In my first post (“Is This Thing On?”), I noted that I have a Life List. A colleague suggested that I create one, back in 1998. Later, a movie was released called The Bucket List, so people now call them Bucket Lists.
My colleague promised me that if I took the time to create a Life List, that I would become clear about what I wanted to do, and that the list would help me accomplish those things.
She was right.
—–
My Life List has two sections: “To Do”, and “Experienced/Accomplished”.
The “To Do” is now mainly travel. That’s what happens when you marry someone who loves to travel as much as Theresa loves to travel.
Recently she added something to my life list (are you allowed to add something to someone else’s life list?). That item was “Tahiti”. She has always wanted to stay in one of those cabanas that sits over the water. One that looks like this:
I suppose if I have to do that, I will. But only because she wants to. I promise I won’t enjoy it. 🙂 And no more adding items to my Life List!
—–
I have a couple of Life List items that I think I’m going to do soon. One is “see a concert outside the United States”. I’ve always wanted to do this. I’ve seen a lot of concerts (you don’t want to know how many….), but always in the U.S.
I’m travelling to Tokyo later in April, and a certain former Beatle is playing the Tokyo Dome April 23, 25 and 27. I’m trying to get a ticket for April 23. If I go, I will post photos and a concert review here.
—–
I have a few highlights I’d like to share Many are travel-related.
We took an airplane ride (a 60+ year old plane), and landed on a glacier in Alaska. So exciting.
—–
We’ve prayed at the Western Wall in Israel:
and hours later, walked the Stations of the Cross (the Via Dolorosa):
—–
We’ve walked the Great Wall in China:
and baked our toes on black sand beaches in Hawaii and Greece:
I’ve been to Asia 14 times, and Latin America 3 times. I’ve been to 15 countries in Europe (a total of approx. 50 times).
I’ve seen two kinds of bear, and many kinds of whales. Plus moose, and elk, buffalo and alligators, eagles and hawks…..
I’ve ridden in submarines and helicopters, high speed trains and hot air balloons, catamarans and antique planes…..
BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN THE EAGLES WIN A SUPER BOWL!!!!!
———————————-
Below are a few things I haven’t done yet….but I will, sometime soon. Two of them are already scheduled:
To Do:
Travel to Africa (safari), Auschwitz, Antarctica, Australia, Russia, India, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Tahiti
Write a book (compile letters and essays)
Spend a month in Europe with Theresa-by train
Play with my grandchildren
Spend a month at the beach
Watch a rocket launch
Attend a Final Four, Masters, World Series, Indy 500, Fenway, Wrigley, Lambeau
Celebrate an Eagles Super Bowl victory
Re-learn the guitar
Drive a Porsche
Retire gracefully
See a tornado
See a concert outside the US –scheduled—(Paul McCartney, Tokyo Japan, April 23?)
See a farewell concert –scheduled– (Grateful Dead, July 3-5, Chicago Illinois)
Drive a car outside the US (Did Canada count?)
————————-
And what follows is what I’ve been lucky enough to do so far….
Experienced/Accomplished
Travel:
United States: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachussetts, Connecticut, Vermont, NewHampshire, Maine, Maryland, Delaware,
Virginia, Washington DC, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Wyoming , Utah, Nevada, California, Hawaii (4 times, 6 islands), Alaska (July 2013).
Foreign Travel:
Greece (8/2014)
Scotland (September 2012, June 2013, November 2014)
Israel (July 2012) and Palestine
Czech Republic (June 2012)
Belgium, Luxembourg, Amsterdam (March/April 2012)
Puerto Rico (8/2011)
Italy (7/2010)
England (20 times as of July 2009)
Sweden (4 times-Gothenburg and Stockholm )
Spain (Barcelona)
France (4 times)- 1990-ish, last time 12/27/2014-1/2/2015
Germany (4 times-Muenster x 2, Munich, Darmstadt)
Austria (for lunch!) and fly in for trip to Slovakia
China-2 (2004, 2011)
Slovakia (4 countries in one day-Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland and US)
Japan. – (11 times so far- 2000,2011, 2012 x 2, Jan 2013, July 2013, February 2014, July 2014, Oct 2014, Jan 2015, March 2015, and April and May 2015 planned
Singapore
Brazil (2)
Argentina
Bermuda (2)
Grand Cayman
Canada (6 times)
Switzerland (2) and Netherlands and Munich stopovers
Travel experiences:
Alaska-July 20-29, 2013, land on a glacier, see Mt McKinley (Denali), saw 4 grizzly bears, moose, caribou, black bear x2, orca whales, humpback whales
Walk the Great Wall with family (done twice Nov 2011!) LUGE the Great Wall
Pray at the Western Wall (July 2012), walk the via Dolorosa, see the Upper Room where Last Supper occurred….
See alligator (done 4/1/10), a whale, an elk, get attacked by iguana (done), moose and marmoset and elk (Rocky Mtn Natl Park June 2012). Saw camels in the desert (Israel July2012). Grizzly bears x4 and black bear x 2 in Alaska. Orca whales in Alaska.
See the Grand Canyon (done) and Niagara Falls (done) with Heather and Dylan
Visit Europe and Asia with Heather and Dylan (done)
Asia, Latin America, Europe
Ride a Helicopter, submarine , hot air balloon , luge ,camel and elephant
Go 120 mph in a car and 180 mph in a train
Ride the autobahn
Watch a Super Bowl in France and a World Cup in Japan
Greece (8/2014)
D Day beaches (Dec 29, 2014)
Experiences:
Earthquake- East Coast, August 23,2011. 5.9 on Richter scale. Tokyo, Japan. 5.6 February 11, 2014.
Music/Arts/Sports
Took Heather to see the Rolling Stones (Newark Dec15, 2012)
See Beaufort (Alan’s band) 11/21/12
See Bruce Springsteen in NJ (Newark 2012) and Grateful Dead in California (1985, 1988 x 2) and Colorado (1984)
Attend Super Bowl (XXXIX, Jacksonville Florida. The Eagles were tied after 3 quarters).
No hitter (Roy Halladay, Phillies playoffs, Oct 6 2010)
Host a radio show (a “Head Set” on the Grateful Dead Sirius XM channel, Aug 2010)
Family:
catch my kids coming out
provide a eulogy, for my mom 🙁
Go to USAV volleyball Nationals!! April 14, 2013
Girls ran the bases at Citizens Bank Park
Other:
Participate in surgery (30+ times, don’t let anyone know)
Published several professional journal articles
Met a Holocaust survivor
Have a cardiac catheterization, and watch it happening (two blockages 50 & 60%) in left anterior descending, receive two drug eluting stents (Sept 11, 2014)
Donate blood (up to 9 gallons August 2014- 74 donations)
Walk an 18 mile walkathon with Heather (Out of the Darkness June 28, 2014)
Ride a bike 100 miles (charity ride from Valley Forge to Stone Harbor NJ)
Read the Harry Potter series (July-August 2014)
Make VP