Recaffeinated Mondays: The (Not) Kicking the Bucket List

“It’s pronounced BOO-KAY”

I am not making this up. In fact, I don’t know makes these things up.

I suppose “they” do, in spite of the fact that none of us really knows who “they” are.

I mean, it can’t be Congress. Sure they name the big holidays, but otherwise they’re too busy with renaming Post Offices and insider trading.

Too soon?

Seriously? Look it up and tell me how any of them became multi-millionaires on a salary of less than $200,000.

I digress.

Years ago as I was approaching 55, I wrote a bucket list of my own and actually posted it here.

I know none of us is guaranteed tomorrow, but I am nowhere near ready to kick said bucket. But, while it spent several years in the shed, it’s at least out now where I can see it.

While I’m a much different person than I was ten years ago, true story, I’d still like to do everything on that list. I ironically, the seemingly easiest to do, the Chincoteague Pony Swim, is still to be done.

But I’ve added it to my calendar. We’re going to try.

On other fronts, I haven’t published my novel, but I’ve published three children’s books. That’s part of being a different person. I was then, and have always been a writer. It’s just that, as I wrote then the first was published, in 2022, I figured out how to be a writer and an artist, which I also am.

Speaking of which, I’ve not yet had my own art show. I did participate in a book fair, so I’m closer. And I’m producing works of art that could potentially be in a show some day. It’s been a matter of finding my niche.

I am not yet fluent in Spanish, but I’m on day 556 on Duolingo. I still struggle, but I can read most basic phrases, and speak a few as well.

There’s a bunch of travel on that list. Some I may never get to.

But one of the big ticket items is to go hike the canyon. I mentioned this on Friday.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my first summer out of Asbury College (now University), I did a short term mission project with World Gospel Mission to Arizona and New Mexico. We took a weekend trip to the Grand Canyon.

I bought the t-shirt “Go Hike the Canyon.” I vowed to make it back to hike the canyon, then to raft the canyon, and then…well, now my best friend and I are embarking on our Old Man Bucket List Road Trip (OMBLRT ™) in August. We’ll be camping around the rim and doing some reasonable day hikes.

There were fourteen items on that bucket list in 2013. Ten years later I’m close to checking off three of them.

In full disclosure, while I do hope that Mr. Shakespeare had a wonderful birthday yesterday, I’ve removed the “Read the Complete Works of Shakespeare.”

I tried. It’s just not happening. Instead, I have enjoyed listening to a podcast called Chopped Bard where Ehren Ziegler walks us through Shakespeare plays scene by scene. He’s nowhere near finishing the Complete Works. But over the coruse of the pandemic, I did get caught up on ten years worth of podcasts…and that reminds me, I’m a few episodes behind.

Like I said, I may never get to some of the travel on the list. You could help that by buying my books or art (ETSY, CafePress, Zazzle) or by just hitting the tip jar on your way out.

And, while it wasn’t on the original list, if you’re casting for Big Daddy, Tevye, or Edna, have your people call my people.

RANDOM THINGS OF INTEREST

Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy protection, begins liquidation sale
Reuters
The home goods retailer, which shot to popularity in the 1990s as a go-to shopping destination for couples making wedding registries and planning for new babies, has seen demand drop off in recent years as its merchandising strategy to sell more store-branded products flopped.

New Mexico will charge ‘Rust’ armorer in death of Halyna Hutchins after dropping charges against man who pulled the trigger, Alec Baldwin
The Post Millennial
According to the New York Post, prosecutors with the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office have accused Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for the guns and ammunition on set, with a “sloppy mishandling of firearms.”

WHAT I’M READING

WHAT I’M WORKING ON

I’ve added more designs to my ETSY shop and more are coming.