13 Things I Don't Want to Try

We had a bunch of Friday the 13th-s last year, didn't we? I feel like we haven't had one in AGES!
In honor of this so-called Friday the 13th holiday, I have compiled a list of 13 things that I am too afraid to, or not willing to, try, in relation to superstition or otherwise....

Ouija boards - I heard countless stories of death resulting from playing this board game, even if it's made out of paper and coin for the pointer. I KNOW it's just the other players' will (ill or just hopefully) moving the thing, but STILL.
Skydiving - I am not interested in this at all. I already scream my head off and get all barf-y on roller coasters.
Smoking - I've only had one serious offer to try this (in middle school), and I had absolutely no desire to try. Mostly due to those anti-drug campaigns, I was freaked out to even try. I mean, I know that my lungs are already a healthy shade of grey due to living in cities... no need to make it worse.
Pulling an all-nighter - I survived high school, undergrad, and graduate school without doing this. I will note one exception, which was Grad Nite (you know, when they send you off to Disneyland from 10 PM - 6 AM?). Second closest was when I had a virtual baby for a high-school project and was paranoid about it crying. *sigh*
Eating some insanely gross thing - Granted, due to my Southeast Asian ancestry, I've eaten some pretty gross things. Balut (baby duck in egg), durian, and pigeon have all traversed my system. However, there are worse things -- yak, snake, bugs (beyond what I swallow accidentally), and poop, anyone?
Run with the bulls in Spain - Yeah, I'm a runner, not a crazy person. I know that thousands of people get through this just fine, but I've read too many bullfighting books and seen many movies (*ahem* Talk to Her) on the subject... There will be no goring for me, thank you.
Get another piercing - I got my ears pierced at the tender age of 5 during a doctor appointment, unbeknownst to me until it was too late. Glad it was done while I knew no better... Not that I mind pain, but the recovery process (keeping it clean, being careful not to let it close up...) = bleh!
Hard drugs (for non-medical purposes) - The risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is very real...
Get bunion surgery - I've mentioned that I have inherited these, and as much as I can, I will avoid having a surgery that will keep me from running for a while, for sure.
Have a huge wedding - Getting hitched should not equate to awkward family situations and enormous debt. Fortunately, I have not spent my childhood and adolescence imagining my ideal wedding.
See a psychic - I was very tempted to go numerous times recently, but now I wonder whether knowing a future (real or not) is good for me. I usually follow a wait-and-see attitude about things... for example, I don't study race courses too closely, if at all.
Gamble (large amounts) - I am extremely risk-averse. If gambling is going to take place with my money, I don't want to be the one doing it. I feel that I jinx everything.
Get drunk - Sorry, folks. I've never been drunk. The closest I ever came was buzzed, which maybe happened twice. The first was after a sake shot and too-quickly-downed wine with my classmates. I drank a ton of water and ate a little food to counteract this, and I didn't notice anything besides loud chattiness until I slightly missed the bathroom stall door and bumped into its corner on the way in. Had some splotting on my chest, too.

The second time was a very quickly downed LARGE mojito in 15 minutes. I instantly felt fiery in the face and was red like a tomato, giggly, and huge headache ensued. My throbbing head + leather car seats + traffic on the way home = porcelain god.

Given these unpleasantness-es, why would I want to get in an even worse state?

Giveaway Winner! -- Sony W Series MP3 Player (Update)

Updated Post: 3/20/11 As promised, here are the Sony W Series giveaway winners: -- both have been contacted and prizes sent -- Please e-mail me at (Gmail) Nobel4Lit2 with your addresses, and I'll ship out the units soon! Thanks to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for another giveaway soon (maybe later this week)! (Note: I ended up putting everyone's retweets starting after the comments when it came to numbering the entries.) Original Post: 3/10/11 Sunday, March 20 2011, the day I will run LA Marathon for the 4th time (and embark on my 8th 26.2 journey overall), will also be very special because it will mark the 5th year since I did my FIRST training run with the intention of running a marathon. (Check out that life-changing post HERE ). Yep, on March 20, 2006, I went to the track and ran my first 3.25 miles with the dreams of marathon glory (or even half-marathon glory). I think it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was a sprint/track

Sharkies Prize Pack (giveaway)

It's giveaway time! On a long run recently, I took a couple packs of Sharkies Organic Sports Chews with me to keep me going on a hot day. I got through those 15 miles eating these, versus normal gels. I've been opting to eat chews over gels in my running nowadays because I just find them more palatable and easier on my stomach for some reason. Plus, they do pack a few more calories, which is a good thing in this case. I normally associate cute little chews with candy, but these actually contain natural electrolytes. Plus, they were light to carry and very tasty, too! Each pack is about 140 calories. The only downside I found to the sport chews is that they stuck to my teeth a tiny bit more than my normal choices, and the packaging gave me a fight at times. This could easily be solved by conslidating them into a baggie pre-run, or eating them BEFORE running would be much easier than during. Want to win the prize pack below? It comes with these Sport Chews, a neat

Rebecca Michaels Performance Clothing (Giveaway)

UPDATE: 6/21/12 -- This giveaway is closed, and the winner is #43, Jacqueline!! I will contact you, but if you miss it, please e-mail me! ------ I'd like to credit in advance "The Ukrainian" who helped me stage some photos for this post. =) Perhaps because I don't dress well when working out, I was offered the opportunity to try some fun pieces from the Rebecca Michaels summer collection. Since I complained about my issues with headbands staying on my head, I also got to try their Violet Love headbands. "The Ukrainian" didn't hesitate in throwing one on, and I think he said he looks like Rambo in it. Anyway, I'll start with my experience with the headbands . They are very soft and actually look SUPER cute on! They also cover a large portion of the top of your head, so those little fly-aways don't come drooping down. Or is that just me? My hair is normally cut in layers, so I do experience this quite a bit. Unfortun

Glenn JonesAugust 15, 2010 at 5:59 AM
Great list. I admire you for your honesty and ability to stay away from a lot of the common temptations.

But.... You've had balut? I'm a pretty adventurous eater. Not sure you could get me to eat that though....
AbbyAugust 18, 2010 at 5:30 AM
My sister went sky diving a few weeks ago, totally out of the blue. I was way impressed with her, but it still didn't increase my own desire to try it :)

I'm just catching up on blogs after a week away, so wanted to say congrats on the fellowship, and I hope the exams are going/went well!

A Case of the Runs

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