Bucket List – Think, dude, think!

100 Ways to Live a Better Life (or “A Fancy Bucket List”)

I took the title from this Outside Magazine article from 1998. However, like many things including smart phones, Taylor Swift albums, and all of the Sharknado films, the term “Bucket list” wasn’t yet coined in 1998 (because you’re now wondering, most sources date the modern incarnation of the term “bucket list” to around June of 2006). But I decided to use the Outside title instead of just calling this a bucket list because I appreciate that the article switches between enormous generalities (“3. Get Big Air.”) and extreme specificity (“22. “Ski the Dachstein by Starlight, One More Time.”). They published another list(using the “bucket list” term) a bit more recently – I even stole a couple ideas from it. Many bucket lists focus on places to go or activities to do and those are here, but I like the idea of adding things to learn or perfect in addition to a laundry list of travel destinations. Some of the items on my list are simple and straight forward, while some are incredibly difficult, but reading even portions of this list make me grin maniacally at the thought of trying to achieve each and every one of them. Some of the below items can certainly be accomplished together (if I were to do #3 (Backpack from Cupertino to the beach), it’s reasonable that at least one of those days would satisfy #26 (Experience a solo backpacking trip)) but that’s fine — I got through my General Education at UCSC by stacking requirements (shout out to “Earthquakes and You,” you mind-numbingly boring, GE killer, you!).
In the process of compiling this list I learned a lot about myself. I learned what’s important, and what I dream to accomplish. And this is why I highly encourage you to try this – and make the list substantial. If offhand you can think of a dozen things for your bucket list, challenge yourself to come up with 25, or 50. Dare to dream! We’re afforded so few opportunities to just dream, “what if…”. Before starting this project it I relegated these thoughts to fantasy outcomes should I win the lottery. Really, though, we win the lottery every day just living. Cheesy? Absolutely. But not without merit. Aim high and you might surprise yourself.

Snowmobile into Yellowstone and watch Old Faithful erupt in the dead of winter.
My interest here started back when Clinton limited the number of permits for snowmobilers into Yellowstone to give wildlife a break. I’ve been to Yellowstone a few times during the summer and loved the park, but not so much the crowds. Blanketed in snow with exponentially less people? Yes please!
Drink a Guinness in a pub in Dublin.
Maybe summon the ghost of James Joyce, who knows!
Backpack from Cupertino to the beach.
Drop off in the parking lot of Ranch San Antonio park in Cupertino, I’ll watch the car pull away, then turn and let the journey begin. Three or four days later I’ll cross Highway 1 and step onto Waddell beach, completing a journey stretching from my childhood to a future as boundless as the Pacific ocean.
This is rather specific. I’ve had a mental thumbnail sketch of a backpacking trip that takes in a number of parks from my childhood in the South Bay. There is already a “Skyline to the Sea” trail established, but this is a different set of trails and parks to link these places. While the idea is there, I have a ways to go before I’m physically capable of doing this – I’ve set my 45th birthday for this one – getting closer!
Drive a proper Ferrari.
What constitutes a proper Ferrari? It might be easier to winnow out what doesn’t: a Dino (yes, not even technically a “Ferrari”, but most people lump them in), almost any of the 308s (sorry, Magnum!), the GT4s, or the Mondials. Given this list, you might be surprised that I’d not omit the latter-day Californias, but I’ve had a soft spot for that car since it debuted (big butt and all), and the current California T is, by my eye and ear, wonderful. What’s my ideal?The Ferrari 458 Italia Spider, to me, represents the most beautiful and well-executed modern Ferraris. Stating a favorite invites dissent, so bring it. Otherwise, please pass me my Fratelli driving gloves and the keys… (yeah, I don’t really have driving gloves)
While away an afternoon at Stone Brewing - the main Stone facility.
The idea of a destination brewery is a relatively new concept, and there may be more significant breweries to visit, it’s hard to pass up Stone’s Escondido headquarters for its destination-worthiness – it is the standard to match (I’m looking at you, Lagunitas Petaluma!). Between the restaurant, amphitheater, tour, there’s something for practically everyone. And I need to be there.
Stay at Bluefish B&B on Cape Cod.
Owned and operated by my wonderful cousin Tim O’Brien and his partner Lori Schiragaand, Bluefish B&B served as a spectacular getaway for my mom and her sister, as well as my sisters, and pretty much everyone in my family… except me. I haven’t yet made my way out there to their extraordinary bed and breakfast and its unbelievable food and hauntingly beautiful scenery. Hopefully I will sooner than later.
Walk the streets of Arles, France.
Van Gogh spent some of his most productive years in this seaside French town. Jeanne Calment lived her entire life there – the longest recorded life of any human – and had (not so fond) memories of Van Gogh. Those two experiences alone are enough to recommend spending some time there.
Meditate among the ancient bristlecone pines.
Outside Lone Pine, in the inhospitable reaches of the White mountains of Inyo National Forest grow some of the worlds oldest trees – the gnarled Great Basin bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva). The oldest tree in the grove is over 5,000 years old. When you start talking about “oldest” there’s a lot of qualifiers – “non-clonal” (like the shaking aspens of Utah) being the biggest qualifier. There was something of an uproar a few years back when it looked like a Norway Spruce in Sweden would take the crown of “oldest tree” until botanists discovered it actually was clonal. The bristlecone pines, obviously, couldn’t care less. We’re barely a blink of their proverbial eyes. I want to experience the peace of sitting up there with these amazingly long-lived trees, closing my eyes, and just being present.
Go through the RawHyde Offroad adventure motorcycle course and feel comfortable (or at least confident) on my bike when the pavement turns to dirt.
My motorcycle is an absolutely amazing thing, but I know I’m not getting the most out of it. When the pavement ends, I get really nervous (the bike, not so much). The folks at RahHyde Offroad put on BMW Motorrad-certified training courses that show street-riders like me how to get around off road on our over-sized, over-powered behemoths. There are a lot of places I want to go that require confidence both on- and off-road (I’m looking at you, #25!), and I believe this place would be a great start.
Brew my own beer.
Ever since I started exploring craft beer I’ve been intrigued by home brewers. However, a friend turned me off by pointing out, “how much beer can you really drink?” I, imagining that in order to brew beer I would have to make a LOT of beer, put the idea into the “well, maybe some day” category. That was until Lisa said, “No, you can do as little as a gallon.” Wait, what is this you say? She’s right! Brewing my own beer is now a reasonable proposition!
Rent a practice space and enjoy the ragged edge of an over-amplified guitar and distortion.
I’ve played guitar for a long time, but with a few exceptions I’ve always played it fairly quietly. My wonderful amp doesn’t know what life is like beyond “3” on the volume knob. Because of this, I’m aware there’s a whole sonic palate I’ve never experienced. I would love to have a space where I could not only keep my gear spread out, but crank the volume and see what wonderful noise can be produced.
Drive a lap of the Nürburgring.
The Nürburgring is a race track outside Nürburg, Germany, and is one of the most famous (and deadly) tracks in the world. It’s a major racing venue for Formula One and endurance racing (they host a yearly 24-hour long race). On top of all of this, it’s also open to the public. On particular days anyone with a street legal car, motorcycle, bus, trailer, whatever, can pay a fee and drive a lap. I’ve wanted to do this since I first knew of its existence. I don’t care what I drive or ride, but I desperately want to drive a lap of “The Green Hell,” as the legendary Formula One driver Jackie Stewart called it.
√ Soak in a hot spring in the middle of nowhere.
Maybe I harbor an overly-romantic idea of hiking up to some remote spot, checking the temperature (important because I’m not interested in boiling myself), and climbing in. I’m sure the reality won’t be nearly as idyllic, but I really want to find out!
Experience the insanity of SXSW.
The South By Southwest festival bills itself as “convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries,” but most people associate it with a week-long take-over of Austin, Texas by every band in the country, big and small. Everything I’ve seen and read make it look like a complete zoo, but I’d love to experience it just once.
Visit a rain forest.
I’m not picky. Maybe something as close to home as the Ho rain forest of Olympic National Park in Washington, or further out, the El Yunque rain forest down in Puerto Rico. Of course something down on the Amazon would be amazing, but the experience of being surrounded by an all-encompassing green forest teeming with wildlife sounds like a phenomenal experience.
Stare slack-jawed at the Aurora Borealis.

Not my picture, obviously.

I’ve not yet been up far enough to see the Northern Lights and their shimmering light displays. I’ve seen plenty of pictures and videos, enough to know this is something I need to experience.
Own a pair of black cowboy boots again.
Flashback to high school: young Jordy is cast as the paternal cowboy Virgil Blessing in my high school’s production of “Bus Stop.” Part of the costume called for cowboy boots, and one of my mom’s coworkers was about to give a pair of well-used black cowboy boots to Goodwill. Instead I wore them in the play… and for a few years afterwards until they finally fell apart. To this day they were some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn, and I’ve been meaning to get another pair ever since I had to part with those.
Eat a conch sandwich in Key West.
Though an island off the tip of Florida, Key West is considered by many to be the southernmost point of the contiguous United States. Home to folks as varied as Ernest Hemingway to Jimmy Buffett, this town is said to run on its own island time. What better way to enjoy it than enjoying one of the local specialties, a conch sandwich with a Red Stripe beer?
Ride the Stelvio pass in Italy.
I have no idea where I first saw a picture of the Stelvio pass, but thinking about that road gives me chills. The highest paved pass in the Alps, 48 tight switchbacks wind up from Bormio Italy up to the Swiss border. Words don’t do justice to this serpentine nightmare, so let me provide this visual:

Oh, the twists and turns!

Yeah. In/on the right vehicle, that looks like nirvana.
√Closer to home, ride Sheman Pass Road through Sequoia National Forest.
Getting to Italy is certainly cost prohibitive, but getting down to the southern end of the Sequioia National Forest isn’t – this road is within reach. I first noticed the squiggle on the map when researching routes for my 40th birthday ride to Death Valley as the most exciting way to get from Highway 395 to 99 (note: not the fastest). Unfortunately, recent snows made me decide to avoid the 9,200 foot pass, but I’ve been itching to get back there ever since. It doesn’t have the panache of the Stelvio, but the location is right, and it looks just as technical… just a little more stretched out.
Make the perfect cup of coffee.
Been chasing this one for some time, and probably impossible to nail down. To achieve perfection, everything has to be in alignment – the rest on perfectly roasted beans, the perfect amount of grounds uniformly ground to just the right consistency, the perfect temperature water, just the right amount of extraction, and then… a cup of coffee with the right balance of bitterness and acid. It’s out there. I’ll keep trying.
Make the perfect summer cocktail.
Entries in the 2017 perfect summer cocktail attempts include:
- The Tom Collins
- Gin & Tonic (classic, simple, yet surprisingly difficult to perfect)
- Blackberry bramble (most recipes make this with gin, but my first exposure to this drink was made with bourbon and was shockingly lovely)
Perfection will take a lot of trial and error. I’m willing to persevere in this arduous pursuit.
Spend the night alone in a ghost town.
Ghost towns are very cool. Ghost towns at night are downright creepy. Spending the night alone in a ghost town? SIGN. ME. UP.
I haven’t found many ghost towns where you’re allowed to spend the night (Bodie, I’m looking at you). That said, many ghost towns are, well, deserted. The disembodied spirit of a long-dead prospector isn’t exactly going to call the authorities, now is he?
Hike to the top of Half Dome.
A strenuous 12-hour, 15-mile, 4,800 vertical-feet hike that finishes off with a precipitous 400-foot climb up cables that the National Park service assures “relatively few people have fallen and died on the cables.” Sound amazing? Absolutely, right?!
Ride the Dalton Highway in Alaska to the Arctic Ocean.
Also known as the North Slope Haul Road, the Dalton Highway starts just north of Fairbanks, Alaska and gets crazy remote from there. Built for the purpose of providing truck access to the Prudhoe Bay oil fields, it’s 400 miles of lousy chip seal at best, grated dirt and tire-swallowing mud bogs at worst. For gods sake, the northern terminus is a town called Deadhorse – need I say more? All of this, naturally, puts this atop just about any adventure motorcyclists must-do lists. All the articles I’ve read suggests with a little foresight and preparation, it’s absolutely doable. Oh yes, it’s doable.
Experience a solo backpacking trip.
As an impressionable boy scout during the two-week long summer camp my troop went to they would occasionally send someone out on a solo backpacking excursion – it was couched as some sort of personal reflection journey. Fast forward to reading Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and that idea of a solo backpacking trip as spirit journey seems even more apt. This is something I need to try myself.
Ride in an Icon 4x4 vehicle.
If you are not already familiar with Icon, I highly recommend reading about them, watching some of the meticulous videos owner Jonathan Ward makes himself of every vehicle that leaves their shop, or just visit their site and dream. These are spare-no-expense, rolling art pieces that are just as functional as they are beautiful. While I do dream of owning one, much more realistically, I hope someday to just ride in one. I’m not particular, either – it could be one of the stunning FJs, or one of the BR Broncos I covet, or (be still my beating heart) one of the righteous Derelicts that look rough on the outside but hide a premiere engine and chassis. I’ve followed them for a very long time and am as madly in love with their work as the first time I read about them.
Shoot a round at Golden Gate park archery range.
In addition to windmills, bison, and museums, Golden Gate Park is also home to an archery range. Such an idyllic place to shoot some targets beneath the eucalyptus trees.
Learn to weld.
The ability to join two pieces of metal opens up so many possibilities – from sculpture, to repair, to strong and minimal construction – learning to weld has been an essential skill I’ve been meaning to learn for a long time.
Replace my own motorcycle tire.
From my first Honda to my current BMW, I’ve always been at the mercy of motorcycle shops when it comes to replacing my tire. Given the fairly long intervals between tire changes I’m used to, that makes it a nuisance more than anything else, but particularly if I’m interested in doing more dirt riding, the ability to change from more street-oriented tires to knobbier tires makes swapping tires a very useful skill. The necessary tools aren’t particularly expensive, making this a reasonable talent to acquire.
Publish a book (self publishing doesn't count).
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and the measure of success is publication of a book. With all the talk about the fall of traditional publishing and the rise of the self-publisher, I’m still feeling old school with this one – for me, success looks like a real paper book.
Shoot at a gun range.
I’ve fired family members guns at various make-shift ranges over the years, but I’d like to go to a regulated gun range and try a wide variety of different guns.
Publish an album on Bandcamp.
I don’t count myself a musician, per se, but I do feel like I have songs I need to write and record. In fact, one of my favorite things in the world is to periodically do the “Make Your Own Album Cover” meme that popped up nearly a decade ago. This is one of my favorites and I desperately want to put together a collection of songs that does Jim Counsilman (see, already shortening the name!) proud. So keep an eye out!

I want this in vinyl.
Ride a mountain bike at a ski resort (summer).
When the snow melts, a number of ski resorts figured out that their mountains are still quite attractive to mountain bikers. Some cater specifically to the hard-core riders who insist on posting their GoPro videos of death-defying single-track with some high energy track in the background. Yeah, that’s not me. Others, though, try to be as inclusive without snow as they are with. Take Northstar, their summer trail map features the same winter color-coded system for bike trails – I’ll probably never attempt a black trail like “Flameout” or “Manure Pile” (both of which, I might add, accurately describe the state I’d be in if I did attempt them), but the more gentle-sounding “ Easy Rider”, “Deerpath”, or “Coaster” sound right up my alley.
Sew my own shirt.
The staple of my wardrobe are the colorful Hawaiian-style shirts that Anna made me over the years – “slugshirts”. But they’re starting to show their age with some fraying edges and such. I have the machines, I have the sewing table. It’s time to learn to sew and put some new shirts in the closet.
Beyond shirts: sew my own clothes.
Inspired by this article from Esquire about some plus-size men who fed up with the same old boring selection at Big and Tall stores so they set about to make their own fashionable pieces (that part is a little further down in the article, after the whole “body positive” section). I’ll start with shirts, sure, but why not branch out? Some things aren’t worth it – even the article says, “plus-size men aren’t usually desperate for basics; they can find loungewear at the big and tall shops and discount retailers. What they can’t get are trends and high fashion, the kind of clothes that express personality.” And that’s what I want to do – express my personality.
Build the ultimate BBQ cart.
I love and am forever loyal to my Webber BBQ kettle, but the standard three-legged stand leaves a lot to be desired. I’ve seen all the Pinterest pins about BBQ carts for the old Webber, and I’ve synthesized them into my own plan. Now I just have to execute it.
Change someone's life.
Enough said.
Go back to Switzerland and spend some time enjoying Morges and Lausanne
In the course of my time with my $DayJob I’ve been lucky enough to visit our HQ in Switzerland twice. Located near the adorable little town of Morges and the bustling Lausanne, one of my regrets is that I didn’t get to spend as much time as I would have liked enjoying both cities. So, I want to go back and go to the street market in Morges and walk along the Lausanne shoreline – get to enjoy them like I didn’t before. (Also, Lausanne isn’t too terribly far from #19. the Stelvio Pass)
Tacos in Tijuana! And beers on the beach in Ensenada.
I blame my brother Jay for first igniting my interest in Ensenada, as he and his friends made a yearly pilgrimage down to Baja California, stopping at the Dos Equis bottling plant on their way to camping on the beach. More recently, articles like this one deliciously illustrate the vibrant food scene in Tijuana that has risen out of the people’s desire to take their city back from the drug violence. As if I didn’t need more encouragement, I stumbled across this article about how Baja is totally doable for a long weekend. Okay! I need to go already!
See The Wave formation in Arizona.
If you haven’t heard of “The Wave” you’ve still probably seen it. This detailed article mentions that it was used as one of the Windows 7 backgrounds, but that isn’t where I first came upon it – it was an article about then then-new lottery system. Or maybe it was the deaths… I don’t recall. But here’s the thing in a nutshell: “The Wave” is a mind-bendingly beautiful sandstone formation in the Arizona desert near the Utah border. Your odds of getting one of the lottery slots is painfully low, and if you do then you get to hike into the desert on your appointed day – one of just 20 people a day allowed to visit (limited to keep the area as pristine as possible). Yes, people underestimate the desert and die out there on a regular basis. IT’S THE DESERT, PEOPLE. It’s not goddamned Disneyland!
*ahem*
I will enter the lottery. I will get a spot. When my day comes, I will hike out (properly equipped with the right clothes and plenty of water) and see this:

Catch a wave! (only with the proper permits on the appointed day. And don’t die)
Properly sharpen knives.
One of those important life skills that has always eluded me. In Boy Scouts I tried to learn how to sharpen knives with a whetstone, but as most things, if you don’t practice it regularly you’re not going to remember it. Now I’ve got more knives in my life than the little red Swiss Army Knife – kitchen knives with German and Japanese steel, folders and fixed blades that have different grind angles… I do have this Spyderco sharpening system which comes with a handy DVD. Now to watch and learn.
Visit famous graves: Salvador Dali in Catalonia, Alexander Hamilton in New York, Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore, Jim Morrison in Paris, Shakespeare in Warwickshire, England.
On my second trip to Switzerland, I managed to sneak away to Montreux, the stunning lakeside town where one of my favorite authors, Vladimir Nabokov, spent the last years of his life, and where he and his wife, Vera, are buried. Since the cemetery was just above the town and I was there already, why not visit and pay my respects?

Not pictured: an AMAZING view!

Which got me thinking, who else would I like to pay my respects to at their final resting places? Dali, Hamilton, Poe, Morrison, and Shakespeare were the most prominent to come to mind, and it doesn’t hurt that they’re all located in areas I would love to visit anyway. Who’s up for some cemetery tourism?
Drive the length of the historic Route 66 in a proper ride with Jazz at my side.
I know this is one of those things on a lot of people’s lists, so let’s fantasize a little bit – which direction? You’ve got to start at Santa Monica and go east. Well, that’s my take since I’m already in the West. What’s the proper vehicle? Something classic and American, I’d imagine. How about something old and new AND cross off number 27 – a gorgeous Icon Derelict like this ‘46 Olds sporting a modern 600 horsepower V8 and chassis. With the beautiful Jazz by my side, this sounds like heaven.
Stroll along the Seine in Paris.
I’ve never been to Paris. I’ve always wanted to. I’ve watched “Before Sunset” a hundred times as Jesse and Céline walk along the river reuniting… Why wouldn’t you want to go?
Learn how to put up drywall properly… and make it look good.
Another important, practical skill I hope to acquire. I’ve made it this far in my life without having to wonder about how to finish a wall, and like many people I could probably live my life without learning it. But why? To me, being able to put up drywall is as important a skill as, say, changing a tire or cooking a chicken – you may not be called upon to perform that skill on a regular basis (well, maybe with the chicken…) but to be able to do it when needed and do it properly strikes me as the mark of a well-rounded person.
Build my dream Telecaster.
I’ve thought about this one for some time and I have very some very definite thoughts on the subject. First, a Fender Telecaster electric guitar should operate and sound like, well, a Telecaster. So, the standard neck and bridge single coils should be retained along with the three-position (okay, I’d go with a 4-position) switch and single volume and tone controls. But I’d love for that Telecaster to be able to scream in addition to having its signature clean twang. Between the neck and bridge pickup there’s a third pickup. In and of itself, this isn’t anything new, after all the “Nashville” Tele has added a middle single coil pickup for years. No, I want a P90 pickup in that position. In addition, I want that channel independent from the regular function of the Telecaster controls – a third control knob to control the volume of the P90. For a little added functionality, both the standard and P90 volume knobs would be push-pull variants – out on the standard volume knob would cut out the two single coil pickups, while out on the P90 activates that pickup. So, say you’re playing along clean with the single coils, and here comes the solo, pull out both volumes and let that P90 howl! Or blend in some of that P90 with either (or both!) of the single coil pickups! Oh, the possibilities!
I could go on about the details (wiring schematics, body and pickguard color, specific pickup manufacturers, I didn’t even mention the Bigsby tremolo tailpiece!), but suffice it to say this is about making something exactly how you want it, down to the last detail. Woodworking and electronics come together for a wonderful project!
Savor a Cuban Romeo y Julieta in Havana.
I have been lucky enough to enjoy a Cuban Romeo y Julieta cigar – it is my favorite cigar to this day – but I’ve never been to Cuba. How wonderful would it be to sit outside a café in Old Havana and enjoy the perfect cigar.
Put together my ultimate garage workspace complete with vehicle lift and air lines.
Find me the shade-tree mechanic who doesn’t dream about their ultimate garage. From folks in colder climates, their dreams came true when they added heating. I haven’t had a garage at all for quite a few years, so that in of itself is a dream. But if I had that garage? To make it perfect you bet I’d add a 4-post vehicle lift – why not? Easy access to the underside of your project car! You can even use it to put one car on top for storage (no, really!). And I would absolutely have the space plumbed for central air lines for pneumatic tools. From there you can go crazy with couches and TVs and speakers… don’t get me wrong, I would definitely go there, but for now when I close my eyes and dream about my future ultimate garage, this is what I see.
Take part in a Polar Bear Plunge.
Every New Years my sister, Jill, and her family do this up in the frigid waters off of Fidalgo Island in Washington. It looks so crazy. I’m totally in.
Gently sway on a porch swing I built and installed myself.
I don’t remember whether the first home-built porch swing was that of my woodworking muse, April Wilkerson, or not, but when she built a free-standing frame for the porch swing (because, let’s face it, some of us may never have a porch appropriate for a swing), I knew I had to build one. She even has plans for the stand and the swing!
Meet one of my heroes... and not regret it.
Meet one of my heroes… and not regret it.I don’t have any particular hero in mind, but I’ve heard too many stories of people meeting their heroes and having terrible experiences. I want to buck that trend. I want someone I’ve looked up to, someone I’ve idolized to live up to my expectations. It’s possible, I’m sure of it!
Visit Machu Picchu.
I’ve always been fascinated by the “lost” Incan city of Machu Picchu high in the Peruvian Andes. Funny synchronicity, I added this to my list on nearly the same day as my ex-wife independently booked a trip to Machu Picchu for herself. We’d talked about eventually going back when we were married, but, obviously, never got around to it. She’s going next year, and I’ll get there eventually. It’s been up there for the better part of six centuries, I think it’ll be there when I’m able to get there.
Make a perfect dovetail joint.
You’ve likely seen a dovetail joint in a piece of woodworking even if you didn’t know there was a name for that. There are jigs to help you do these yourself, but the most elegant are done by hand and really show a high level of craftsmanship.
Attend the Cantaloupe Festival in Fallon, Nevada.

Not pictured: Boom and bust of a desert town.

Two main roads traverse Nevada east to west. If you’ve ever traveled through Nevada that direction, the odds are good you took Interstate 80 through the sagebrush desert and empty mountain passes. But if you trace the other route – highway 50, also known as The Loneliest Road in America – you’ll come across Fallon, Nevada as the last big town before highway 50 gets really, really empty. Other than the town associated with the major Fallon Naval Air Station (think ‘Top Gun’ – the Navy relocated its Navy Fighter Weapons School from Miramar in ‘96), the one thing Fallon used to have going for it was melons. Specifically, cantaloupes. Even more specifically, the Hearts O’Gold cantaloupe. Dating back to the 1890’s, the Hearts O’Gold started to put Fallon on the agricultural map in the 1920s. One thing Fallon has in abundance is heat, and melons love heat. Fallon’s Heart’s O’Gold melons started to show up in the finest restaurants of Reno, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and refrigerated rail cars delivered this sought-out melon to New York City and the east coast. Farmers responded to this new fame by exponentially increasing plantings and new farms started displacing the sagebrush. But growing melons in the desert can be as speculative as trying to make money in Nevada’s current cash crop of casinos. A series of droughts and the onset of the Great Depression just about extinguished Fallon’s melon moment. The real death knell came with the introduction of a new hybrid cantaloupe that better weathered the rigors of travel from farm to market. Grown primarily in California’s hyper-efficient central valley, they made up for in longevity what they lacked in flavor, and Fallon’s boutique cantaloupes disappeared almost entirely – along with most of the farmers. Fortunately, it was around this time that the military came looking for land for a radar installation… These days there are still a few small farms that still grow the Hearts O’Gold to sell in mostly local distribution and farmers markets. But 20 years ago Fallon decided to celebrate its cantaloupes by throwing the Cantaloupe festival. The three-day fair can attract upwards of 15,000 people to the sleepy desert town at the end of August. One of these days I aspire to drive out into the Great Basin desert along highway 50 to go to the Cantaloupe festival and hopefully see what made the Hearts O’Gold so famous for its short time in the spotlight.
Make (and keep alive) a sourdough starter.
Water and flour and… magic. Okay, not magic. Fermentation. More specifically, fermentation with naturally occurring yeast – the yeast of a given location gives a starter its own – yes, I’m going to say it – terrioir. Use some to make bread, ‘feed’ the starter more water and flour, allow it to breath, and you’re starter can live indefinitely – this woman has a starter that’s more than a hundred years old. It’s possible. Use, feed, replace.
Learn to juggle.

“But the Molotov cocktails were just sitting there!”

I still maintain that a well-rounded person should be able to juggle… appropriately. That specifically excludes juggling any similar-shaped thing that happens to be at hand. Honestly, I think that’s the reason I haven’t yet learned – I didn’t want to be that guy who breaks into spontaneous juggling when he passes… you name it: a bowl of apples, a basket of tennis balls, a litter of kittens. It doesn’t matter the appropriateness of the situation (‘Private Smith! You will not juggle hand grenades!’), they have a seemingly compulsive necessity to juggle. I never wanted to be that guy. I want to possess the skill and use it when it’s most effective. That sounds profoundly esoteric, and it is. I’m okay with that.
Jog regularly.
When you get to a point where you can’t jog finally realize how much you wish you still could. Years ago when I broke my leg the doctors said I wouldn’t be able to jog again. I did. Unfortunately, to get back to that I need to drop a fair amount of weight. But I’ll get there. If you can jog, please remember: jogging is a gift.
Visit the 'Door to Hell' in Turkmenistan near the village of Deweze.
File this under ‘Creepy Tourism’, the Door To Hell nearly got bumped off this list by the abandoned Centralia, PA and the coal fire burning beneath the town, or the radioactive town of Pripyat outside of Chernobyl. But the Door To Hell splits the difference between Centralia (creepy, but maybe a little boring), and Pripyat (creepy, but near-impossible to get to). Besides, just look at this:
By Tormod Sandtorv – Flickr: Darvasa gas crater panorama, CC BY-SA 2.0

If you don’t know the story here, in 1971 the rig Soviet scientists were using to explore for natural gas collapsed into a sinkhole. In an attempt to rid the area of the methane seeping up through the crater, they set it on fire to burn off. More than 45 years later, it’s still burning. Is it worth traveling to the middle of Turkmenistan to see a giant fiery crater? That was a rhetorical question – of COURSE it’s worth it!
Break 200 miles per hour.
Doing this safely is the key. When I broke 100 mph (indicated) the first time it was on a public (albeit deserted) freeway and my buddy’s car needed a new head gasket afterwards. To achieve 200 mph is a much more difficult speed for a number of reasons I’m unqualified to explain. But I want to this in a vehicle intended for that speed at a location that is as safe as possible (read: not that deserted public freeway). Possible? You bet!
Become geographically-independent.
I don’t want to be tied to a living in a location because of my work. It’s a little more than “working from home,” because that often implies that there is an office you’re expected to be at. I want to be able to go just about anywhere and work from there. Drive across the country? Sure, I’ll work along the way. It’s a dream, sure, but I think it’s achievable.
Have a complete stranger tell me s/he enjoys my work.
This, to me, is one of my main watermarks I’ve set for myself to let me know I’m succeeding. This excludes family and friends, and even people who family and friends might have referred my work to. This is the person who has no relation to me whatsoever, who might have stumbled upon my stuff randomly – call it three or greater degrees of separation. If that’s you, and you do like my work, please drop me a line and make my year!
Get a tattoo
I’ve never not wanted to get a tattoo, I’ve just had an issue with deciding what I wanted or where. But I’ve decided – a tyrannosaurus rex. Inner forearm. Let’s do this.
Get another.
They say once you get one tattoo you will get another. I haven’t gotten my first and I’m ready for more. I’m sure I want a pelican and a barn owl on my back, for my dad and my mom, respectively. And beyond that… who knows!
Visit all 59 National Parks.
I’m not sure how many of the National Parks I’ve been to already – I can think of four or five just off the top of my head – but for the sake of this list, let’s start with just the one’s I’ve written about – Lassen and Yosemite… although I only visited the Visitor’s Center at Lassen – does that really count? Okay, one down, 58 to go!
Fire a Barrett 50 caliber rifle.
Despite the fact that the Barrett 50 caliber rifle holds a number of the longest confirmed kill shots in the world, until recently this gun was legal to own in California. Why the oversight? Because no one would use a 30-pound, $10,000 rifle in the commission of a crime – you can’t exactly conceal the thing or reasonably haul it around. However, the state closed that loophole a few years ago, so I’ll likely have to seek an out-of-state location to fire this sharpshooting monster. That’s okay, the travel just makes for more of an adventure!
View the only remaining Franciscan manzanita and/or Presidio manzanita in the wild.

At the UC Berkeley Arboretum: note the “Laurel Hill Cemetery” — it was thought extinct in the wild since the 40’s

I’m in the process of writing a long article on these two plants, but suffice it to say there are only one existing specimen of Franciscan and one existing specimen of Presidio manzanita bushes in the wild and they both reside in Presidio in San Francisco. Their locations are secret, but I have some ideas where they may be and need to do some more investigating to locate them. That just means I have to go hike around more in one of the most beautiful spots in San Francisco. Sounds rough!
Ride the Four Corners Tour: San Ysidro, CA; Blain, WA; Madawaska, ME; Key West, FL in 21 days.
The Southern California Motorcycling Association (SCMA) sponsor what they call the Four Corners Tour – in the allotted 21 days, you must ride to the four most geographically extreme cities in the US: in the southwest corner, San Ysidro, CA; Blain, WA in the northwest corner; Madawaska, ME at the north-eastern corner; Key West, FL in the south east. In each city you need to have a picture taken of you, your motorcycle, and your registration number along with a gas receipt from that city. And what do you get for completing this motorcycle marathon? A patch. A sticker. But more importantly, you get all the stories you’ve accumulated over 21 days and thousands of miles. I should mention that they also have what they call the True X which still contains the aforementioned cities, but adds Lebanon, Kansas (considered the geographical center of the continental US). So corner city to Kansas to corner city, back to Kansas, to corner city, BACK to Kansas, and finally to the last corner. You’re allotted an extra five days for the True X, but honestly, that’s a lot of Kansas! I think I’ll stick to the standard Four Corners!
Stand under a waterfall.
Up on Tioga pass I took this picture:

I was hot (and about to get even more so) and wanted to go stand underneath that waterfall badly. I didn’t. My practical side said getting all wet when I didn’t even have a towel or a place to change was a bad idea.
I regret that decision.
I want to throw caution to the wind and stand beneath a waterfall – one like in the picture, sure, or maybe something more substantial – the metrics of it aren’t that important. The care-free experience is.
Build a Murphy bed.
Generically known as a pull-down bed or wall bed, a Murphy bed folds up into (or against) the wall when not in use. I’ve always been fascinated by them, and I must have seen and read a thousand tutorials and Pinterest articles about building them. The bed I built for myself a few years ago is still going strong, and the storage beneath is pretty critical, so I’m not going to build this anytime soon, but there will come a day when I get out of bed and lift my bed away and enjoy the floorspace.
Learn to speak French.
In high school I learned Spanish… poorly. And because I thought it’d be useful. And because I never foresaw myself working for a company whose headquarters is in the French-speaking side of Switzerland.
These days I don’t tend to communicate with our HQ directly, so learning French really would be just a labor of love – and preparation for my time in (#7) Arles, or when I (#45) stroll along the Seine, or when I visit (#79) the Louvre. …Yeah, learning French seems pretty important to this list!
Visit historic battlefields – Yorktown, Gettysburg, Little Bighorn (again), Omaha Beach.
In junior high my American history teacher believed of all the important dates in our history two were most important and those two were the only ones we had to absolutely commit to memory (July 7, 1776 and December 7, 1941). Along those same lines, I regard the four battlefields here as the four most important battles in American history, and I feel I need to visit each place to pay my respects.
The Battle of Yorktown: when the British surrendered on October 17, 1781 it technically wasn’t the end of the Revolutionary war, but for all intents and purposes it signaled the end. The battle exemplified the reason why the upstart Americans were able to defeat a global superpower, as so well put in “Hamilton”. Of the many battles of that war, this is where America was birthed.
If America was born at Yorktown, much of who we were died at Gettysburg. Regarded by many as the turning point in the Civil War, both sides threw everything they had into what would be the bloodiest battle of the bloodiest war we would ever fight. Robert E. Lee’s forces retreated on July 3, 1863, and with him went the Southern Cause of slavery. Fighting would continue for another two years, and the battlefield would arguably become more famous for Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” than for the 25,000 who died in three days of fighting. But the nation that emerged from the ashes of Gettysburg bore little resemblance to that young country that came out of Yorktown.
At the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the eradication of the Native American peoples that followed we proved that we truly hadn’t embraced the spirit of “All men are created equal.” This battlefield I’ve been to. I stood on those golden rolling hills above the Little Bighorn where Custer’s Luck and cockiness ran out and he and his men were cut down by an overwhelmingly superior Lakota and Cheyenne force. It was a spectacular and Pyrrhic victory, and Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse knew it when they scattered their bands afterwards. The atrocities on the Native Americans that followed should never, ever be forgotten.
If Gettysburg and the Little Bighorn represent the nadir of the American Spirit, Omaha Beach admirably stands in for how we can stand together for a truly great cause. A large amount of the success of the landings at Normandy on June 4, 1944 came from the sheer audacity of the largest navel invasion in history. When the 1st and 29th American infantry divisions landed, they faced far stronger resistance than expected, yet they persevered (at great cost), eventually taking the beach head. Like Gettysburg, fighting would continue for some time, the victory at Normandy signaled the beginning of the end for the Germans. I want to stand on those cliffs and stare out at the now-empty beach and honor those who died there.
Ride a Harley Davidson.
Surprisingly, despite having ridden tens of thousands of miles and at least a dozen different motorcycles over the years, I have never had the opportunity to ride a Harley Davidson. Maybe I should put a caveat here like I did for #4’s ‘proper Ferrari,’ I’d like to say a Harley big twin – I mean no disrespect to the Sportsters, but if I’m going to say ‘I rode a Harley,’ it’d better be a big twin.
Get a new passport. Fill it.
I had a passport and filled it with a couple of stamps from Switzerland, and one from Canada… and then I lost it (it’s a long story). As I haven’t had the opportunity for international travel since, I haven’t replaced it. Yet. I need to.
Hike to the top of Telescope Peak in Death Valley.
There are a lot of reasons to not hike to the top of Telescope Peak. First, it’s a 14-mile round trip hike in one of the most inhospitable National Parks in the country. Second, it’s a steep hike and there’s no traditionally gorgeous vista waiting for you – there’s a stunning view, no question, but it’s one many people would dismiss as ‘just a lot of desert and hills.’ Fair. But ticking these reasons off just makes it more and more enticing to me. What really clinched it for me, though, was that near the top of the peak are a few bristlecone pines – the same ancient type as in # 8 on this list. I’m in!
Set up an archery range.
Practicing archery serves as a wonderful meditative exercise for me – the art of controlling myriad physical inputs to put arcing arrows down range as closely grouped as possible. Unfortunately, the act of getting to a place where I can shoot is a genuine hassle. Most ranges are more than an hour away, and many can be crowded.
I’ve had the opportunity to shoot with just one other person where we set the distance and the setting was peaceful and tranquil. I want to set up my own archery range near where I live so I can take my bow and meditate without the hassle.
Do at least one chin up.
This has been a dream since I was a kid. The closest I came was when I was on the football team in high school, but my ability to get even that close has receded as the years (and pounds) have accumulated. This is a righteous goal because to achieve it means I’m not only far stronger than have heretofore been in my life, but likely considerably lighter. Like a number of things on this list (# 3, 24. 26, 58) to achieve them means I have changed in a very physical way. I like that. A chinup is a McGuffin; to reach that point is the real goal.
Spend time in a structure I've built.
I left this intentionally vague because I don’t really intend to, say, build my own house – I’m okay never having accomplished that herculean task. But something smaller – a shed, a freestanding office, Man Cave, a garage (big or small) – is more reasonable and still allows me to set down my hammer and saw and say – if only to myself – I built this.
See the world's great art museums -- the Louvre, the Smithsonian, the Met in New York, The Vatican Museum, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and The Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Another collection of destinations! I’ve never been to a major gallery. Living in the Bay Area I’ve been to the SF MOMA and the (old and new) De Young. And on a trip to Houston, Anna and I serendipitously took in an exhibition that beggared the imagination in its scope. But I’ve never been to any of the major museums.
The Louvre… the big one. And in Paris, so, you know… PARIS!
Going to the Smithsonian gallery means I’ll be on the mall and likely taking in many of the other museums as well.
The scale of exhibits at the Met spans practically the history of art itself. I’ll definitely need a few days…
The Vatican and all of its classical treasures – just saying the name of the museum conjures images from da Vinci, Titian, Raphael… And if I haven’t had enough, The Uffizi Gallery in nearby Florence adds a different dimension with such masterpieces as Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’.
The Rijksmuseum and its unparalleled collection of the Old Masters. Not to mention it’s proximity to the Van Gogh museum…
So many galleries, so little time!
Fly high enough to see the curvature of the Earth and the blackness of space beyond.
People I’ve shown this list to go down the entries and say, ‘well, that’s not very realistic…’ It may not be right this moment, but that’s changing. More importantly, I think, is why do I want to do fly high enough to see the curvature of the Earth and the blackness of space beyond? Astronauts and those who have skirted the high atmosphere describe a feeling of utter awe when they get to high enough to regard Earth as a fragile, connected sphere. There’s even a name for it: The Overview Effect. And those who have experienced it describe The Overview Effect as life changing. Who wouldn’t want to climb to the edge of space (or even into space) and look down on this wonderful world and see it all (or at least, you know, a hemisphere) spread out and glowing far, far below…
In terms of actually doing it… those chances keep getting better. I may never get to fly in a U-2, but as I type this Virgin Galactic’s VMS Unity is conducting preliminary tests above the Mohave desert in preparation of taking people to the edge of space. And Elon Musk’s SpaceX is on track to test its crewed capsule next year. Prohibitively expensive? Absolutely. Will it always be so?
Own a gun.
This is controversial, I know. And that’s part of the reason for this entry. I’m not sure what kind of gun – shotgun for trap shooting or handgun for target shooting – but I would like to own one. I won’t pretend that it’s for home or personal defense – statistics show owning a gun doesn’t generally make you any safer. But I’ve grown up in fairly liberal circles where gun ownership has been frowned upon if not outright disparaged. In the same way walking into a liquor store felt illicit for years after I turned 21, owning a gun feels like something I’m not supposed to do. So, I want to do it.
Take a trip to the other US – the remote islands of Guam, or Midway, and the closer-to-home Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
I love the notion of going to a tropical paradise (not named Hawaii) and not having to change my money or use a passport. Plus, there’s the added history of these islands, both native history and the US presence there.
Visit a silverback gorilla in Rwanda.
There’s something mysterious about these big mountain gorillas due to just how similar we are genetically. Then there is their endangered status and their location in the jungle hills of this country that has so-recently seen such horror. These days Rwanda is one of the more stable countries in Africa, and the way it has been dealing with its history is another reason I want to visit.
Perform Shakespeare publicly.
There’s a drama geek in me. I don’t let him out too much these days, but I know he’s still there. I’ve always wanted to perform Shakespeare because of the wonderful iambic pentameter meter and the melodious language. Alas, my one opportunity – when my high school did an amazing version of Midsummer Night’s Dream – I had to work instead of trying out for the play. Will I ever get a chance? We’ll see!
Spend a moonless night in a Dark Sky Park.
If it’s dark outside while you’re reading this, go outside and look up. I’ll wait. Back? How many stars did you see? Odds are pretty good you didn’t see a lot due to ‘light pollution.’ I’m lucky because where I live if there’s no fog and you can find a patch of sky between the redwoods you can generally see the Milky Way. But there’s another level of darkness that I want to experience. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) believes in preserving light-free darkness so much that they’ve established a certification for various open spaces. Among those certified are Death Valley, Great Basin, and Capitol Reef National Parks. If you’re saying to yourself that all three of those places are way out in the middle of nowhere, you’ve got the idea: ‘Middle of nowhere’ is exactly where no one puts up streetlights and where you can see the night sky like you’ve never seen it before. I can’t wait!
Enjoy the weirdness of a sunny day...at midnight.
North of the Arctic Circle (or south of the Antarctic Circle) you can experience a weird phenomenon thanks to the fact that the earth is tilted some 23 degrees – the Midnight Sun, or, more technically, Polar Day. Above the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets for six months; the amount of light depends on how close to the poles you are. I’ve heard the uninterrupted daylight can play havoc with your body’s internal clock and I can’t imagine it wouldn’t! But it would be fun to experience it for a little bit.
Fly in a helicopter (preferably not a medical flight!!)
I think we can all agree that by all rights helicopters just shouldn’t fly. Or, okay, they can fly… straight up. But the notion of controlled flight of a helicopter? Bonkers. And yet…
I’ve flown in a commercial jet, a private plane, even a float plane (step-taxiing is the COOLEST thing!!), but I’ve not had the opportunity to ‘fly’ in a helicopter. I’d love to go up in one – excluding, again, a medical flight as I’d prefer to enjoy the experience, thankyouverymuch. Super-extra-nuclear Bonus if that rotary craft is an Osprey!
View a total eclipse.
If seeing this entry makes you think I missed the August 21st eclipse you’re totally right. I started to make plans to get into the path of totality (which is such a badass name you want to be in it even if you aren’t interested in the eclipse), but time and money conspired against me. Besides, how cool could it really be?
Apparently, really, really cool.
So, yeah… next time? Definitely next time.
Competently play a drum set.
I’ve always wanted to play drums, but growing up a guitar was cheaper to pick up, easier to transport, and much easier to play quietly. But I still harbor that desire to play drums. I tend to obsess sometimes over the role of the drums in a song (like my staunch belief that the drums on The 1975’s ‘Chocolate’ utterly make that song and are almost certainly played by a very talented session drummer, or the beat on The Heavy’s ‘How You Like Me Now,’ is one of the best straight forward beats of the last ten years. …Or Matt Chamberlin’s amazing and underrated drum solo in Fiona Apple’s ‘Limp’… and I’m not even touching on the gods of the drum pantheon (your Rich, Peart, Bonham, I’ll even deify Grohl…). I could go on, but I’ll spare you for now…)
Now, understand I’m well aware it is exceptionally unlikely I will ever be even a very good drummer. But competent? I think I can strive for that.
Visit Sue the T-Rex at the Field Museum in Chicago, as well as visit where she was discovered in South Dakota.
Discovered in 1990 by paleontologist Sue Hendrickson on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota not far from the city of Faith, FMNH PR 2081, or ‘Sue’ as ‘she’ (we’re still not able to properly determine the sex of a T-Rex) represents the most complete T-Rex skeleton ever discovered, with over 90% of her intact. What’s more, she’s on full display at the Field Museum in Chicago – not casts of her bones, but her real bones.

The T-Rex pictured here is the Wankel T-Rex, after Kathy Wankel who discovered her in 1988 in Montana. She’s (I’m sticking with that pronoun) on display at the Valley Life Sciences Building on the UC Berkeley campus which is where Jazz and I found had the chance to walk around and above her. Wankel is nearly as complete as Sue, however, the bones on display at UCB is a casting of the original which is planned to be the centerpiece of the Smithsonian’s new dinosaur and fossil hall (to reopen in 2019).
But Sue is still more complete, and everything I’ve read from people indicate she has a particular gravitas. Visiting her at the Field Museum in Chicago is a must, but I’d also like to visit the reservation in South Dakota. In fact, I’d love to follow the arc of the Hell Creek formation northwest up into Montana just to connect the dots between the places where Sue and Wankel both came to rest.
Enjoy a long train ride in a private berth.
Years ago I took the Amtrak Coast Starlight from San Jose to Seattle. As a starving college student I took the cheapest seat I could, and while the scenery was wonderful the trip took a day and the seats weren’t a lot more comfortable than an airline seat. But there’s another way. There are private berths where you can lie down and sleep, or stretch, or enjoy a meal without coordinating armrests with your neighbor. I’d love to run back up the coast on the Coast Starlight again but in that kind of luxury, or maybe see the country on the California Zephyr from the Bay Area to Chicago, or even travel the breadth of Canada With the accommodations I had before that sounds miserable; in a private berth where I can look out or write… now that sounds like a wonderful way to spend some time!
Live in a place that has a dishwasher and a garbage disposal.
It dawned on me the other day that I haven’t lived in a place with either a dishwasher or a garbage disposal for at least the last 15 years. And while this list is full of grand ideas, locations, and skills, there’s something to be said to yearn for the mundane – hell, #49 is building “the ultimate garage,” but ANY garage would be amazing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m exceptionally grateful for the places I’ve lived and am living, but there’s nothing wrong with aspiring for more.
Build something wonderful out of exotic hardwood.
My budget these days dictates that projects are built out of plywood, construction-grade wood, or reclaimed wood. Some of that, too has to do with my skills – it would be terrible to profane, say, a gorgeous piece of purpleheart wood by sloppy joints. But with each thing I do I get better and I will get to the point where I’m ready to use a beautiful piece of pale moon ebony for a project.
Regularly practice Tai Chi.
I’ve told the story often about the psychiatrist who told Anna with ferocious intensity, “Tai Chi will save your life” after she had told him she had started taking a Tai Chi course at the community college. It did, actually. But before she started I’d really wanted to take up the practice. I still haven’t, but I really need to.
Visit Bodie.
In my ride report I wrote about resisting the urge to make an unscheduled ride to Bodie. My dad had a love of ghost towns, and Bodie is special among ghost towns. For a brief time it flourished as a gold rush boomtown. Lawlessness pervaded the town, and its reputation spread – infamously, upon learning her family would be moving there, a young girl wrote, ‘Goodbye God, I’m going to Bodie’. When the silver dried up, so did the town. In the West there are generally one of two dates for such a place: either it gets reclaimed as a tourist attraction (like Virginia City, Nevada or Skagway, Alaska), or the place falls utterly to ruins, ultimately succumbing to the environment. But Bodie’s fate lay somewhere in between. When the park service took over the town in 1962 they decided to maintain the town in a state of ‘arrested decay’ instead of fully restoring it. For that reason, walking the sidewalks feels legitimately like stepping back in time. When my dad brought us to Bodie way back in the day I was too young to understand or appreciate the place, but it’s stuck with me and I need to go back.
Play in a band.

Woodstock, Altamont, that pig roast in Nibley, Utah. ROCK AND ROLL FOREVER!! Woooooo!

I’ve played with a band before – in grad school two other grad students, Josh and Greg, and I put together a trip to play the annual English Graduate Instructor Pig Roast. We played a few classic rock tracks decently and it was a tremendous amount of fun. Two recollections: 1) the first time we played together we were all plugged in and Josh on drums counted us into ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ and the drums and bass boomed in on the first beat and the wonderful noise froze me – I completely forgot to play. 2) At the roast, Tim asked to play with us. A year ahead of us and clearly a better player than myself, I warned him I wasn’t a very good guitarist. I’ll never forget his response: ‘Man, guitarists are worse than pool sharks – they’ll tell you they can’t play and then they’ll run the table on you.’ Playing with Tim, and Josh, and Greg made me a better guitar player. Unquestionably, playing in a band makes you a better musician. My practice has been way too solitary. I need a band.
Picture this: get a DSLR and take good pictures standing still and get a GoPro and take good pictures on the go!
Currently my only camera is my iPhone. I’m grateful I have that, but currently if I want to take a picture on a motorcycle ride I have to 1) stop, 2) take at least one glove off, 3) unplug or otherwise retrieve my iPhone, and 4) take the picture. Now reverse the steps and get back on the road. In short, it’s a pain. While moving, a GoPro makes sense because I can press a handlebar-mounted button to trigger a still image. And, naturally, video is a possibility. If I’m going to take the time to stop, I’d like a camera to make the shot worthwhile. Nothing against the iPhone, but despite the miracle of miniaturization it can’t hold a candle to a DSLR in terms of color and quality. Would it be worth hauling around two additional cameras? To try to capture the amazing things I see from the saddle of my bike, absolutely!
Live in an unexpected city for at least six months.
Think about where you live right now. The odds are very good you live there because you either have always lived in that area, or you moved there for a good reason – maybe you moved there for school, or your job moved you there, or a significant other. But what if you moved to a place because you just wanted to live there? Sure, you’ll have to get a job, but you didn’t move for a job. This is what I call an ‘unexpected city’. For me the list of places right now is pretty short: New Orleans and Los Angeles. But with traveling we’ll see if that list grows!
Visit Jack White's Third Man Records factory in Detroit (bonus points for his original Nashville store).
Recently Jack White opened the first new vinyl pressing plant in the US, certainly, but I believe it’s the first brand new plant in the world for decades – old plants have been brought back online with the fairly recent vinyl trend, but brand new equipment and facilities aren’t really cost effective. Jack White was more interested in keeping the technology alive than he was in the return on investment. And his Detroit plant is a temple to vinyl and music, complete with direct stage-to-acetate recording, and printings of records available nowhere else. This is a temple want to worship at!
Be content with where I'm at.
This may be the most difficult item on this list to achieve, so it is fittingly the last item on the list. In other items I’ve mentioned the need to improve or change myself in order to attain a particular goal, and nowhere is that more true than here. I’m not talking about a true state of zen here, I’m just looking for less turbulent personal waters. It’s doable because I do believe I’m worth achieving it for – and that statement is the reason I think it is achievable.

And that’s it! My marching orders for a lifetime. When I achieve things on this list, count on me keeping you updated! Until then, try writing down your own list – it doesn’t have to be 100 items, but writing these things down is more powerful than absently saying, “that’s on my bucket list.” It is? Write it down! And drop me a line and let me know what you think!