So there is this website out there called 43things.com in which you list out all of your goals for life. I’ve never used it but back in October 2006 I had a blog post where I listed the 43 things I wanted to accomplish. It made for nice reading but I never actually did anything about it. I felt that it was time for me to revisit the concept and this time really make a concerted at crossing items off of the list. Given that I will have some paid free time on my hands soon and I really need to develop my new five year plan this is a great exercise for me.
I’ll post the first 21 tonight and the remainder tomorrow. Some of these were on the original list, some have been altered and some are brand new. I no longer have a grand desire to own a tuxedo for instance. I’ve added some thoughts and ideas as well as a list of items might make a boring read.
1) Learn how to juggle: I want to have at least one skill that is only useful for impressing five year olds. Also, will provide me with an opportunity to run off and join a circus.
2) Write a book of some kind: Originally this has been to write my novel. It still might be a novel as I am rather taken with the idea of being a novelist. However, I am probably better suited for writing a David Sedaris style compilation of short stories and essays. I’m best at writing observations and short stories and rather bad at things like plot and characters. But I really want to have 60,000 words with an overall purpose that I can self-publish at a minimum.
3) Watch every Star Wars film back to back to back to back to back to back in one day: I can guarantee that this will happen during my first week on severance pay. It might happen on the first day. I just want to know that other people are working while I’m getting paid to watch Star Wars.
4) Watch the sunset from a beach in Australia: I’ve done some traveling but nowhere near enough. I really want to sit and watch the sun disappear from the edge of the world. Plus, Aussies have the coolest accents.
5) With the woman of my dreams, recreate step for step the path taken in Paris by Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke in Before Sunset: People have asked me why I haven’t gone to Paris yet as it really fits in with my sensibilities. I don’t want to go to Paris by myself. It’s something I should share and to walk the city and relive the movie would be cool and romantic.
6) Singlehandedly complete one of those massive 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzles: There is just something really satisfying about starting out with a whole bunch of nothing and turning it into something.
7) Learn how to play guitar and master the following songs a) Uncle Tupelo’s “Still Be Around”, b) Ryan Adams’ “Monday Night” and c) The Frames’ “Falling Slowly”: I still can’t believe I haven’t taught myself guitar. I can read sheet music, play keyboards, and was trained as a bass clarinetist (don’t ask). All I need to know are these three songs and I’d be happy.
8) Meet Julie Delpy: Preferably in a manner that does not result in a restraining order. While I do go on and on about her being my dream woman I just think she would be a really cool person to meet and talk with. There is a big risk that all I would say is “Uh…you’re really purty” but that’s a risk I’ll just have to take.
9) Become an active volunteer in a cause I believe in: This is a pretty big goal for me in the next phase of my life. I’ve really slacked on this and that bothers me greatly. I’ll focus on my personal causes (autism research, rebuilding New Orleans, health care for musicians) but will also focus on the community that I find myself in.
10) Show up to work wearing a red clown nose: There’s a UK charity that does this. Everyone wears a red clown nose for the day. I just think it would be a brilliant way to shake things up in the office. No explanations, no warnings, just wear a clown nose. If anything, it’s worth the social experiment.
11) Follow a band on tour for at least a week: I’m kind of bummed that I haven’t had a chance to do this. Josh Ritter’s last tour gave me a bit of an opportunity but work got in the way. I just want to find a smaller act that I like and travel with them. By the third show I should become a familiar face and it would give me a chance to see the country.
12) Host a trivia night: I really want to do this before I leave town. After two years of playing trivia I want to write the categories for once. Proposed categories “TV Shows that have DVD collections but shouldn’t”, “Illinois” and “Stuff I’m embarrassed to know.”
13) Read Finnegan’s Wake: It’s the only novel by Joyce that I have not read. I’ve been told by professors to put a year and a half aside if I want to really understand the book. I finished Ulysses in a month so that is an indication of the challenge that lies ahead of me.
14) Travel to New York and see shows on Broadway: I’ve never been to New York, which might seem odd but that’s just how my life works. It just seems like an experience that I should have. Catching a few plays and musicals would be a requirement while I’m there. (Or I could see shows in the West End of London, which I still haven’t done.)
15) Attend a Wrestlemania: Look, it can’t all be high culture. For those who wonder about these things, I’ve only gone to one wrestling card in my life (Hulk Hogan versus “Nature Boy” Ric Flair in the main event). But twenty plus years of fandom should be marked in some way, shape or form.
16) Appear on a game or reality show: I’ve never tried out for Jeopardy or Millionaire or any of the pop culture shows. Given my knowledge base I should have a good shot at making one. And I so want to be on a reality show it’s not even funny anymore. I’m thinking of gaining weight just so I can be on The Biggest Loser.
17) Run a 5K in a time that is less than my age: Or just get in shape in general. I’m not in horrible condition to begin with but I’d like to get myself to a point that I feel is respectable.
18) Learn how to cook: I mean really learn how to cook. Not my “throw something on the George Foreman grill” style of cooking. Or the “at least I used the oven instead of the microwave” style of cooking. I mean actually cooking with multiple ingredients in a single dish. If I could successfully cook something from Bourdain’s cookbook I’d be completely satisfied.
19) See a Shakespeare play in the rebuilt Globe Theater: I’ve always missed the opportunity to do this when I’m in London. I’ll always read a Shakespeare play a year but I would like to hear the words in as close to the original setting as is possible.
20) Buy a house: At some point I need to stop renting and start owning something. It will also make me grow up a little. Or at least start mowing the lawn like my parents always wanted me to do.
21) Organize one last big reunion at the Backer for my Notre Dame buddies: I’ve tried to get this off the ground for a couple of years but it always falls through. I do want to have one last get together of the group that used to spend every Wednesday night running the place. Those were easily the best nights of my life as well all just sat around and joked. It won’t be the same but I’d like one last glimpse of those days.
Thoughts/ideas/suggestions? I’m going to have to think up the last 22 tomorrow.
Wednesday Night Music Club: I’ve been in a Drive-By Truckers mood all week. Here is some good old Southern Rock to get you through the rest of the week.
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