100 Experiences Meme

Like Lab Boy, my response to grrlscientist' posting of the 100 Experiences Meme is too long for her comments, so here it is:

1. Started my own blog - and this is it
2. Slept under the stars -- many many times
3. Played in a band -- not for money, but in public
   
4. Visited Hawaii - not often enough unfortunately
   
5. Watched a meteor shower - the Leonids usually happen on my birthday
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world -- several times to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty -- hey, they don't let us do this anymore!
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train - better than flying and hotel combined.
    
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
    
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset -- several times, especially while working all night or touring
    
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. *Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors -- UK and Russia
    
35. *Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. **Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. *Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. *Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance - not something one really wants either
    
47. Had my portrait painted - as a 42nd birthday present, I'll post it later
    
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - snorkelled in the Med, totally clear, included sunken plane wrecks from WWII
    
52. Kissed in the rain - and that was not all ... oh my mis-spent youth!
    
53. Played in the mud - at the very first Glastonbury Concert in the early 1970's, see also 52
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - the documentary of 53, at the 1:11 morning sermon, with the drum
    
56. *Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business -- this is a great way to utterly destroy your credit rating as well as your social life (kept your comment, cannot better it)
    
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma -- they will not accept my blood because of a weird disease I had when I was a kid - also
    
65. Gone sky diving - you must be joking!
    
66. *Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check - not really my fault, a pay check got mis-routed
    
68. Flown in a helicopter - twice, once out of a disaster area, the monster floods of 1979 in LA when amongst other things Topanga Canyon got wiped out
    
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy -- for some reason, my gyroscope
    
70. *Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar - yech
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
    
74. *Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job - and is that depressing
    
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London - I cheat, used to live there
    
77. Broken a bone -- fortunately only a metacarpel and a thumb joint, both motorcycle accidents
    
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle - actually was driving, and boy that BMW K100RT is smooth!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
    
80. *Published a book
81. *Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car - my youth was all used bikes, first car I was already old enough to afford new
    
83. Walked in Jerusalem - in 1963, we knew the current Chief of Police so got back-street tours
    
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible -- school, UK, required since there was no separation there
    
86. *Visited the White House
    
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - and I hope I never have to
88. Had chickenpox - and mumps and measles
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury - not quite, somehow they always reject me. wonder why?
    
91. Met someone famous -- used to work in the music biz, sold them studio gear I designed
    
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby - I'm a guy, but anyway past it now
    
95. *Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
    
98. Owned a cell phone -- seems a bit pedestrian for this era but OK.
    
99. Been stung by a bee - I kicked it accidentally. Otherwise no insect bothers me even when all around are swearing and hopping.
100. Ridden an elephant - at the London Zoo