I’ve done 11.5. The .5 is this: I showed up to contest a ticket. If the officer didn’t show up, you won. She didn’t, so I did.

I've done 13.

I want to share DH’s adventure traveling when he was 20. This was after the Canadians rescued several Americans in Tehran. Greyhound (I think it was Greyhound), offered a ”Thank you, Canada” bus pass. DH and his buddy, who was I think 17, got the passes, and traveled across the US. They had very little money!

Before that, he and another friend got an airpass and traveled to as many US airports as they could over their spring break. They were just teenagers! They didn’t see any sites, but they planned their flights to get breakfast, to sleep, once they got an airport and realized fhey could get in a puddle-jumper round trip before their next flight. They did leave the airport at O’Hare to go to the friend’s aunt’s house in Chicago, and take showers and have a decent home-cooked meal. I once asked him if he’d let our kids do the same, and he pronounced ”he11 no”.

I have done 15. I was very close to visiting 15 countries but not quite there.

I don't think I would ever cook anything for the first time and serve it to guests. I always do a ’test run’ with most unusual or new dishes before serving to guests.

Two of the most exciting (and kinda terrifying) were briefing a senate subcommittee and a huge international conference.

only 4

11 for me.

Just 5 for me.

I've done 8 1/2. The half is making a couple of tops in high school home ec class and wearing them.

I flew to Virginia from Nevada when I was 17 to visit an old friend. First time on a plane for me. On the way home I won a bottle of champaigne. The flight was delayed so they had a quiz, 3 questions, I answered one about Lake Lahanton, near where I grew up, correctly. I promised to give the bottle to my parents as soon as I got off the plane so they let me have it. I don't like alcohol but I wanted proof that I won it lol.

I've only been to 14 foreign countries, I think. I may have missed one. I will be at 17 after August of this year, provided we make it to all of them. I turn 60 this September and haven't been able to find someone to go anywhere with me except my daughter, so will probably be doing a lot of solo trips.

I also flew an F-16 for half a minute, when I was TDY in Spain. I was in the Air Force and got an incentive flight. The pilot taught me how to do an aileron roll. Mine was very jerky so he showed me again and told me to try again, but it made me nauseous and the g-forces were not fun so I declined.

I may have been on tv, high school graduation, it was televised on a local station but they called my name out of order. My dad turned the tv off when he didn't see me. So, I have no idea if I was on it or not. Neither parent went to my graduation. So, I didn't count that one.

I have done 11

Wow, Only 4

Fourteen for me, although a couple (sewing an outfit, appearing on stage) were in high school. And television was as a small child, on the local kid's show - they pulled me out of the audience to interact with the hosts. Oh wait, I did participate in a radio interview 2 years ago. Only 5 foreign countries - Covid put a stop to the plans to visit 4 more in 2020.

You know that "get to know you" game in groups, where you name 3 things you've done, and the others have to guess which one was false? No one ever guesses the truth of one of mine - having climbed the highest mountain in the lower 48 (Mt. Whitney).

I think Kathsgrdn gets a prize for the F-16!

14

I've done 6. DJ at radio station for almost 10 years and have done 4 talent shows at work.

I've done 10, with many multiples--such as stage performances, oral presentations, recurring volunteer work, radio appearances, and putting air in tires. The last made me laugh, because I have a portable air compressor in each of my cars, and am ready to use them at any given moment. With the last set of tires I had on my Subaru, it seemed like it really was that often.

My face was on TV (briefly) when I sang with the Lever Brothers choir, but my name was on The Price is Right when Bob Barker read a limerick I wrote for him. I didn't get to see it, but I was told it got a great reception.

I'm at 14. I've visited more states in Mexico than I have in the U.S., but if I counted Mexican state, then it would be 15. I've been to 26 states in Mexico but only 14 in the U.S. However most of the states in the U.S. were in the top 33 by size, except for New Jersey.

Well, Okay Good for you!

I have done a dozen.

I still have time to get to a few more countries.

Will never pull off a few of those items, like making an entire outfit. That skill died off with my grandmother.

11 for me. My brother had a plane and taught me how to fly it and take off and land. That was when I was a teenager. Loved it.

Went to England at age 18 alone, fixed a toilet, loaned money may times and never got repaid (frankly, knew I probably wouldn't). Was on the Board of a kennel club which had more than 100 people and often gave talks. Checked tire pressure many times. Have given oral presentations.

Not listing the rest as I'm tired of having to scroll up and down!

Jane

I've done 7. I haven't been on TV or radio, but my name was in a New Yorker article once, my only claim to fame.

That beats being on TV by a country mile! FYI, from now on, I will refer to you as, my GW friend, Bookwoman, who was in a NYer article.

I’ve done 11. My TV appearance was a only brief interview on a news broadcast. In high school and college I sewed some of my own clothes- think skirts and dresses made out of Indian print bedspreads back in the 60’s, before you could buy them in a store, lol. I traveled through Europe for a summer when I was in high school and again for 18 months during a gap year; off the top of my head I counted 24 countries just now; states- 21. (If each Hawaiian island counted as a state the count would be higher!). I’ve traveled quite a bit post 60, but have traveled only to Kauai since the pandemic started. My next trip in September will be my first foreign travel post 70. I have backpacked exactly once, 16 miles each way in the Trinity Alps…I guess that was enough for me. Like bpath, I went to court to contest a ticket and the officer didn’t show up- and I think that was exactly what I hoped would happen.

12

also 12

10. The travel b4 20 define 'alone'? I took a 36 hour bus trip to Texas in my 20s to visit a bff. Frankly I think that should count!! The summer b4 my first fall teaching I spent sewing my wardrobe. Dresses/skirts/blouses. Now we wear jeans and t-shirts. How things have changed!! If by 'replaced an electrical fixture I can get points for changing the glass or assisting DH in many many chandy replacements I orchestrated then I am at 11. Never contested a ticket but we did contest a bogus charge on a carpet cleaning job. So now that I think about it that counts for the 'service invoice' soooo maybe that gets me to 12! Back in the day DH and YOUNG son were moving wood into the basement through a window and hit the toilet waiting to be installed. Broke it...do I get points for having to clean up the pieces? hahahaha Hard no on the 15 countries and flying a plane. Oddly I have a brother/brother in law and father that fly planes but I have never flown with them even. The USAF frowns on civilian passengers.

Nine, if you count playing clarinet in my middle school band concert, lol. I'm sure the audience was parents & family, not the general public, but there were more than 50 of them! And I'm counting traffic court as a "win" -- the officer ticketed me because my car's inspection sticker was three days out of date. But apparently he didn't forward the paperwork to court, and I had to show the judge my hard copy ticket, which of course he dismissed.

While I like travel, I doubt I'll ever visit more than a handful of foreign countries. During my work career I often traveled by myself. Now that I'm over 60 and retired, my long trips are planned with DH or other family members. I'd go by myself if no one else wanted to go along, but so far that hasn't happened.

eta: nice thread, Elmer :-)

Arcy, the USAF absolutely does not frown on civilian passengers in the proper circumstances. I have flown as a civilian many times on C5s, C17s, KC-135s, C19s and maybe some others I dont recall.

The most fun was a KC-135 where we passengers were allowed (one at a time) to go to the refuel bay and watch the refueling of a fighter jet in action. Man was that awesome, but I dont think I have ever sweated so much in an aircraft.

eta, i agree, nice thread, Elmer, that brought back back some fun memories.

13 for me. Have visited 35 states so far. Piloted a small plane several times with a licensed pilot and learned how to take off and land. And did it several times without crashing (LOL)! Done much volunteer work. Been interviewed on tv twice. Given many oral presentations to large groups. But, do not play any musical instruments and, outside of grade school plays, have never wanted to be on stage acting. Ever!

Not a one, unless an oral presentation to 20 kindergarteners counts. Wow, am I dull!

I’m at 13. I miss visiting US states by one but I have visited every Canadian province and territory.

eta Oops! Just recalculated. I have been to 20. So I’m at 14.

Dang, I’m right at 15 countries.

6.

If you will allow many weeks cycle camping, carrying everything on a bike, around Europe rather than one night’s hiking, 13. If you’ll allow solo trips of 700 - 900 miles instead of 1000, 14. (I submit that doing many trips by ferry and train across Europe involving multiple countries, languages and currencies has to count for as much as going to a different part of the US.)

I have done 7

I have done 13 for sure and 14 if you squeeze one a little.

7

I've done 10.

Loaned money...over$250 not paid back.

Repaired a toilet.

Been on TV

Dishonest service provider

Oral presentation to koi club on spawning koi and freshwater plants and animals program to elementary school.

Took a bus to California, bought a car and drove home, in my 60's.

Been to more than 20 states

I can air up my tires and have changed flat tires too.

Replaced an electrical fixture.

I volunteered as a wildlife rehabber for more than 20 years.

Off topic. Marilyn, since I know you're an expert on koi and I am having a real problem with the unrelenting sun and high temps which resulted in a mass of string algae that ultraviolet light won't affect. We have 15 koi and some are very large and all were born in the pond . Some are 25 years old. We have a pump spouting water , a waterfall and two bubblers. We cut down a huge dead blue spruce and apparently that has contributed to the situation. We have a patio umbrella up to shade the pond. In reality there are too many inches of koi for the 1100 gallon pond.

Sorry to hijack this thread.. carry on.

I've done 12. Darn - I thought I was more fun than that! Glad that I've got some time to make up the remaining 8. Goals!!!

Just 7

Performed the hokey pokey with 3 educators, in front of auditorium filled with students at a university in China. I jumped off stage and grabbed hand of president, to perform with us. We were his invited guests.

Visited the Great Wall while touring China.

14, one of them about 2 hrs ago, the toilet could not wait until a plumber would get here tomorrow.

Not really an expert on koi in ponds....I kept koi in farm ponds mostly. You want to make sure when you go out first thing in the morning, at daylight, that they aren't at the surface "gasping for air.". Some algaes can actually be beneficial...if it is the mossy kind that grows on the side of the pond, and rocks. It looks kind of "plushy".

Algae that turns the water milky green is bad because it can increase an oxygen deficit, especially at night. String algae is from too much organic matter....as in fish waste...in the pond. When you see blue green algae, that is very toxic.

If you can rig up some kind of filter to filter out the suspended algae in the water....something as simple as quilt batting or foam in a 5 gallon bucket, or a series of buckets, that will help clear the water, and will increase the oxygen. However if you have too many big fish, you may end up having to re-home a few of them. I know that is difficult, but the pond can only handle what it can handle and you are likely to see a die off. Other than increasing a way to turn over the water to increase the oxygen, I am not sure what else you can do.

I am not a fan of algaecide because when algae dies, it increases the amount of decaying organic matter in the pond, which in turn feeds the string algae and can become a vicious cycle.

I am sorry I am not more help. To sort of sum it up.....some kind of filtration and clearing the water, and also cutting down on the fish load in the pond.

Search for Nelson's bog filter. Lots of ideas there. My phone is wonky and couldn't post a link.

Thanks for your input, Marilyn. I have the plushy kind of algae on the little concrete pond which was built 100 years ago and the two hybrids(koi/goldfish ) nibble at it all the time. They are at last 20 years old too but there are only two in the pond. I know the big koi should go but I am attached to them and unfortunately, I think not all will survive this heat. I would never have cut the dead 120-year-old tree down had I known it was shading the pond that much. We have a large skimmer at one end which husband cleaned out today. We have the old town well we dug up so we're letting water out and putting clean well water in. But the pond looks like pea soup.

I agree with you about algaecide because when it dies, then what? More problems. We never had string algae where you could pull a solid handful out. This pond was dug out 25 years ago because we had stupidly put koi in the small pond not knowing how big they grow so he built it in my perennial garden. But two years ago because we had a leak in the liner we had professionals put another liner on top, build the skimmer and redo the waterfall.

8

14 for me.

Eleven for me. Not musical. No hiking. Only shorter solo trips. I've been a guest in a tiny private plane and in the Goodyear blimp, but no 'hands on'. DH and I were on "Oprah" and we did a lot of public speaking as leaders of a community group opposing some over-development of a shopping mall. I did more speaking and demonstrating in behalf of open adoption/open records -- live, TV, radio. I'm the family 'household mechanic'.

12

9 for me

10

6 for me. I suppose that's not bad as it does include extensive travel to Europe via plane by myself under 18. Plus lots of backpacking at home and abroad.

Personally I'm glad I didn't have to do any plane flying. I like to leave the flying to the pilots.