Saving Lives is the Jedi’s Job

windudad — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:06:32 +0000

On an outing with Obi-Mom Kenobi last Saturday, we stopped by the local library which sits next to a big lake. Dad Windu always likes to scope out the area, for security reasons, so I went out on the roof top patio to look around. Below the patio a wooden walkway wound its way along the lake shore making what looked like a good spot for fishing. Later that day I came back with fishing gear in hand to try my luck. Unfortunately, there were lots of pleasure boats racing around the lake which does not provide a good atmosphere for fishing. I persevered, however, and worked my way around the shore line to a nice shady wooded area where it looked a little quieter. My luck was no better there, though, and I was soon ready to pack it in. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted some movement in the water. It was a large painted turtle. The shell was about 12″ across, it was the largest specimen of this type of turtle I had ever seen. It started swimming away and I smiled at how lucky I was to have seen it. Then I noticed that it was still there so I walked over to investigate. It appeared to be caught by an invisible tether and could not swim away. I found a stick and swept it through the water behind the turtle and, lo and behold, I pulled it back to me. It appeared that the turtle had eaten a lure attached to a length of fishing line that was tangled in the brush at the shore line. I pulled the turtle close and lifted the fishing line out of the water. Then I snipped the line with my needle nose and freed him. Unfortunately, whatever the turtle had swallowed is still there, but hopefully it will eventually work through the turtle’s system and he can live a long and happy life.

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100 Things to Do Before You Turn 40

windudad — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:17:18 +0000

Obi-Mom Kenobi just finished a fun meme, and I have decided to see where I fall despite hitting the “target age” already.

100 Things to Do Before You Turn 40

Do you think you’ve really lived so far? This is a list of 100 activities–some I have experienced, some I really, really hope to do, and some just won’t be happening if I have anything to do about it.

1. Started your own blog  (Actually Obi-Mom-Kenobi did it for me, but I am writing now, so I guess it counts.)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (Briefly, some workmates and I started a band, but we were so bad our music was never heard by anyone else.)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Bathed in a river (not a river, although I have bathed in Lake Michigan)
7. Been to the Taj Mahal
8. Walked on a glacier in Alaska
9. Caught and held a snake (Those suckers are fast, but I am going to keep trying)
10. Spoke in front of a big crowd (I have sung in front of a big crowd, so I guess that sort of counts.)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Had a whirlwind love affair that broke your heart (Obi-Mom-Kenobi broke my heart briefly in college, but it all worked out in the end)
13. Found an arrowhead or fossil
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Rescued an animal (At least I caught one and kept it in a box for a while)
16. Ate sweet breads, glands or tripe
17. Seen Mount Rushmore in person (Did this one twice over a span of 25 years, the mountain didn’t change but the visitor center sure did)
18. Grown your own vegetables (Although Obi-Mom-Kenobi did most of the work)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (trains make me sick)
21. Had a pillow fight (but I wasn’t wearing anything sexy)
22. Hiked to base camp on Mt. Everest (I don’t like heights)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (That would be wrong!!!!)
24. Built a snow fort (We had huge snow drifts in our driveway one year, so tall you could stand inside the snow fort–of course I was only 4 feet tall at the time.)
25. Watched an animal being born (I saw Padawan Learner born, I guess he is technically an animal)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Learned a foreign language
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (Ahh, Venice)
29. Seen a total eclipse (I think it was 4th of 5th grade, we made pin hole viewers out of cardboard)
30. Stayed up for more than 24 hours (I went to college, duh!!)
31. Trained a dog to do cool tricks
32. Been on a cruise(Caribbean)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Learned to drive a stick shift car (I learned on the drive home from college one time)
37. Won over $1000 in a raffle or lottery (The closest I got was $250 on a $1 pull tab, it paid two months rent in college)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (Although I have been fake rock climbing on one of those indoor wall things)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Been serenaded
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Broke a bone  (But only the small ones, my pinky (twice) and my toe)
47. Started your own business
48. Quit a job because you were totally unhappy
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the Eiffel Tower
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain passionately
53. Played in the mud (I don’t like things that are dirty and messy)
54. Gone to a drive-in
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Joined a prayer group
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (I think it would be a little creepy if I said yes to this one–But I have bought lots of them)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Received flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (I just passed 5 gallons)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (Obi-Mom-Kenobi writes the checks, otherwise I probably would have by now)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (I had one rebellious experience during college where I refused to wear the hat in the dish room of the cafeteria–those dishes were dirty anyway)
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London
77. Broken something extremely expensive  (I leave that up to Obi-Mom-Kenobi)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (I’m not sure if it was speeding or not, but it felt like we were flying!!)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Got a tattoo
83. Been to a coffee shop in Amsterdam
84. Seen the Aurora Borealis in person
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (I wanted to, so bad, but the stupid lawyers wouldn’t let me)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Toured the UN
95. Hiked to Machu Picchu
96. Swam in the Indian Ocean
97. Conversed with someone when neither of you spoke each others language
98. Dirty danced (I don’t dance)
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Acted in a play (I was the cowardly lion in the 9th grade play)

Not even half, and it is too late to catch up now.

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If he were writing

Obi-Mom Kenobi — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:02:29 +0000

the words would go here.

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The Code Forbids It

Saving Lives is the Jedi’s Job

100 Things to Do Before You Turn 40

If he were writing