Happy Birthday, Dad!
Apparently the BBC came up with a list of 50 Things to Do Before You Die for a television program of the same name.
I'm not much of a list maker. Maybe I ought to be. I have a hard enough time remembering what groceries I need, much less the things I need to do before I die. (And don't forget the people who have 7.5 pages-worth of qualities they'd like in their future spouse. What is that anyway?) Since I've never thought of a 50 Things Pre-Death list, I thought I'd mark (in bold) the ones that I would consider putting on such a list if I were to make one.
1. Swim with Dolphins
(This definitely would not be #1 on my list, but I would probably go if the opportunity presented itself.)
2. Scuba dive on Great Barrier Reef
(I'm just not into all these water things.)
3. Fly Concorde to New York
(Too late.)
4. Go whale-watching
5. Dive with sharks
(I'll settle with Shark Week on Discovery Channel or go virtually.)
6. Skydiving
(I don't think this would play well with my paralyzing fear of falling.)
7. Fly in a hot air balloon
(However, I'd get over it for this.)
8. Fly in a fighter jet
9. Go on safari
10. See Northern Lights
11. Walk the Inca trail to Machu Picchu
(Or take the virtual hike.)
12. Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge
(I'm having a heart attack just looking at those pictures. No thanks.)
13. Escape to a paradise Island
(I'll live vicariously through the fearless Minnow crew, thanks.)
14. Drive Formula 1 car
15. Go white-water rafting
16. Walk Great Wall of China
(YES PLEASE!)
17. Bungee-jumping
18. Ride Rocky Mountaineer train
(I could probably stand to do this.)
19. Drive along Route 66
(Aww, yeah.)
20. Grand Canyon helicopter ride
(I don't know that I would have thought of it, but yeah, that would be cool... except if this happened.)
21. Ride the Orient Express
22. See elephants in the wild
23. Explore Antarctica
(Uhh, negative. Unless there is some serious global warming in the next few years.)
24. Ride a motorbike
(Dad's okay if I ride with him... but I remember the time a boy brought me home on one, and ooo.... that was a bad night.)
25. Try ranching
(Does one just simply try ranching? Seems a little more commitment-oriented to me.)
26. Climb Mount Everest
(Again, that whole cold factor disagrees with me.)
27. Wonder at a waterfall
(Incidentally, check out these photos of Victoria Falls from 1891.)
28. Go into space
(Crackheads put together this list, right?)
29. Explore the Galapagos Islands
(Sure. I can dig turtles.)
30. Trek through a rainforest
(Yeah, I saw Romancing the Stone.)
31. Gallop a horse along a beach
(Very romance novel-esque, but sure, why not.)
32. Ride a camel to the Pyramids
33. Take the Trans-Siberian Railway, Moscow to Vladivostok
34. Catch sunset over Uluru
(Oh heck yeah.)
35. Go wing-walking
(Crackheads, I tell you.)
36. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
37. Fly over a volcano
(Would that be an erupting volcano? Then yeah.)
38. Drive a husky sled
(Iditarod, here I come.)
39. Hike up a glacier
40. Ride a rollercoaster
(Got this one covered.)
41. Fish for blue marlin
42. Go paragliding
43. Play golf at Augusta, Georgia
44. Watch mountain gorillas
45. See tigers in the wild
(I'm not too crazy about seeing animals in their natural habitat, because I don't think we're really supposed to be there. But I love tigers, so I'd make this an exception.)
46. Do the Cresta Run, Switzerland
(I think I'd rather do the luge in Rotorua.) :)
47. Visit Walt Disney World, Florida
(Done in 1995.)
48. Gamble in Las Vegas
49. See orang-utans in Borneo
50. Go polar bear watching
I don't know. Those seem a little out there for me. My list of things to do before I die would include:
1. Label the backs of all my photographs.
2. Beat Cory (fairly) at a game of 8-ball.
3. Finish Anna Karenina.
4. Work at a Renaissance Festival.
Sometimes it's about the little things, kids.
Apparently the BBC came up with a list of 50 Things to Do Before You Die for a television program of the same name.
I'm not much of a list maker. Maybe I ought to be. I have a hard enough time remembering what groceries I need, much less the things I need to do before I die. (And don't forget the people who have 7.5 pages-worth of qualities they'd like in their future spouse. What is that anyway?) Since I've never thought of a 50 Things Pre-Death list, I thought I'd mark (in bold) the ones that I would consider putting on such a list if I were to make one.
1. Swim with Dolphins
(This definitely would not be #1 on my list, but I would probably go if the opportunity presented itself.)
2. Scuba dive on Great Barrier Reef
(I'm just not into all these water things.)
3. Fly Concorde to New York
(Too late.)
4. Go whale-watching
5. Dive with sharks
(I'll settle with Shark Week on Discovery Channel or go virtually.)
6. Skydiving
(I don't think this would play well with my paralyzing fear of falling.)
7. Fly in a hot air balloon
(However, I'd get over it for this.)
8. Fly in a fighter jet
9. Go on safari
10. See Northern Lights
11. Walk the Inca trail to Machu Picchu
(Or take the virtual hike.)
12. Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge
(I'm having a heart attack just looking at those pictures. No thanks.)
13. Escape to a paradise Island
(I'll live vicariously through the fearless Minnow crew, thanks.)
14. Drive Formula 1 car
15. Go white-water rafting
16. Walk Great Wall of China
(YES PLEASE!)
17. Bungee-jumping
18. Ride Rocky Mountaineer train
(I could probably stand to do this.)
19. Drive along Route 66
(Aww, yeah.)
20. Grand Canyon helicopter ride
(I don't know that I would have thought of it, but yeah, that would be cool... except if this happened.)
21. Ride the Orient Express
22. See elephants in the wild
23. Explore Antarctica
(Uhh, negative. Unless there is some serious global warming in the next few years.)
24. Ride a motorbike
(Dad's okay if I ride with him... but I remember the time a boy brought me home on one, and ooo.... that was a bad night.)
25. Try ranching
(Does one just simply try ranching? Seems a little more commitment-oriented to me.)
26. Climb Mount Everest
(Again, that whole cold factor disagrees with me.)
27. Wonder at a waterfall
(Incidentally, check out these photos of Victoria Falls from 1891.)
28. Go into space
(Crackheads put together this list, right?)
29. Explore the Galapagos Islands
(Sure. I can dig turtles.)
30. Trek through a rainforest
(Yeah, I saw Romancing the Stone.)
31. Gallop a horse along a beach
(Very romance novel-esque, but sure, why not.)
32. Ride a camel to the Pyramids
33. Take the Trans-Siberian Railway, Moscow to Vladivostok
34. Catch sunset over Uluru
(Oh heck yeah.)
35. Go wing-walking
(Crackheads, I tell you.)
36. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
37. Fly over a volcano
(Would that be an erupting volcano? Then yeah.)
38. Drive a husky sled
(Iditarod, here I come.)
39. Hike up a glacier
40. Ride a rollercoaster
(Got this one covered.)
41. Fish for blue marlin
42. Go paragliding
43. Play golf at Augusta, Georgia
44. Watch mountain gorillas
45. See tigers in the wild
(I'm not too crazy about seeing animals in their natural habitat, because I don't think we're really supposed to be there. But I love tigers, so I'd make this an exception.)
46. Do the Cresta Run, Switzerland
(I think I'd rather do the luge in Rotorua.) :)
47. Visit Walt Disney World, Florida
(Done in 1995.)
48. Gamble in Las Vegas
49. See orang-utans in Borneo
50. Go polar bear watching
I don't know. Those seem a little out there for me. My list of things to do before I die would include:
1. Label the backs of all my photographs.
2. Beat Cory (fairly) at a game of 8-ball.
3. Finish Anna Karenina.
4. Work at a Renaissance Festival.
Sometimes it's about the little things, kids.
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