Ten Things Tuesday

Ten Random Things (because too many things are jumping around in my head for me to be more specific)

1. Facebook has been freaky, but fun. I've found lots of people from middle school and high school (12-15 years ago!); it's interesting to see who is married and who has kids. I think my best connection so far has been with a former friend who moved away when we were 10. It was just so random and there's a chance he will be visiting Vegas next month, so we may be able to see each other after 20 years.

2. I am dragging my ass right now because I'm sick with a cold that totally caught me by surprise on Sunday night/Monday morning. I refuse to let it ruin my big day tomorrow...in fact, if it attempts to ruin my day, I will drown it in Captain Morgan.

3. What is my big day tomorrow? My 30th birthday! I love my birthday in the most boring of years, so I am super excited about this one. I plan to enter my 30s happy and confident, and I look forward to all that will come my way in the next decade (a wife, babies, a new home, etc.). Tomorrow I will enjoy breakfast with my mom, some work and birthday cake at the office and at home, and a happy hour celebration with Jersey, my mom, friends, and coworkers. Oh, and I may be wearing a tiara or something all day. I'm goofy like that.

4. I have been exceptionally lazy about working out for a few months now, and it shows. There is no excuse and I know I need to take control of my body. So, last week, Jersey and I returned to the gym. On Saturday, my mom and I resumed our yoga practice (though we went back to the beginning class to get a refresher). I'm glad I'm getting back to exercising and I will be eating better as well. Here's to being bikini ready by June 1st!

5. Seriously, I want to stop sneezing now.

6. Warning: Rant Ahead. Ok, this is actually a short rant, given how many things I could say about this situation, but I think most of it has been said by now. The father of the octuplet mom (the grandfather of the babies) is defending the situation by saying that "it's God's wish". Um, no. It's not. I'm not knocking fertility treatments; hell, Jersey and I will need help to have babies of our own. But that's science, not God.

7. Does anyone have any hints for making sushi at home? I mean, I have Sushi for Dummies and the basic equipment. Are there any hints that I might be missing? I'll be attempting this in about 2 weeks and I'm a little nervous about messing it up, though I figure we can order pizza if things go terribly wrong. That's the nice thing about experimenting with a laid-back crowd.

8. If there are any Paula Poundstone fans reading this, just remember one thing if you ever go see her live...don't draw attention to yourself or you run the risk of her teasing you. Jersey and I went to see her perform on Friday night (we've seen her before, too). A few people, including Jersey, got up in the middle of the show to use the restroom, but she left them alone. Usually, I have a SUPER bladder, but damn if those beers didn't go right through me at the wrong time! I got up and, sure enough, Paula decided to notice. I became part of her show for a few minutes and it was surreal. Admittedly, it was all harmless and fun, but I'm not really the spotlight type of girl.

9. Jersey and I think our kitten, Max, may be deaf. He just doesn't respond properly to noise. There are times when he seems to jump at a sudden sound, but just as often, he looks around like he's totally lost. Hell, our glass coffee table came crashing down a few weeks ago and he didn't budge. I guess we should ask the vet to check that out. Of course, I'm sure the fact that he runs into walls all the time doesn't help. He sure is adorable, though!


10. I love Dunkin Donuts, but I want to know what is holding up construction on the new location right down the street from me. They've had the "Coming Soon" sign up for months and keep saying that it will be open in about two weeks. That would be great, except that Jersey and I stopped by and looked in the window; there is absolutely nothing happening in there. In the meantime, I have to drive in the opposite direction of my office to get my caffeine fix. Come on! Open this one up!

Ten Things Tuesday

Yes, I've been a blog slacker lately, but I did have a wonderful holiday weekend. I sincerely hope that all of you enjoyed your holiday, whatever you may celebrate!

Ten Things From This Holiday Season:

1. My slow-roasted turkey - This was my first time hosting the holidays and I was very excited to try a slow-roast recipe that I received from a message board acquaintance. I started it late on the 23rd, babysat it overnight, and it was done the afternoon of the 24th. I apologize for not taking a picture; I don't think there would've been time before my mom started inhaling all the skin. It was incredible, though, and it was a shame to pull it apart to add to my homemade chili (which was also incredible). Next year, I believe we will switch the order, so that we do the turkey/stuffing/potatoes/fruit salad/veggies on Christmas Eve and the turkey chili on Christmas Day. Mmmm.

2. Five stockings - Our holiday was relatively simple, given that the only attendees were my mom, my sister, Jersey, Max (the kitten), and me. What I love is that it was a little bigger than last year's gathering of three, and it was my first Christmas with the love of my life.3. The newest addition - Max, our proposal kitten, handled all of the chaos quite well. I did my best to ease him into everything...I started with the around-the-house decorations, added the tree skirt and stand, added the tree, then added the ornaments. He inspected everything, but didn't get into too much trouble. He was also spoiled with attention and had lots of fun with his new laser pointer. I think Max's only complaint would be the holiday sweater that my sister put on him. Poor guy.

4. The slightest hint of a white Christmas - On Christmas night, probably around 9:00 or so, my mom left my house to return to her own. We closed the door behind her, just to have her knock at it a few moments later. She giggled and waved us outside to see the little snow flurries that were floating toward the ground. It really wasn't much (especially compared to the stuff that actually stuck the week before), but the timing was nice.

5. Presents - Ok, this picture isn't great (none of them are...they're cell phone pics and I don't even have a spiffy cell phone), but there are a LOT of gifts under that tree. It would look even more impressive if not for the large number of "envelope gifts", including some gift cards and IOUs. One of the biggest hits: a console that combines the original Nintendo and Super Nintendo, and an assortment of used games (all of the Super Marios, Zelda, etc.) to be played on the console. Quite a blast to the past.

6. Christmas movies - As an early Christmas present to each other, Jersey and I bought a 47" LCD HDTV in mid-December. We've certainly watched lots of NFL football on it since then, but this was our first time watching DVDs and it was nice to have my mom and sister there for the fun. Our movies of choice? It's a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn, White Christmas, and Love Actually.

7. A break from work - Well, I don't really have a strict work schedule, but I do stick to the normal office hours for the most part. Having the office officially closed at noon on Christmas Eve and all day on Christmas and the day after, meant that I could avoid work guilt-free... and nobody even called my cell phone to bug me! My mom had that time off as well (and she is actually required to be there during office hours; she's salaried, I'm not) and my sister was on her vacation. Jersey did have to work on the 24th, 26th, and 27th, but it wasn't too bad.

8. Holiday cards - I really love receiving holiday cards and it was fun to display them in this way (I put the picture cards on the fridge). I'm horrendous at doing any sort of keep-in-touch, thinking-of-you thing, but I'd really love to send out cards next year. Maybe my sister can take a nice picture of Jersey, Max, and me. It would help me develop the habit before we have kids and could be fun.


9. Christmas music - I can't stand the stations that start playing 24 hours of Christmas music in early November, but once Thanksgiving has passed, I am all over the holiday CDs! I absolutely love Martina McBride's and I made myself a good mix CD this year. With few exceptions, I love the slower carols more than the upbeat ones and O Holy Night is definitely my favorite.

10. Jersey's birthday - I know this isn't technically part of the holidays, but it ranks high in this household. Jersey's special day was on Sunday and we started with some homemade eggs benedict. Then she opened up her gifts and we watched four great NFL games. Finally, we surprised her by taking her bowling (where we could also watch the Chargers/Broncos game) and then played pool for a couple of hours. She doesn't like a lot of hoopla for her birthday, so she enjoyed the simplicity of it all. Yay!

Ten Things Tuesday

(Note: This was done yesterday, but due to technical difficulties, it got posted this morning)

I am not in the most cheery of moods at the moment, due to my frustration with (ok, I'm really pissed off at) the "CEO" at my workplace. I've been fighting an uphill battle for respect and got smacked down today, but I want to consciously focus on turning my attitude around in the spirit of the holiday weekend. I will vent plenty about work next week, but for now I choose to be grateful instead.

Ten Things For Which I am Thankful

1. My Family - I don't generally do these TTT lists in any particular order, but I do feel that I should put my family at the top of this one. No matter what may come my way, I will always have my family. Even my dad, who has been gone nearly ten years, still counts because he is part of me (and he sends pigeon soldiers after me a LOT). My mom has often said to me "I may not agree with your decision, but I love and support you anyway" and my sister, while not using that exact quote, has illustrated the same sentiment. Plus, neither of them say "I told you so", and I've deserved that more than once.

2. My Friends - I don't have many close friends; I really never have. I have acquaintances with whom I enjoy spending time, but I've never been the social type and I let people phase in and out of my life pretty smoothly. The few friends I do have, however, are people that would drop everything to be with me this very second if I needed them to be. I also have a handful of online friends, both in the blogosphere and on a message board I have frequented for a few years, so they deserve their own special acknowledgment.

3. My Job - Yeah, I'm having a tough time with a few issues and this may not be my dream job, but I know how fortunate I am to have a job that pays the bills and allows me to have some fun. Plus, I have a flexible schedule and I work with my mom, so I do smile a lot more than I have at other jobs. I plan to use some of my flexibility to work on my writing in the upcoming year.

4. Orgasms - Hey, if Mrs. Chili can say it, so can I! :) Seriously though, last Thanksgiving, I never imagined that I would have the emotionally and physically amazing relationship that I have with Jersey. She and I were simply friends, coworkers, and roommates...and now we are planning our wedding. Before she came along, part of me thought I deserved the shitty relationships that I had. Now I feel strong, safe, and incredibly sexy. I look at her and see my future.

5. My Money Market Account - Why am I thankful for this account? Because last year I didn't have it. In fact, I was still in the midst of (a largely self-induced) financial hell. A single bean burrito at Taco Bell was out of the realm of possibilities. I would ask my mom for a roll of toilet paper. Those samples of toothpaste and hotel shampoos were all I had. I'd scrape together change just to pay the bills. But through it all, I stayed current on my mortgage and car payment and have built myself back up. This summer, I opened up a money market account and I make at least two sizable deposits in it each month.

6. My Health - This includes all things mental and physical. I have remained emotionally strong since going off of my antidepressants almost five years ago and my body has forgiven me for the physical damage. While I have gotten a little soft and squishy over the past year, I am confident that I can regain my healthy body with some hard work and self-control.

7. My Self-Awareness - For the most part, I know my strengths and I know my faults. When I take any of those personality profile test thingys, I can pretty accurately predict the results. At this point in my life, I feel like my awareness gives me a couple of advantages: I can use my natural talents and proclivities in work and at home, and I can improve upon my weaknesses while not being forced to be something I'm not. It's taken me nearly 30 years to get to a stage at which I am very comfortable.

8. My Well-Roundedness - My mom has told me that this was a big focus of hers as my sister and I were growing up. She didn't want to raise one-dimensional children, so we were exposed to a lot of different things. As a result, I am comfortable grabbing pizza before a baseball game or savoring king crab legs before a Broadway musical. I don't make many judgment calls about things I've never tried. I am open to new experiences and ideas, and I am grateful for that gift.

9. Jersey's Family and Friends - I know how lucky I am that my family and friends are so supportive of my relationship with Jersey...but how awesome is it that her family and friends are just as supportive? We have twice the love and acceptance and it reaches all the way to our grandparents' generation. I knew that my family would embrace Jersey, but I never dreamed that I would be so welcomed by hers. I know our union will be more than a joining of just two people.

10. My Car - Because it is now, officially, MY car. I was able to pay it off about eight months early and now I can take the car payment money and save it up. I had originally planned to get a new car in the next year or two, but then I did the math and realized what I could save if I keep it just a few extra years. It's a fun car in good condition, so there's no reason to be silly about it. I may treat myself to the installation of a 6-CD changer, but that's about it.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Jersey and I are driving to California to spend the weekend with family (my mom and sister will meet us there). We will also be attending my high school best friend's wedding on Friday. Whoo hoo! See you all next week!

Ten Things Tuesday (Edited)

At the request of my sister, here is an update on the new kitten; she insists on call him Saki, though his name is Max. He's been with us for a little over two weeks now and he's adjusting quite well.

Ten Things We've Learned About Max

1. He loves the shower. We haven't let him in it when it's running full blast, but while we're in the shower, he cries to be let in and tries to open the door. At first, we thought that he just wanted to be near us, but the second we open the door to reach for towels, he jumps into the shower and spends about five minutes inside. Then, he gets out and shakes off his paws (it's funny watching him do the Hokey Pokey)...about a minute later, he jumps back in for round two. Yep, he takes two "showers" after each one of ours. Every day.


2. He hasn't figured out how to slow down or control his little body. He just runs full speed around the house and then...SMACK! Right into dressers, tables, the wall, etc. He has a little bump/cut above his eye, which we figure is from one of his fits of excitement. Could this be a plot to get Kitty Protective Services after us?!?

3. He talks. All the time. He talks when he wants something or just when he wants to hear himself. He talks as he's scratching an itch and he talks when he is cleaning his face (which is hilarious). I especially love when he talks while also purring loudly; it comes out as a vibrato meow. I don't like when he talks while I am sleeping.

4. He likes to drink. Ok, not really (don't call KPS on us!), but I thought it was funny when he kept reaching for my bottle of Captain Morgan from underneath the bed. It's actually pretty funny when he tries to sniff at one of our cocktails because he doesn't like the smell at all and takes a few very quick steps back. Which leads me to #5...


5. He doesn't know how to turn around. At least not very well. When he wants to go a different direction, he goes into reverse and then angles his body from there. It looks like a car pulling out of a parking space or something.

6. He likes the toy that Crazy Lady (formerly known as FMIL) bought for him better than any of the toys that we bought. I figure this is how our future children will be as well; the toys from grandma will be WAY better than toys from mommy. I won't take anything too personally, though, since he also loves zippers and shoelaces.

7. He enjoys watching football on Sundays. And his favorite seat is directly in front of me, blocking a portion of the screen. Good thing he's small.


8. He gets in the way of properly making the bed. You see, we have a down comforter and a duvet cover, so after we washed the cover, it had to be put back on. He didn't agree with that plan, so he jumped inside the duvet cover. I guess he didn't agree with that either, because he pretty much flipped out once he was inside. It was all pretty interesting, but we took him back out because we don't like a lumpy bed.

9. He likes exploring our closets, more so than anything in the entire house. I've taken to calling him Lola, since I have no doubt he'd crawl right into our clothes if we let him. And I just like singing the song.

10. As much as he may be a handful, he's so adorable when he sleeps. Peaceful Max seems to make me forget Wet/Insane/Loud/Drunk/Lazy/Cross-Dressing Max.


Edit: Apparently, Max does like to drink; he just waits til we're not looking. We heard a suspicious noise downstairs and found a little surprise.

Ten Things Tuesday

Ten Great Patriotic Songs:

1. America The Beautiful - Possibly the "prettiest" of the songs on this list. It's pure and can stir a lot of emotion in me when done well. This brings up a HUGE pet peeve of mine: Patriotic songs are special and should not be turned into some fancy schmancy chance for a singer to show off creativity. Sing it the way it was written. These songs are classic and fucking with them strikes me as disrespectful. Oh, and this rule also applies to Christmas carols.

2. I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy - This song cracks me up and I don't even know why. It's just fun. I'm not sure I could sing it without smiling.

3. Battle of New Orleans - Ok, this is a sentimental thing. My mom used to sing this when I was little and it made me really excited when I got to middle school and learned about the Battle of New Orleans. I felt like I was a step ahead of the rest of the class!

4. Some Gave All - Yes, I know that a lot of you don't like (hate?) country music. And believe me, I am not a Billy Ray Cyrus fan in any way, shape, or form. I really love this song though and it gives me chills. If you can't stand the thought of listening to it, at least check out the lyrics.

5. America (My Country Tis of Thee) - More so than a lot of the other songs on this list, this one sends me straight back to elementary school assemblies, where we used to sing a patriotic song after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Are schools allowed to do that anymore?

6. This Land is Your Land - Ah, what a nice idea. All across this great country of ours, with all of the differences, we could actually share and respect each other. Hmmm.

7. Yankee Doodle - So, I learned something interesting about this song when I looked it up...not that I had really thought about it one way or another. Anyway, when he sticks a feather in his cap and calls it macaroni, he's not referring to the pasta (which I probably could've guessed, though it does create a fun mental image). Macaroni was a fancy style of Italian dress, so it's basically about some average kid standing proud as if he were dressed to the nines. Cool.

8. The Star Spangled Banner - When I was a toddler, my mom took me to high school football games each week to watch my dad coach. Every time, I was super excited to hear the band play the "spaindled bainder". Oh, and my dad was adamant that players respect the Anthem by staying still and keeping their mouths shut for the entirety. That respect has stuck with me to this day and I consider the playing of our Anthem to be rather sacred.

9. Battle Hymn of the Republic - This is another song that gives me chills (I'm sensitive!). When there's a band involved, with horns and drums, it's even more powerful. I like singing it slowly and somewhat quietly...then building up to the pride and glory of it all. I just can't adequately express how much I love this song. And, yes, I know it's very religious as well, but there's just something about the freedom that gets to me.

10. Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American) and American Soldier - Technically, this brings my list to 11, but I figured I can put these two Toby Keith songs together. I love Toby Keith, but those of you who don't can look these lyrics up instead of exposing your eardrums to country music. I'll admit these songs are significantly more powerful when he does them in concert (this year they were his encore...actually, they've often been his encore). Even Jersey, who is not a country music fan, was quite moved by the emotion when she heard these songs in person.

Happy election day to everyone! GO VOTE!

Ten Things Tuesday

Ugh, my internet was down all weekend, so all of my best intentions to blog went kaput! And I was incredibly angry that I waited weeks for the podcast discussion of The Stand with The Dark and Stormy Book Club, and then had to miss it. Yes, I've listened to it since and yes, I will be contributing my thoughts in the comments of that blog, but it still made me cranky. Anyway, I am back now (well, I'm at work...don't know if my home internet is fixed yet), and I figured a TTT post is an easy way to jump back in.

Ten Things I Love to Eat

1. Avocado - I've loved avocado my entire life and will add it to sandwiches, burgers, salads, and much more whenever possible. Many places add very little avocado (and it's not cheap!), but there is a sandwich place around the corner that just heaps it on. Yum! I also make a pretty nice guacamole (if I do say so myself), and I don't add a ton of stuff to it because I still want that avocado taste. And you probably don't want to hear about the time that I ordered three (yes, three) plates of the Avocado Club Egg Roll appetizer from CPK on my birthday. No, I didn't share.

2. Cheese - One of my two biggest vices. I admit that I don't have as much knowledge about different cheeses as I would like, but it's something on which I am working. I love adding extra cheese to entrees, but I also try to behave on occasion. Cheese and crackers with a bottle of wine makes quite the romantic snack.

3. Sushi - See #2 regarding my knowledge of it. I'm still very new to all things sushi, but I'm interested in learning how to roll my own. If I do learn, look for a blog post all about that adventure!

4. Kiwi - It's such a cute, yet powerful fruit. For some reason, I haven't enjoyed kiwi-flavored things as much as I would have thought, but I'll eat the real thing in a heartbeat. The thing is, I don't like biting into it when it's too cold, so I have to pull it out of the fridge and then actually remember it when it's closer to room temp. I'm bad at that whole remembering thing.

5. Peanut butter - When I was little, I used to eat peanut butter on a spoon as a treat. Seriously. I'd ask my mom for permission, dip my spoon in the jar, and then savor it for about 30 minutes. Oh, and I think that peanut butter and chocolate might be the best combination of flavors in the whole universe.

6. Ice cream - The other of my two biggest vices. Oh, and see the combination in #5 for one of my favorite flavors. I say one of my favorite flavors because I probably have 372 favorites. It's wonderful (and awful) that there is a Baskin Robbins, a Cold Stone Creamery, and a Dairy Queen in the same intersection, right down the street from my house (there was a fourth place there up until about six months ago...my withdrawals are getting better). I have so many ice cream stories that I just might be able to do an entire TTT about them!

7. Spinach - Odd, huh? I've been a spinach fan since my childhood and I'm thrilled about it because I don't like very many veggies. I love a good spinach salad, preferably one that I have created at Sweet Tomatoes or Whole Foods, and will substitute spinach for iceberg lettuce at any restaurant that will allow it.

8. Tomato soup & a grilled cheese sandwich - Ok, so this is two things, but we all know I can't do a TTT that has only ten items. Besides, I don't think they'd make the list on individual merit; this is probably the universe's second best combination after peanut butter & chocolate. I don't even care that eating it makes me look like an eight-year-old. Dipping that sandwich in the hot soup and trying not to drip it down my chin as I eat it...ok, you get the picture. Heaven.

9. Clam chowder - New England clam chowder, and not some watered-down blah version of it. Outside of New England (duh), I'm a big fan of San Francisco's N.E. clam chowder. Every now and then I come across a winner in a random restaurant, but I hesitate to order it because the quality can vary so much.

10. French or sourdough bread - Dipped in #9 would be great, but I will just as quickly eat it alone. I don't even butter my bread, I just eat it (ok, I do like to dip it in olive oil, if it's there). I've thought about being healthy and switching to whole grain something, but I'd rather be happy. At least when it comes to my bread.

Aside from the fact that I probably just disgusted Mrs. Chili with #3 and #9, does anyone want to have dinner with me?

Ten Things Tuesday

Here is a list of ten songs that I can't turn off (subject to change once I drive myself crazy by replaying them over and over and over...):

1. "Baba O'Riley" (The Who) - I had to put this first on the list because I have played it more times in the past three or four months than the rest of this list combined. I even made it my ringtone. I've stopped short of watching the opening credits of CSI: NY just to hear a bit of it, but if it just happens to be on...

2. "Who Says You Can't Go Home" (Bon Jovi featuring Jennifer Nettles) - Yes, there is a regular Bon Jovi version of this song, but I like the duet with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. I especially like trying to sing her part of it, but I severely lack that talent.

3. "Alone" (Heart) - I've always loved this song and was fortunate enough to see Heart in concert this past summer, along with Cheap Trick and Journey. They did impressive covers of "Love Reign O'er Me" (by The Who) and "Going to California" (by Led Zeppelin), but hearing "Alone" performed live was the highlight for me.

4. "Songbird" (Eva Cassidy) - This was originally done by Fleetwood Mac (with Christine McVie), but I like the cover slightly more. I don't know if I'm a sappy romantic in general, but this song will make me gooey. I dream of walking down the aisle to it one day.

5. "Africa" (Toto) - I couldn't even begin to describe what I love about this song, but I've loved it for years. Random trivia: this was the first song I downloaded to my Ipod.

6. "That I Would Be Good" (Alanis Morissette) - This song became a mantra of mine when I was going through tough times a while back. I'd sing it in the car with hopeful tears running down my face. I printed out the lyrics and decorated the paper with pictures of goals and positive ideas, and then I framed it and hung it on my wall (along with Martina McBride's "Anyway"). It's nice to sing along with it now, looking back from beyond the black hole.

7. "Somebody to Love" (Queen) - I am a big Queen fan, so it's difficult to pick one favorite, but this is probably it. Of all of the Queen songs I have on my Ipod ("Fat Bottomed Girls", "Under Pressure"), this is the one I am most likely to repeat and least likely to skip.

8. "More Than a Feeling" (Boston) - Totally cheesy, I know, but I can't help but rock out to this song when I hear it. Ooh, and I also got to see Boston live this summer (with Styx). Anyway, I can't hit the high notes in this song, but I have fun trying!

9. "Viva La Vida" (Coldplay) - I really don't listen to much current music (cue the "kids these days" rant...ok, not really), but I caught part of this song one day and was hooked. I'll have to look into Coldplay some more. Jersey says they aren't too bad.

10. "Layla" (Derek and the Dominos) - More specifically, the piano piece at the end of the song. For the longest time, I didn't even realize that the piano part was a continuation of "Layla"; I recognized it from Goodfellas more than anything. I actually have the end downloaded, but not all of "Layla".

Honorable Mentions (because I can't stick to ten): "Patience" by Guns n Roses; a few Eagles songs including "Take It to the Limit", "The Best of My Love", and "Peaceful, Easy Feeling"; "Collide" by Howie Day, "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen, and "Crimson and Clover" covered by Joan Jett.

Ten Things Tuesday

Ok, I'm on the bandwagon! Now, if I could just keep to this cool blogging schedule...

This theme was, as previously mentioned, stolen from Mrs. Chili. Thank you for the great idea.

"Ten trips Jersey and I plan to take (in no particular order)"

1. Western Canada - Specifically Vancouver, though I would not object to spending enough time to see more of the area. Actually, I'd love to take a road trip through California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, Montana, and Idaho.

2. Eastern Canada - Specifically Montreal. I have been to Montreal twice and loved it very much. Though I haven't been to France, Montreal seems very much like what a mini-France might be. The cobblestone streets, french cafes, street vendors...ah, it's just pretty.

3. Boston/Cape Cod - Jersey and I have both been to these places with our families and friends, but we'd love to experience them together. Plus, I've never been to P-town and would like to check it out. I know we'd both love to be able to see the beautiful autumn leaves, so maybe a trip next October...

4. Knott's Berry Farm (CA), Magic Mountain (CA), DisneyWorld (FL) - Ok, so this would be more than one trip, but it's all the same idea. I love amusement parks! I used to have a season pass to Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm is where my parents met, and DisneyWorld is the super version of Disneyland (where Jersey and I went in May and will return to in February). I've been to all three...Jersey has only been to DisneyWorld.

5. Europe, Part 1 - Italy, France, Spain. I've always heard that the people in Spain are super friendly. And I can deal with all the Italian men who will grab my ass.

6. Texas - It's probably not a place in which Jersey and I should flaunt our relationship, but I have always had a good feeling in Texas. I've kinda hopped around the state, but I'd love to do the San Antonio Riverwalk with Jersey. And I've never, ever heard a bad thing about Austin, so I'd love to spend some time there. Plus, I have family outside of Ft. Worth.

7. Europe, Part 2 - Germany, the Netherlands. I think Jersey just really wants some beer. The Netherlands has plenty of vices as well. Hmmmm.

8. Notre Dame, Cleveland, Chicago - Ok, they're not right near each other, but I think they're close enough for a reasonable road trip. Jersey's got a thing for Notre Dame and the Cleveland Browns. I'd love to see the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Once we're in the general neighborhood, we might as well head up to Chicago. I haven't been there in years.

9. Fairfield University (CT) - I graduated from Fairfield several years ago and have only been back twice since. I went through a lot while I was there, moreso than the generic college student, but I really did love it there. I'd love to walk around campus with Jersey and remember the little things that I've forgotten.

10. Europe, Part 3 - England, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland. Arguably the most important of our Europe trips. Jersey is fiercely Irish. I've got a bit of that, along with the English and Icelandic background. Of all the European jaunts, this is the personal one.

I didn't include our upcoming trip to Jamaica because, well, that's already booked and paid for! I also didn't mention the many trips we will take to Southern CA (where I'm from) or New Jersey (where she's from), since those are regular trips we take each year. But this is a fun list and I look forward to crossing each one off!