MICAL'S BUCKET LIST .... oh, yeah!
#1 Hike through New Zealand!!!
#2 - Run a mini marathon
#3 - Read through the Bible AT LEAST 3 times ... once in my NIV, once in my ESV, and once in my NASB
#4 - Learn to play bar chords on my guitar
#5 - Take swing dancing lessons (CHECK!)
#6 - Marry an oober godly guy!
#7 - Have at least 4 kids and homeschool them
#8 - Take a 3-day solitude trip! (CHECK!)
#9 - Visit my sponsored child (Ruth) in Bolivia
#10 - Read all of Mere Christianity
#11 - Take a BBF trip to the Bosom Buddies Cottages in Canada with Emily!!!
#12 - Be a waitress
#13 - Visit all 50 states!
#14 - Go to a Gaither Vocal Band concert (CHECK!)
#15 - Learn to Country Line Dance
#16 - Learn Hip Hop!
#17 - Go Hot Air-Ballooning
#18 - Ride a water motorcycle ... otherwise known as ... the jet ski ... hahaha!!!
#19 - Take some Bible classes
#20 - Read a Psalm in front of the Appalachian Mountains
#21 - Get my biography of Judy Nilsen published in some way, shape, or form
#22 - Be a summer camp counselor
#23 - Stand outside in a lightning storm!!! (CHECK!)
#24 - Make a nature calendar with the photos I've taken
#25 - Get FLOOR seat tickets to a Gaither Vocal Band Concert!!!
#26 - Visit Big Sky, Montana
#27 - DANCE on the Ellen DeGeneres Show!!! What? Oh, yeah!
#28 - Eat some New York Pizza
#29 - Visit the Home of Hope Orphanage in China (where the Goddard's are!)
#30 - Go to the Iowa-80 truck stop ... the largest truck stop in the world!!!
#31 - Go to Mountain Top Ministries in Haiti (where Willem and Beth are!)
#32 - Go to Europe with Hannah Baker!!!
#33 - Write a book ... yes, that's right - a BOOK!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Pennsylvania/West Virginia: The Work Camp - or lack thereof
I should probably stop adding to my list and start writing about my adventures! :)
Got back from Pennsylvania AND West Virginia on Monday night ... it was an interesting weekend. Saturday morning around 8:00, I left my house to head for Pittsburgh. A work camp full of teenagers awaited me there. Or not. I had set out to volunteer as a behind the scenes leader on the trip, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping floors, keeping the lodging facility spic and span for the week. But when I got to Pittsburgh, no one was anywhere to be found. I had arrived the night before to get settled in and have dinner with the staff. So I waited around for while, but no one came. I called 3 or 4 different numbers to get ahold of someone ... anyone! ... at the organization. Nada. So I decided to head out of Pittsburgh to find a hotel for the night. Stayed in a Motel 6 that night, got some Bob Evans for breakfast the next morning, and headed back to the facility for registration and welcoming the campers. Ha! But no one was there once again. I was beyond confused at this point. I continued calling the numbers I was given in case of questions or emergencies. No one answered. I walked next door to a church that was just finishing up its Sunday morning service, or so it appeared to be.
"Do y'all know anything about a work camp going on next door this week?" The man shook his head and said, "I see people doing things over there on Wednesday nights, but I don't know about a camp."
Weird, right? Wow. I was dumbfounded. Where was everyone? I wish I could say the camp folks eventually showed up, and they explained their tardiness ... but no. I waited around just outside of Pittsburgh for nearly 2 hours, waiting for a call ... but I heard nothing. I knew nothing. ... So I finally decided to head home.
Thankfully, I'm on a quest to see all 50 states .... and Pennsylvania is a beautiful state! Pittsburgh is awesome too - full of tunnels and bridges and a huge river running through the middle of it! So the trip wasn't wasted by any stretch of the imagination. AND! I decided to take the long way home ... through West Virginia! Ohhh! WV made it beyond worth it! I took I-79 through central WV to Charleston ... and it was entirely gorgeous! Mountains the whole trip into Ohio! Heck! It was pretty hilly into Indiana!!!! It was such a great trip! I'm still trying to get ahold of the work camp folks ... but the trip was great anyway!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Florida: The Sunburn
The 50 States Adventure begins!!!!
As of right now, I've traveled to 11 different states around the country. By the end of the month, I will have visited 13 states! Yeah!!!!
For these 50 States posts, I will be sharing one or more stories about experiences I've had in each state. I have to have a story to tell ... that's the only way the state "counts" for the bucket list. ... So here goes ... first story! Probably the shortest of the tales ...
Sunburns.
Ugh! Ever had one? A really bad one??? ... I'm a redhead. I'm fair-skinned. Whew! Put those together, and you get a fried tomato after 20 minutes!!!
As a kid, my dad and mom and my brother and I traveled to Florida for vacation every summer. I don't remember too much about those vacations other than long car rides, big hotel rooms, the beach, jelly fish scaring me when they got washed ashore, and ... SUNBURNS!
One summer, I got the worst sunburn Of. My. Life.
We were out on the beach for probably 3 or 4 hours, and I put sunblock on most of my body. Forgot my back. ... Gosh. It was terrible! I was so burned that I couldn't even put a shirt on!!! It was so bad that we had to leave our vacation early 'cause I was so miserable. What a bummer. Don't remember much about the beach ... but that sunburn? Ouch! I'll never forget it!!!
As of right now, I've traveled to 11 different states around the country. By the end of the month, I will have visited 13 states! Yeah!!!!
For these 50 States posts, I will be sharing one or more stories about experiences I've had in each state. I have to have a story to tell ... that's the only way the state "counts" for the bucket list. ... So here goes ... first story! Probably the shortest of the tales ...
Sunburns.
Ugh! Ever had one? A really bad one??? ... I'm a redhead. I'm fair-skinned. Whew! Put those together, and you get a fried tomato after 20 minutes!!!
As a kid, my dad and mom and my brother and I traveled to Florida for vacation every summer. I don't remember too much about those vacations other than long car rides, big hotel rooms, the beach, jelly fish scaring me when they got washed ashore, and ... SUNBURNS!
One summer, I got the worst sunburn Of. My. Life.
We were out on the beach for probably 3 or 4 hours, and I put sunblock on most of my body. Forgot my back. ... Gosh. It was terrible! I was so burned that I couldn't even put a shirt on!!! It was so bad that we had to leave our vacation early 'cause I was so miserable. What a bummer. Don't remember much about the beach ... but that sunburn? Ouch! I'll never forget it!!!
Totaled Car in a Lightning Storm
One Monday night ... or rather, a Tuesday early, early morning ... I totaled my car.
Yes ... I, Mical Masterson, the "grandma," the never-got-a-ticket "safe" driver ... completely destroyed her car.
Usually, when you think of someone "totaling" their car, you probably think ... two cars, collision, mangled fender or bumper or entire car. Well, I ran into a flood, and my car drowned.
Plainfield. On Township Line Road (otherwise known as East County Road 300 South). I was headed home from Plainfield ... driving home on that road ... when "BAM!" I hit something. At first, I didn't know what ... then, my car shut off. I look ahead, and I see tons of water! And before I know it, the water starts coming in through the floor, and the water picks up my car and moves it to the side of the rode. I panic! My first thought ... "I'm gonna die!" My second thought ... "My car is gonna be ruined!" My third thought ... "Phone! Where's my phone!?" Seconds before my entire purse is soaked through and everything in it is ruined, I grab it from the floor, grab my phone and start dialing my dad. Umm ... yeah. I'm still in the car, and it is filling with water!!! Can you tell I'm panicked? Umm ... yeah. Idiot. I was so panicked I wasn't functioning right! My dad picks up, and I tell him ... "Dad, I'm fine, but I need to call you back." I hang up, work up all the courage I can to open the door, get out of the car in the oober deep, creepy, dark, anything-could-be-swimming-around-and-eat-me scary water! I walk probably 50 feet to the road, and as soon as I get out of the creepy water, I grab my phone again and call my dad. He tells me to duck and cover ... seeing as there is a lightning storm going on, it's about to start pouring, and I could die! Not from water but from lightning ... or come to find out ... a tornado! Yes, there were some starting to form not too far from where I was. After I get off the phone with my dad, I call Triple A. Someone stops to help. I jump in his car, and we sit to wait for my dad. Fire trucks and ambulances are coming. Oh, man. A half an hour later, my dad shows up. I thank the super nice guy who let me sit with him and hop in the car with my dad. We go park near the scene of the flood. Sit for 20 minutes or so. And by this time, there's a news guy. Yeah. A lone news guy drives up, gets out of his car, talks to the firemen, and heads down to my nearly-underwater car. I just prayed that he wouldn't try to find the driver. I did not want to see "the idiocy of Mical Masterson" all over the news the next day! Whew! He finally leaves, and I take a sigh of relief. So we wait just over an hour for the Triple A guy with the tow truck to show up. He comes, and the water is too deep. I have to leave the car over night. Oh my gosh. So I come back the next morning around 11am. And my car is GONE! I go from the fire department to the municipal building to the police department to Whitlow's, the tow truck place ... where I finally find my car. My dad meets me there, we discuss the details, and then we leave. I found out the next day that my car was totaled ... no doubt, right? It sat in 4 feet of water all night long. ... So my poor Chevy Malibu has gone to car heaven. Sad tale, huh?
I know there's one line about the lighting storm ... but the story was too good not to share! ;) So ... I stood outside in a lightning storm. Check!!!
Yes ... I, Mical Masterson, the "grandma," the never-got-a-ticket "safe" driver ... completely destroyed her car.
Usually, when you think of someone "totaling" their car, you probably think ... two cars, collision, mangled fender or bumper or entire car. Well, I ran into a flood, and my car drowned.
Plainfield. On Township Line Road (otherwise known as East County Road 300 South). I was headed home from Plainfield ... driving home on that road ... when "BAM!" I hit something. At first, I didn't know what ... then, my car shut off. I look ahead, and I see tons of water! And before I know it, the water starts coming in through the floor, and the water picks up my car and moves it to the side of the rode. I panic! My first thought ... "I'm gonna die!" My second thought ... "My car is gonna be ruined!" My third thought ... "Phone! Where's my phone!?" Seconds before my entire purse is soaked through and everything in it is ruined, I grab it from the floor, grab my phone and start dialing my dad. Umm ... yeah. I'm still in the car, and it is filling with water!!! Can you tell I'm panicked? Umm ... yeah. Idiot. I was so panicked I wasn't functioning right! My dad picks up, and I tell him ... "Dad, I'm fine, but I need to call you back." I hang up, work up all the courage I can to open the door, get out of the car in the oober deep, creepy, dark, anything-could-be-swimming-around-and-eat-me scary water! I walk probably 50 feet to the road, and as soon as I get out of the creepy water, I grab my phone again and call my dad. He tells me to duck and cover ... seeing as there is a lightning storm going on, it's about to start pouring, and I could die! Not from water but from lightning ... or come to find out ... a tornado! Yes, there were some starting to form not too far from where I was. After I get off the phone with my dad, I call Triple A. Someone stops to help. I jump in his car, and we sit to wait for my dad. Fire trucks and ambulances are coming. Oh, man. A half an hour later, my dad shows up. I thank the super nice guy who let me sit with him and hop in the car with my dad. We go park near the scene of the flood. Sit for 20 minutes or so. And by this time, there's a news guy. Yeah. A lone news guy drives up, gets out of his car, talks to the firemen, and heads down to my nearly-underwater car. I just prayed that he wouldn't try to find the driver. I did not want to see "the idiocy of Mical Masterson" all over the news the next day! Whew! He finally leaves, and I take a sigh of relief. So we wait just over an hour for the Triple A guy with the tow truck to show up. He comes, and the water is too deep. I have to leave the car over night. Oh my gosh. So I come back the next morning around 11am. And my car is GONE! I go from the fire department to the municipal building to the police department to Whitlow's, the tow truck place ... where I finally find my car. My dad meets me there, we discuss the details, and then we leave. I found out the next day that my car was totaled ... no doubt, right? It sat in 4 feet of water all night long. ... So my poor Chevy Malibu has gone to car heaven. Sad tale, huh?
I know there's one line about the lighting storm ... but the story was too good not to share! ;) So ... I stood outside in a lightning storm. Check!!!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The Cheater Post
So ... I'm gonna post about my dance lessons ... all 3 of them. Now, I will admit ... this is kind of the cheater post. Not only 'cause I'm talking about 3 bucket list items in one post but also 'cause y'all may think the following stories about my swing dance lessons, country line dance lessons, and hip hop dance lessons are fakes ... or at least ... not good enough for counting 'em "checked off." But I'm allowing 'em. Ha! They may not be "formal" dance lessons at a dance studio ... but who says they have to be? ;)
Swing Dance Lessons Part 1: Just over a year ago, I took a ballroom dance class at IUPUI. It was my only elective in my 4 1/2 years of college. It was a ton of fun! Every Thursday night after class, the "Swing Cats" would come in and practice their swing dancing. About half-way through the semester, I finally braved it up and stayed after for some swing lessons. They taught me two basic swing moves that would help give me a foundation for the rest of swing dancing. (Now, I only went to probably 3 of these swing dancing nights ... I was only really intimidated! ... But that's beside the point.) I had swing dancing lessons.
Swing Dance Lessons Part 2: For that ballroom class, we had to go dancin' at a real dance studio ... on one of their open-dance nights. So I piled a group of girls from my class in my car, and we rode to the Starlite ... a ballroom/other dance studio. We danced with several guys. And one of those guys was an instructor at the studio. He pulled me on the dance floor for some swing and taught me a bit as we went. Fun, fun!
Swing Dance Lessons Part 3: As a part of my ... was it 21st birthday? Or was it the 22nd? I don't remember. I think it was my 21st. As a part of my 21st birthday celebrations, Jared Wade, Mags, Hannah, Tiffany, and I went to Fountain Square for a night of swing dancing. They have swing dancing there nearly every Friday throughout a good chunk, if not the entire, year. They have lessons before each dance party too! So we went for lessons and dancing. It was a ton of fun ... and I also learned a swing dance routine there.
Country Line Dance Lessons Part 1: For VBS at my church this summer, we did a Wild West theme. And for the kickoff last Sunday night, we did some country line dancing! Oh, it was so fun! The Sunday prior to the kickoff, a lady from my church taught us a couple of basic country line dance steps: the cotton-eyed joe and something she called the 16-step. Too much fun! And dancing at the kickoff was a blast ... there's a video of our cotton-eyed joe on my Facebook page. Check it out!
Country Line Dance Lessons Part 2: Yes, I am this cheesy! After Patty (the wonderful country line dance "teacher" from church) taught us some steps, I was hungry for more! So I headed to Wal-Mart to pick up a Country Line Dance workout video!!! It is a ton of fun! I've learned at least 10 more country line dance steps! Amazing!
Hip Hop Dance Lessons: Again, I am this cheesy! :D ... The day I bought my country line dance workout video, I also bought a hip hop dance workout video. They are both fun, but I absolutely love the hip hop! Sooo much fun! And what a workout! I'm learning to "shake it" and "pop it" and "roll it" ... ha! So I'm sure y'all will understand when I tell you I only dance by myself in our people-free basement! ;)
Swing Dance Lessons Part 1: Just over a year ago, I took a ballroom dance class at IUPUI. It was my only elective in my 4 1/2 years of college. It was a ton of fun! Every Thursday night after class, the "Swing Cats" would come in and practice their swing dancing. About half-way through the semester, I finally braved it up and stayed after for some swing lessons. They taught me two basic swing moves that would help give me a foundation for the rest of swing dancing. (Now, I only went to probably 3 of these swing dancing nights ... I was only really intimidated! ... But that's beside the point.) I had swing dancing lessons.
Swing Dance Lessons Part 2: For that ballroom class, we had to go dancin' at a real dance studio ... on one of their open-dance nights. So I piled a group of girls from my class in my car, and we rode to the Starlite ... a ballroom/other dance studio. We danced with several guys. And one of those guys was an instructor at the studio. He pulled me on the dance floor for some swing and taught me a bit as we went. Fun, fun!
Swing Dance Lessons Part 3: As a part of my ... was it 21st birthday? Or was it the 22nd? I don't remember. I think it was my 21st. As a part of my 21st birthday celebrations, Jared Wade, Mags, Hannah, Tiffany, and I went to Fountain Square for a night of swing dancing. They have swing dancing there nearly every Friday throughout a good chunk, if not the entire, year. They have lessons before each dance party too! So we went for lessons and dancing. It was a ton of fun ... and I also learned a swing dance routine there.
Country Line Dance Lessons Part 1: For VBS at my church this summer, we did a Wild West theme. And for the kickoff last Sunday night, we did some country line dancing! Oh, it was so fun! The Sunday prior to the kickoff, a lady from my church taught us a couple of basic country line dance steps: the cotton-eyed joe and something she called the 16-step. Too much fun! And dancing at the kickoff was a blast ... there's a video of our cotton-eyed joe on my Facebook page. Check it out!
Country Line Dance Lessons Part 2: Yes, I am this cheesy! After Patty (the wonderful country line dance "teacher" from church) taught us some steps, I was hungry for more! So I headed to Wal-Mart to pick up a Country Line Dance workout video!!! It is a ton of fun! I've learned at least 10 more country line dance steps! Amazing!
Hip Hop Dance Lessons: Again, I am this cheesy! :D ... The day I bought my country line dance workout video, I also bought a hip hop dance workout video. They are both fun, but I absolutely love the hip hop! Sooo much fun! And what a workout! I'm learning to "shake it" and "pop it" and "roll it" ... ha! So I'm sure y'all will understand when I tell you I only dance by myself in our people-free basement! ;)
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