Why Not?

Whoo boy was yesterday a doozie. You can see for yourself down below. All I can say is, thank goodness I have a goofy husband whose mission is to make me laugh or smile every day. And I'm even more grateful that he can usually pull it off.  That aside, I've decided to focus on a Life List. Some may call it a bucket list, but I think I'd like mine to be allowed to have a little more whimsy and maybe even some big goals. The going rate out on the internets is to have 100 things on your list, but this is just to get me started:

1. Go on our long-lost honeymoon. Finally.
2. Take Ava on a trip long enough to involve a plane.
3.  Run another marathon.
4. Win my age group in a 5K, 10K or 15K. Doesn't matter, just win and hopefully before I'm 80 and the competition is non-existent.
5. Bake 52 pies in one year.
6. Master growing a vegetable garden.
7. Learn to surf.
8. See the Alps again, only this time with Rick and Ava.
9. A bicycle trip across the country. Or even just 1000 miles.
10. Make a painting worth selling. Sell it.
11. Host an exchange student. (Yes, this is me totally paying it forward.)
12. Do something big just for charity.
13. Donate blood regularly. I've never done this before and this runner's blood of mine has to be good for something.
14. Learn Spanish.
15. Visit every state I've never been to. This is most of the northern part of the East and West coasts, and the Gulf coast plus a few others here and there.
16. Brush up on my French and go to Montreal.
17. Why not? How about France too.
18. Own a sailboat. And, duh, use it.
19. Go to Turkey to see Pamukkale - really cool natural rock formations made by warm mineral springs.
20. Have a perfectly trained dog. We're talking K9 unit type of discipline. 
21. NO credits cards ever again. Or at least have the platinum gold diamond unicorn level card, but never use it. Hahahaha suckers!
22. Be proficient in the half-pipe on a snowboard. Or skis, but let's face it, I may never go back.
23. Double black diamonds on a snowboard, on a power day in the mountains.
24. Own a clawfoot tub. Use it.
25. Host a full-blown dinner party.
26. Go swimming on my lunch break for as many days as possible in one summer.
27. Have a closet of dresses for every season.
28. Create an online portfolio that I'm proud of - updated résumé included.
29. Write and illustrate a book.
30. Create a catalog of ALL my photos.
31. Get a dog and run with it every day.
32. Go on an extended road trip with Rick and Ava.
33. Lose my mind and buy a brand new, fully-pimped out, made to order Subaru. Pay cash.
34. Go to any sort of art camp.
35. Knit myself a sweater.
36. Buy a ridiculously beautiful, heirloom-worthy piece of jewelry. Eventually give it to Ava.
37. Figure out how to wear navy blue without looking like a grandma.
38. Finish reading my list of 100 classics.
39. Organize all of my closets and garage - with a system that lasts.
40. Be able to write a $1000 check to ten charities or a $10,000 check to one. More if I can.
41. Go to Ireland and have a real Irish whiskey in my grandma's name.
42. Join the track club and not be a sissy about it.
43. Coach a youth track team.
44. Can enough  fruits and vegetables to fill my pantry.
45. Learn how to navigate with only a map and compass. Again.
46. Go whitewater rafting.
47. Try the best sushi in Japan.
48. Enter a pie baking contest.
49. Kayak along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
50. Learn how to scuba dive.
51. Get that fancy camera by saving for it.
52. Put Ava through college.
53. Drink wine at a villa in Tuscany.
54. Try bikram yoga.
55. Be a volunteer for a running race.
56. This one seems crazy given the size of our lot, but I want a pool in my backyard.
57. Raise bees or hens.
58. Ride an elephant in India.
59. Build the perfect desk for our home office.
60. Knit/crochet 100 hats for sick babies.
61. Be able to wear a 2 piece bikini again and be proud.
62. Be more flexible in the literal sense.
63. Get a professional massage.
64. See what a spa day is all about.
65. Take Ava camping.
66. Get a financial portfolio.
67. Have a real retirement plan.
68. Write a will.
69. Paint a mural.
70. Go cliff jumping.
71. Try rock climbing.
72. Go on a yoga retreat.
73. Make 5 new lasting friends.
74. Make a huge endowment to the arts.
75. Start a business.
76. Take Ava horseback riding.
77. Go on an extended camping trip that requires hiking in.
78. Drink more water.
79. Try any new vegetable that I've never been bold enough to buy. Shockingly there are more of these than I care to admit.
80. Compliment people more often.
81. See Carnival in Rio.
82. Pick 10 restaurants that I have seen on Food Network/Travel Channel and eat at them.
83. Finish my college degree.
84. Hang real art on my walls. Not just my own.
85. Fix every single thing in our house that the previous owners did incorrectly.
86. Brew beer from our very own recipe - have it be potable.
87. Drive to Alaska through Canada.
88. Be the life of a party.
89. Make a cookbook of only my recipes.
90. Buy one pair of designer label high heels.
91. Adopt a shelter dog.
92. Have professional headshots taken.
93. Taste real Kona coffee straight from the plantation.
94. Bake somebody's wedding cake, fancy frosting and all.
95. Give an inspiring speech (we all need to sweat now and then, don't we?)
96. Take a photography vacation in Thailand.
97. Have a garden party at night like you see in photos.
98. See the Amazon.
99. Make my own smoked sausage.
100. Go back to Denmark someday.

100 things feels like a nice round number, and since some of my items seem a little far fetched I reserve the right to add or subtract any time I want. Besides, what fun is a life list if it doesn't change as I change. Mopey blahs have been getting me down as of late, and this little exercise has proven to be quite uplifting. You should try it!

It has also shown just how much I like to be around my family. I mean just look at half of the items up there that involve Rick or Ava. At the end of the day, even if none of these list items get crossed off, at least I'll have been with them all along and really that's all that matters.