Wednesday, August 29, 2007

100 To Dos Before I am Done

It is customary for bloggers to write 100 things about themselves to celebrate their 100th post. Since I write about myself rather frequently and would prefer not to bore you to tears, it is much more entertaining to share my personal checklist. You often hear people make mention of places and experiences “on my list,” but how many of us actually take time to make that list? Everyone should have a checklist of things they want to achieve in their lifetime; to strive for, to work for, and to live for. Sparked by the recent surge of books in the genre of “Things to do before you die,” it was time to officially pen my own list. Hope you enjoy my personal checklist of 100 things to do before I die and are inspired to start one of your own (and of course maintain the list of memories of things you have already accomplished: your to-done list).

    Attend:
  1. a creative writing retreat
  2. a concert of Vivaldi Concertos performed by a famous orchestra
  3. a game at every Major League Ballpark
  4. a Grand Slam tennis match
  5. a hot air balloon festival
  6. a U2 Concert (July 23, 2011 at TCF Stadium in Minneapolis)
  7. an Alanis Morissette concert
  8. a wedding in Las Vegas
  9. the Gilroy Garlic Festival
  10. the Highland Games
  11. the Kentucky Derby
  12. the Oregon's Brewers Festival


  13. Celebrate:
  14. Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts
  15. Oktoberfest in Germany (Regensburg Dultfest, September 2013, better than Oktoberfest!)
  16. my 25th wedding anniversary renewing our vows on a tropical island
  17. Thanksgiving by marching in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
  18. the Summer Solstice in Reykjavik, Iceland


  19. Cook:
  20. a Sunday dinner with my whole family at a villa in Tuscany
  21. at an overseas cooking class


  22. Dance:
  23. lessons with my husband
  24. the Polka in Eastern Europe


  25. Dine:
  26. at a Mario Batali or Bobby Flay restaurant (Vegas, August 2012)
  27. at Charlie Trotter's
  28. at French Laundry
  29. at Sardi's
  30. at the Chef's table anywhere
  31. in a Café with my last name in Italy (Rome, April 2012)
  32. on Buffalo Wings at the Anchor Bar (September 2008)
  33. on Lobsters in Maine


  34. Drink:
  35. at a vineyard with my last name in Italy, Australia or California
  36. at the Cape Winelands in South Africa
  37. at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Vineyard
  38. Champagne on a vineyard in Champagne, France
  39. frothy goodness on a German Beer Trail (September 2013)
  40. through Kentucky's Bourbon Trail
  41. through Scotland's Scotch Whiskey Trail
  42. wine and plenty of it on a vineyard tour with Kristen, Renee', Stacy and Diane


  43. Experience:
  44. a full day at a luxury spa
  45. an African Safari
  46. scuba diving
  47. sex on the beach
  48. raising $100K for animal charities


  49. Host:
  50. a Foreign Exchange Student
  51. my family for a holiday in my home


  52. Purchase:
  53. an original Tom Everhart painting
  54. a convertible for my WARM CLIMATE retirement


  55. Read:
  56. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
  57. every Bill Bryson book
  58. The Bible (or the Bible for Dummies (Removed)
  59. Thomas Jefferson by R. B. Bernstein
  60. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy


  61. Receive:
  62. my Master's Degree (Removed)


  63. Rescue:
  64. a poodle mix


  65. Ride:
  66. the Cyclone in Coney Island (July, 2014)
  67. the roller coasters at Cedar Point


  68. See:
  69. Michangelo's David (April, 2012)
  70. Sistine Chapel
  71. Monet's Gardens at Giverny


  72. Skate:
  73. Miami's Great EsSkate
  74. Rockefeller Center
  75. the London Inline Marathon
  76. the Napa Valley Inline Marathon
  77. the New York City Inline Marathon


  78. Stay:
  79. at a Disney Deluxe Resort
  80. at a Ritz
  81. at the Fairmont Banff Springs
  82. at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City
  83. at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
  84. at the Hayman Island Resort in Australia
  85. at the Hotel Del Coronado (completed March 2008)
  86. at the Inn at Little Washington
  87. in a castle (Oberwesel, Germany; September 2013)
  88. in a lighthouse
  89. in an over the water bungalow in the South Pacific
  90. on a boathouse


  91. Swim:
  92. the Mediterranean Sea in the Greek Isles
  93. with a dolphin
  94. with the animals of the Galapagos Islands
  95. in an ocean with my dogs


  96. Travel:
  97. across the Atlantic on a cruise
  98. in a hot air balloon
  99. on a water plane


  100. Visit:
  101. all 50 US States by the time I'm 50 (which will probably be 51 states by 51 by the time I get there)
  102. all 7 continents (including Antarctica before the environmentalists realize we shouldn't be there)
  103. a village of my descendants with my Mother (September, 2013)
  104. Capri, the Amalfi Coast, and Montalcino Italy (April, 2012)
  105. Cooperstown
  106. Croatia (soon, before it gets McDonalds and Starbucks)
  107. Disney World with my nieces and nephews
  108. Mount Rushmore
  109. Nantucket Island
  110. Stonehenge
  111. the Czech Republic
  112. the Easter Island Statues
  113. the Great Wall of China
  114. Pyramids of Giza
  115. the Seychelles (Chelle sees seashells at the Seychelles on the seashore)


  116. Win:
  117. a photo contest


  118. Witness:
  119. sunrise from Cadillac Mountain


  120. Write and publish:
  121. a book
  122. a travel article

  123. I would love to hear about what is on your list. Leave me comments to inspire my extended list...

    Bonus To Dos:
  124. Travel around the world on a cruise
  125. See a Bills game in Buffalo
  126. Do 10 pull-ups without help
  127. Learn Italian
  128. Get my boating license
  129. Kite Surf


18 comments:

Vagablonde Bombchelle said...

My husband reminded me of my dream to do an around the world cruise. Guess that will be number 101...

NeeNee said...

I am happy to say I have done four of the things on your to-do list. Read the bible, and Matt is reading it now, so I will probably read again.
I went to Alanis Concert when I was 16, it was actually great.
Sex on the beach, and rode the cyclone, so unsafe and so much padding in the seats.

In the bahamas we went to swim with the dolphins, but we only got in the water with them, hugged, kissed and took pics with them.

I will gladly have a sunday dinner in tuscany with you, are you paying? I would love to go to Cali to our family name villa, again are you paying? Oh and a vineyard tour with that fun crowd, I will do, I guess I can pay for that ;-)

Now I want to go to copperstown, we can go together. And disney with your nieces and nephews you do not have any....yet

One of my to-dos is have a child, and I would love to go to Italy, and Germany

Unknown said...

I can wholeheartedly recommend at least 4 of these: scuba diving, the Ritz, Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, and Chateau St. Michelle. Excellent choices. I want to become fluent in a foreign language, run a marathon, and get through my entire life without ever going camping. I like this list idea - I'm going get me some more of these goal things.

Vagablonde Bombchelle said...

Kira... I do like the camping one, a lot.

Nursedude said...

'Chelle, re: # 43-I know an AFS kid from Spain who needs a different host/Welcome family. He is a nice kid, enjoys sports, hunting and animals. His English is not the best-but he is a nice kid and he tries. He has stayed over at our house a couple of times and if we were not already hosting a kid from Portugal, we would take him.

Nursedude said...

PS-Tasting Champagne in Chamagne IS fun as hell. I've been to Eparnay-and plan on taking my son there when I go in a couple of weeks

Vagablonde Bombchelle said...

New Addition: See a Bills game in Buffalo.

Ali said...

Great list! I just saw an article on this recently in the NYTimes... made me start thinking about MY list. Live abroad again would be #1! Buy an apartment. Not really that tempted by Antarctica, although that is the only one missing... so why not. I do have some spare time tonight... maybe I'll start.

NeeNee said...

Hahahaha! I've been to a Bills game in Buffalo. I should go with you though, not with a Jet Fan

Michelle said...

I've ridden the coasters at Cedar Point! Whooop!

Anonymous said...

I'm definately in - I'll even revisit some of the things I've already done - when do we leave for the South Pacific, or California?

I was very excited by "Cooperstown" - until I realized you didn't mean this one... http://www.alicecooperstown.com/

Later,
D

Vagablonde Bombchelle said...

If you put alice coopers town on your to-do list, I would certainly join you for the "guess what I did" factor. Kinda like randomly hopping in a car for an unplanned roadtrip :-D

Anonymous said...

It was planned - the car had gas and the husbands were't expecting us home that night!

Vagablonde Bombchelle said...

Stay at the Hotel Del Coronado. Check!

Jeff Anshus said...

NASCAR race
Funeral in New Orleans (not own)
Baptist church, where you are the ONLY white people (preferably in the south)...bonus if there is an adult baptism
Visit a country not recognized by the US/UN (surrender passport etc.)
Unexpectedly fear for life

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