AidelMaidel's "I Can" Exercise

AidelMaidel is one of the Jewish blogs that I follow regularly. I've added her to my RSS feed, and every time I see a new post I scurry over in a rush to read the latest news. Her blog, for reasons I don't quite understand, is like crack to me, and I have to have my regular fix.

Normally, I am not a big fan of blog memes, and I rarely participate in them. However, because I'm a big fan of AidelMaidel, and she asked me to participate in her I Can exercise, I decided to go ahead and play.

Being asked to participate in a meme of a blogger who you follow avidly is a lot like being suddenly invited to sit in James Doohan's lap (yes, really!) at a Star Trek convention. The experience is thrilling and unexpected.

I decided to put this here, rather than on our now-private Navigating the Maze: Foster Parenting and Life, since more people would have a chance to see it.

(If you were a reader of Maze before we went dark, please send me a private e-mail with a bit of information about yourself and why you would like to read, and I'll see about shooting you an invitation.)

So the rules for this exercise is that I am to spend 15 minutes writing a list of things I can do. Here's my list:

• I can belch the alphabet.
• I can "speak" American Sign Language fluently.
• I can set up a web site.
• I can program a database.
  
• I can detail a car for a car show.
• I can drive a stick shift.
• I can tow a trailer.
• I can back up a trailer.
• I can drive a rented moving van without fear.
  
• I can make funny voices and accents.
• I can lead Jewish worship services, including High Holy Day services.
  
• I can play guitar.
• I can sing like nobody's business.
• I can read quickly.
• I can make kids laugh.
• I can make adults laugh.
• I can tell good stories, many of which are true.
• I can make a decent campfire.
• I can make the best baked potatoes in the world in that campfire.
• I can teach a kid to read.
• I can argue with the best of them.
• I can refuse to back down, when I know I'm fighting for something that is right.
• I can pull my hair out, trying to think of things I can do.
• I can always be honest, even when it would serve me better to lie.
• I can sail a boat.
• I can swim.
• I can write in cursive, but I almost always print instead.
• I can talk on the phone with a good friend for hours.
• I can be a friend.
• I can make jokes that only smart people understand.
• I can cook, but I'm too lazy most of the time.
• I can make bread from scratch.
• I can usually find out the answer to almost any question.
• I can sometimes push the universe.
• I can sometimes see the future.
• I can love to the depths of my soul.