By now most of us have a bucket list even if it's not written down. I'd never thought about the things I wouldn't do until I saw the suggestion in a blog topic post. So here is the beginning of the things I have no interest in doing at any time in my future. (These are in no particular order!)

• Go skydiving (as shown by the picture).
• Climb any mountain. No matter where.
• Appear on the show, Naked and Afraid.
• Watch a horror movie. Nope. Never watched one. Won't watch one.
• Mountain bike riding. The last time I rode a bicycle, I almost broke my neck, and that wasn't even on rough terrain.
• Go out in public without make-up...unless I'm in the back of an ambulance.
• Chase a tornado. I tend to run in the opposite direction.
• See a volcano up close and personal.
• Kayak over a waterfall. 
• Swim with any kind of shark. I don't care if it's Great White or So-So White.
• Ice swimming
• Jump off a cliff
• Wing walking
• Ride a bull

And that's just 14! I know there are plenty more so we'll make this a part one! 

This  is Temperance, my temperamental, spoiled, and determined cat. I adopted Temperance (nicknamed Tempee) when she was four months old, and since then, she has taken over every room of my house. Perhaps her house is a better description. She's almost three years old and is part Siamese. She has so many quirks it would be difficult to name them all, but there is one particular side of her that’s, well, challenging.

Whether I’m in bed or simply taking a nap on the couch, Tempee sees that as her opportunity to become the flying squirrel. She can be two feet away from me or ten when she launches herself at my face, all four paws extended. When she lands, she is wrapped around my face like a catcher’s mitt around a fly ball.

The sudden obstruction of my breathing coupled with the sharp sting of nails in my scalp wakes me immediately. And so begins the tedious and painful process of trying to pry her off. She feels like she’s falling when I’m trying to wedge my hand underneath her furry behind to move her to one side so she drops to a squat atop my face, her stomach now flattening my nose.  

Gurgling for air, I roll to one side, hoping she’ll slide off, but she hates the entire moving process. So she begins a desperate, plaintive meow as though begging for help from the human torturing her. I try to talk to her in a calm voice, but she keeps scooting forward to gain better traction until her behind ends up right below my nose.

Frustration does not serve me well when I’m attempting to free myself from her wiry clutches. Instead, I must let my hands fall to either side of me and lie as still as a block of cheese until Tempee’s stability no longer feels threatened. Then she gingerly balances herself on my neck and shoulders before waltzing off.

This might be amusing if it happened once. Even twice. But this scenario has been going on for over two years. I’ve tried to outwit her by keeping her out of my bedroom. That begins the obnoxious howling and steady thump of paws outside my door.

The rest of the day, Tempee is a loving cat who likes to chase the red dot, hunt the stuffed mouse, lick my hands at random times, and bump my arm with her head. She wants to be in any room I’m in. When I leave my house, she sits at the window and watches my car pull out of the driveway. And she’s at the front door when I return, ribboning through my legs like she hasn’t seen me in days.
And my favorite time of the day is at night right before I go to bed. I lift her in my arms and cradle her like a baby, lowering my cheek to her face. She gives me three solid good-night licks and leaps from my arms to seek her own bed. It’s clear she loves me, and I adore having her in my life…until the flying squirrel returns.

​I’m hoping she’ll outgrow this challenging habit. If not, perhaps I’ll invest in a catcher’s mask.
 

Years ago, I had the misfortune of shaking hands with a man who now sits on death row. He was my friend's new boyfriend. Charming. Smooth. Easy to talk to. And had just gotten out of prison. Less than a year later, my friend was dead, and her daughter had been brutally attacked and left for dead. Fortunately, she survived and was able to testify against him. 

Why am I writing about this now? Because Dateline just aired a report about his crimes called A Postcard from the Field, and while I didn't watch it, just knowing about the show brought back so many memories. Memories I wish I could erase. 

I often wonder what could have been done differently, if anything could have prevented my friend's death at this monster's hands. I know I'll never have the answer to that.

I saw London Has Fallen this past Saturday, and since I was a big fan of Olympus Has Fallen, I had high expectations. I'm so glad the writers and actors did not disappoint. 

Gerard Butler slips right back into the role of Secret Service Agent, Mike Banning, and makes it actually believable that one man could take on an army nearly all by himself. Both determined and brutal, he portrays equal parts killer and protector effortlessly. 

Though I do wish there had been time to focus a little more on his home life, I understood the need for brevity to focus on the action which brings me to my next point. There is no lack of action in this movie, and some might say there's too much. I don't think so, although, I think some scenes could have been tightened so as not to go on as long. That really is my only complaint except for the lack of affection between Mike and his wife. I just didn't feel the connection there, especially when Mike was leaving to fly to London.

I really enjoyed the banter between the President and Mike. Butler and Eckhart have great chemistry (which eclipsed what Butler and Rhada Mitchell had), and Eckhart plays the role of the Commander-in-Chief very well. Even in the midst of chaos, these characters brought wit to the story line, and the entire audience was laughing at some of the lines coming from Mike Banning. 

There is a surprise death I wasn't expecting, but I won't say any more about it as I don't want to spoil it. 

Overall, I'd definitely give the movie an A, and I hope Mike Banning returns for another story!