The Bucket List

I don't usually do those goofy lists that get passed around on blogs and Facebook, but this one is more my style, so I'm actually participating. It's kind of fun to see how much I have been able to do in my half-century of life.

The Bucket List: things you have done during your lifetime:
( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Donated Blood
(x) Skipped school
(x) Watched someone die
(x) Been to Canada
(x) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
(x) Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(x) Been lost
(x) Gone to Washington, DC
( ) Hugged a homeless person
(x) Swam in the ocean
( ) Swam with Stingrays
( ) Been sailing in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Ran a marathon
( ) Sang Karaoke
( ) Volunteered at a soup kitchen
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(x) Seen the Northern Lights
(x) Been Parasailing
( ) Been on TV
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x) Made prank phone calls (pardon me, but your cows are in my yard...)
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Fed an elephant
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Fired a gun
( ) Danced in the rain-naked
(x) Been to the Opera
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Serenaded someone
(x) Seen a U.S.President in person
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
( ) Driven a race car
(x) Been to a National Museum
(x) Been to a Wax Museum
(x) Eaten caviar
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Gone to the movies
(x) Been deep sea fishing
(x) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
(x) Lived in more than one country
(x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(x) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(x) Seen the Grand Canyon
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
(x) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
(x) Been on a cruise
(x) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
(x) Been horse back riding
(x) Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
(x) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
(x) Truly believe in the power of prayer
(x) Been in a rain forest
(x) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
(x) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(x) Been water-skiing
(x) Been snow-skiing
(x) Been to Westminster Abbey
(x) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
(x) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Swam with sharks
(x) Been White Water Rafting
() Written a book or screen play

Nancy Jogged My Memory

Yesterday, Nancy blogged (http://www.heissatopia.com/) about Rachel doing a face-plant outside and cutting her chin. That reminded me of the time Andrew (at about age 2), did the same thing on our cement steps outside the kitchen door. I tried to find a picture of his pitiful face, but the closest I came was this:

It's hard to tell from this angle, but the right side of his chin, right under the corner of his mouth, is still pretty messed up. I just thought this picture was cute because it looks like a "Rachel face." And that's me holding scissors on the right, trying to cut Andrew's hair.

Yucky Memories

My oldest son, Andrew, complained on Facebook that his daughter just threw up and it was "yucky." That reminded me of the time I was driving from Chapel Hill to Durham with Andrew in the back seat right behind me, when all of a sudden he vomited about 10 gallons! I had to pull over and at least attempt to clean up, all the while trying not to get sick myself. Then there was the time he was feeling ill and wanted mommy to climb in bed beside him. He turned his head to look at me and (gross) proceeded to throw up right in my face. Such fond memories!

I Had a Blast . . .

There's nothing like getting up at 5 a.m. just so you can be at the hospital by 6. But it really is much better to be first on the surgery schedule because it means you can get home sooner. My lithotripsy went well--both kidneys got blasted quite a bit, apparently, and the doctor put a stent in one to keep the ureter open. When the doctor got started, he discovered that both sides were blocked with stones, in addition to the stones sitting in the kidneys. So now I'm home, trying to recover quickly. The stone pain is gone, but there is the discomfort of the stent, and I feel like I've been kidney-punched multiple times. And to top it all off, it took the nurse three tries to get my IV in.

I'm grateful for the miracle of modern medicine and equipment, for skilled doctors, for kind nurses and hospital staff, and for a wonderful, supportive husband. And I'm thankful to be forced to relax these days before Christmas--so peaceful!

A Holiday Tradition I Can do Without

December 22, 2006 - slipped on ice in work parking lot; drove self to hospital with broken shoulder; 3 months in sling

December 22, 2008 - scheduled for lithotripsy to blast 6-8 stones stuck in my kidneys and ureters

Have a holly, jolly Christmas--it's the best time of the year.

Winter Wonderland

This is what we were surprised with this morning! You can either feel sorry for me because I hate the cold and snow (only when I have to be outside in it), or you can be thrilled because I get to enjoy the beauty of winter in Utah.

Look at how much snow is piled on top of the deck railings. And you'll notice Reid's car at the bottom of the driveway--no chance of getting up our steep slab of concrete!

Heiss Happenings 2008

With school now long over and our traveling all done,
Thanksgiving’s forgotten and the poem’s begun.
And oh, this past year has been filled with some drama—
A lot of it starts with a man named Obama.

I couldn’t resist. Yes, I tried to abstain
From bringing up this year’s presidential campaign.
But after eight years of George Bush and Dick Cheney
It was nice to see someone a little more brainy.

But no more Bush-bashing the rest of this rhyme,
For some of my readers may want equal time.
Enough of those matters about politics.
It’s time to review what we did just for kicks.

Each year, as I read your kind letters to us
I whine and complain and put up such a fuss.
I’m jealous. I know, it’s not right, I agree,
But most of you travel the world more than we.

Well this year with Karen, my wife, as you know,
To quite distant lands on this globe we did go.
She flew out to Egypt, to Cairo to stay,
So she and her granddaughter Rachel could play.

They laughed and they played and they saw many things
Like pyramids, mosques, and the tombs of old kings.
They traveled by camel and taxi and boat;
They walked past those shops sporting heads of young goats.

While she played in Cairo, I was far, far away
From Chicago through Delhi to a place called Pune (poo nay).
It’s a city just east of a place called Mumbai (moom bye)
That was once called Bombay, but I’m not quite sure why.

I was there for my work. At the end of my stay
Karen arrived and we toured for six days.
We saw Taj Mahal, temples, mosques, and old forts
But it felt great to return to the Salt Lake airport.

Besides travels abroad and some closer to home
The Heisses did more than just endlessly roam.
There were three graduations that took place this year.
Andrew’s was first and mine brought up the rear.

Andrew finished college with a bachelor’s degree
In Arabic language and Islamic studies.
And what do you do with a degree so arcane?
You fly off to Egypt with your wife on a plane

And not just with Nancy, they took Rachel, too.
So we went to the airport and bid them adieu.
With their luggage in tow and their stroller at hand
They flew for two days to that grand ancient land.

While Andrew’s at school, Nancy stays back at home
Where she’s caught a bad case of that blogger’s syndrome.
If you want funny stories and snapshots to see
Heissatopia.com is where you should be.

With one grandchild gone, we have one still quite near—
Katharine and Todd’s baby Kayl’s now one year.
He thinks about walking though he’d much rather crawl.
It’s safer that way ‘cause it’s a much shorter fall.

But walking and talking will come to him soon.
Like all parents of young kids they won’t be immune
To the crayons on the wall and sharp toys on the floor
And the little boy fingers that get caught in the door.

For part of this year Sarah lived on her own,
But now she is here with her cat and her phone.
Not really a phone, more a growth on her ear,
And she texts and she texts to all of her peers.

Besides texting and calling, she is now into school.
She’s a full-time student, which we think is cool.
While math is a struggle and science for geeks,
I am proud to announce that it’s history she seeks.

In May came the next graduation this year.
Emily finished high school (with not a few tears).
She had a great year with the band and her cello
And marching at games and performing her solos.

She is now at the Y and in marching band,
And like good little parents we sat in the stands
For all the home games, in the rain, heat or snow
So we could see Emily play her cute piccolo.

And speaking of watching a child while it’s raining
Jacob, our senior, spent half the year training
To run in St. George in the marathon race
Where he hoped he would cross the line in first place.

Well, he didn’t come first, but he ran to the end
In four hours and three minutes; not too bad, my friends.
So we sat in the rain and we sat in the cold
To cheer on our son who’s now 17 years old.

Diana and Richard, who started this year
As expectant parents, now have reason to cheer.
They had a new baby and Michael's his name.
But before we could know him, they moved—now how lame.

They live in Seattle where Richard attends
An art school and hopes that he soon will ascend
To the top of his class, to a job that will pay.
Diana just hopes that he'll finish one day.

Well, our last graduation, as mentioned above,
Was mine, and it’s one that I’m fairly proud of.
A Masters Degree in Public Administration!
In August I endured our third graduation.

I have written and said all I can in this rhyme.
Now I send it to you during this Christmas time.
May your season be joyous, your lives free from trauma.
My thanks to all who elected Obama!