Doug’s list of dreams

posted by Doug on Thu Nov 10, 2005 at 6:16 pm | 1 comment

I’ve always been a dreamer.

I’m also turning into somewhat of a list-maker because I tend to forget things.

So I’ve started a list of things I’d like to do, places I’d like to go and people I’d like to see before the Lord calls me home (in no particular order).

  1. Hike the Appalachian Trail
  2. Learn to read music
  3. Run in the NYC marathon
  4. Visit the Grand Canyon
  5. Learn to play the bass guitar
  6. Become self-employed
  7. Go on a mission trip to Africa
  8. Start an orphanage
  9. Cruise to Hawaii
  10. Learn to play the guitar
  11. Become debt-free
  12. Search for the Loch Ness Monster
  13. Visit The Alamo
  14. Help someone else realize a dream
  15. See Journey in concert
  16. Learn to play the mandolin
  17. Research my family tree
  18. Become a soul-winner
  19. Have lasik surgery on my eyes
  20. Design and build our dream home
  21. Be a guest on the David Letterman Show
  22. Learn to speak Spanish
  23. Visit a village on the Yangtze River in China
  24. Help to start a church in the United States
  25. Do sit-ups until I get washboard abs
  26. Learn to play the piano
  27. Go to Disneyland
  28. Visit the island of Tinian
  29. Cruise to Alaska
  30. Bring my daughter to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ
  31. Help to start a church outside of the United States
  32. Begin an online prayer ministry
  33. Visit Niagra Falls
  34. Blow a roll of quarters at a slot machine in Las Vegas
  35. Forgive those who I feel have wronged me
  36. Ask forgiveness from those who feel I have wronged them
  37. Go whale-watching in Maine
  38. Experience New Years Eve in Times Square
  39. Visit Omaha Beach in Normandy
  40. Record a solo CD
  41. Adopt another daughter from China
  42. Be featured on TLC’s What Not To Wear
  43. Shake hands with the President
  44. Learn to play bagpipes
  45. Visit Alcatraz
  46. Learn to speak Chinese
  47. Find a ghost town out West and take pictures
  48. Go to a Broadway play
  49. Stay overnight in a location that is supposedly haunted
  50. Form and front a praise band

Is That A Bear?

posted by Doug on Thu Nov 10, 2005 at 11:58 am | I Remember | 0 comments
I remember my first trip into the woods with Dad on a hunting trip.

It was still dark outside as we nestled into our spot against the base of a big tree and waited for the squirrels to make a move. The temperature was cold enough that you could see our every breath. Off in the distance, a cow bellowed. I turned to Dad wide-eyed and asked, "Is that a bear?".

China Warning Of Hotel Attacks

posted by Doug on Wed Nov 9, 2005 at 1:27 pm | china news | 0 comments
From BBC News...

100 things about Carmi

posted by Doug on Wed Nov 9, 2005 at 10:15 am | 0 comments
  1. I am a born again Christian.
  2. I have lost count of how many times I�ve read through the Bible.
  3. I would die for my husband or daughter.
  4. I am pro life.
  5. I won't vote for anyone who believes in abortion regardless of their stance on anything else and regardless of which political party they belong to.
  6. I was born and raised in Charlotte, NC.
  7. My birthday is April 19, 1963.
  8. My birthday is also the anniversary of the start of the American Revolution, Waco and the Oklahoma City bombing.
  9. At least one good thing happened on that date!
  10. When I started first grade I told my mother I did not like my name and wanted to change it.
  11. I could never find my name on anything of the "name" things that were popular.
  12. I am glad my mother would not let me change my name.
  13. I am the oldest sibling in my family.
  14. I have one brother and two sisters.
  15. I never cut class in high school or college.
  16. My father died in 1980 when I was a senior in high school.
  17. He died with Lou Gehrig's disease and he also had Alzheimers.
  18. I graduated from high school in 1981.
  19. I graduated from Winthrop University in 1985.
  20. I got a BA in Communications and a Minor in History.
  21. I chose Communications as my major because I did not have to take much math.
  22. I am a member of Sigma, Sigma, Sigma sorority.
  23. I was a member of the history honor society at Winthrop.
  24. I made the deans list once in College.
  25. Growing up my Great Grandmother lived with us.
  26. I had a great grandfather and two great grandmothers growing up.
  27. My last great grandparent died when I was 30.
  28. I learned to cook when I was 6.
  29. My first dish was scrambled eggs.
  30. I could make a cake from scratch when I was 10.
  31. I love to read.
  32. I always read more than 100 books a summer in order to get the freebies at the library.
  33. I got in trouble for reading in bed under the covers when I was supposed to be asleep.
  34. I am now legally blind.
  35. If I was locked away for life I would be OK as long as I had access to a library.
  36. My first car was a fire engine red Rambler no air.
  37. My friends would hide in the back so no one would see them riding in that car.
  38. I took modeling classes after high school.
  39. I was too short to be a model at 5' 3".
  40. I learned to play the violin in 5th grade.
  41. I don't remember how now.
  42. I learned to play the guitar in high school.
  43. I don't remember how now.
  44. I took piano lessons as an adult.
  45. I can still play the piano.
  46. I sang in the chorus in high school to get out of taking gym.
  47. I hate singing.
  48. I was more scared of the gym teacher than I was of singing.
  49. I dream almost every night and I almost always remember the dreams.
  50. The worst nightmare I ever had was that I had to sing at a wedding without music or words.
  51. I have always done things that I thought would please people I looked up to.
  52. I joined the track team because our next door neighbor who was like another grandfather thought I should.
  53. I thought I would puke before every race I ever ran.
  54. I am terrible at sports.
  55. Photography is a hobby of mine.
  56. I took classes and learned to develop my own black & white prints in a dark room.
  57. I can sew.
  58. I made my wedding dress with some help from my mother & grandmother.
  59. One of my grandmothers was very interested in anything Asian.
  60. I learned to eat with chopsticks in elementary school.
  61. I like making jewelry.
  62. Interior decorating is a hobby that I enjoy.
  63. I used to have a butterfly collection.
  64. My first job was at a store called World Bazaar.
  65. I worked one summer at the Eckerds photo lab running a machine that cut the pictures apart.
  66. I could not believe some of the pictures people took.
  67. I have been a waitress.
  68. My first job after college was with First Union National Bank as a teller.
  69. Being a waitress and being a teller are two of the worst jobs in the world.
  70. I went back to school in 1992 and got a Paralegal Certificate from Central Piedmont Community College.
  71. I worked for Meineke Car Care Centers, Inc. for almost 12 years as a paralegal.
  72. I still work as a paralegal.
  73. When I was in high school I told my friends that I was not going to be pregnant that I was going to adopt all my children.
  74. After dealing with infertility for a number of years my husband and I decided to adopt.
  75. I wanted to adopt from China partly because of my grandmother's influence.
  76. Neither of my grandmothers lived to see our daughter.
  77. One of my grandfathers is still alive. He is 92.
  78. I expect to live to be 100.
  79. I don't really want to but I bet I will.
  80. If I had my career to do over I would go to school for photography.
  81. My dream job would be a photographer for National Geographic and/or Conde Nast Traveler.
  82. My mother used to ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle and was a member of the Ladies of Harley and the Christian Motorcycle Association.
  83. I could join the DAR if I wanted to.
  84. I can trace my ancestors back in Mecklenburg county prior to the Revolutionary War.
  85. One of my ancestors signed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.
  86. I am a night owl.
  87. I have seen Van Halen (with David Lee Roth), Journey, John Cougar Mellencamp, Foreigner, Heart, Rod Stewart, Culture Club, Rick Springfield and Bruce Springsteen in concert.
  88. I now deal with constant ringing in my ears.
  89. When my mother was pregnant with me my grandmother had a cat that would always come and sit on her tummy and purr.
  90. I have always liked cats better than dogs.
  91. When I was born my parents lived with my grandmother and grandfather until I was about 1 Year old.
  92. I will try almost any food if I can get it past my nose.
  93. On a mission trip I had a girl try to give me her baby.
  94. I hate camping.
  95. Once on a mission trip our shower was a bucket of water and a bowl to pour it over our head.
  96. This was almost too close to camping.
  97. I love to travel but always want to come home.
  98. I am afraid of swimming in the ocean due to watching Jaws in 8th grade.
  99. I am obsessive compulsive and am a freak about washing my hands before eating.
  100. I do not like science fiction movies.

I Suppose I Should Have Expected It

posted by Doug on Wed Nov 9, 2005 at 12:56 am | 1 comment
imageCarmi placed these two huge slabs of beef in the crock pot this morning so they could simmer all day and be ready for our dinner tonight.

As is her custom, she checked the slow cooker a final time before walking out the door and, to our dismay, the unit was not getting hot. I unplugged and replugged and turned the power switch on and off and even gave it the ol' Fonzie slap but nothing worked. The old girl was dead. So tonight we made a trip to Wally-World in search of another.

My head shook in disbelief as we approached the retail mecca. I suppose I should have expected it. But good grief...they already had these gargantuan Christmas wreaths hanging up over the store entrances. The temperature outside during the day is still hovering near 80 for pete's sake! I'm truly surprised that they weren't up before Halloween.

That'll be next year.

It’s Election Day

posted by Doug on Tue Nov 8, 2005 at 10:05 pm | 2 comments

It’s election day. Our town will have elected a mayor and filled four town board seats when the polls close at 7:30.

I waited until Carmi got home from work and then met her at the polling place where we fulfilled our civic duty. This is one of those elections where I could have cared less but..well...Mom threatened me with bodily harm if I didn’t go. I’m not one to disappoint Mom. Plus it was the right thing to do.

And Eliana was a sticker magnet…

image

Help In The Kitchen

posted by Doug on Mon Nov 7, 2005 at 9:43 pm | 2 comments
Eliana is giving Carmi some help in the kitchen tonight. At the rate she's going, the Empress may not need a bath later.

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