Bucket List

So a few weeks ago Maryposa posted her life list, and it made me think of my own life list that I started way back in Mrs. Riley's AP English class. A couple of years ago I posted in on my MySpace blog, and I thought it was time to dust it off and see how it's coming along.

1. Read an erotic romance novel.
Check (but I'm not going to tell you which one). This was a just for fun, everyone should read a trashy novel thing. The original goal was to read Finnegans Wake but then I decided to be realistic. I've read some of Dubliners, I even want to read A Portrait of the Aritist As a Young Man someday. I may one day decide to buy Ulysses, or at least one of the manifestations of Ulysses. But Finnegans Wake--never. Furthermore, if I become a public librarian I will have to read a (very small) range of romance novels.

2. Learn to cook well.
Well, since moving to Seattle, I have been cooking a lot more instead of buying as many prepackaged foodstuffs as I used to. So I am cooking. The well part is a work in progress. I've been watching more Food Network than actually cooking, but I've been slowly accumulating kitchen gadgets, stock ingredients, and some skills. The nice thing about this goal is it's a lifetime thing.

3. Enthuse about wine.
This is another lifelong goal. Sadly since moving away from Dain, Whitney, and Elise, and becoming a poor graduate student, I have been enthusing less about wine and more about the prices of Yellow Tail and Charles Shaw--ignoring Gary Vaynerchuck's dictum to expand one's palate. Lately though I've been trying some Chateau Ste. Michelle wines made here in Washington including my first Gewurztraminer, a most unusual white. Yesterday, I picked up their Riesling as well as a Spanish Rioja--a couple of new entries for my wine journal which I haven't been keeping up.

4. View every Meryl Streep film.
Because she's brilliant. 'Nuff said.

5. View every Mike Nichols film.
He's one of my favorite directors, but I think instead of working toward this goal, I'm going to focus more on working my way through 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. A much larger range of film.

6. See a show on Broadway.
The one time I went to NYC, we did not go to a show. Nor when I was in London, did I see a West End show at the cheap student prices. Wasted opportunities. While I'm in Seattle though, I should partake in some high quality theatre.

7. Continue to study canonical literature.
Another lifelong pursuit. I haven't started working on my summer reading list yet, but I'm thinking The Iliad and Moby-Dick will be on it. Two big fat books to check off.

8. Learn how to knit.
Yeah, this one hasn't happened. yet. One day I hope to stitch and bitch. Ernl may have to teach me.

9. Play the piano.
I haven't played seriously since high school, and when I was living at home again, I didn't take advantage of having a piano around. In the future, I'm probably going to have to buy my own piano, or at least a keyboard, if I want to pursue this goal. I would love to get some Tori Amos piano books and to play some Chopin. Well, we'll see what happens...

10. Study Gnosticism
I'm not really feeling this goal anymore, but perhaps in my study of literature, I will read some gnostic texts.

11. Play tennis and swim.
Nope and nope. Not right now anyway.

12. Attend the Sundance Film Festival.
Well, I did this once, but I'd love to do it again. This may translate instead into attending local film festivals wherever I live. Like this year going to SIFF later this spring.

13. Obtain a Master's Degree.
Well, in another seven/eight weeks, I'll be halfway done with this goal. Go me!

14. Garden.
Well, as long as I live in apartments, this isn't going to happen. Though I am thinking it would be nice to grow some little pots of kitchen herbs--maybe this summer.

15. Learn how to ballroom dance.
Well, I'm half decent at the waltz, not great, but okay. I think now I just want to learn how to tango--so sexy! And I have a deep love affair with tango scenes in film.

16. Spend one, but only one, New Year's Eve in Times Square.
I'm less enthused about this goal, but if the opportunity presents itself, hey, why not? New Year's Eve though is wherever your friends are, and for the last eight? years, that has been Megan's house.

17. Speak fluent French.
Or maybe just watch French films and listen to French music.

18. Travel extensively.
Because it's awesome.

19. Live in London.
Even though it's like the coolest city on the planet, London is very expensive, and I'm less excited about London since learning that the UK is basically a police state. I'd much rather go to the Continent.

20. Live in Paris!
Much better. and this would help with that whole speaking French thing.

21. See Tori Amos in concert.
Check! And it was just . . . amazing! The next time she goes on tour, I will be there.
I also want to see Hey Marseilles sometime while I'm in Seattle.

22. Learn how to bartend.
I'm pretty awesome already with the help of my cocktail books and blogs. But there is at least one bartending school in Seattle--holla!--and that would be pretty fun, I think. There are also some pretty good cocktail bars/lounges in Seattle that I need to check out while I'm here.

23. Practice yoga.
Currently I'm in iRun, and I just discovered the wonderfulness that is the elliptical machine. I also thought, once, that I wanted to run a marathon. That thought's on hold, but maybe a 5K soon--three miles is no biggie. But I need to do some yoga again to strengthen my core and increase flexibility. I think fall quarter, I'll try to work in a yoga class.

24. Publish an article or short story.
Well fiction isn't my forte, and it's not unforeseeable that I might be writing a journal article as a librarian. But I'd really like to publish something in a magazine. My dream job, other than librarian, is to be a freelance writer.

25. Marry Kristyn Orgill.
Jessica told me I couldn't do this since she and Kristyn were going to be crazy old ladies together, but now that Jessica's getting married, Kristyn is mine again. ;) I think we said if we we're both 32? and single, we would get married. Plus, gift registry! And if this doesn't pan out, I totally plan to become a crazy cat lady.

So that's where I am with my life list. Maybe in another two years, I'll revisit it again.