Meme: I don't get out often enough...

[magnetic_pole]

Hi, flist! I've been too quiet; I'm sorry. I'm struggling with some offline writing that's sapped my energy to do anything else. I should remember the key to posting here is not to stop.

I'm going to dip my toes back in the water with an edited version of a meme I've seen in a couple places. (Copying here from nachodiablo --thanks!) The take-away seems to be that I need to get out more.

🌴 Been to an Island: Yes, if big islands like Maui or Oahu or Lanzarote or count. (Or Roosevelt Island? Or the île de la Cité in Paris?) To the remote, unpaved kind? No.
✈️ Flown on a Plane: Yes. Probably two trips a year, on average.
🚑 Rode in an Ambulance: Never.
🎤 Sang Karaoke: Never
⛸ Ice Skating: Yes! A few times with my brother and his two boys, who are now playing hockey. I'm surprisingly good at it for a nonathletic newbie. I think it's because I did so much roller skating as a child.
🚢 Been on a Cruise: Never.
🏍 Rode on a Motorcycle: Never.
🐴 Rode on a Horse: Never.
🏥 Stayed in a Hospital: Just the once, when I shattered my elbow and needed an operation.
⭐️ Met a star: Never, if we're talking the Entertainment Weekly kind. That said, I had two world-famous orthopedic surgeons put my elbow back together again. I still appreciate their stellar skills!
🚁 Rode in a helicopter: Never.
📺 Been on tv: Never.
👻 Seen a ghost: Yes! On the Metro North commuter train leaving NYC late at night about twenty five years ago. We passed another train and a hand came out to touch the glass of my window. Not a believer in ghosts, generally, but that was such a vivid, real experience I'm convinced something happened.

I'll paste the meme below, flist, but if you don't want to do the whole thing, do you have any interesting responses to any of these questions? I hope your summer is going well so far!

🌴 Been to an Island: ✈️ Flown on a Plane: 🚑 Rode in an Ambulance: 🎤 Sang Karaoke: ⛸ Ice Skating: 🚢 Been on a Cruise: 🏍 Rode on a Motorcycle: 🐴 Rode on a Horse: 🏥 Stayed in a Hospital: ⭐️ Met a star: 🚁 Rode in a helicopter: 📺 Been on tv: 👻 Seen a ghost:

Comments

[ayebydan]

Omg how did you shatter your elbow?!

[lash_larue]

I sympathize with the elbow adventure. I think I'll have a lash at this meme myself.

L

[shadowycat]

It's good to "see" you! Your "elbow adventure" sounds excruciating. How did you manage not to scream for painkillers as soon as you got to the hospital? I bent one of my fingers backwards once and the pain was so horrible I was begging for relief as soon as I got in the door of the ER.

It really is too very easy to slip away from posting. Here it is mid-July and I haven't posted since last month. Your meme gives me the perfect excuse, though, so thank you! Best of luck with your writing. I hope you're winning the struggle! :D

[ancientreader]

Island: Crete, Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Hawai'i, Maui, Saba, St. Martin but just stopping over on the way to Saba, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos. Oh, and the Galapagos. Those. Uh. I like islands. Does the UK count? Spouse and I have Shetland on the agenda.

Plane: ... yep. Several times a year.

Ridden in an ambulance: I don't think so.
Karaoke: Nope nope nope.
Ice skating: Well. If you can count falling down a couple of times and really hating it.
Cruise: Never.
Ridden on a motorcycle: Once, pillion behind a novice rider; it was not a pleasant experience. Now, if I could ride with Steve Rogers ...
Ridden on a horse: Yes.
Stayed in a hospital: Ha ha ha ha ha yes so much yes.
Met a star: Yeah.
Ridden in a helicopter: No.
Been on TV: Yeah.
Seen a ghost: Not to my knowledge.

[kelly_chambliss]

Does this meme writer not understand the difference between past tense and a past participle *cue grammar police grumbling*

Ouch about the elbow; it hurts just to think about it.

The ghost story is spooky indeed.

[therealsnape]

The ghost story is truly spooky. And the elbow experience made me wince when I read it.

[liseuse]

🌴 Been to an Island: Well, I used to live on one! Other than that, yes! I've been to a few of the Scottish islands, and Cyprus, Fuerteventura, and probably some others I can't remember because we went when I was a child.
✈️ Flown on a Plane: Yep, I average about 2 flights a year. I remember the first flight I ever went on - to Cyprus in fact - and just how exciting and amazing it was. I still think that. Airports aren't my favourite, but take off and landing are glorious.
🚑 Rode in an Ambulance: Never as the patient, but yes as someone accompanying the patient; I was about 11 so too young to stay home by myself/make my own way to the hospital.
🎤 Sang Karaoke: Nope, never and it can stay that way.
⛸ Ice Skating: Yes. When I was in middle school Father Brian used to book out the local ice rink and teach us how to skate. I haven't been in years though.
🚢 Been on a Cruise: No.
🏍 Rode on a Motorcycle: No.
🐴 Rode on a Horse: I used to ride semi-competitively, and we had ponies, so yep!
🏥 Stayed in a Hospital: I had my tonsils and adenoids out when I was a kid so stayed overnight, and then I've had a couple of day patient procedures. I suppose the two weeks post-birth also count, but I don't remember those obviously!
⭐️ Met a star: Maybe kind of? I've met Prince Philip (do not recommend) and Sir Patrick Stewart was getting an honorary doctorate when I was graduating with my PhD so I got to shake his hand. I'm completely claiming that as meeting.
🚁 Rode in a helicopter: Yes! My mother's 45th birthday present was a ride in a helicopter and I got to go too!
📺 Been on tv: As a child I, and this is hilarious if anyone has ever heard me sing, was on Songs of Praise (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_of_Praise)
👻 Seen a ghost: No

[write_out]

I love it when you do these memes because a) I'm Nosy, and b) I always enjoy reading your answers. That ghost story is something else. Have you ever incorporated it into a fic?

[nachodiablo]

Awesome ghost story!!! And dang, glad your elbow is fixed up <3

[semielliptical]

So are you waiting for an opportunity to sing karaoke or have you been avoiding it all your life?

[delphi]

I've had to explain to many friends and family members back east or abroad that while I technically live on an island, it's an island that's roughly the size of the country of Belgium. It's just island-y enough to be extremely inconvenient, but not nearly island-y enough to have any cachet.

I once thought I had an encounter with a ghost, but it shortly after turned out to be an owl. Given the choice between the two, I'd go with ghost. I feel like an exorcism is easier than getting an owl out of your house.

[secretsolitaire]

*waves* You've been missed!

This is a fun meme, although your elbow story is horrifying.

Sounds like you've been to multiple Hawaiian islands -- which was your favorite?