56 things I haven't done yet...but would like to before I die.

Birthday number 56 this week...so, here is my list of 56 things I need to do before I check out:

1. Visit Denmark...meet distant relatives and eat a real “Danish”.
2. Skydive.
3. Scuba in a tropical location.
4. Visit Asia again...Thailand, China, Japan,Vietnam.
5. Form a band and play for money on a semi-regular basis.
6. Lose 40 pounds and develop a 6 pack.
7. Visit Italy.
8. Run a full marathon.
9. Drive a Formula One car.
10. Write a successful novel.
11. Open my own small “American Bistro” style restaurant, then sell it for a lot of money.
12. Travel the US in a motorhome.
13. Visit the Vietnam Memorial in DC.
14. Obtain my private pilot’s license.
15. Own a small airplane.
16. Win a big lotto.
17. Swim with dolphins.
18. Visit the Soviet Union.
19. Go to stock car driving school.
20. Learn Tai Chi.
21. Run an full triathalon.
22. Have my teeth porcelin veneered.
23. Build a summer house on Whidbey Island.
24. Visit Alaska.
25. Learn to speak French.
26. Go to CIA cooking school in Napa.
27. Fly in a Navy F16...F14 will do.
28. Kick Howard Carr’s ass.
29. Learn martial arts (then kick Howard Carr's ass).
30. Visit Tahiti.
31. Own a Hammond B3.
32. Fly a glider.
33. Start and contribute to a charity.
34. Be a successful commercial and fine art photographer.
35. Visit Australia.
36. Publish photo-themed books.
37. Ride the Harley cross country and back.
38. Visit the Grand Canyon.
39. Kick Bill Bain’s ass.
40. Write and film a documentary.
41. Learn to speak Danish.
42. Visit Africa.
43. Start a commercially successful website, then sell it for a lot of money.
44. Learn to snow ski.
45. Design and build our home.
46. Get my college degree.
47. Make beer...and own a micro brewery, then sell it for a lot of money.
48. Visit the pyramids.
49. Hang glide.
50. Go white water rafting.
51. Own a Richenbacher Electric 12 string.
52. See Paul McCartney in concert.
53. See Phil Collins in concert.
54. See James Taylor in concert.
55. Buy Loretta expensive diamond rings.
56. Feel self actualized.

Guess I better get started on the “easy” things, huh? Number 56 is a real bitch.

Life is just a roll of the dice...

We're born with certain things predestined...I truly believe that to be true. We are reluctantly ushered into this world with genes and chromosomes containing information carried with us until the end. From our cholesterol levels to the shape of our big toes, there are things about us that we have absolutely no control over.

How we deal with these inherited gifts is ultimately what determines what happens to us in life.

We can choose to accept everything at face value. We can choose to let some of these things ruin our lives. We can choose to allow uncontrollables affect our relationships as well as the length of our lives.

Or...we can choose to roll the dice ourselves...and see what comes up. Who knows...it may be a better roll than fate has already cast?

Remember the blank spaces in life, then learn from them. Even doing nothing is doing something.

There can be no substance without emptiness to compare it to.

No Mas Cigaros

I won't blather about smoking. And I won't attempt to rationalize the insanity for getting back into nicotine (sneakily through cigars) a couple of years ago. It's simply done now. With my genes and health history, let's just keep it under the insanity plea for now.

Many other resolutions reside on a not-too-lengthy list on our bathroom mirror written with dry erase markers (makes it easier to remove and/or check off when completed).

Someone told me recently not to make resolutions you can't keep. That statement, in its purest form, is not a bad idea...don't set yourself up for disappointment and so on. For instance, I am not making any financial resolutions, ie, "I plan to make x-amount of dollars more next year".
I will strive to DO more things...things that are do-able for me. Some of these involve my photography business, some involve my photography skills. Yes, there are dietary and fitness items on the list as well.

So far, we are doing 100% on our resolutions after 20 hours! Obviously, the longer term goals remain to be seen.

Just for the record, there are a few resolutions I took off my list years ago that will remain off: marrying Hayley Mills...being on the cover of Fortune 500 magazine as the man who unseated Bill Gates as the richest guy in the universe...and inventing a new cola. Those will only continue to be sources of disappointment!

Happy New Year.