My Bucket List
January 20, 2008
We went and saw The Bucket List last week. It was devastating to accept the idea that one day I will have used up all my opportunities to do it better next time.
It was like having a brick hit me in the face.
So now I want my own list: 50 things to do before I kick the bucket.
1.) I want to hear my kids say, “Mom used to yell, but she stopped doing that a long time ago.”
2.) I would like to die with at least one hidden hickey.
3.) One world cruise, a summer spent in Alaska, a trip to Crater Lake, Oregon.
4.) Ram a car driven by an inconsiderate driver.
5.) Tell D. she’s utterly selfish & ridiculous, just once.
6.) Travel the length of Canada.
7.) Get an anklet tattoo with the names of my children & husband, a hanging cross on my foot. (I can’t believe I’m saying this.)
8.) A daughter-in-law who cries at my funeral (B’s unknown wife, who will force him to have a closer relationship with me than he can possibly imagine!).
9.) Life-long mutual adoration with my independent & self-sufficient daughter.
10.) Twenty years with grandchildren who I spoil beyond repair with comic books & vacations.
11.) Be with my husband forever/always.
12.) Another Volkswagen convertible.
13.) Purple hair at 70, pink stripes at 80.
14.) Volunteer when appropriate.
15.) See thin again (I know, I’m so gross).
16.) NY Times bestseller list (trite as it may be).
17.) Play craps with $5,000 in my pocket, screaming like a banshee.
18.) Return to Vegas, several times.
19.) Attend a book-signing with Augusten Burroughs.
20.) Attend another Maury Povich taping or three.
21.) Blow off all holidays for an entire year.
22.) Send a birthday card to everyone I know (get organized enough to do so).
23.) Make enough money to be able to give away a bunch.
24.) Be ridiculously affectionate toward my husband 365 times in a single year.
25.) Give my children totally outrageous gifts just for fun.
26.) See 50 more Broadway shows.
27.) Attend a 5-day retreat with Geneen Roth.
28.) Stretch & walk, walk & stretch.
29.) Be a listener.
30.) Refuse to listen to blow-hards.
31.) Perfect a craft & sell at craft fairs.
32.) Speak to strangers with no concern for a response.
33.) See all of America’s National Parks & go whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon.
34.) Develop my eccentricities & quirks, wear long skirts and hippie clothing.
35.) Learn to love eating healthy & turn my nose up to powdered sugar donuts.
36.) Regularly play games with my daughter. Actual games, not head games.
37.) Learn to be totally honest even when it pisses people off.
38.) Learn PhotoShop & clean up all my pictures, put them in scrapbooks.
39.) Random acts of appreciation & kindness. Take prepared food to B. at school, cookies & baked ziti. Put cards in the mail weekly.
40.) Actually use the kiln I made my husband buy six months ago.
41.) Go snow tubing.
42.) Buy Great Adventure passes and actually use them plus attend concerts.
43.) Join or form a book club.
44.) Cook 30 meals in 30 days. And then do it again.
45.) Regularly take interesting classes.
46.) Record all my food for 90 days & figure out what would energize me more.
47.) Take a dance class so my husband and I don’t look like two teenagers mauling one another.
48.) Die with beautiful teeth.
49.) Visit the library weekly. Barnes & Noble, too.
50.) See more movies, read more books.
Any other suggestions you think I should add?
January 20, 2008 at 12:17 pm
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this list!!! All great ideas that are totally doable.(Maybe not #4)
I’ll come with you for #7 and hold your hand.
As for #16- it’s only a matter of time!
Off to google Geneen Roth.
January 21, 2008 at 1:36 am
Learn to like yourself naked.
Visit the graves of random veterans/soldiers and thank them…in case no one else ever did.
Look in the mirror everyday and say “I love myself” and mean it.
Lily
January 21, 2008 at 9:28 pm
I share many of these-I won’t list each number. One of my biggies is getting a rail pass and riding the train from the extreme eastern part of Canada to the extreme western part of Canada- getting off the train to explore whenever I want, for as long as I want and then getting back on and traveling on.
January 21, 2008 at 11:09 pm
I love the train idea — no concerns about a car breaking down in the wilderness! I’m going to have to look further into this idea
January 22, 2008 at 7:00 am
I love this list…you’ve inspired me to do one. I agree, 16 is just a matter of time, and I want to do 7 with you (Roxanne can hold my hand too). 36 cracked me up, are you sure they don’t count? And I’d say you are all ready for 10, based on my experience!
January 23, 2008 at 2:27 am
1. Not be embarrassed when getting waxed down there
2. Get waxed down there once get over being embarrassed
3. Stay out of the kitchen when I’m feeling insecure at parties… that means not stuffing my face into a trough AND not clean up/do dishes/take out trash just so I have something to do(phew!)
4. Run for 5 miles without having to stop
5. Tell everyone I love that I love them
6. Hugs, hugs, and more hugs
7. Volunteer
8. Grope hot boys in a dark and crowded movie theatre
9. Accept that I have a fat ass and believe some day a hot boy is going to like it
10. Stop thinking that I have to do everything all by myself, always do it right, and do it now
January 26, 2008 at 9:32 am
I like virginialily’s “Learn to like yourself naked.”
January 26, 2008 at 9:51 am
Pammy, I really like this list and I want to read a blog entry about the waxing. I was recently thinking about this and then saw an episode of “Housewives of Orange County” where you could hear the person say, “Okay, now squat.” What?
January 26, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I just had a massive discussion with some friends about the whole waxing down there thing and yes, it is blog worthy. I’ll have to come up with something because the command that got me was, “Roll over on your stomach and spread your cheeks.” AUGH
By the way, I decided to tag you. It’s Saturday… you didn’t have anything better to do today, did you?
http://pammyshep.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/you-love-me-you-really-love-me/
June 30, 2008 at 1:19 am
A mere 5 months later, I have completed steps 1 and 2 of my bucket list. I’ll have you know that an internal sonogram done by a dozen 1st year near-sighted residents while a group of junior high boys watch most definitely less evasive. You’d think if I have to get in some of those positions there’d be a gyno table in the room but NO. Holding your legs spread eagle or up to your chest and opening your butt cheeks is all part of the process.
I’ll admit that I yelped a few times and broke into a sweat on more than one occasion. At times I laughed at the ridiculous of the situation and very nearly cried at one point. After it was over I laid on the table for a few minutes because I couldn’t get up. Far too dizzy and I wasn’t sure my legs would sustain me. It stung (take some Advil BEFORE you have this done) and was red for most of the afternoon. I had to shower once I returned home because everything stuck together thanks to the cement-like wax.
It was NOT enjoyable and I’m still horrified at the process. I’m mortified I gave someone who was not my doctor an all-access pass. But despite the pain and the embarrassment (I don’t care how many women’s downtown areas she’s seen — and I know for a fact that I’m a helluva lot cleaner than most others — I’m still clearly traumatized), I’ll most likely go back next month.
OH MY GOD — YOU HAVE TO DO IT MONTHLY???!!!
June 30, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Yes ma’am. Every month–just like your period. Isn’t being a woman fun?
That’s really unbelievable! I thought it would last at least a few months. By the time you get the mani/pedi/pooter done it’s got to cost quite a bit. And is there any way to confirm that they’ve done a good job? Do they offer a mirror for checking, like in a tattoo parlor? Oh, and do they whisper & giggle in a foreign language as they’re working on the hairy spaces?