Geronimo!!!

I was staying with my grandparents in Kentucky one summer and I was probably around 16, and deep in my teenage years of looking through magazines and wishing I was like every single model on the page in front of me. I remember coming across an article that had several different famous people who were about to celebrate their birthdays plastered all over the place and a list of 30 things they wanted to do before they turned 30.

"What a great way to make myself feel even more inefficient!" I thought. I quickly pulled out a spiral notebook and started writing 20 things to do before I turned 20. (Because who wants to turn the ripe old age of 30?!) I'm not really even sure what I wrote down on my list. Probably teenagery things that equated to "Learn to drive!" or "Get a boy to like me!"

The idea of writing things down that I want to do though has stuck with me through the last few years, and once I got an iPhone, I kept a little note page with a list of stuff to try or learn before....well, before I die. Because that's a long time from now. I hope.

I will share said list with you.

MY BUCKET LIST:

• See a foal be born: this one is left over from that list that I wrote out when I was younger. I used to work at a place called Triple H Equitherapy, which provided riding lessons for the physically and mentally disabled. I spent two nights out sleeping on the hay bales and checking on the very pregnant mare every hour to see if she was in labor. I never got to see it. But it's still on my list. I ended up getting pretty crazy sick after sleeping in hay too...
• Go hang gliding: this one is pretty self explanatory. I think it would be fun to feel like you can fly. Even more fun to feel like you can safely land too. 
• Sky Diving!: I put this on my list (complete with the explanation point) because I knew I would probably never do it. But it's the thing that everyone just HAS to have on their list, right? I joked that I wouldn't actually be able to do the initial jump. Just way too scary for me, thank you. But, it's funny how things work out sometimes.

Yup, that's me. Free falling at about 120 mph, and actually smiling. I came across a coupon that allowed me grab a friend and "just do it". It was surprising to me how calm I actually was through the whole ordeal. The hardest part was signing the line on the paper underneath the print that said, "There is no such thing as a perfect parachute packer" meaning, oops. Mistakes happen. Hopefully not with your parachute or anything, but we are pressed for time and everyone walking around has a red bull in their hands (because it gives you wings!) and who knows if they were too jittery to actually get in in there correctly." But I digress. 

We flew up in a small fixed wing airplane and had pleasant conversation with our assigned tandem jumpers. Mine was a wild girl with dreadlocks and a loud and boisterous attitude. Carol Ann, my deaf friend got the hot guy with an Australian accent. (I grumbled that she couldn't even hear him so that wasn't fair)

I was the first one out of the plane. They have you put your feet on a little tiny bar outside of the plane and curl up. Your tandem person does the hard part of jumping for you. I don't remember what I was thinking, but it wasn't anything like the overwhelming fear that I thought I would have. She rocked a couple times and then out we went. 

It feels a bit like you are being tossed around in very strong ocean current, and that you are drowning. The wind is cold and fast and overwhelming at times. If you remind yourself that you can breathe, it helps. They told me that people actually start trying to swim when they are falling, because it feels that much like you're underwater. Anyway, about 15 seconds into the minute free fall, I got used to it. I got to wear some pretty goofy looking glasses too, so that's always a plus in my book. 

It was fun. I am kind of proud of myself for actually doing the one thing on my list that I didn't have intention of actually following through with. Go me!

• Run 10 miles: I think I added this one on my list after I actually finished running 10 miles, but it felt really good to write it and then scratch it off. Angie, my crazy running friend had the terrible idea to run 30 miles for her 30th birthday, and I had the terrible idea to support her and run part of it. It actually was pretty dang difficult for me. Especially since I have the pace of a granny on a walker when it comes to running. People were far, far ahead of me. It was a little disheartening the whole time. But, I did it. (November 2010)

This wasn't our 10 mile run, but a great pic with my crazy running buddies

• Run a Half Marathon: Because I hated running 10 miles, lets do it again and do it a little longer!!! whoo-hoo!
• Be a Bridesmaid: This is one of those things that I can't really do on my own. I was delighted when this year one of my former piano students sent me a scarf in the mail asking me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. The dress was beautiful, and as a bonus, my son was the ring bearer. It was a beautiful wedding and I was so excited to be a part of it...not just because I had it on my bucket list of course.

• Learn to ride a motorcycle: The motorcycle safety course was a pretty fun little class to take. It was a few hours in the classroom, a written exam, and then a few hours out on the bikes; finished with a driving test. It really didn't take too long to get used to it, but again, we were in a parking lot and on puny little dirt bikes. My friend Mari and I took the class together and later went out for several country drives with bigger and better bikes. I would like to own my own motorcycle one day, and have a pink jacket and helmet. Because it's all about the fashion, of course. 

• Milk a dairy cow: Why would I have this on my list? Not entirely sure, but I did go and find someone who had cows and would allow me to fondle them. I actually still go there and purchase fresh raw milk from the farm, 5 years later. Anyway, we also got to feed some of the baby cows from bottles, and that was pretty fun too. They were really cute. 

• Ride in a hot air balloon: too dang bad that it costs like $350 per person...still waiting on that one. 
• Learn to lasso: Check. I get a few lessons from an old friend who just happened to be on a team roping team back in the day. I really showed that plastic cow head who's boss. 

• Fly an airplane: Still waiting on this one too. Not sure how to go about this one when I'm a poor person. 
• Ride a mechanical bull: I have always wanted to this, but still haven't mustered up the courage to act like a fool in front of a crowd. Cue alcohol. And maybe a trash can afterwards.
• Get a tattoo: Since my mom will be reading this, I'll let you wonder if I've actually checked this one off my list or not. It's anyone's guess really. Yes, I'm almost 30 and am afraid she will scrub it off with steel wool. 
• Swim with sharks: Thanks to working at Sea World, I've gotten to swim with sharks, sting rays, penguins, dolphins, and beluga whales. Not sure why I have sharks down specifically, and I'm even more not sure why the hell I don't have a picture of my swimming with sharks.

Getting a kiss from Luna the Beluga whale

• Become scuba certified: I don't think I have a picture of this either, but I went through the weekend course. It was surreal swimming under the water with the fish, and not having to worry about surfacing to breathe. We took our water test in the old spring at Aquarina Springs park, where the mermaids used to sit on sea shells and perform underwater. It was pretty neat to swim past the sea shell seats and remember my childhood spent watching them. You also get a nifty little license with your name and picture on it proving that you are certified...but don't try to get into a bar with one. It won't work. Been there, done that. 
• Go deep sea fishing: I haven't done it yet....one day I too can be hanging over the side of a boat and vomiting. I can't wait.
• Camp out on the beach: Super romantic, right? The waves can lull you to sleep, a nice breeze keeping your tent cool throughout the night. Maybe even a bonfire on the beach? GIJoe and I packed up the truck, threw the dogs in and went to do just that....until we got there and realized the tent hadn't been packed, the humidity was god awful with not even a hint of a breeze, and so we slept in the truck. All four of us...and I couldn't sleep because I kept imagining the sand sinking under the tires and we would be stuck...forever.
• Go to Ireland: The closest I've come to this has been pinning pictures and trip plans on Pinterest. huh.
• See the Aurora Lights: This really should be number one, but goes hand in hand with my desire to go to Alaska, which is next. 
• Go on a cruise: To Alaska, duh. 
• Go to Yellowstone National Park: I got the opportunity to go this year as a matter of fact. It was beautiful. I got to ride around in a Jeep with the windows down, music up, my absolute best friend at the wheel, and plenty of beautiful scenery to look at. It was heaven on Earth. We saw grizzlies, moose, bison, elk and a mountain range that would take your breath away. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to go. We even managed to grab a cabin by the lake for a night. 

• Jump on a horse: Maybe I should have said make a horse jump while I'm riding it...but that would make more sense. I took jumping lessons for a while and jumped over a bar...that was laying on the ground. So, I have to wonder if that actually counts. 
• Be Spontaneous: You know when you're driving home and daydream about taking a road to anywhere? Please tell me other people do that! Someday when I have time and money, I plan on waltzing into the airport and buying a ticket for the next available flight. Doesn't matter where. Doesn't that sound like a crazy adventure? I might have to wait a while for that one though. Or maybe I'll compromise and go on a drive and flip a coin at every crossroads I come to and see where I end up.
• Go to a movie by myself: You wouldn't think this would be so hard, but for me? Yeah...I just imagine everyone staring at me and just feeling sorry for the poor person sitting all on their own. The funny thing is, I make it a point to look around when I'm finding a seat in the theater and inevitably I see someone on their own and all I think is, "That's cool" or, "I wish I could sit by myself like that". I just need to suck it up and go do it. 
• Inspire Someone: I feel like my job as a piano teacher would put me in the position to inspire some of my students. Even if it is just to practice a little more to avoid my wrath, but I am not sure if I have or not. I guess I want to inspire someone in a profound way. I know for sure one of my students started teaching after she took lessons from me for several years, so I suppose that I have inspired her a little bit. She will at least have a job that she can fall back on or make it her life journey because she learned the skills she needs to teach from me. I'm still considering this as not complete yet. Maybe this one will never fully be checked off...
• Brand a cow: yeah. I think I added this one after my actual cowboy adventure of helping round up and vaccinate the cattle at the church ranch. My friend castrated one, and I thought about adding that on my list, but it just seems a little too grotesque for me to have written down somewhere as something I really want to do one day. So for now, branding a cow seems to fit. I live in Texas, it's not that hard to find a place to do this. Funny thing? It smelled like steak....

• Shoot a deer/pig: I'm married to someone who really enjoys hunting...so needless to say, in my attempts at bonding with said man, I have found myself in countless hunting blinds over the last few years. Mostly I just wish I could pee and eat out of a crinkly bag without fear that every deer within 10 miles of me won't freak out. I enjoyed the time spent walking around actively looking for animals a little more than being quiet in a blind. I did get a pig, although not a deer yet. I was invited by a friend of GiJoe's to hunt on their property a few years ago. They have a black pig that they keep as a pet named Wilbur. So, after being told "don't shoot Wilbur, and have fun!" I aimed at the only one that was obviously not Wilbur...and when we pulled up, she cried that I had shot the "black and white" one. Sometimes you can't win.

Sorry, a little gory for some of you faint of heart

• Go fly fishing: This one is significantly harder when you live no where near water. For some reason though, I think I would find it really relaxing. I have found coupons for learning how to do it, but just haven't been in a situation (or place) yet to learn and relax.
• Go on an overnight trail ride: I think I will have to pay one of the local dude ranches for a nighttime ride in order to check this one off. I could probably ride at the church, but I happen to know that there are lots of coyotes and pigs out there, and I also happen to know that my horse wouldn't even know how to handle that. He can't even, so for the time being, I can't even either. 
• Go ice fishing: hahahaha. Not here in Texas. Unless I throw a few ice cubes in a lake while I fish...would that count? I guess I need to make some more friends up north to go bug in the winter. Preferably friends who know how to ice fish and own a small heater. 
• Kayak in Alaska: I saw a show of survivor where he lived for a week on the shores of Alaska. Not sure I want to live there for so many days roughing it, but boy would I like to kayak around in the ocean. Maybe even get close to some whales. It's like a lifelong dream of mine to see that and be so close to such powerful animals. 
• Go whale watching: see above.
• Save an animal: I have done some work with our local dog shelter as a foster. You see, San Antonio is a kill city...meaning when they get too crowded, the dogs (and cats) are euthanized. There is a company called Pets Alive that takes the animals right before euthanasia and tried to find a last minute person willing to take them into their homes and help find a family to adopt them. It's been pretty rewarding, but it's also a lot of work depending on the age of the dog (and how many) you take in. We've had a two puppies from our first round of fostering, and I still to this day (4 years later) get pictures of them from their families. Then we did an adult boxer mix who I was glad to see go after digging in our trash can for the upteenth time. I currently have 3, 4 week old puppies who have been with me for the last 3 weeks. I've fed them from a bottle around the clock. It's been fun to watch them grow, but I think they will be the hardest to see leave since I've poured so much time into them. 

Our first puppies that were both adopted and found forever homes

The three puppies we have right now

• Leaving this one blank for now....because I know that I will eventually come on here and add more.

Anyway, I feel like most of these things are really meaningful to me, as small as they may be. I want to be able to look back and say I've lived my life fully without any regrets of not doing something when the opportunity came up. I will continue to refine my own list, but if you don't have one already started, make one! And make it intentional to complete it!

I'm dedicated!...I think

Wow, it has been a whopping 4 years since I have posted a blog on here.

What's happened since then you may wonder? (I guess if you didn't wonder, you wouldn't be reading this blog right now...right?) Well let's see....

We bought our first house. And it is stunning. It was everything really that I wanted, but I didn't realize it at the time. We had to kick my parents out to get it, but hey- they kept saying they wanted to down size anyway. So here we are, in the house that I grew up in. I made it my own. I painted over the old wall colors, and tore the wallpaper down, and put my own touch to things.

What?! Yard of the week!?? (I actually bribed our neighborhood watch lady with cookies to get this sign, but hey....the neighbors don't know that. shhh!)

Our kitchen when we moved in....

After painstakingly pulling off the wallpaper and painting

The other side of my kitchen project

ALSO, We had a baby!....and, that little baby boy is now 2 years old. Sheesh...I can't believe I didn't blog during that time. How did I stay sane? Oh yeah, because I really had no idea of what was coming for me. I laid in bed and lounged around and occasionally threw up; but mostly I rubbed my growing belly and dreamed of my perfect days of being a mommy. Little did I know how hard, exhausting, and truly demanding the job actually is. I was blindsided. No one can really warn you about it.

My mini me, only a couple of weeks old

Pretty sure this little mini marine is 9 months here

So I managed to survive 9 months of day dreaming, a c-section (because boys don't ask directions and he was facing the wrong way) and now two years of changing diapers, fixing bottles, pureed food, snacks and kissing booboos. I probably will end up writing about being a mom mostly because lets face it....right now it's all I do. Except for 6 hours a week when I sit and work with kids at the piano in the front room.

Let's see...what else. I went through what felt like an identity crisis about a year ago and it hasn't exactly ended yet. Who am I? What can I do that brings me joy? Because playing trains and watching tv just doesn't cut it for me. GIJoe says that it's because I have ambition and no outlet for it right now. It could be true. But in an attempt to get myself out of the house, get a little more money in the pocket and a little more interaction with other grown ups, I've been on the hunt for a job. The thing is, I'm not really sure what I will excel at. I can do almost anything, but I want to love it. Is that too much to ask? I guess it probably is. We will see where I end up.

As I type this I am mentally kicking myself in the rear end. There was really a whole lot that would have been great to have typed about. Even if no one ever reads these blogs of mine. But I suppose there will still be a lot to type about even after today. I'll have to do a few different posts to try and catch up.

So here is to being more dedicated to my blogging adventures...cheers!