Have passport . . . want to travel.

I stumbled across this list for "The Travel List Challenge's 100 Places to Visit Before You Die" and found that I really need to do more traveling. Now if only I could win the lottery it would be much more easy to accomplish. Here is the list . . . how many have you been to? I only scored a 14.

1 - Alamo

2 - Alhambra

3 - Andros Island

4 - Angel Falls

5 - Angkor Wat, Cambodia

6 - Atlantic City Boardwalk

7 - Ayers Rock

8 - Big Ben

9 - Bora Bora

10 - British Museum

11 - Canals of Amsterdam

12 - Cathedral of Seville

13 - Cave of Crystals

14 - Christ the Redeemer

15 - Cinque Terre National Park

16 - Colosseum

17 - Crater Lake

18 - Dead Sea

19 - Death Valley

20 - Devil's Tower

21 - Dome of the Rock

22 - Easter Island

23 - Edinburgh Castle

24 - Eiffel Tower

25 - Empire State Building

26 - The Forbidden City, China

27 - French Quarter

28 - Galapagos Islands

29 - Gateway Arch

30 - Gettysburg Battlefield

31 - Glacier Bay Basin

32 - Glacier National Park

33 - Glowworm Cave

34 - Golden Gate Bridge

35 - Grand Canal

36 - Grand Canyon

37 - Grand Mosque in Mecca

38 - Great Barrier Reef

39 - Great Mosque of Cordoba

40 - Great Wall of China

41 - Hagia Sophia

42 - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

43 - Hollywood Boulevard

44 - Iguazu Falls

45 - Kiyomizu Dera

46 - Kremlin

47 - Lake Titicaca

48 - Las Ramblas

49 - Las Vegas Strip

50 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa

51 - Louvre Museum

52 - Machu Picchu

53 - Matterhorn

54 - Mayan Pyramids of Chichen Itza

55 - Metropolitan Museum of Art

56 - Mount Everest

57 - Mount Fuji

58 - Mount Kilimanjaro

59 - Mount Rushmore

60 - Napa Valley

61 - Ngorongoro Crater

62 - Niagara Falls

63 - Notre Dame Cathedral

64 - Pacific Rim National Park

65 - Pebble Beaches of Nice

66 - Petra

67 - Petronas Twin Towers

68 - Portland Head Lighthouse

69 - Puerta del Sol

70 - Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

71 - Redwood National Park

72 - Rock of Gibraltar

73 - Rocky Mountain National Park

74 - Ruins of Athens

75 - Ruins of Pompeii

76 - Sagrada Familia

77 - Willis Tower (Sears Tower)

78 - Sedlec Ossuary

79 - Sistine Chapel

80 - Smithsonian Institution

81 - Space Needle

82 - St. Peter's Basilica

83 - Statue of Liberty

84 - Stonehenge

85 - Sydney Opera House

86 - Taj Mahal

87 - Temple of the Golden Pavilion

88 - Teotihuacan

89 - Tian Tan Buddha

90 - Times Square

91 - Varanasi

92 - Victoria Falls

93 - Wailing Wall

94 - Walt Disney World Resort

95 - The Washington Monument

96 - White Cliffs of Dover

97 - White House

98 - Winchester Cathedral

99 - Yosemite National Park

100 - Zion National Park

Holy Jackpot!

Driving into work this morning I noticed that the Powerball sign said the jackpot is up to $116 million so you know I began dreaming in my head what I would do with that money. I got to work, started up my computer, checked voicemail and emails. I was even a good girl and checked my work flow for the day and then popped over to 7-11 and bought a soda, banana and a powerball ticket. Just one. I know just one but hey it only takes one.

Then I went onto the website to see if I could borrow a picture for my blog post (sadly no) and it said the estimated jackpot is $116 million and the pay out would be $67.5 million. WOW - Uncle Sam has already calculated how much they would get. . .  but still I could use $67.5 million to "play" with.

How would you spend your $67.5 million? I have already started planning out how I would. Here's what I would do:

$100,000 would go to bills (i.e. paying off cars, credit card bills, student loans, misc)
$150,000 would go to Smiley's college fund (I looked it up the cost today for a 4 year school and for tuition, housing, food and books, along with other "fees" it would be around $77,000 for an in-state college and $129,000 for an out of state college). HOLY CRAP!
$200,000 for a trust fund for Smiley
$500,000 would go to my dream house (to have it built and to pay for it in full)
$300,000 to decorate and furnish my dream house (may have to raise this depending on what I want) 
$500,000 for paying off family bills (yep I didn't forget about them and this is just the start)
$1,000,000 for travel money (its a start)
$1,000,000 for my personal assistant/nanny (would need to juggle being Smiley's nanny and my assistant so He/She would need to be paid well don't you think - there will be travel involved

I know there are other expenses but that is a nice "start" don't you think of how I would spend my money. . .  a girl can dream can't she?!

Holy Heat!

Holy Heat! 

I am not a fan of July in Virigina, especially when the forecast is the main topic of conversation on the news.

Today's forecast, brought to you by The Weather Channel for Dumfries, VA is as follows:

At 9 am it will be 80^°F and mostly sunny - it will feel like 84°and the humidity levels are at 80%.

At noon it will be 88^°F and mostly cloudy (no chance of meatballs) - it will feel like 96°.

At 5 pm it will be 92^°F and partly cloudy (no chance of meatballs) - it will feel like 100°.

I hate humidity - I feel like I'm melting. 

Focus, Focus

I can't focus today. You want to know how bad it is. This is the third version of my blog entry. Heck I couldn't even get it right the first 2 times so this is what you get. I have never been officially diagnosed with ADD but I know I have it (just watch me try and clean my house - I'm all over the house all day and never get anything done). My dreams are always all over the place. Heck even when I end a long conversation with someone I have to think back to how we got to what we discussed. I'm all over the place. I have tons to do that I NEED to focus on but I'm just not there.

I'm all over the map today and I'm also whining - ugh. I have so many things that are running through my mind that I know I need to write them down.

The subject matter that is running around my brain right now:

Cleaning my closet
Cleaning Smiley's room
Cleaning the house as a whole
Donating vs. selling old clothes, shoes, house items
Trying new recipes
Cleaning the pantry out
Replacing the shelves in the pantry
Ordering an new battery for my laptop
Paying bills
Saving money
My hair and how it is annoying me
Losing weights
Exercising
Getting more sleep
Being more proactive with Smiley
Summer activities
Vacation (ha ha ha yeah right)
My Jeep
Reading
Facebook
Pinterest

Oh yeah and work.

That is just a sample of thoughts that keep running around in my head fighting for my attention.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Bucket Lists

Last Saturday I was part of the choir who sang at 2 Confirmation Masses. The Bishop asked the kids if they had a bucket list. Well here is were you insert the "deer in the headlight" look. They had no idea. He asked if any of the adults did to which lots of hands were raised. Then he explained what a bucket list was and there were a bunch of "ohhh"s that went around the room. Well it got me to thinking, I've said I would put together a bucket list but I've never really sat down and put one together. I do know most of my "to dos" would be travel to here and do this.

Do you have a bucket list? What's on your list? I found a few websites that have suggestions of what to put on your bucket list. Here are some of them: 

- Get in the Guinness Book of World Records
- Bungee Jump from Royal Gorge Bridge (OMG have you lost your mind - this is NOT on my list)
- Bathe in the Ganges River During the Purna Kumbh Mela
- Attend the Olympic Games (ok this one is on my bucket list)

- Drive your dream car

- Drink Beer at Oktoberfest (add this one to my list as well)
- Go to the Super Bowl (not on my list but I beg B-man would love to do this)
- Visit Redwood National Park (yep add to my list)
- Make Your Own Wine in Napa Valley
- Learn to Tango in Buenos Aires
- Ride a Hot Air Balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey (I've been in a hot air balloon already)
- Ride on the Singapore Flyer
- Party at Mardi Gras (yes please)
- Ride a Gondola in Venice, Italy (again yes please)
- See the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) (ooh ooh pick me)
- Go on an African Safari at the Masai Mara National Reserve (Kenya)
- Spend the Night at the The Myrtles Plantation (one of America's most haunted houses - ooh)
- Play Golf on The Old Course at St. Andrews 
- Milk a Cow (yea I'll pass on that one)
- Chase a Tornado (no way, I'd milk the cow first)
- Cage-Dive with Crocodiles (OMG)
- Visit the Taj Mahal
- Ride an Elephant (OMG I would die a happy woman)
- Be part of a flash mob (would love to do this)
- Swim with dolphins (check this one off my list - you really should do it - it is AMAZING!)
- Learn to sing (check so maybe um in my case sing with . . . Michael Buble)
- Stay in an Overwater Bungalow in Bora Bora (yes please)
- Go to Ferrari World
- Be a movie extra (that would be so cool!)
- Ride a Cable Car in San Francisco (been there, done that - with wine in hand too)
- Get a Ph.D. Degree (don't known what I want to get my Masters in yet so yea not happening)
- Become a Foster Parent (human or animal I think this would be great!)
- Drink a $1,000+ Bottle of Champagne
- Learn CPR (already certified) 
- Watch a Movie at a Drive-In Movie Theater (check this one off my list)
- Buy a Round of Drinks for the Whole Bar
- Become a Space Tourist
- Stay at the Icehotel in Sweden (I'd do it) 
- Hold a Koala (yes please)
- Participate in a protest
- Write a book (maybe, I've toyed with the idea before) 
- Visit the Auschwitz Concentration Camp (yes this is on my list)
- See Old Faithful (yes)


WOW that is a lot of ideas. So again I ask, why is on your bucket list?

These dreams go on when I close my eyes

"These dreams go on when I close my eyes." You can thank me later for getting that Heart song stuck in your head . . . but seriously lets talk about my dreams.

As I have mentioned I have a vivid imagination and my most interesting dreams usually entertain zombies - but not today folks. My most recent crazy dream happened 2 nights ago (there was no sleep last night between Smiley and the headache that I was dealing with) and it was one of those "back in high school" dreams.

Yep one of those dreams and I know what you are thinking . . . I had pants on. My dream was that it was the first day of school and I was going back to my High School (PSHS . . . I said uh ungowa got the Pantha Powa!) and I was trying to find my first class. Apparently in the last 19 years the school has grown in physical size and layout. The classroom I determined was on the upper level and since I didn't know what the subject was, but for some reason I thought it was either English or History (which they didn't have those classes on that level), I couldn't find the room number. Then I asked a teacher (the bell was about to ring and I didn't want to be a loser who was lost on my first day) where it was and he told me it was on the other side of the upper level and then asked me if I had a shop class on my schedule and when I said no me took me to the shop wing to show me why I needed to take this class.

What the what I say? Where the heck did all of that come from?

According to Dream Moods Dictionary (www.dreammoods.com) when you look up LOST (the most dominant theme in the dream) this is what you find:

To dream that you are lost suggests that you have lost your direction in life or that you have lost sight of your goals. You may be feeling worried and insecure about the path you are taking in life. If you try to call for help, then it means that you are trying to reach out for support. You are looking for someone to lean on. Alternatively, being lost means that you are still adjusting to a new situation in which the rules and conditions are ever changing.

Outrageous Riders!

This morning on the radio on my way into work the local radio station was listing different celebrity riders for when they are performing. Some of them are known to be outrageous and just plain stupid. So it got me to thinking, when I am rich and famous and I go on tour what would I have in my rider? More on that later. For now let me share with you some of the celebrity riders that I found online today during my Google search.

Lady Gaga
- A nude mannequin (are you really surprised about this - it's Lady Gaga after all)
- 1 pack long straws (must be extra long)
- An elliptical machine
- 6 Activa (does Jamie Lee Curtis come with them?)
- 1 container of homemade guacamole (what no chips?)
- 2 Bottles of White wine (I'm good with this)
- 1 Bottle of Red wine (No glasses? Oh wait that must be what the extra long straws are for)

Mariah Carey
- $200 Bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2 Vases full of white roses
- 20 white kittens (does she adopt them after her tour?)
- 100 white doves (well at least the kittens eat well on tour)
- Room must be 75 degrees (too warm for me)

Justin Bieber (gag)
- Large package of Swedish Fish
- Apples and Caramel
- Herbal teas (actually a smart choice - did I just say that?)
- 4 packages of white tee shirts
- 3 packages of lo-rise socks

Adele
- 2 Bottles of Red Wine
- European Lagers (party at Adele's dressing room - whoo hoo)

Kanye West (gag)
- Imported and recut Versace towels
- A chauffeur who drives him wearing only 100% cotton clothing

Britney Spears (gag)
- McDonald's cheeseburgers (no buns) - and you wonder why you put on weight?
- 100 figs and prunes (um not going there)

Mary J. Blige
- A new toilet seat installed in her dressing room bathroom before she arrived (I don't see a problem with this)

Jennifer Lopez
- Her trailer must be furnished in all white (flowers, tablecloths, couches, candles, etc) - uh white?

John Mayer (blah)
- Organic fruit
- Soy milk
- Soft head toothbrushes
- Listerine mouth wash
- Mint flavored Sensodyne or Tom's of Maine toothpaste
- Altoids (OK I may not particularly like the guy but at least he tries to keep his mouth minty fresh and his demands are not too crazy)

Nicki Minaj
- Buckets of spicy fried chicken -no thighs, lots of wings (man that girl can eat)
- 3 packs of gum (all different flavors)
- 2 space heaters (guess she gets cold easily)

Madonna
- 20 International phone lines (I guess for her 300 person entourage)
- Lillies, white and pink roses with stems that are trimmed to precisely 6 inches

OK so some are not as odd as you would think but I'm guessing some of the really strange or overly demanding requests are not published. An agent has to protect their client.

 

What would be in my rider? Well lets see. . . if I was famous and they all bowed at my feet then I think I would have:

- Really soft linens and towels (now my assistant could arrange to have some that were my own placed in my trailer/dressing room)

- Good pillows. I am a stickler about my pillows. B-man laughs at me for all the pillows I have on the bed (I don't like really fluffy or soft pillows and I can't sleep flat so . . . good pillows.

- Quality food. . . . if I am rich I now can have the best of the best when it comes to food (not organic this organic that - just really good quality food)

- Fiji water (for when I'm rehearsing or performing). Singers know to keep hydrated and I just personally like Fiji water. I know someone who only drinks Starbucks water and well if it works for him great!

- I'm not a champagne person so probably good bottles of wine (no they don't have to be uber expensive)

- A safe play/sleep area for Smiley. She and B-man would naturally be going with me wherever I went so her happiness and safety are priority (even over my pillows).

- Twinkies (love them, miss them, so happy they are coming back but yes I would use my celebrity to get them)

So what would your rider include?