The biiig 100
Well it's taken me almost 7 months, but I've finally made it to my 100th post! When I first started writing in this blog, I had no idea who much fun it would be, and I feel like I'm getting to be a better writer too (although some people's blogs remind me that I'm not as good as I want to be). The occasion calls for something creative and fun, which of course means that I'm suffering from writer's block (do they call it blogger's block??? sigh - sorry couldn't help it).
But I continue anyway, in hopes that those reading will enjoy this post, yet knowing that certain bloggers (cough cough... KIM) will probably have some amazing 100th post that people will be talking about for ages :)
Having been inspired by the great Dave Letterman, I decided to post ten "top 10" lists...
Top 10 Goals I want to accomplish in the next 100 days
Okay, I know this doesn't sound that ambitious but with all of the planning for our move I decided to be realistic... Major kudos to all of you 101 in 1001 people - I hope you're all having good luck getting through your lists.
10. Finally get rid of the clothes in my closet that I don't wear anymore
9. Learn the major areas of London before we move so I can at least have some idea how to get around
8. Get back into taking vitamins everyday
7. Lose 10 pounds (and keep it off for good)
6. Get at least a halfway decent picture of lightning (been trying for ages)
5. Read Anderson Cooper's book
4. Send at least 5 letters (via the MAIL)
3. Put a binder together with good lesson plans and activities for each grade level
2. Consistently eat enough fruits & veggies each day
1. Go on a spa day and get a pedicure (with the girls)
Best Songs to bring up memories
10. New Orleans is Sinking (or anything else from the Tragically Hip during the 90s): always takes me back to summers during high school
9. We Belong Together (Mariah Carey): driving down the highway in North Carolina. It was the first song I heard on the radio when I got there (BOTH times).
8. Oh Carol (Engelbert Humperdink - heehee hope i'm never too old to giggle at his name): reminds me of "popcorn" and Kimberly Dawn (before she became Mrs. Loney!)
7. Be Faithful (Fatman Scoop featuring Crooklyn Clan): if you're confused, just think of the song that played every single night in all of the good bars (at least in Sudbury) during the end of the 90's. Still played pretty often too... "You gotta hundred dollar bill put your hands up!"
6. You Were Meant for Me - Jewel: This was the very first song that people actually asked me to sing for them. Brings memories of campfires and acoustic guitars and feeling confident about the sound of my voice.
5. River of Dreams - Billy Joel: a white baby grand piano in a hotel... singing along with a crazy dude from St. Charles high school and being kicked out because "song time is over". Oh those band trips...
4. Groove is in the Heart - Dee-lite: reminds me of every wedding I've ever been to
3. Joy to the World - Three Dog Night: Our family took a lot of road trips. The soundtrack for every one of them was 50's and 60's music. This particular song reminds me of driving with parents, brother, and Uncle Jerry, singing at the top of our lungs while we drove down the Ella Lake road.
2. Time of Your Life (Good Riddance) - Green Day: Our grade 13 class sang this song to the rest of the school during our final assembly. I can still remember wondering about the direction my life was going to take back then, and hoped that the choices I was making were the right ones. Now it reminds me of every good-bye I've had to say since then.
1. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers: Another high school thing - this one reminds me all the girls at MMC and my closest friends during the teen years. The reason I loved high school so much was definitely because of them.
Weird blogger topics (collected over a couple of weeks)
10. Why I can't have sex with the ex anymore. (main reason cited being his WIFE)
9. Confessions of a maintenance man who steals women's underwear and porn from apartments in the building he works in.
8. My friend Oxanna bet lots of moneys on bear fight and lost. Now people with bats are coming.
7. My mom wrecked my dinner of pig trotters by adding bittergourds - which i hate. So I had rice and chocolate for supper instead.
6. I am God and nobody knows it
5. I am in a place where I feel and I know. I am in a place where I notice and I know. I am in a place in which I was born into and hence, I succeed. The place where I know, I notice and was born into is here. I am unique.
4. Preparing for the Christmas season- advice on cards and decorations (this would be a perfectly normal topic if the date of the post wasn't JUNE 21st)
3. And your name will be "one who flings poo"
2. Paris Hilton is my sister Goddess Angel and Goldie Hawn is the devil.
1. I had a conversation with God today. We talked about robots, Star Trek, and He told me He's too busy to have his own blog.
Ten Great Places I've been
10. Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C.
9. Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
8. Providence Bay, Manitoulin Island, Ontario
7. Kure Beach, North Carolina
6. Sea World, Florida
5. Newport, Oregon
4. Pike's Market, Seattle, Washington
3. The Lincoln Monument, FDR memorial, and back door to "The Farm" (CIA training grounds outside the city), Washington D.C.
2. Manhattan, New York City
2. Raleigh, Durham, & Pittsboro, North Carolina - yes, all three are fantastic places
1. My lake (nowhere fancy, but still my favourite place in the world)
Ten Silly, Dumb, or Crazy Things I've Done (and may regret admitting)
10. Sang (and performed a little) "King of Spain" along with a group of girls in the middle of downtown Philadelphia
9. Walking out of a restaurant in Manitoulin Island without paying. They charged $18 for 6 shrimp and an ice cream scoop of rice. This was most definitely not what was advertised in their menu, which they refused to bring back for me to point out. So I walked out. The big rebel move that cost them less than $2. I should note that I'm enough of a nerd that I considered going back in and just paying for it, but the people I was with refused to let me.
8. Going out every night of the week for an entire summer, even though the bars close at 2am and I started work at 8:30am. (I guess I'm getting old now because even the memory of this is pretty painful.)
7. Leaving the Saddledome arena during a PLAYOFF GAME because we figured it was all over. Only to find out later that said game went into overtime.
6. Taking my 17 year old brother's advice about making a watermelon bomb - as mentioned in previous posts, it did not work out well.
5. Eating a gross tasting watermelon just because a 26er of Silent Sam vodka had been jammed into it. And using beer to wash the taste away. Lots of beer...
4. Wandered around Montreal for over an hour looking for the LCBO. I don't think this needs further explanation, c'ept to say that I was not the only one involved in this.
3. Going on a road trip to Temiskaming for my 18th birthday just because I was "legal" there. When the store didn't card me, I immediately produced my ID and proudly insisted they look at it. Must have thought I was nuts...
2. Got lost in Washington D.C. (for the 8th time in one night) and wound up taking pictures of the gated fence (complete with floodlights, signs demanding ID and guard tower) of the CIA training grounds with a digital camera. The stupidity of this didn't dawn on us until much later...
1. Tried to light my then-new BBQ while it was closed. (in my defense it was the first time I'd ever lit a BBQ.) This led to a huuuge ball of fire coming out of the bottom, accompanied by two booming noises - the first the gas being ignited and the second the BBQ landing back on the ground after jumping several inches into the air. Not my finest moment.
My 10 favourite things in my apartment
10. The kitchen table & chairs
9. The chairs from Goodwill that I bought for $35 dollars each
8. My box of teaching supplies (stickers, cardstock, markers, tons of fun stuff)
7. The big TV
6. Jeremy's couch
5. My ancient clock radio (that I've had since grade 8)
4. The pictures on the wall and my photo albums / my cameras
3. The bookshelf & my books
2. My plants
1. The sound of Jeremy having a conversation with our cat
Things I'll miss the most about Canada
10. Seeing Canadian flags and singing the national anthem
9. Being proud of the fact that I'm from Northen Ontario (and have people actually know where that is)
8. Believe it or not: snow.
7. Not having to explain what it means to be Canadian to other people.
6. The beer (need I say more)
5. Ice in my drinks and the fact that they don't serve blood pudding in our pubs
4. Really good thunderstorms! (and on the flip side - the fact that it doesn't rain for 4 months straight here)
3. Hockey Night in Canada
2. The outside - all of the lakes and forests here - I love knowing that I can go camping in so many places just in Ontario.
1. This one's a no-brainer: My family and friends (and kitty too)
Top 10 things I want to do before moving to England
10. Spend an entire day and night reading a really good book
9. Take the sight-seeing boat tour in the Detroit river (only $10 an hour!)
8. Spend an afternoon taking pictures along the waterfront
7. Discover a nice picnic spot along the river that nobody else seems to know about
6. Grill the perfect steak before giving up my BBQ
5. Actually have some friends visit us in Windsor
4. Do the last "girl days" with my friends (the spa is calling my name!)
3. Have a shopping day with my mom
2. Realize that everything is going to be okay, that we'll find a place to live, Jeremy will find a job he enjoys, we'll make tons of friends, and I'll love being a supply teacher in London, England.
1. Spend a day in the lake. Yes, a day. And yes, I've done this before.
10 things I want to do while living in London
10. Ride in the Milennium Eye
9. Go to the Notting Hill market
8. See Buckingham Palace and try to make the guards laugh
7. Buy one of those Union Jack hats (like the one Joey wore in Friends)
6. Go canoeing in Hyde Park
5. Learn how to find my way around the city without getting completely lost
4. Ride in a double-decker bus
3. Order a pint and real fish & chips in a British pub
2. Take road trips to Dublin, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Paris
1. Have family and friends come and VISIT!!
My 10 favourite pictures (sorry if these are repeats from other posts) as seen throughout this post.
That ends my 100th post - hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
But I continue anyway, in hopes that those reading will enjoy this post, yet knowing that certain bloggers (cough cough... KIM) will probably have some amazing 100th post that people will be talking about for ages :)
Having been inspired by the great Dave Letterman, I decided to post ten "top 10" lists...
Top 10 Goals I want to accomplish in the next 100 days
Okay, I know this doesn't sound that ambitious but with all of the planning for our move I decided to be realistic... Major kudos to all of you 101 in 1001 people - I hope you're all having good luck getting through your lists.
10. Finally get rid of the clothes in my closet that I don't wear anymore
9. Learn the major areas of London before we move so I can at least have some idea how to get around
8. Get back into taking vitamins everyday
7. Lose 10 pounds (and keep it off for good)
6. Get at least a halfway decent picture of lightning (been trying for ages)
5. Read Anderson Cooper's book
4. Send at least 5 letters (via the MAIL)
3. Put a binder together with good lesson plans and activities for each grade level
2. Consistently eat enough fruits & veggies each day
1. Go on a spa day and get a pedicure (with the girls)
Best Songs to bring up memories
10. New Orleans is Sinking (or anything else from the Tragically Hip during the 90s): always takes me back to summers during high school
9. We Belong Together (Mariah Carey): driving down the highway in North Carolina. It was the first song I heard on the radio when I got there (BOTH times).
8. Oh Carol (Engelbert Humperdink - heehee hope i'm never too old to giggle at his name): reminds me of "popcorn" and Kimberly Dawn (before she became Mrs. Loney!)
7. Be Faithful (Fatman Scoop featuring Crooklyn Clan): if you're confused, just think of the song that played every single night in all of the good bars (at least in Sudbury) during the end of the 90's. Still played pretty often too... "You gotta hundred dollar bill put your hands up!"
6. You Were Meant for Me - Jewel: This was the very first song that people actually asked me to sing for them. Brings memories of campfires and acoustic guitars and feeling confident about the sound of my voice.
5. River of Dreams - Billy Joel: a white baby grand piano in a hotel... singing along with a crazy dude from St. Charles high school and being kicked out because "song time is over". Oh those band trips...
4. Groove is in the Heart - Dee-lite: reminds me of every wedding I've ever been to
3. Joy to the World - Three Dog Night: Our family took a lot of road trips. The soundtrack for every one of them was 50's and 60's music. This particular song reminds me of driving with parents, brother, and Uncle Jerry, singing at the top of our lungs while we drove down the Ella Lake road.
2. Time of Your Life (Good Riddance) - Green Day: Our grade 13 class sang this song to the rest of the school during our final assembly. I can still remember wondering about the direction my life was going to take back then, and hoped that the choices I was making were the right ones. Now it reminds me of every good-bye I've had to say since then.
1. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers: Another high school thing - this one reminds me all the girls at MMC and my closest friends during the teen years. The reason I loved high school so much was definitely because of them.
Weird blogger topics (collected over a couple of weeks)
10. Why I can't have sex with the ex anymore. (main reason cited being his WIFE)
9. Confessions of a maintenance man who steals women's underwear and porn from apartments in the building he works in.
8. My friend Oxanna bet lots of moneys on bear fight and lost. Now people with bats are coming.
7. My mom wrecked my dinner of pig trotters by adding bittergourds - which i hate. So I had rice and chocolate for supper instead.
6. I am God and nobody knows it
5. I am in a place where I feel and I know. I am in a place where I notice and I know. I am in a place in which I was born into and hence, I succeed. The place where I know, I notice and was born into is here. I am unique.
4. Preparing for the Christmas season- advice on cards and decorations (this would be a perfectly normal topic if the date of the post wasn't JUNE 21st)
3. And your name will be "one who flings poo"
2. Paris Hilton is my sister Goddess Angel and Goldie Hawn is the devil.
1. I had a conversation with God today. We talked about robots, Star Trek, and He told me He's too busy to have his own blog.
Ten Great Places I've been
10. Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C.
9. Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
8. Providence Bay, Manitoulin Island, Ontario
7. Kure Beach, North Carolina
6. Sea World, Florida
5. Newport, Oregon
4. Pike's Market, Seattle, Washington
3. The Lincoln Monument, FDR memorial, and back door to "The Farm" (CIA training grounds outside the city), Washington D.C.
2. Manhattan, New York City
2. Raleigh, Durham, & Pittsboro, North Carolina - yes, all three are fantastic places
1. My lake (nowhere fancy, but still my favourite place in the world)
Ten Silly, Dumb, or Crazy Things I've Done (and may regret admitting)
10. Sang (and performed a little) "King of Spain" along with a group of girls in the middle of downtown Philadelphia
9. Walking out of a restaurant in Manitoulin Island without paying. They charged $18 for 6 shrimp and an ice cream scoop of rice. This was most definitely not what was advertised in their menu, which they refused to bring back for me to point out. So I walked out. The big rebel move that cost them less than $2. I should note that I'm enough of a nerd that I considered going back in and just paying for it, but the people I was with refused to let me.
8. Going out every night of the week for an entire summer, even though the bars close at 2am and I started work at 8:30am. (I guess I'm getting old now because even the memory of this is pretty painful.)
7. Leaving the Saddledome arena during a PLAYOFF GAME because we figured it was all over. Only to find out later that said game went into overtime.
6. Taking my 17 year old brother's advice about making a watermelon bomb - as mentioned in previous posts, it did not work out well.
5. Eating a gross tasting watermelon just because a 26er of Silent Sam vodka had been jammed into it. And using beer to wash the taste away. Lots of beer...
4. Wandered around Montreal for over an hour looking for the LCBO. I don't think this needs further explanation, c'ept to say that I was not the only one involved in this.
3. Going on a road trip to Temiskaming for my 18th birthday just because I was "legal" there. When the store didn't card me, I immediately produced my ID and proudly insisted they look at it. Must have thought I was nuts...
2. Got lost in Washington D.C. (for the 8th time in one night) and wound up taking pictures of the gated fence (complete with floodlights, signs demanding ID and guard tower) of the CIA training grounds with a digital camera. The stupidity of this didn't dawn on us until much later...
1. Tried to light my then-new BBQ while it was closed. (in my defense it was the first time I'd ever lit a BBQ.) This led to a huuuge ball of fire coming out of the bottom, accompanied by two booming noises - the first the gas being ignited and the second the BBQ landing back on the ground after jumping several inches into the air. Not my finest moment.
My 10 favourite things in my apartment
10. The kitchen table & chairs
9. The chairs from Goodwill that I bought for $35 dollars each
8. My box of teaching supplies (stickers, cardstock, markers, tons of fun stuff)
7. The big TV
6. Jeremy's couch
5. My ancient clock radio (that I've had since grade 8)
4. The pictures on the wall and my photo albums / my cameras
3. The bookshelf & my books
2. My plants
1. The sound of Jeremy having a conversation with our cat
Things I'll miss the most about Canada
10. Seeing Canadian flags and singing the national anthem
9. Being proud of the fact that I'm from Northen Ontario (and have people actually know where that is)
8. Believe it or not: snow.
7. Not having to explain what it means to be Canadian to other people.
6. The beer (need I say more)
5. Ice in my drinks and the fact that they don't serve blood pudding in our pubs
4. Really good thunderstorms! (and on the flip side - the fact that it doesn't rain for 4 months straight here)
3. Hockey Night in Canada
2. The outside - all of the lakes and forests here - I love knowing that I can go camping in so many places just in Ontario.
1. This one's a no-brainer: My family and friends (and kitty too)
Top 10 things I want to do before moving to England
10. Spend an entire day and night reading a really good book
9. Take the sight-seeing boat tour in the Detroit river (only $10 an hour!)
8. Spend an afternoon taking pictures along the waterfront
7. Discover a nice picnic spot along the river that nobody else seems to know about
6. Grill the perfect steak before giving up my BBQ
5. Actually have some friends visit us in Windsor
4. Do the last "girl days" with my friends (the spa is calling my name!)
3. Have a shopping day with my mom
2. Realize that everything is going to be okay, that we'll find a place to live, Jeremy will find a job he enjoys, we'll make tons of friends, and I'll love being a supply teacher in London, England.
1. Spend a day in the lake. Yes, a day. And yes, I've done this before.
10 things I want to do while living in London
10. Ride in the Milennium Eye
9. Go to the Notting Hill market
8. See Buckingham Palace and try to make the guards laugh
7. Buy one of those Union Jack hats (like the one Joey wore in Friends)
6. Go canoeing in Hyde Park
5. Learn how to find my way around the city without getting completely lost
4. Ride in a double-decker bus
3. Order a pint and real fish & chips in a British pub
2. Take road trips to Dublin, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Paris
1. Have family and friends come and VISIT!!
My 10 favourite pictures (sorry if these are repeats from other posts) as seen throughout this post.
That ends my 100th post - hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
posted by Melinda @ 5:13 PM
4 Comments:
At 7:46 AM,
Rob said…
AWESOME post Mel! Man, I can NOT wait to read your posts from across the pond. Bet your ass that if I end up with a good chunk of change in the next couple years, I'll make it over there. I know Nikki loves England so she'd be game!
At 8:09 AM,
Laura said…
I don't even know where to start on this one...
Soooo many good memories. The wierdest thing is I had a dream with Chris Egan in it last night... haven't thought about him for the better part of a decade and then... Billy Joel... that's hilarious.
I'm so glad we can keep in touch this way so that we can talk while you're in England. It seems funny to think we haven't been in touch for such a long time.
Crazy.
(But I always thought of you when I heard the proclaimers!!)
At 9:23 AM,
Melinda said…
Well Rob, you & Nikki are always welcome to visit! Jeremy and I are definitely adopting an open-door policy for anybody who feels like traveling :)
Laura, that song has always made me think of you too - even when we had been out of touch completely. I'm so glad that we'll have the chance to make some new memories :)
very weird about Egan btw... I can still hear your voice imitiating that lady in the hotel "Song time is O-VER"
At 8:44 AM,
Kim said…
Wow, I can't believe how much of a celebrity I began to feel like after all of those references in your post. *Blush*. The great 100th was exactly that by the way. I had SUCH a good time reading it, and had a really good laugh over good ol' Humperdink. It never gets old to remember all of those good times, and it was great to read about what you hope the future holds as well. I know it will be really sad if we visit you in England before Windsor, so hopefully we can make a little day trip soon! ;)
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