Flying High

I just returned from Rhinebeck, New York where I attended "Trapeze Camp" with my copilot in work and play, Miss Pegged.  We had no idea when we booked the class that it would coincide with Chelsea Clinton's wedding and that our hotel was prime choice for a large portion of her guests.

Signs of well wishes were everywhere! 

Overnight this quaint little town was transformed into a media circus and the buzz only added to our own circus theme. 

I passed Natalie Morales from the Today Show outside our hotel 3 times before I recognized her. 

I should have bought her a sandwich

Because I was still high from the after effects of trapeze, I introduce myself and told her about our escapades.  She was polite and a bit intrigued - remarking that the experience must have been a fun and memorable one.

  halfway into her live broadcast Miss Pegged pulled the plug

She was right of course - for me it's not about doing something dangerous, its about having a collection of memorable experiences.

And Trapeze Class is certainly one of them...

does that safety belt make my ass look fat?

By the time it was over, not only did I fly twenty-three feet in the air, I hung upside down and did a back flip off the bar.  

Sadly, I was told my timing wasn't down enough to do a mid-air "catch" so I pretended I did one.  

Because I was wearing monkey socks and a green monkey tee shirt (a gift from my silver friends) everyone cheered "MONKEY, MONKEY, MONKEY!" 

Notice the intense look on my face - a reminder of just how frightened I was.  My neck is still sore from clinching my teeth.  

Notice the distance from the bar to the net!
My husband would like you to notice how close I came to missing the net!!

ME sliding down a poll - imagine that! 

This made me think about all the memorable moments in my life.  Because I will eventually turn my blog posts into a book, I thought I'd jot some of them down.  I guess you could say this is my version of a completed Bucket List.

Memorable Moments

sky diving with my son
gliding on an ultra light 1,300 feet above Burning Man
attending Burning Man and all the life changing events that happen there
snorkeling in Hawaii and the Caribbean
parasailing in Mexico
climbing ancient Mayan ruins, Sacre Coeur, the Eiffel tower
standing on top of Heavenly Mountain, the Cliffs of Moher, the Empire State Building
riding a sea turtle
flying UNDER the George Washington Bridge in a two seater Cessna airplane
sailing under the San Francisco Bay bridge, around the State of Liberty and between the tiny islands that make up Virgin Gorda
watching my daughter dance during half time at the Pro Bowl
watching my daughter graduate high school
being a featured blogger on SITS
driving a stick shift (for the first time) in Ireland
accompanying my father on his last marathon
completing 3 marathons
running 4 marathons
taking a trapeze class
saving a baby bird
raising and successfully releasing a baby squirrel
finding and marrying my soul mate
perusing art vendors along the Seine with my daughter Lindsay
photographing Carly Simon
meeting David Best
quitting smoking
giving birth to 2 amazing souls
teaching myself how to paint, sew, write
summer camp
hula hooping on broadway
traveling to Europe by myself
addressing Congress
meeting Senator Dodd
Running for local level government office
passing out home made Obama buttons in 6 states
witnessing the inauguration of Barack Obama
witnessing Kermit Ruffin's wedding
enjoying Jazz in New Orleans
dancing to live music
dancing on stage
making my SURVIVOR audition tape 
Getting my security, investigation and detective license
Getting my drivers license (I drove for 6 years without one)
taking a nude sketch class
going to a nude beach
participated in a 20 mile overnight suicide awareness walk
participating in Hands Across America
attending a writing retreat in Paris
flying from Shannon to Kennedy and Kennedy to Shannon

And because I enjoy making lists, I might as well include my To Do List:

get published
go fishing
sail down the river Shannon
trapeze with my daughter
exercise regularly
accidentally bump into Marty on his virtual bar crawl
make a difference in a childs life
make a difference in the city of New Orleans

I'm sure there are many more, but for today, the sun is shining, there is a warm summer breeze just outside my door.  Time to create a memory, or two, or three...

for more scoop on Chelsea's wedding check out: 

Today Show Weddings