Thing #71: Do something nice without being ask

Some people need help, but they can't ask for it... because they are unconsious... in a telephone booth. I came across one such case tonight so I thought to do something more than nice and alert a near by policeman that there was someone in need of help.

Thing #40 and Thing #9: Completed for a second time!

What do you get if you combine Thing #40: Take care of an animal, Thing #45: Invent your own game (remember the Sparkling Cow Look game?) and Thing #9: Play a computer game to the end? Well, a game that takes care of virtual pets. I started playing on against my friends and although they had a head start I managed to get to #1. So I can claim both Thing #40 and #9 completed for a second time!

Thing #53: Succeed at something you are bad at

Many people can not sleep when they travel, for example on a train or a bus or an airplane. I am not one of them. In fact I can sleep even before the plane takes off. I find it helps kill time more effectively to starring at the clouds for hours and hours and hours (and hours). The only problem is that when you are on a plane everyone feels obliged to talk to you, it's good customer service after all. The cabin crew will offer a mint, before explaining the safety measures. Then they will bring some food (which you don't really want to eat), then they will bring the drinks, then the coffee/tea, then they will come back to pick things up and then... oh then they will try to sell you duty free. Surely, if I wanted to buy duty free I would have done all my shopping when I was at the airport. As if the above are not enough, the captain needs to inform us of the route we are going to follow and the flying level. Does it make any difference? I got on board at point A and I want toget out at point B. That's all it matters to me. Why am I saying all this? It's because it's impossible to sleep with all these disruptions.

Anyway, to complete this Thing I managed to stay awake for about 30-35 minutes in the taxi that brought me to the airport. This was a great achievement if one considers I failed the last three times and this is the exception and not the norm!

Thing #34: Hide treasure and leave a map

In June I was planning to go after a book in the wild, released as part of the bookcrossing.com initiative. It took me a few months but I finally managed to complete this Thing by hunting down a book released in my area. I did check a map to find the exact location (there are no X in Google maps), but that was not really need as I had a rough idea of where the place was. It was very exciting to see the book there on the shelf waiting for me!

For the record here is a photo!

To search for books or even release your own books in the wild visit http://www.bookcrossing.com/.

Thing #51: I am spending my time (and money)

About 6 months ago I bought a green tie. I then managed to make a mark on it using a pen so I gave it to my mother to 'safely' vanish the stain. She did vanish it, tie included! So I gave up waiting for it to miraculously re-appear and bought a new one. Well 3 of them. And... while I was on it I got a 7-port USB self-powered hub. After all, every household needs one of them. I then went for a hot chocolate... twice.

Going shopping with your swear money? About £47.6. Blogging it for the 101 Things to do before you are old and boring? Priceless!

Having spent my swear box money I can now claim Thing #51 done. As this is the 60th completed thing, I am now almost 2/3 there!

Thing #101: Decide what you want to be

Too late for that... I am already what I decided to be. Well, sort of! More than 15 years I was asked that very question. My answer was rather 'ambitious'. No, I did not want to be an astronaut. Neither did I want to be a super star of any sort. Not even a pilot (that's something I want now). I wanted to be a mathematician, physicist and analyst (not of a specific sort - I just wanted to analyse stuff!). The teacher said I could not be all those things. She was 'right' after all. You need about a decade just to study those things at an undergraduate level. Still, I was lucky to combine all the above, and more, and for that I can only be grateful.

It got me thinking though, how easy it is to dismiss other people's dreams. We all do it (and not just for dreams). What a silly thing to do though. Dismiss a dream? But, it's a just dream! Let them live it. Help them live it. Encourage them to try and when they fail be there to push them further. Failure is part of the process and the process is what matters, so failures matter too. How we deal with adversity says a lot about us after all.

Same thing applies to you too. If you want to know who your friends are (Thing #56) then see who supports you - without asking. Not just those who will say 'yes' all the time. Those who trully care about you. Those who think about your step #2 before you even take step #1. Those who invest in your happiness. And when you know who these people are, make sure you keep them close.

Thing #50: Pretend to be ill - convincingly

Faking anything is a matter of time. You need to get people off guard otherwise you have about 0% of succeeding. This time of the year is great to pretend being ill as everyone has a cold (those of you who have not got one yet - just wait or even better just say: I am not going to get one). So when I got a sms from a friend who was looking after relatives with a cold I thought to give it a try. So, I replied that I was in bed with fever and that I needed to go to the hospital. OK, there was no face to face contact, neither was there any voice chat involved, but one should not underestimate the genius required to pull this off within 160 characters. Anyhow, within 3 sms I got my friend relatively upset as I was not 'planning' to go to the hospital despite my fever (I am stubborn what can I say?). I could not torturing the pure thing any further (the good man I am) so I put an end on it. Good news? Thing #50 is now complete!

Thing #21: Stay in bed all day

It's almost midnight and I have now officially spent a day in bed. I actually feel rather tired from doing not much so I think I will now go to sleep. Well, more accurately, I will just sleep.

Thing #21: Sleep all day

Last night I went to bed at 10:30 and woke up at 12:30. Feeling a bit tired from going to the gym yesterday I went back to sleep (as if there was something else to do at 12:30). I woke up around 7:00 thought it's early, and went back to sleep until... 7:30. Being consistent (or predictable - you choose) I slept again only to wake this time at around 9:00. Having the laptop next to me I checked my messages. No news-good news! Well how many emails can you really have between 10:30 Friday night and 9:00 Saturday morning? Of course, spam does not count. I made a coffee (so I had to get out of bed for a few minutes) picked up a few things and went straight back to bed.

Why am I telling you all this? Simply because I am trying to complete Thing #21: Sleep all day. As there is no chance I could spend a whole day sleeping (even if I did not sleep at all during the previous night) I thought to change this slightly and 'Stay in bed all day'. This is probably more difficult as far as I am concerned, as I will soon get restless and would like to get out of bed, but I have the utter confidence in me.

To members of the secret society: To help me get through the next 12 hours 50 minutes, feel free to contact me.

Thing #58: Start a band

Attitude, enthusiasm (and good looks) can get you a long way in the music business. As I have not completed Thing #8 (learn to play a music instrument) I have decided to be the lead singer. And, as I have not found any musicians (who needs them anyway) I have decided to replace them with Karaoke CD. Many of them! They are widely available in music stores and can provide endless hours of entertainment... and potentially humiliation if you are not good enough. Of course the latter does not apply! To give you a taste of what a karaoke night involves, see the video below!



Want to try your skills: Check out this link!

Thing #85: Write a story and get it published

I have published papers (boring version of the word stories) in various publishing outlets since I started writing this blog, but never got around reporting this Thing done. I am doing this now, as I found out this evening that one more paper has been accepted for publication. Good timing as I was looking for the next Thing to do! If anyone is interested in bed time reading, I could send him or her a signed copy!

Thing #41: Learn to like these foods

This Thing is about trying eating new things and see if you like them or not. I am not 10 anymore and eating broccoli isn't a torture anymore (don't think it ever was) so this is a relatively easy Thing to complete. In fact most of the 'awful' things I actually like - lettuce, carrots, peas etc. So growing older has some good aspects too after all!

Thing #48: Watch these movies

I was coasting on the information highway (this thing called the Internet) and I came across a post with a list of films. Apparently, if you have watched more than 85 movies in the list you don't have a life. I thought to give it a go instead of using the list provided by the book. And the sum was... 89, which is good enough to prove I don't have a life. Well, we already knew this, as I have spent more than a year on this blog right? Actually, I would have scored MUCH higher if the whole Star Wars saga was included in the list. Anyway, having watched more than enough films, I think I will continue my endevour of doing something interesting with the my remaining of my life - before I get too old and too boring.

If you want to try this for yourself here is the list:

{ ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
( ) Grease
( ) Pirates of the Caribbean
( ) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
( ) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
( ) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
Total:

( ) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( ) Anger Management
( ) 50 First Dates
( ) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far:

( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
( ) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far:

( ) Harry Potter 1
( ) Harry Potter 2
( ) Harry Potter 3
( ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
( ) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
( ) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far:

( ) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
( ) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
( ) I, Robot
( ) Robots
Total so far:

( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
( ) Never Been Kissed
( ) Meet The Parents
( ) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
( ) KING KONG
Total so far:

( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( ) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumb & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween H2O
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
( ) Flubber
Total so far:

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
( ) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far:

( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
( ) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
( ) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far:

( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Sleven
( ) Ocean's Eleven
( ) Ocean's Twelve
( ) Bourne Identity
( ) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star State of Mind
( ) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog [both versions]
( ) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far:

( ) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
( ) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Boss's Daughter
( ) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds [both versions]
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
Total so far:

( ) Best Bet
( ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
( ) Ever After
( ) Wizard of Oz
( ) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
( ) The Terminator
( ) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3

Total so far:

( ) X-Men
( ) X2
( ) X-3
( ) Spider-Man
( ) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( ) Catch Me If You Can
( ) The Little Mermaid
( ) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
( ) Shrek
( ) Shrek 2

Total so far:

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old-virgin

Total so far:

( ) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
( ) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
( ) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
( ) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
( ) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
( ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far:

( ) Love & Basketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devil's Rejects
( ) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three

Total so far:

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
( ) Monsters inc.
( ) Titanic
( ) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far:


( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
( ) Hook
( ) Chronicle Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld

Total so far:

( ) Kill Bill vol 1
( ) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total so far:

( ) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
( ) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
( ) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
( ) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
( ) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far:

( ) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix Reloaded
( ) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America World Police
( ) Red Dragon
( ) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal
Total so far:

Thing #81: Research Your Family Tree

Finally! I got around to do a bit of research and come up with about 80+ family members spanning 7 generations using a software programme I installed on my PC a few months ago (always proactive eh?). These cover about a time frame of 130 years, albeit most of them are as expected in the second half of the previous century. Still, it was interesting to see the past unfolding in front of me, even if this only involved scratching the surface. Good enough though to claim Thing #81 done!