#7 Go to the Everglades

Again, a family visit helped cross this one off the list.

We took one of the ubiquitous air boat rides.

We saw alligators.

And a bird with long claws that got too close and gave me a Tippi Hedren moment.

But no giant pythons -- discarded exotic pets that have invaded the wetlands. And no marsh rabbits, which the pythons have eaten up, apparently.

The Everglades reminded me of the marsh back in Galveston, Texas, where we spent summers.

Wetlands are strange, magical places. An acquired taste, perhaps. But beautiful. God help the wetlands of Louisiana.

#42 Do architect. tour & #39 See art deco on beach

One of the best things about South Beach is the Art Deco architecture.

I've been wanting to do this SoBe architecture walk by the Miami Design Preservation League for months. A recent family visit finally made it happen.

Some of the hallmarks of the Art Deco style: the A-B-A symmetry, the eyebrows that hang over the windows, corner windows and modern lettering. (Read here to learn more from the experts.)

This one was one of my favorites: the Hotel Victor, designed by prolific Art Deco architect L. Murray Dixon. It has a more modern feel, shooting straight up with streamlined angles.

Inside the lobby is swanky and larger than most Art Deco hotels. And it has a jellyfish theme -- even a tank with real jellyfish blobbing about. Which gave my sister the creeps.

#53 Eat a pastelito

The hard part is choosing which one!

Here are options at my favorite Cuban bakery in my neighborhood, Ricky Bakery. Pastelitos de guava, queso y más! My favorite: pastelito de queso. With café con leche, medio oscuro.

#104: Hunt a gator

South Florida is full of alligators. But few get adopted by kids.

One lucky gator in North Miami Beach got befriended by some neighborhood kids. And they fed him hotdogs and ham. The ice cream was a mistake, one told me.

After several weeks of being apparently stuck in a storm drain, the 10-foot gator - named Patrick - escaped.

That prompted the tale of the great gator caper.

I was on the breaking news desk and headed to North Miami Beach to see where the gator had been holed up and find his young buddies. I have to admit, I got creeped out when I stepped at the edge of the lake where he might be swimming. I didn't want to cross paths with a 10-foot gator who liked to eat hotdogs. I didn't have any with me.

Here's the story, and here's a short follow-up.

Photo: An alligator swims in the Everglades. Credit: Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.

#47 Go to a Marlins game

So the home team didn't win this one. But it was fun to head out to the open air stadium, especially on a Monday evening in April. (Earlier in the day storms rinsed the coast and left a cool, fresh breeze.)

The Marlins played the Cincinnati Reds. The game went to 10 innings, i.e. past my bedtime on a school night. And the Reds took the game, 6-5.

It was a hard loss because at one point late in the game, the Marlins had the bases loaded and a good hitter at bat. They just couldn't convert.

I can relate. Sometimes it's hard to convert opportunity into success. What's the secret? Hard work? Luck?

At least for the Marlins, they had another shot against the Reds. Three, in fact, and the Marlins ended up tying up the series. Not bad.

The List

This blog started from a list and a conversation.

Shortly after moving to Miami, I made a quick visit back home. And on my return flight to Florida, I got very excited that I was going back to my new home, and a new life.

So I pulled out my writing pad and made a list. (Because I'm a list maker who makes lists of lists.) I wrote down 102 things to do in Miami to make my life here. (Don't read the photo too carefully or I might blush.)

Two months later, my good friend L. and I catch up on life. Somehow the list comes up. I tell her I've done a few things on it - mostly haphazardly - and read some more items, like #31 Drink Rum.

L. suggests a blog. L. has great ideas.

So that's how I decided to blog about making my life in Miami.

Please note: I am following South Florida style, not Associated Press style. That means no deadlines, no quotas, possible grammar mistakes and I won't even go in linear order. It will just happen. Also note, when I can, I'll refer to the number on the original list; otherwise, I'll count from 103.

#103: Get a library card

There's a library just a few blocks from my house. And I've always walked by. Now I'm a member. Today I got a library card.

(Of course, I refused to give up my Texas license and just showed my electric bill to establish my residency.)

The building is old and beautiful: big wooden doors, coral stone that's probably illegal now, a fountain in front and tropical plants all around.

It brought back memories of library time - Ramona books and mystery novels - in elementary school, and checking out Lou Reed and David Bowie CDs in high school. Really, libraries have a mysterious aura to them. They hold secrets. Like the great library of Alexandria. Or the medieval labyrinth of a library in The Name of the Rose. And then there's Borges' "La Biblioteca de Babel."

My first check-outs: Finding Mañana by Mirta Ojito and an animated version of Janáček's opera The Cunning Little Vixen.