth waters just thinking about green bean casserole, home-made stuffing, and pumpkin pie.
5. Holiday decorations can go up once Thanksgiving has passed without fear of jumping the gun on your holiday cheer.  Now, I might dread holiday shopping, but I love holiday decorating!  Nothing is better than Christmas trees, wreaths, twinkling lights, and stockings.  I look forward to outdoor Christmas decor as well, because that means endless entertainment from the inevitable Christmas throw-up that comes with decorating certain houses for the holidays.  ** If you don’t know what Christmas throw-up is, don’t worry!  As soon as I start to see some, I will take pictures and dedicate an entire post to its honor.**

There it is, my 5 reasons November will be awesome.  I’m sure there are other reasons I left off, or forgot.  If you think of one, feel free to comment, and share your reason!

© 2009, The Table Has Shoes (and Other Ambiguities). All rights reserved.

Welcome to another installment of what Whitney and I are calling ‘collective blogging.’ To refresh everyone’s memory, we will both be writing blog entries on the same topic every week as an exercise to see how different our thought processes and memories are. Hopefully it will be good practice for an idea we have for NaNoWriMo 2009 – to write the same novel, but separately.

Today’s topic: More Explaining of Bucket List Items

Writing “bucket lists” has given Whitney and I a lot of bang for the buck with our collective blogging.  This week, we decided to pick 4 items on the other one’s list to be explained in more detail.  To see what I chose for Whitney, go here.

From my list of 75 to-do’s, Whitney was interested in these: #69 Travel to Ekaterinburg, Russia, #60 Travel to outer space, #52 Cruise all the major rivers of the world, and #44 fly a kite.

#69: Travel to Ekaterinburg, Russia.

I understand why this seems bizarre.  Have you looked on a map of Russia?  No?  Check one out here… seriously, check it out before you read further.

Ekaterinburg is pretty much in the middle of nowhere… at least, no where a tourist from the US with no familial ties to Russia would go.  So, why is this place on my bucket list?  It’s not that complicated an answer: it’s because I have a morbid fascination with what happened to the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, and his family, the famous Romanovs.  Ekaterinburg is where they met their ultimate fate, and I feel like one day I’d like to see it.  I know it’s a bit strange.  But if I ever end up in Russia (which honestly isn’t likely), I would like to go to Ekaterinburg.

#60: Travel to outer space.

I think everyone knows I am a space geek.  I love astronomy.  I own a pretty fancy telescope.  I read about astronomy for fun (astronomy, not science fiction, and not astrology!).  When I was younger, one of my dreams was to be an astronaut.  Then I found out what becoming an astronaut entails and I gave up that idea. 

Then Virgin Galactic came along.  They want to let regular, ordinary, private citizens travel into outer space.  Granted, it’s for a price.  But if they really get their spaceline off the ground, going into space would no longer be impossible for us non-astronauts.  So traveling to outer space has been granted a slot on my bucket list.

#52: Cruise all the major rivers of the world.

OK, I should clarify this.  I don’t mean every major river of the world.  That would mean I have to decide which rivers are major, and how do you really decide that?  By length?  By cultural historical significance?  By volume?  I wouldn’t know where to start, and there are a lot of rivers out there.  I have 4 specific rivers in mind: the Nile, the Danube, the Yangtze, and the Amazon. 

The Nile River is 4184 miles long and winds its way through East Africa, on its south to north journey to the Mediterranean Sea.  It’s the longest river in the world.  Loads of history is hanging out along the Nile’s banks.  So it’s a major river to me.

The Danube River travels from Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea and is the second longest river in Europe.  It passes through Bavaria, Vienna, Budapest, and a slew of other interesting places.  I figure a cruise of the Danube is the only way I’d ever see most of these cities and towns and countries, so it makes the cut.

The Yangtze River is the longest river in China (third longest in the world), originating in the Tibetan plateau and emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai.  There are some interesting animals in the river, like the finless porpoise, and I figure it would be a neat way to see part of China I might never venture to otherwise.

Ah… the Amazon River.  There are so many cool things about the Amazon that I can’t even list them all.  Think: biodiversity, lost cultures, rainforest.  AND it’s the second longest river in the world, and the largest by volume. 

#44: Fly a kite.

This was not a joke.  I’ve seriously never flown a kite – at least not properly.  I have this romanticized idea in my head about what it is like… wind in my hair, barefoot on a beach, pretty kite flying perfectly above.  I think it’s sad I’ve never done this – hence it’s appearance on my list.

© 2009, The Table Has Shoes (and Other Ambiguities). All rights reserved.

Welcome to another installment of what Whitney and I are calling ‘collective blogging.’ To refresh everyone’s memory, we will both be writing blog entries on the same topic every week as an exercise to see how different our thought processes and memories are. Hopefully it will be good practice for an idea we have for NaNoWriMo 2009 – to write the same novel, but separately.

Today’s Topic: Explanations of Mutual Items on Our Bucket Lists

If you read my blog and Whitney’s blog last week, you know that we both posted lists of 75 things we’d each like to do before we ‘kick the bucket.’  If you read the two lists closely, you may have noticed that as good friends as we are, Whitney and I had few mutual life goals.  In keeping with the spirit of collective blogging, I will now explain my reasons for including the items that appeared on her list as well as mine.  If you go here, you will see that Whitney has done the same thing.

Item #3: Publish a book. 

For me, this was one of the most obvious goals to have in life.  I suspect that many people list being a published author as a goal when they are making lists like this, but most of them never pursue it.  Not me.  I’m pursuing it.  I have Whitney to thank for that, because she talked me into participating in NaNoWriMo 2007.  I’ve always liked to write, and from what I’ve been told over the years, I’m better than average at it.  “A writer,” was my standard answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” from the age of 6 until the age of 15 – at which point it switched to wanting to be the first female President of the United States, which is really a whole separate blog.  Publishing a book would not only fulfill a dream I’ve had since childhood, it would also validate my participation in the craziness that is NaNoWriMo.  Besides, being able to say, “I’m a published author,” is just cool.

Item # 71: Set foot in all 50 states.

The United States is so incredibly diverse in terms of natural beauty, weather, and culture that I believe it might take a lifetime to see everything this country has to offer.  Because of that, I have had to narrow down the specific places in the U.S. that I would like to spend any length of time visiting.  However, I still want to one day say I have at the very least passed through all 50 states.  It just strikes me as something every American should do.  How can you truly appreciate international locations if you can’t appreciate domestic ones?  (For the record, so far I have been in 16 out of 50 states, plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico.)

Item # 51: See the pyramids in Egypt.

OK, doesn’t everyone want to see the pyramids, at least in theory?  They are almost mythical (mummies, treasure), and yet they are tangible, you can see them if you really want to.  Moreover, one of the pyramids at Giza is the only member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.  There is incredible history locked in the pyramids in Egypt.  And if those aren’t enough reasons for me to want to go, here is another: for a month at age 9, I was convinced that I was reincarnated from an ancient Egyptian girl.  I didn’t know which one, but I was sure of it.  Then it was explained to me that I was Catholic and not supposed to believe in reincarnation, and I decided I was probably wrong about my connection to ancient Egypt.  But it has held a special place in my heart since then, so if one day it becomes possible to travel to Egypt, I would certainly go!

Item # 45: Take an Alaskan cruise and walk on a glacier.

This is a new life goal for me.  I traditionally avoid going anywhere that is colder than the climate I live in.  Alaska definitely qualifies as a place I would never go, if using that criterion.  However, glaciers are awesome.  They shape valleys and mountains, and change landscapes.  They are beautiful, but can be dangerous. Many have been around longer than people.  So, I think it would be quite satisfying to be able to say, “Yeah, I’ve walked on a glacier.”  Alaska would be a fantastic place to accomplish this, since there are glaciers there, and because Alaska itself is pretty cool.  It represents an untouched area of the planet (in some spots), and is not likely to remain that way.  Anything that isn’t predicted to be unspoiled forever rates a trip in my book.

Item # 20, 24, 25, 27, 41, 43, 57: Travel to Italy

I had to list so many items because I want to see ALL of Italy.  There are even some places I didn’t list on my bucket list that I want to see.  For example, I would love to go to the Amalfi Coast and Capri, but I didn’t mention that before.  My reasons for wanting to see Italy are twofold.  First, I’m 1/2 Italian, and we know which towns in Italy our family came from.  It would be amazing to see those towns and know my ancestors might have walked in the same places – goosebump-inducing, really.  Second, Italy is one of those places with so much history and culture and culinary experience that I honestly can’t understand how there can be people who don’t get jacked to go there.  Lucky for me, I’m only 6 months away from making at least a small part of this goal a reality, because I am traveling to Florence, Italy and the surrounding region of Tuscany (and maybe a day trip somewhere else – who knows?!).  Sweet!

© 2009, The Table Has Shoes (and Other Ambiguities). All rights reserved.

Welcome to another installment of what Whitney and I are calling ‘collective blogging.’ To refresh everyone’s memory, we will both be writing blog entries on the same topic every Friday as a sort-of exercise to see how different our thought processes and memories are. Hopefully it will be good practice for an idea we have for NaNoWriMo 2009 – to write the same novel, but separately.

Today’s topic: My Bucket List

I have never seen the movie Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.  I hear it’s pretty good.  It also seems to have sparked a trend in pop culture where people make lists for themselves detailing all the things they want to do before they “kick the bucket.”  There is even a website to help you develop your list: Superviva.com.  I’ve actually mentioned this website on my blog before (here), and while I am not a huge fan of the website, it makes my point – a lot of people are thinking about this.

So when Whitney suggested we take a page from a blog she follows and post our own lists as one of our collective blogs, I said sure.  So, here it is - 75 Things I Want to Do Before I Die:

Please note: If something on this list has already been accomplished, I have made it bold.  If it is in the process of being accomplished, I have made it italicized.

1. Star-gaze in the Arizona desert.
2. Drive the Pacific Coast Highway.
3. Publish a book.
4. Cruise the Mediterranean.
5. Go camping.
6. Go to New Orleans.
7. Get married.
8. See Aruba or Antigua (or both).
9. Give birth to a child without using heavy-duty pain medication.
10. Snorkel in Grand Cayman.
11. Drive across the country.
12. Dive between tectonic plates in Iceland.
13. Read every major work of classical literature.
14. Travel to Australia.
15. Be able to do yoga without the aid of  a DVD or instructor.
16. Take a wine tour of Long Island.
17. Become fluent in another language.
18. See Scandinavia.
19. Take my family to Disney World.
20. Go to Terlizzi, Italy.
21. Own a successful side business.
22. Go to Paris.
23. Participate in the CDC or some other major health agency.
24. Go to Rome.
25. Go to Venice.
26. Learn to scuba dive.
27. Go to Tuscany.
28. Have a vacation or weekend home on a beach.
29. Go to Greece.
30. Learn about art.
31. Go to London.
32. Go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
33. Visit the Seychelles Islands.
34. See the Statue of Liberty.
35. Go to Moorea.
36. Learn to line dance.
37. Visit Hawaii’s Big Island and see the volcanoes.
38. Run 5 miles without stopping.
39. Go to Barcelona.
40. Knit a sweater.
41. See the Italian Riviera.
42. Host a holiday for my entire family.
43. Travel to Sicily and its islands.
44. Fly a kite.
45. Take an Alaskan cruise and walk on a glacier.
46. Grow an herb garden.
47. Take a cruise or tour of Antarctica.
48. Hike below the rim of the Grand Canyon.
49. Travel to the Galapagos.
50. Buy a home.
51. See  the pyramids in Egypt.
52. Cruise all the major rivers of the world.
53. See the Aurora Borealis.
54. Go to Tahiti.
55. Get a Masters degree.
56. Look at Pluto through a telescope.
57. Go to Pompeii.
58. Work as a microbiologist in a non-academic research lab.
59. Take a picture of the Andromeda galaxy.
60. Travel to outer space.
61. Attend a World Series game (preferably one in which the Yankees are playing.)
62. Attend a Super Bowl game.
63. Go on an African safari.
64. Trace my family’s heritage as far back as possible.
65. Get a PhD.
66. See my children graduate from college.
67. Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary.
68. Participate in finding the cure for at least one incurable disease.
69. Go to Ekaterinburg, Russia.
70. Go to Germany.
71. Set foot in all 50 states.
72. Own a real Prada bag.
73. Have a saltwater aquarium.
74. Be featured in the local paper for playing a sport.
75. Look at Ebola through a microscope.

I know these lists are supposed to contain 100 things, but I didn’t want my list to become frivolous or meaningless just so I could reach 100.  If I ever add on to my list, I will certainly post the additions!  To see Whitney’s list, go here.

© 2009, The Table Has Shoes (and Other Ambiguities). All rights reserved.

I have been tagged a bunch of times for this Facebook thing now, so I figured I should just suck it up…

Here are the rules: you write a note with 25 random things, facts, ,habits, etc. about yourself. Then choose your closest friends to be tagged, including the person who tagged you.

© 2009, The Table Has Shoes (and Other Ambiguities). All rights reserved.

According to my dashboard counter, this is my 100th post to this blog.

It feels a bit anti-climatic. *shrug* Not nearly as good as the 100th episode of Friends. But I will trudge on anyway!

It’s also my first post of 2009. Being the dork that I am, I have a habit of making secret lists at this time of year – resolution lists with resolutions I never tell anyone I had, to-do lists for the year – you get the point. Keeping with the whole “I’m a dork” theme, I also have a couple of so-called bucket lists committed to paper (actually committed to one of my fabulous Moleskines to ensure their survival for years to come), pieces of which I believe I have mentioned on this blog before. Well, as it turns out, I’m less of a dork than I thought. There is a website called superviva.com whose sole purpose is to enable people to make buckets lists of all kinds and share them with the world. There are suggestions for things you can put on your list to get you started, or you can read other people’s lists and draw inspiration from that. The idea is to look at all you want to accomplish and all you have accomplished and change the way you look at life. Perhaps cheesy, perhaps over-idealistic, perhaps self-indulgent… but also perhaps a way to gain perspective.

I haven’t decided how I feel about this website, or if I’m going to put my secret lists on there. They are, after all, secret. If anyone does decide to check it out, let me know what you think!

© 2009, The Table Has Shoes (and Other Ambiguities). All rights reserved.

© 2008, The Table Has Shoes (and Other Ambiguities). All rights reserved.