100 Things, AKA My Bucket List

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I've got a list of 100 Things to Do Before I Die. I made the list before the movie (and subsequent cultural infusion of the term) but the purpose is the same.
I started the list while in the car on our first roadtrip after my first transplant, in Sept. 2004. That's why #1 is what it is. The remaining things aren't in any particular order, just as they occurred to me… Jamie was driving, and I was making this list.
It's interesting to me to see what's changed; there are a couple of things I don't feel as compelled to do as I did, almost eight years ago… there are things that aren't even an option any more (#53 – She moved to Atlanta this past year…)
But I'm going to post the list as I originally wrote it, and let it stand. These things were important to me at one time, so maybe they'll come back up again… if not, I reserve the right to edit and revise the list as needed.
My original intention was to scrapbook each thing as I marked it off the list. That's why #100 is what it is. I don't know if I'll ever finish that scrapbook though, since scrapping is much further down the list than it was when I wrote this. But I'll blog it, for sure! Some of the things here have links, as you can see… those links go to scrapbook pages, for the few I've scrapped, or photos or other blog posts… I'm working on uploading relevant stuff for the others that are crossed off but not linked… bear with me!

So, without further adieu…

THE LIST

1. Go to an away game Sept. 2004 – We were driving to Dodger Stadium to see a Giants game when I started this list.
2. Fly first class
3. See a shuttle launch live
4. Drive or ride a train cross country
5. Go to Giants Spring Training
6. Parasail
7. Own Manolo Blahnik shoes Dec. 2006 – Bought them for my wedding. They cost more than my dress and I still love them and think they're the most beautiful shoes I've seen
8. Appear on television Aug. 2004 – Was filmed for the A&E show “Inked” while getting a tattoo (in Vegas) to commemorate my transplant.
9. Play a table game in a casino Aug. 2004 – Played Let it Ride with Jamie and my in-laws at the Golden Gate Casino in Vegas
10. Try colored contacts
11. See Madonna in concert 2009 – Sticky & Sweet Tour. Jamie gave me tickets for my birthday, and in return, I didn't make him go with me. I took my sister instead
12. Stand at the edge of a volcano
13. See a show on Broadway
14. Go to an NFL game Late 2007 49ers v. Someone – My main memory of this game? It was just a few weeks after we found out we were pregnant, and we told Nicole & Tony, the first people outside of our closest circle. They took us to Van's for dinner to celebrate.
15. Go to an NBA game Early 2008 Warriors v. Someone – Our friend Cory had season tickets, so he'd offer us his extras if he couldn't make the game. We went to several that season, and I was pregnant for all of them.
16. Be a mom April 17, 2008 – Um, duh.
17. Get my RN
18. Own a convertible Sept. 2005 – Tehnically, Jamie bought the convertible, but then we got married, so what's his is mine, right?
19. Learn to fry a really good egg
20. Scuba dive
21. Be in a live studio audience
22. Have a scrap layout published Early 2005 – I did a layout about our turtle, Squiggy (RIP) that was published in Paperkuts magazine (RIP) and then the album I did about my first transplant was published in Simple Scrapbooks (RIP)
23. Own all of John Cusack's movies on DVD
24. Own my own house Dec. 2004 – Pretty self-explanatory. We bought our house.
25. Learn to knit and actually finish a project
26. See Beach Blanket Babylon July 2006 – My parents gave us tickets for my birthday, and we had a great weekend; Homerun Derby one day, stayed the night in the City, BBB the next day.
27. Meet someone famous… really famous 2006 I went to a broadcast of the Al Franken Show on Air America radio, and also met Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris the same day.
28. See my name/self on the Jumbotron
29. Learn to play golf and play a full 18 holes
30. Go to a drive-in movie Summer 2008 – When Max was still in the NICU and freshly out of it, we went to several drive-ins at the Solano Drive-in near my sister's house.
31. Own a bathtub I can stretch out in Dec. 2004 – It came with the house (See #24)
32. Go to Legoland
33. Host a dinner party for 6 or more people Constantly – Since Faith was born, any gathering of our family is more than 6 people, and will be 10 when Omega is born in August!
34. Ride in a biplane. Go upside down
35. Have a pint at the Guinness Brewery May 2007 – On our honeymoon
36. Ride an air boat in the Everglades
37. Take an Alaskan cruise
38. Go to a game at Fenway
39. Go to a game at Wrigley Field
40. Attend a black-tie gala March 2010 – Ed and Kristin's wedding. I could totally get used to the whole fancy dress and tuxedo scene!
41. Go to the Grand Ole Opry
42. See Mt. Rushmore
43. Attend a Democratic Nat'l Convention
44. Buy a brand new car May 2005 – My Mazda3 hatchback, which currently has 140,000 miles on it and is going strong, and I still love driving it!
45. Cross the Panama Canal
46. Cruise the Medeterranian
47. Drink a bottle of wine that's older than I am Feb. 2005 – A bottle of 1975 Stag's Leap Cab that my parents bought when I was born. We opened it to celebrate buying our house (and it was AMAZING)
48. Make a dish that involves setting something on fire
49. Paint something and hang it on my wall
50. See all the movies on AFI's 100 Best list
51. Throw the 1st pitch at an MLB game
52. See Paris from the Eiffel Tower May 2007 – Honeymoon again!
53. Go see Emma in Germany
54. Spend some time in Ireland and England May 2007 – Honeymoon again!
55. Go on safari in Africa
56. Pet a sheep in New Zealand
57. Drive a moped or motorcycle 2006 – Jamie bought his moped and I drove it exactly once. I'm cut out to be a passenger on a bike, not a driver.
58. Jump out of a perfectly good airplane (Skydive)
59. Win something on the radio 2004 – Tickets to see Smashmouth on Alice 97.3
60. Cross the Equator on a boat
61. Attend the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics
62. Explore Washington DC, see all the monuments
63. Have a beer at Oktoberfest in Munich
64. Spend New Year's in another country
65. Witness Carnivale in Rio
66. Go to New Orleans, but not during Mardi Gras
67. Learn to juggle… well!
68. River raft through the Grand Canyon
69. Drink a champagne toast in a hot air balloon
70. Kiss the Blarney Stone
71. Drive on the wrong side of the road in England
72. See the aurora borealis
73. Own a purebred Chartreux or Tonkinese cat
74. Hurl a tomato at La Tomatina in Spain
75. Pour soap bubbles in a public fountain
76. Discover and name my own constellation
77. Make a pilgrimage to Graceland
78. Walk across Abbey Road May 2007 – Ummm… honeymoon!
79. Visit a former concentration camp
80. Have high tea in London May 2007 – Not technically high tea, but tea in a bookshop on a dreary afternoon overlooking Trafalgar Square is close enough for me!
81. See a play at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival
82. Brew beer. Actually drink it. Dec. 2006 – I helped Dave and Jamie make the beer that we served at our wedding reception.
83. Send a message in a bottle
84. Climb a glacier
85. Ride in a helicopter
86. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
87. See the Great Pyramids at Giza
88. Walk on the Great Wall of China
89. Get a chocolate facial in Hershey, PA
90. Go to Burning Man. Once.
91. See the SF Giants win the World Series Nov. 2010 – WOO HOO!
92. Participate in a political protest Always – It's easiest to explain this by copying the text I'd put on the scrapbook page I did about this: “I added this item to my list on Nov. 4, 2004, shortly after it was announced that George W. Bush had been elected to a second term as President. I thought it would be cute; I envisioned a page with a photo of me, smiling, holding my protest sign, making my statement to the world. “Equal rights now” “Keep your laws off my body” “No blood for oil” Whatever. The cause wasn't what was important to me… the photo was. Since that day, I have realized that showing up at a protest isn't enough. Since that day, I have realized that I can't view politics as a photo op. Since that day, I have become an activist. There are many things that I don't know, but there are things I know unconditionally. I am an American. I am a patriot. I love my country and all that she is capable of being. I am a Democrat. I am a liberal. I am a woman. I am a voter. I am tired of seeing people take things at face value and not do their own research. I am taking my own future into my hands and doing what I can to protect the nation I love. Carrying a sign simple isn't going to do it. Since that day, I've sent emails to my senators, thanking them for their votes. I've sent letters to other people's senators, asking them to vote for the people, not for the corporations. I've called representatives for the “other” party, thanking them for speaking their minds. I've searched for my own truth, and spoken up when I didn't like what I found. I've been moved to tears upon hearing my rights being defended, I've been outraged when I see human rights being trampled. I've donated money to causes I believe in. I've become a political protestor. This is not a Saturday afternoon calling. It's a lifelong mission. It is my duty as an American to speak up.”
93. Float in the Dead Sea
94. Watch an eclipse from start to finish
95. Visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
96. Go spelunking
97. Marry my best friend Dec. 2006 – Self-explanatory
98. Dye at least part of my hair an unnatural color
99. Go to Yellowstone and smell the geysers
100. Finish this scrapbook

PS: When I published this last night, I linked to my Facebook, as I often do when I update my blog. I love how many friends offered to help me check things off!