#1: Skydive
January 11, 2012 by Jessica
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I think the video speaks for itself. Holy. Crap. Shaking like a leaf on the way up, but now I want to go again!
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#148: Slow dance in Central Park
December 2, 2011 by Jessica
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I’m a very lucky lady. I knew this already, but this one reaffirmed it. You see, my husband is super supportive. He lets me drag him all around New York and then is more than happy to help me cross off one of my girliest bucket list items! After the carriage ride, we walked around a little bit, mostly by this ice skating rink (which has been featured in a whole bunch of movies). It’s one of my favorite spots in the park, and since it provides music, it also happened to be the perfect setting for our slow dance. It would have felt silly to ask someone to take a photo of us dancing, but I don’t need a photo for this one. It was a lovely moment that I’m sure I’ll be able to recall 80 years from now. |
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#75: Ride in a horse-drawn carriage
by Jessica
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This is going to sound silly to some people, but I really struggled with this one. I wrote it down years ago, but came close to removing it from the list when the opportunity came to scratch it off. I had heard stories of horses being abused and I was worried about contributing to that. (I was also that kid who felt bad taking part in pony rides at the fair, so I guess no one should be surprised.) 
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 Anyway, we walked around looking at the horses, trying to pick one that looked like it was healthy & had a nice owner. We found Tyson. The driver was very nice & seemed to really care about his horse, so we figured we’d go with him. In the end, I got over my feelings. Tyson was well cared for and seemed content, and our money would go toward supporting him in some way, as well as his owner. All in all, it was a nice, slow, romantic way to see a little bit of the park. |
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#117: Have a Parker cocktail at the Algonquin Hotel
by Jessica
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Okay, so… This one’s quirky, I guess. Reader’s Digest version, for those who don’t already know: Dorothy Parker was a writer in the ’20s. She was a member of a group known as the Algonquin Round Table. It included many great writers, critics, actors… They would basically get together for lunch at the Algonquin Hotel and be witty, bitchy, and all-around awesome. There’s a lot more to this, but I’ll spare you my nerdy history lessons (which my poor husband had to endure). All you need to know is that I’m a big fan. I’ve always loved reading about the group, Dorothy Parker in particular. 
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 The Algonquin is beautiful inside and feels very much like stepping back in time. It’s easy to imagine it being one of the best spots in town during its heyday, filled with droll conversation and flowing booze (despite Prohibition). Sadly, the Parker Cocktail was no longer on the menu, but I asked and they obliged me anyway. It’s a delicious mix of vodka, Chambord, and lemon juice. I think Mrs. Parker would have loved it. |
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#88: Go to the top of the Empire State Building
by Jessica
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 But I never got around to it. I moved back home to Florida and I immediately regretted never going up to the top. It was totally worth the wait. What an absolutely breathtaking view! A bit pricey to go up, but 100% worth it. The best way to describe it is with a quote from one of my favorite movies, An Affair to Remember: “It was the nearest thing to heaven.” So true. |
So, I used to live in a little village not too far north of Manhattan called Nyack. I lived there for three years, most of which were spent working in a library, taking the bus to the city on the weekends to see Broadway shows when I had the money and/or time. Visiting the Empire State Building felt touristy. I imagined waiting in line with hundreds of people, only to be disappointed by the hype. I’ll get around to it eventually, I thought. The building will be there next weekend, so why not put it off until another time? 
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#144: Leave a 100% tip
July 30, 2011 by Jessica
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| We go to this restaurant a lot. We sit at the bar and have gotten to know the waitstaff and the bartenders. Most of them are young, a lot of them have families at home, and they all work very hard. I don’t make a lot of money, so this isn’t something I would just do any old day. But it was my birthday, and I figured what better time to scratch this one off? I was already planning on doing it when they brought out ice cream and sang happy birthday to me. Then when it came time to pay the bill, they took my dinner off the bill as a birthday gift. So… I’d say I definitely picked the best restaurant to scratch off #144, wouldn’t you? Very glad I got to do this one. |
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#6: Send a message in a bottle
by Jessica
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Kind of a silly little thing… I always wanted to do this as a kid. I never did it back then, so I figured, what better way to celebrate a quarter century of life? I emptied out a small, glass soy sauce bottle and found a cork that fit (ugh, it was from a bottle of Moet & Chandon – it pained me to give it up). I wrote out my little message (nothing profound), and sealed the cork with candle wax. Something I didn’t think about ahead of time: I was basically littering. 
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 I know glass will break down over time and it really won’t hurt anything, but… still. I felt guilty doing it. And I became very paranoid that someone would call the police on me or something. We found a deserted spot at the edge of the beach, near an underpass. The current was strong, and we purposely caught it on the outgoing tide. I glanced around me to make sure no coppers were watching, and hurled that baby into the Gulf of Mexico! |
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#73: Learn every line to “We Didn’t Start the Fire”
by Jessica
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This was way more stressful and time consuming than you would think.
Yes, I blindfolded myself – more to keep myself from looking at lyrics than to convince anyone who might watch this. It took like a gazillion takes and when I finally got it, I found out the audio hadn’t picked up, so I had to overlay the song and match it up with my lips. Then I cut the end of the video… the part where I pulled off my blindfold and did a victory dance.
I love you, Billy Joel, but I never want to hear this song again.
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#7: Plant a tree
July 28, 2011 by Jessica
2 Comments »
| Okay, okay, let me explain… It’s a bonsai. My husband thinks that’s a cop out. I, however, do not.
I got it in a cute little kit. I had to stick it in the fridge for 20 days (to simulate winter). I’m really excited to see it grow. This totally counts. |
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#163: Learn to fold an origami crane
July 24, 2011 by Jessica
2 Comments »
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You know, I’ve been putting this one off for a long time. Somehow I thought it would be insanely difficult and I wouldn’t be able to do it. I pictured myself getting halfway through and then crumbling up the paper furiously, unable to figure it out. In reality, it was easy. And fun. It took me six minutes. I can see why so many people do origami. Once you get the hang of it, it’s surprisingly relaxing. Four more items to scratch off before my 25th birthday… And only six days left to go. Eeek! I’m such a procrastinator. P.S. Thanks to the folks at Origami Fun for posting instructions. If you want to learn how to fold your own crane, check out their video. |
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