5 Things I've Done That You Probably Haven't

Over at dooce.com, between comments on one thing or another, there's a thread running through where commenters name Five Things I've Done That You Probably Haven't.  Some of them are hilarious, and some of them make me really, really want to meet that person and hear the full story ... and some of them are just, like ... "Whoa, dude ... cool!"  It's not about bragging, though - some of the things are just ... interesting.  People sure do have sex in odd places ...

So, herewith ... my list.  I have:

1.  Given Sarah McLachlan a ride to her mom and dad's house in my car.
2.  Witnessed two golf balls, hit by golfers playing in two different groups from adjacent tees, collide about 80 yards out. (This may not seem remarkable until you think about the variables involved.  I daresay it may have only happened once in human history).
3.  Taught an icon of American modern dance a new step.
4.  Learned a figure skating step from an Olympic medallist.
5.  Water-skied upside-down.

Oh!  A sixth:

6.  Slept with the Grey Cup at the foot of my bed.  (For those of you who are American, that's the Canadian equivalent of sleeping with the Vince Lombardi trophy.  For those of you who aren't football fans ... both of those are good things.)

Full stories on any and all these adventures available on request.  But more importantly ... what are five things YOU have done that WE probably haven't?

Comments

[Gooner]

Okay I just have to know one thing about the Medallist, was it Katerina Witt? That would be my dream!!

[Nils]

Mine, too ... it was, sadly, Brian Orser. not that he's not a nice guy and all ... but no, it couldn't be Katarina ... or Elizabeth Manning ... or Shae-Lynne Bourne .. or (sigh) Jamie Seles ... oh, to do a triple lutz with Jamie Seles ...

[Laura]

which Icon of American Modern Dance was it???

fell off your water ski's, huh... ;)

[Matt F.]

Regarding #2: the golf ball collision. Several years ago I witnessed almost the exact same event. I too thought the odds of occurrence were astronomically long, but apparently not as long as I thought.

[Nils]

The dancer was Lula Washington (http://www.lulawashington.com/) and I can't claim to have known who she was ahead of time. I was at an outdoor concert in San Jose where the Eileen Evers band was playing some great Celtic fiddle music and I started to step-dance. This African American woman rushed up and demanded I teach her a step or two, which I cheerfully did. Only later did someone tell me she was a revered American dancer/choreographer.

The water-skiing upside down: I was scuba diving under the ice. I turned myself upside down, planted my feet on the bottom surface of the three-foot thick ice, yanked the safety rope, and the surface crew pulled me along underwater. None of this pansy-ass Florida scuba diving for me.

And Matt ... I thought that was the one safe bet for something nobody else had ever done. So, on the one hand, I'm disappointed ... and on the other hand .. wow. It's amazing that it happened once, incredible that it happened twice.

[Lauragain]

oh please. pansy ass florida diving? I'd like to see you dive off a boat in the Keys and come face to face with a 6 ft barracuda. (something i've done, btw). and I haven't even started on the sharks.

I haven't heard of Lula Washington. what a fascinating story. I studied Twyla Thorpe in college, and for one wild moment, I was hoping it was she that you had met. :)

[bec]

Wow, my list seems pretty common next to yours. :)

[allie]

Never mind sleeping with the grey cup at the foot of your bed- I've SAT in the thing!!

[Nils]

... and I have that photo. Somewhere.

And bec ... I bet if you scoured your mind, you'd come up with at least five things you've done that none of us has ever done and that would be every bit as fascinating as anybody's list. This isn't about showing off (despite the arrogant tut-tutting of some folks in other places), but about how we all have unique, interesting, and different experiences, and sometimes they're fun to share. At least, for some people. Killjoys and party poopers can wander along - nothing to see here ...

[Wayne]

These things are fun, they reveal something about life experience, which varies (thank God) but also shows something about what an individual considers interesting about themselves...and is not necessarily a pissin contest.

[Gail]

Personally delivered a pig to someone who rightfully deserved it

[Jim Fogg]

Well here is one thing I've done that I don't imagine anyone else has.....I was in Chicago on business staying at a Hilton at Whacker and the Loop. It was in the early early hours of the morning and I was awakened by the sound of my room door closing. There I was standing in the hallway starkers and pushing on the door to no avail. (As a child I was a pretty regular sleep walker, but hadn't done it in years.) So what to do? I wandered the hallways looking for a laundry room or plant or anything I could shield my self with...finally I found a phone and called the front desk, told them of my plight and they sent some one up to open my room, he opened my door with no comment other than have a nice evening sir....I was travelling with clients I didn't know well, when I told the story at breakfast one said "why didn't you just come to my room" Yup good plan, wake someone you don't know well at 3:00 am naked.....hmmmm perhaps there would have been more repeat business.......

[Nils]

OK, that broke me up. And as I recall, it's not the only Jim Fogg sleepwalking story I've heard. (Many of you won't know that Jim and I go all the way back to high school). Was it you who, as a kid, wandered down one night .. opened the refrigerator door ... (finish the story) ...

[Jim Fogg]

Guilty as charged, great memory Nils. My mother awoke to find me with the refirgeator door open as well as the crisper (veggie drawer) open and me having a piddle, she spoke to me and I was sleeping, finished my business, closed up evertyhing and get this washed my hands and went back to bed and never woke up. There a couple of more as well..........

[Nils]

Yeah ... I can remember you pissin' in the vegetable crisper, but can I remember to pick up milk? NOOO. I soooo need a "delete" function in my brain.

[Kelly]

My only notable "Thing" is that I kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland when I was about 12. It certainly worked, as I am rarely at a loss for words (double edged sword, that). If anyone is curious; you bend backwards and upside down, over the edge of Blarney castle, to kiss the stone which is on the underside of the farther rock wall. It is about 250 feet above the ground and a fellow holds you by the legs as you scoot out on your back. Bit tricky if you're short, and totally gross to think how many pairs of lips have been on that bit of history.

[k- a pseudonym]

i'm the one who started the thread over at dooce...it was great fun - which were your favorites?

[AndreaBT]

Can I still add mine? I missed the fun at dooce, I guess (I can't keep up with all the comments over there most of the time):

1. I've climbed the Great Wall of China...five times.
2. I was Benjamin (one of Joseph's brothers) in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in high school (although I'm female).
3. I've eaten snake, dog meat, and silkworm larvae (see #1)
4. I once helped Russian businessmen order food in the dining car of a train in China, because the waitress spoke no English or Russian.
5. I was married on Valentine's Day in China in a red dress (do you see a theme here?)

[Sean]

Alrighty, these are the two that jump to mind for me. (admittedly, only after a lot of fretting that I had lived a life more ordinary.)

1 - Put my ear up to the belly of a pregnant woman, to pretend to hear the baby kicking, only to have the woman tell me that she wasn't pregnant.

2 - Kicked a 10-foot-long alligator in the head to determine whether or not it was stone or inflatable. (Hint - it was neither.)

[Peefer]

I am painfully late in joining this game, but for the record:

1) I blew "this":http://peefershome.com/index.php?p=23 from my nose.