18 things to do before you get married

When I called home yesterday Alex presented me with a list of 18 things i needed to do before i got married. (It turns out the list came off the back of a cereal box and really had nothing to do with weddings.) I should just tell you i love to make lists. and as opposed to all my other checklists, I am in surprisingly good shape :)

1. Ride the Worlds Biggest Roller coaster.
~ Until 2005 the world's biggest roller coaster was in Japan. Now, the record holder is in New Jersey. slightly more doable, but taking into account the cost of admission to Six Flags, price of gas for a cross-state trip, the amount of time it would take, the fact that Micah gets sick on rides that go around, and the fact that eventually, someone will build a bigger rollercoaster, i decided to see if i could negotiate on this one. It turns out that Lakemont has the world's OLDEST rollercoaster. let's face it, no one will ever build an older roller coaster. it defies logic. lakemont is closer to home and the cost is about 82% less than six flags and includes a water park. so there is a trip planned to lakemont this summer.

2. Bungee jump
~ I hate the feeling of free fall. I almost squeezed all the blood out of my friend Matt's hand when we went on the Tower of Terror in Disney world. i love rides that spin, swing or flip, but the drop ones, no thank you! but since it's on the list... Alex says that one of those extreme swing rides at amusement parks would count. a trip to Kenneywood is planned for this summer. I cant believe i plan on doing this (dont tell Alex, i also plan on chickening out :) )

3. Score the winning goal.
~I have done this. Playing Asbury College Soccer. I believe it was against Kentucky Christian. I would recognize the field. I scored. we won. Check.

4. Win an award.
~I got a ribbon for reading at Forst Hills Elementary School. We have pictures of this, bad hair and all. I also got a certificate for "most patient counselor" at Heart Camp and I was on the deans list once too. Checks all around.

5. Learn to play an instrument.
~I play the trombone, and i can plunk out a tune on the piano. Double Check.

6. Go Backstage at a concert.
~I was IN the band ;) (seehow cool that makes me) I have been "backstage" at marching band competitions, Christmas concerts, ajudications, parades, you name it. Check!

7. Meet your Idol.
~ This met with confusion. i'm not sure my Idol is alive. I'm not even sure who my idol is. (Besides the Cliche SundaySchool answer of "Jesus".) Alex's take: "you met Micah. Check" the kid's rooting for me.

8. Be on your favorite TV show.
~I'm not sure it counts as being on the show, or that it was my favorite show, but one of my videos was on TV here two weeks ago and my name was in the credits. it was even spelled right (which is more than i can say about my HS yearbook!) we decided that was impressive enough. Check!

9. Meet someone with your name.
~When i was in Greece for the Olympics, I actually did meet another Anastasia. She went by Sia. Check!

10. Make a discovery.
~Sunday afternoon, i discoverd that my bread was moldy, before i ate it too. Check.

11. Play a successful practical joke.
~ I am certain that in all my years of youth camp, i have done this. one time we Pushed the Asst. Director's car about 100 yards down a trail into the woods. i'm sure there's better, but that's all i can remember on the spot. check.

12. Have a pointless collection.
~If all my t-shirts don't count, i dont know what would. My favorite is a tie between the glow-in-the-dark Einstein and the Primatologist convention shirts. Check.

13. Invent a word and get it into the dictionary.
~ Nauffy. (adj) being like the creamy part of stroganoff in consitancy. EX. It is a really nauffy day outside. Also, I claim the verbation of the word happy. as in "that happys me"
neither are in the dictionary, YET. Half-check, but two of them, so check :)

14. Conquor your biggest fear.
~ See #2. plans are in place.

15. Raise money for charity.
~ I did the math-a-thon for St Judes. this is really funny if you know me. math. me. it's like abi and digital clocks. anyway, Check.

16. Road trip across the country.
~This is in the planning stages for directly after the wedding. I was granted an extension. if someone calls me on it on my way down the aisle, i'm claiming that the family vacation to South Dakota counts. sorta check.

17. Turn 25.
~Alex made this one up. The cereal box said 18. Due to poor scheduling of my birthday, i'll still be 24. what was my mom thinking having me in November! :) since he made it up, Alex says i have till I have my first child to do this one.

18. Pass your drivers test the first time.
~not to brag but, Check!!!

y'all are really brave to have read all this. i think it was probably a lot more entertaining to be part of the conversation. But i was entertained and I figured that some of you might appreciate having more than a 5 month notice on the requirements for marriage.

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