- Fainted.
- Ridden on a camel.
- Slept in a car overnight.
- Gone to an airport and purchased a plane ticket on the spot.
- Attended a professional sporting event (e.g. MLB, NBA, NFL, etc.).
- Had a root canal.
- Been to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City.
- Attended a book signing.
- Accidentally worn two different shoes out of the house (though I have left wearing sweaters or exercise pants inside out on numerous occasions).
- Attempted to break a Guinness World Record.
Your turn.
- How many of my “Never Evers” have you done?
- If you had to book a spur-of-the-moment plane ticket TODAY, where would you go?
- If you could break a world record, which record would you want to break?
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mbmom11
I have done #1 ( Sat up too quickly after a surgery once) #5 ( a field trip in HS to a MLB game ) and #8 sort of. ( it was a cassette tape cover- liner notes signed by the Indigo Girls- they wrote the songs so sort of an author signing?). I think I’ve been to a book signing or two, but can’t remember who ( Patrcia Wrede? And way back in my single days I bought a lot of books at Borders….) I have worn shirts and sweats inside out, but I don’t think I’ve mismatched shoes. Hey, in the 80s, wearing a sweatshirt inside out was fashionable!
If I had to buy a ticket right now it would be Vancouver to visit my sister. We’d go to a cat Cafe, her aquarium, and the Capilano Bridge.
Elisabeth
Everything old is new again and baggy, oversized sweaters are all the rage, so no doubt the inside out look is coming back.
That sounds like a fabulous trip. I’ve never been to Vancouver!
Stacey in the UK
A yes to all except 4, 9 and 10. Not sure what that says about me though.
5 – I’ve been to several football (soccer) matches and to the ATP finals (men’s tennis) twice when they were at the O2 in London. My husband managed to get us tickets to the Tai Kwan Do at the 2012 Olympics in London which happened to fall on the anniversary of the day we met.
6 – unpleasant!!
8 – been a lot of book signing/talks mainly for Lee Child. Also met James Patterson, Joseph Knox, plus couple of UK comedians Alan Davies and Al Murray (The Pub Landlord).
Elisabeth
I guess now that I think about it I *did* go to the Roger’s Cup years ago and saw Rafael Nadal. Oops, maybe I can’t say Never Ever on that one. But I’ve never been to see a team sport (MLB, NHL, etc).
Wow! You’ve hobnobbed with a lot of authors/stars!
Sophie
Hmm, let’s see! I’ve fainted a few times, rode a camel at a fair, been to the top of the Empire State, been to a professional (Australian Rules Football) game, oh and been to an Australian Open Tennis match, and attended a book signing (at a book convention! and had a ball with other book nerds!). Never had a root canal thank goodness, or slept the whole night in a car.
Elisabeth
As I admitted to Stacey, I HAVE been to the Roger’s Cup which is one of the pro events for tennis (and I saw Nadal). I should clarify I guess that I’ve never been to a professional sporting TEAM event.
What fair HAS CAMELS??? Then again, you get to see kangaroos when you’re out for a casual stroll, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised!
Laura
Sadly the root canal has happened. It wasn’t so bad – not fun, and had to happen in two parts, but the pain that led to it was worse than the procedure.
Elisabeth
I suppose the pain and trouble from not dealing with dental problems definitely outweighs the discomfort of having the procedures done…but I still hope I can go to my grave without crossing this one off my list 🙂
Jenny
Unfortunately I have fainted and had a root canal, but on a happier note, I’ve attended professional baseball games and a book signing. No camels, but I did ride an elephant at the San Diego zoo. I’m glad to say I’ve never slept overnight in a car!
Elisabeth
For the record – I haven’t ridden on an elephant either 😉
Birchie
The only one that I’ve done is 6, and I would like to do 7 and 8. Everything else I’m good with being a no.
Piggybacking on your comment on Engie’s blog, let’s get tickets to Cancun and have a Cool Bloggers retreat this weekend!
Elisabeth
Can you even imagine. It is a full-blown blizzard here right now. Cancun sounds dreamy. One of Belle’s best friends just got back from Mexico and I feel like this weather would seem even worse after a week on the beach?!
Lindsay
I have…
-Attended a professional sporting event: a professional hockey game; go Bruins!
-Had a root canal: oof
-Attended a book signing: it was for my daughter, but still counts!
-Accidentally worn two different shoes out of the house: in my early days of business casual and a long commute, I wore 2 different black flats to work (more than once)
If I could go buy a plane ticket and go right now I would take off for Ireland and Scotland…
Elisabeth
I cannot begin to tell you have happy I am that someone left the house with two different shoes!!!
I really want to visit Scotland, too. It’s on my short list of places to visit. My family history can be traced back there and it looks so majestic and green. Plus, the accent is pretty cool!
Maureen
I have done most of those things on the list except #4. I wouldn’t be able to reason the cost of a plane ticket purchase on the day of the flight unless it was an emergency.
I did ride a camel at the Bronx Zoo. Had a root canal and wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Unfortunately, the DDS did not get all the roots affected and a few years later coming home from a Germany vacation, it got infected and a new DDS had to operate. And he didn’t get all the infection out either!!!! It was more painful the second time around.
And husband and I love sporting events. We are heading to Florida in 2 weeks to see some Spring Training baseball of our favorite team, the NY Mets. It was always a bucket list item for us and when we lived in FL for 8 years, we made sure to attend games every year.
I have 2 stories of the Empire State Building. 1) My father took my sister and I when we were little at night. That was cool seeing all the lights. 2) The other story is when I took my 5 yr old daughter and my sister took her 3 yr old son to the top. My nephew was amazed at all the “yellow” cars; or taxis as most of us know. He wanted a taxi as a souvenir. Now it costs $45. to get to the top and there is a whole museum there. When I worked it Manhattan, it was maybe $5.00 to get to the top and you were at the top. But regardless of cost, it is a great experience.
Elisabeth
Ugh – the same tooth root canaled twice sounds doubly horrible 😐
How fun! I hope training camp is a great experience; someone I knew locally took their whole family down one year. They LOVED baseball and it was their family vacation for the year.
It is so expensive to go to the top of tall buildings these days! That said, I would like to do it. We did Rockefeller Centre one time, and John has been to the top of the Empire State, but because we had a BBQ with friends who had a rooftop terrace that was very high, we saved some coin when we took the kids and never went up one of the “official” tall buildings.
Michelle G.
I have fainted several times. Ugh!
I have attended two pro football games (Vikings and Seahawks) and both home teams won! I have many happy memories of those games. (Pre-Covid events are so nostalgic for me now.)
I attended an author talk and book signing by Alexander McCall Smith. Dream come true!
If I had to buy a plane ticket right this minute, I’d go to Mexico and hang out with Nicole!
I have no idea what world record I’d like to try breaking! Ha! Ha! That sounds like way too much work!
Elisabeth
I think it would be a bit of a bummer to attend a game and have the home team lose (unless, of course, the team winning was “your” team).
What a perfect plane ticket answer. I wonder if Nicole would be okay with all of Cool Bloggerland crashing her party in Mexico 🙂
Jenny in WV
Interesting Questions!
1. Yep, fainted due to dehydration. Hit the wall and had a bruise on my face for a week!
2. Maybe, at a zoo when I was really little.
3. Like camping in a Wal-mart parking lot? I am fortunate that I have never had to live out of my car and I don’t care for camping so I have never voluntarily done so.
4. Can you really just go to the airport and purchase a ticket? I’d probably go to the beach.
5. Way back in high school, I was in the school choir and we sang the national anthem before a Pirates game. I’m not much of a sports fan, so I wouldn’t pay $$$ to go to a game.
6. I’ve had 4. 🙁
7. Yes, on another choir trip. It was early morning and very foggy, but I remember we could see the tops of the World Trade Center.
8. Never been to an actual book signing. I have a couple of signed books, but in both cases I knew the authors and asked for the autographs.
9. Following the idea of “If the shoe fits, buy a pair in every color” I did have very similar black and brown dress shoes. I wore one of each pair to work one day and didn’t notice until I walked outside to go to lunch! I wore my snow boots (that live in my car), the rest of the day! (In case it’s not obvious, I am not a morning person!)
10. Nope, I’m too lazy to try.
Elisabeth
Yikes! That fainting story is terrible. I knew someone once that fainted and fell onto the sidewalk and caused $10,000 worth of damage to her teeth. Gah! It was crazy. Thankfully I’ve not had this happen before, but fainting does feel like something you can’t really “prepare” for!
I’m not a morning person either and I can see how in the groggy morning hours black and brown could be easily confused!
Lisa's Yarns
I’ve only done 5 and 8. I’ve been to several Twins games, one Vikings game (would never pay to go to a Vikings game because it’s expensive but we were guests of my former colleague and had seats in this special end zone area with all you can drink/eat! They won the tickets at a charity auction), and one Wild hockey game.
For #8, I went with a friend to a book signing in the days leading up to her wedding. It was one of her fave authors (Adriana Trigiani). But I did not get a book signed for some reason – only she did (which I took pictures of).
Honestly I have ZERO desire to purchase a plane ticket for anywhere right now. I am flying to Michigan today. It will be cold but at least it’s a short flight and I’ll be back by Thur afternoon!
Elisabeth
You spend more than enough time on planes 🙁
Though I do think it would be THRILLING to book a last-minute ticket and I would say it is on my to-do list for some time in the future. Maybe once it’s only John and I flying somewhere. The thought of booking a day-of ticket and coordinating things for the kids doesn’t sound overly appealing!
Maria
I’m with you on all but #3! We slept in a rental car on our honeymoon because someone thought that we could find a camping spot in a campground on an island in summer without a reservation. That someone was mistaken so we slept in the car. It was pretty cold and uncomfortable!
Elisabeth
I had to laugh at “that someone”. We talk like that sometimes in our family and I find it hilarious!
And on a honeymoon no less which is definitely a time you would like TO NOT be sleeping in a car.
Glad you lived to tell the tale.
Diane
Re: #4 –
So one January when I was in college, my roommates were going to go to Paris for Intersession break. I was planning on staying on campus and working. In those days, newspapers would have these ads for cheap airline tickets and I think it was like $375 for the round trip ticket. Anyhow, as I was watching them make plans to go to Paris, I felt myself getting sadder and sadder that I couldn’t go. So the day before they left, I said to myself, “F— it. I’m going too.” So I went to the ATM and took out as much cash as I could, probably $600 or something like that. I sent my boss and email that said, “Dear Jim – I’m sorry I won’t be in this week. I’m going to Paris.”
I went with my roommates to the airport, walked up to the counter and bought a plane ticket in cash and the three of us went to Paris for the week and had an amazing time. (Note, I had like $150in cash for the rest of the week, which, through a combination of my friend’s paying for things and me paying them back later, and us being really cheap, lasted).
I found out afterwards that buying last minute plane tickets in cash is often behavior that comes across as highly suspicious and triggers all sorts of warning bells for airline companies. But I guess they figured I was okay?
This is part of the reason I always make sure I have an unexpired passport at the ready.
Of the other things on your list, I’ve done 5 (I’ve been to a Nats game a couple times.) and 7 (when I was in elementary school).
Elisabeth
Diane, I LOVE this story! And I LOVE that you always have a current passport in part to allow for this level of spontaneity.
What an incredible memory!
NGS
I’ve done 5/10 of those things. I guess I live a much more exciting life than I thought I did. I am stunned at people who have not fainted because I do it so regularly that I don’t even think much about it anymore. *sigh*
If I could spontaneously fly anywhere right now, I would go somewhere warm with sufficient human rights. That is a bit limiting these days.
Elisabeth
Wait. You faint REGULARLY? How does this happen? Do you not get hurt?
J
1. Fainted – Oh goodness, the horror. When I was in 6th grade we used to play this absolutely asinine game, where you would stand against the wall…bend over and hyperventilate, then stand up quickly and blow all of the air out of your lungs, with your arms crossed in front of your chest. Your friend would then push on your arms, thus depriving you of any oxygen at all, and you would faint, sliding down the wall and maybe getting a burn on your back from the wall. OMG we probably gave ourselves brain damage and that is why I am so bad at foreign languages. 1b – I also fainted once after giving blood. My friend thought I was goofing around and pushed me, and I fell to the ground. The nurse was HORRIFIED.
2. Ridden a camel – Yes, at an amusement park that had camels and elephants. They call them the ship of the desert for a reason, I thought I was going to get seasick. I also got to pet a cheetah!
3. Slept in the car – Yes, though we were camping and put our sleeping bags in the back of the trunk, so not really what you’re thinking. I feel like maybe I have done this other times, not camping, but I’m not positive. So I’ll say 85% chance that I have slept in the car all night when it is not moving.
4. Gone to an airport and purchased a plane ticket on the spot. – Not to fly away, no. I’ve gone to the airport to change a ticket, and I’ve purchased tickets there for future flights, but never like, “Yep, getting on this plane right now.”
5. Attended a professional sporting event (e.g. MLB, NBA, NFL, etc.). – Yes, I’ve been to several MLB games and also horse races. I don’t do the horse racing anymore, the US sport is too corrupt and the horses are not treated well.
6. Had a root canal. – Yes. It’s not horrible, the infection that leads to it is the crummy part. I hope you never have to do it.
7. Been to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City. – Yes
8. Attended a book signing. – Yes, there used to be a cooking show called Take Home Chef, and the chef was really cute. He would pick up a person (98% chance it is a young attractive woman) and they go back to her house and he cooks her a beautiful meal that she then shares with her significant other. It was adorable. We went to San Francisco to his book signing for his cookbook, and he signed the book “To my future wife”. Swoon.
9. Accidentally worn two different shoes out of the house – I don’t THINK so, but I can’t swear to it.
10. Attempted to break a Guinness World Record – Nope, zero interest there.
If I could go buy a plane ticket anywhere spur of the moment, where would it be? Well, Paris is always the answer to that question. But also to see a friend or family member would be great, as would a blogger meetup in Cancun.
Elisabeth
I see middle school was just as crazy back then. Yikes!
Petting a cheetah needs to go on my next list of Never Have I Ever. I think you might be the only one to have done that!
I think just the thrill of going somewhere spontaneously would make me less picky?! But Paris spur of the moment would be divine AND Diane has done this!
Gigi
Shockingly enough, I have done at least five of those. I’ll leave it to you to guess which five. Odds are good, they aren’t the ones you would think.
Elisabeth
Gigi, how can you leave us all hanging like that?
ernie
I have fainted. More than once. Eek.
I’ve been to a professional sporting event, also more than once.
I’ve slept in a car overnight. Do not recommend.
If I could fly some where spur of the moment, I’d probably choose Florida or somewhere warm. But – it would be tempting not to fly to Italy to see Mini. That’s happening next month anyway though.
I guess if I could break a world record it would be to live longer than anyone, so I could meet all of my grandkids, great grandkids, etc.
Elisabeth
I think I assumed sleeping in car wouldn’t be much fun, but thanks for enduring the misery to confirm that for me!
You must be so excited for Italy!!! I can’t remember – is it just you and Coach, or are the girls going, too?
Love your answer for world record and the sentiment behind it <3
Gigi
Sorry; I couldn’t resist. I have fainted, ridden a camel, attended a professional sporting event, had a root canal and worn two different shoes out of the house.
Melissa
I have:
Fainted. A couple of times.
Ridden on a camel on the beach in Broome
Slept in a car overnight. When I was at uni
Attended a professional sporting event. I’ve been to basketball, AFL, baseball, Aus Open. I’ve also been to some international soccer games. Last one was FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer.
Had a root canal. Unfortunately yes.
for a spur of them moment plane ticket I’d probably choose Tasmania, just because I know I could head there without needing to organise anything prior.
Elisabeth
I am SHOCKED so many people have ridden on camels!
Central Calif. Artist Jana
1. I fainted once when I got T-boned. Woke up in an ambulance, and the first thing I did was make sure my feet moved so I knew I wasn’t paralyzed. Broke my pelvis. Not fun.
2. Rode a camel in Israel in 2016. My sister and I practically fell off laughing when our tour guide said as we headed out into the desert, “By the way, I sold you.”
3. Can’t remember the exact circumstances, but this might have been on a camping trip, maybe in the rain.
4. Purchasing a ticket at the airport used to be normal for me. Pre 9/11 of course.
5. Been to several Padres and one Giants baseball game. Baseball is the only sport I can vaguely tolerate.
8. Been to several book signings, include 3 of my own.
9. Back when I could wear normal shoes (before neuropathy made Crocs be the only comfortable shoes), I got some of my walking shoes mixed up and wore a mixed pair. No one noticed, including me, until I got home and took them off.
Elisabeth
Oh Jana! A broken pelvis sounds absolutely horrid and terrifying. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.
Again…can’t believe how many people have ridden on a camel!
I’ll admit it does make me happy to know some people have gone out of the house with two different shoes. It feels whimsical and fun in an odd sort of way.
Sak
I rode a camel traveling in India. I’ve fainted multiple times. I went to the ER after it once because we were worried and after a bunch of tests they told me I was prone to fainting when dehydrated.
I haven’t had a root canal or tried to break a Guinness book of world records.
Elisabeth
I cannot get over the people who faint and how many people have ridden camels (if I was prone to fainting, I might be nervous about getting up on a camel).
I get the sense that dehydration is a big reason why people faint. I know some people get very queasy at the sight of blood – hopefully they don’t end up in the medical field!
Stephany
I don’t think I’ve ever fainted, either! I did have an incident when I was a kid where I was riding my bike in tight circles, got dizzy, and fell off my bike and hit my head. I think that’s considered blacking out, though, lol. (Thinking about this now – I didn’t even go to the hospital for this! Early 90s were a wild time.)
I have attended many a professional sporting event – Bucs games, Lightning games, and Rays games. Most of those were from getting free tickets!
And I have gone to a handful of book signings. They’re so fun! I’m always looking for more book signings to attend. 🙂