~Bucket List (Sixth Update)

~Originally posted 14 March 2017~

Were you as annoyed with seeing that same old bucket list photo as I was with posting it? My blog is in transition. I’m going to go back and make some (minor) changes to spice it up a bit. Using the same tags and photos is sssooo February of 2017, let’s stop living in the past. Well, aside from the actual bucket list posts which are solely based on the past… Don’t you judge me. Take this update!

#4- Plant a tree

Unfortunately this is another one of those stories that I don’t fully remember. This one however has nothing to do with drinking or any sort of immature debauchery. In elementary school we planted a tree, I was just too young and frankly uninterested to remember the finer points of why we did this. I went to school in a forest. I mean my school was in a town where homes had more trees than windows (only a slight exaggeration) on the property. We were hipsters before being a hippie was hip again. I have a friend whose dad owns a tree farm and another friend who is considering starting an orchard so next time I go to plant a tree maybe I’ll help out one of these guys… Maybe both.

#5- Learn to play an instrument

#6- Learn a new language

#14- Ride in a helicopter 

#16- Ride a train

You know, if not for my time in Texas I would look at this as a pretty stupid thing to have on a bucket list. I grew up less than a mile away from a train station. My friends and I would regularly take the train into Philly. I’ve even taken the train to school on days when I missed the bus. I remember talking about this with some of my friends in when I was in Texas and they all looked at me like I was crazy. I guess in central Texas riding on a train was something that was only seen in movies. I remember one of my, um, acquaintances thought that passenger trains were only a thing overseas. Like the U.S. only had freight trains. Until recently, my most memorable train ride was the one that I wrote about in the second update. Last month I hopped on the train as sort of a spur of the moment kind of thing. When I FINALLY finish writing about my past bucket list experiences I’ll continue with listing my new bucket list accomplishments, the ones that actually make their way into the book.

#24- Play a round of golf 

#33- Attend a drive in movie 

#42- Be in a play

#57- Earn a medal or trophy in a competition

I’m not entirely sure if this counts but I do the occasional race where I earn medals. The last race that I did was the 10 miler that I wrote about in About Me. I’m still not sure how I feel about having that 10 mile medal. I think at last count I had 15 medals which is a lot for the occasional runner but next to nothing for a real runner. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to cover a wall with my race medals… I know… I’m kind of a nerd.

#59- Do a road trip across the USA 

#61- Try a martial art

#124- Dance on a bar

#135- Dance on a conga line 

This is another one that I’ve done multiple times over. Mostly in weddings. The last time I did it was at the Marine Corps Ball. I’m not sure who started the line, which I guess in a way makes it better. I didn’t even know it was happening. I was in my seat, mid-conversation, when I got a tap on my shoulder followed by my chair being forced out from under me as the last person in line gave me the “come hither” hand gesture. Unfortunately it meant “come conga” not “come and get me”. I grabbed some people to join in as we passed by and then I hopped out before the song ended and it got awkward. Next time, I’ll start the line.

#157- Have a summer romance

#163- Visit a castle

#180- Learn to juggle

#214- Start a collection of something 

I have a couple of small collections going. The one that comes to mind is one that I don’t have displayed in my home. I collect coins. I mean, if I find a “rare coin” I’ll hold on to it but that’s not really the kind of coin I search for. In the military we have challenge coins. I started late, but I’ve made it a point to collect one from every place I go with the military. I wish I had thought of it sooner, I would have so much more. I don’t have the coins from places that I visited prior to starting this collection. I’m not sure how I feel about ordering them online, but I doubt that I’ll be able to physically make it to all of them. I’m on the fence. For now, my “display” is in a Gaston stein mug (pretty cool story behind the mug, I might tell ya later) hidden in my TV stand. In the future, I want to take them out of there and show them off. For my next collection? I’m not really sure what I want. Something small and meaningful… We will see.

#215- Go on a zip-line

#217- Ride a mechanical bull

#227- Teach a class in any subject 

Until next time, plant a tree by day, conga by night.