100 Things to do before I die.

1. Ride in a hot air balloon
2. Get certified in scuba diving (just found out this is hard to do with asthma so we'll see about this)
3. Publish a novel
4. Paint an oil painting
5. Have Kids
6. Tour Graceland
7. Sleep under the stars at 75
8. Hike the Appalachian trail
9. Build a ship in a bottle
10. Perform in front of a crowd
11. Write
12. Retype my poems
13. Run in the New York Marathon
14. Type up my written journals (I've started this one)
15. Keep a Journal (the blog works right?)
16. Fly a Remote controlled Airplane
17. Pet a Big Cat (leopard, tiger, etc.)
18. Ride in a helicopter
19. Learn to fly fish
20. Shoot a crossbow
21. Work in a record store
22. Set up a squirrel feeder in my back yard
23. Grow a garden
24. Build my kids a tree house
25. Launch a rocket
26. Play paint ball
27. Take up bird watching
28. Keep a meditation journal
29. Cut down my own Christmas tree
30. Climb a tree at 80
31. Sky dive
32. Mine for gold
33. Build a sculpture
34. Do my genealogy
35. Serve on a jury
36. Own a stuffed squirrel
37. Own a life sized suit of armor
38. Read the classics
39. Read all of Kurt Vonnegut's books (about halfway)
40. Learn to play the guitar (started this but I've got a long way to go)
41. Learn to play a harmonica
42. Learn to fly a plane
43. Learn Latin
44. Own season tickets to the symphony
45. Own season tickets to the opera
46. Watch a space shuttle launch
47. Watch a bull fight (even though I think it is morally wrong)
48. Take part in the running of the bulls (give Karma a chance to get me back for watching a bull fight)
49. Watch a demolition derby
50. Watch a dog race
51. Go to a Monster Truck Rally
52. Go to a Jazz club
53. Go to the David Letterman Show
54. Go to the Conan O'Brien Show
55. Go to the Saturday Night Live Show
56. Go to an Auction
57. Go on a treasure hunt
58. Go on a cruise
59. Save the world for two years or so
60. Go night swimming at least once a year (not doing so hot on this so far)
61. Make a pair of Pants
62. Make an album
63. Make a sand castle on both coasts
64. Make my own camera
65. Make a walking stick
66. Make something out of leather that's cool
67. Shake the hand of a prophet
68. Be in a community play
69. Be an extra in a movie
70. Visit Texasarkana
71. Visit Athens, Ga
72. Visit Paris
73. Visit Rome
74. Visit Ireland
75. Visit Germany
76. Visit important historical sites of America
77. Spend a day in each of the states
78. Visit each continent including Antarctica.
79. Visit count Dracula's Castle
80. Visit Jerusalem
81. Visit Hell, Michigan
82. Visit the unclaimed baggage center in Scottsboro, AZ
83. Be married to Jacqueline til the day I die.
84. Be a skilled wood carver
85. Find ways to serve other people in little ways
86. Become a regular volunteer for an organization
87. Sacrifice for someone I love
88. Sacrifice for a stranger
89. Learn calligraphy
90. Improve my drawing and watercolor skills
91. Find joy in the journey
92. Relax more
93. Find time to be quiet each day
94. Learn old English
95. Learn a living language
96. Make a life sized catapult or trebuchet
97. Never stop dreaming
98. Never stop learning(I’d like to get a Bachelor’s degree in English and Science, I’d also like to get a PhD in Medieval History).
99. Increase my power of memorization
100. Sleep in a castle

Things That Use to Be on the List that I've accomplished

1. Graduate from College
2. Ride on a Train (did this on my last trip to England)
3. Build a trebuchet (made one out of Popsicle sticks)
4. Plant a tree (I've planted 5 so far)
5. Eat sushi (love it)
6. Visit a cave (done this a few times love caves)
7. Own a sword (I own a civil war sword)
8. Learn to fence (Took a class (but I want to take another one))
9. Learn to play chess (I'm a beginner I'd like to find a partner)
10. See a Broadway play (I've seen Chicago, Les Miserables, Wicked, and The White Lady, but I'd like to see more)
11. See Idlewild live (I've seen them three times since the creation of the list)
12. See the Flaming Lips live (I've seen them twice and been on stage with them for one of the times)
13. Go river rafting (Done this once but I want to do it more)
14. Learn to Bow hunt (took a class and it was rad)
15. Make something out of Popsicle sticks (see #3)
16. Visit New York
17. Visit London (done this twice)
18. Visit Scotland

The Psychedelic Furs and The Killers at the Hollywood Bowl 9/16/09

I never thought I'd see the massive Psychedelic Furs live, but when a band that loves and respects the 80's as much as The Killers, it was bound to happen and I'm glad I was there to see it. The Psychedelic Furs did an amazing job of showing the young ones how to rock. They played their hits and burned up the stage. They however neglected to play their hit song Pretty in Pink. I'll admit I was a little hurt, but I figured they were just sick to death of the song.

This was the third time I saw the Killers live and I'll admit I really tired hard to hate these guys when they first came out, but heaven help me they are a live band. They're the type of band you can easily dismiss on the radio as rehashing a past decade but once you stand in a crowd caught by their light, music and presence it won't be long before you're smiling like you mean it. Yeah I just said that.

They played their hits and several songs from their new album, with out a dull moment. The highlights were their cover of Only Fools Rush In, which was spot on. There were several times that Brandon was channeling a little Elvis during the show. The second was a small dream come true. The Psychedelic Furs came out during the encore to play a duet of Pretty in Pink with The Killers.

In the end I'll never pass on the chance to see either band play me sweet music.

Sorry I don't have my usual set list, I went under prepared.

Five Hand Signs I Hate Seeing in Photos

Let's try something different for today's post. I'd like to share the five finger signs that I hate to see in photographs. You all know and love them, but using them in photos and daily life is really getting old. We all have 8 fingers and 2 thumbs (usually), why can't we come up with something more creative?

These are in order.

Number five: The ASL sign for love.



Alright, I actually took two years of ASL and love the Deaf, but I hate when everyday people use this sign as away to communicate their deep and unfailing love for someone. You would think the fact that a person wants to take a picture of you (and possibly keep it) shows this person likes you and may even love you, and also knows that you feel the same way without needing you to use a hand sign to remind him or her of this fact. Talk about smothering someone.


Number Four: The Rock sign, or We Are About to Rock sign, or This Song is So Awesome sign, or I'm a Rebel That Shows My Individuality By Throwing Up the Most Used Hand Sign By Nearly Everyone in the World.

I'll be the first to admit that I've thrown this sign up many a time in the heat of a great rock concert, but I don't use it in everyday life or for photographs. There really isn't anything rocking about taking a picture.

I've also noticed there are a lot of people who use this sign that are trying too hard to prove they really know how to rock by learning the secret hand sign, but in all reality the closest thing they've come to rocking out was seeing Yanni on PBS, once.



Then, of course, there's the other end of the spectrum -- the guy with the huge gut wearing the really tight black concert T (he bought when he was 16) with thinning long hair. He usually has the "I haven't taken a shower or even been fully naked in months look." This guy flashes the sign way too often. I think it's more to do with the fact that he's at a point in his life where he can't tell if he is or isn't at a concert. He's got that buzzed look all the time, and rather than be taken for some kind of poser, he flashes the sign every chance he gets, just to be on the safe side.


Number Three: Hang Loose

My first thought on seeing this sign in photographs is, Have you ever surfed a day in your life? Let alone seen a surf board? And really if you're sitting on a sofa or on a family vacation to Yellowstone, do you need to remind people that you're hanging loose? Just because you're visiting Hawaii doesn't mean you know how to adopt their culture. There's nothing wrong with relaxing on a vacation, but it's not like the natives appreciate you adopting, and then mutilating, the meaning of their hand signs.



I personally would be afraid to flash this sign casually, what happens if a Polynesian surf squad is out there tracking down and killing all the whities flashing that sign. I am sure it bugs them to no end seeing us use it. It takes away from the original meaning (whatever that is). They will find you one day and stomp your puny butt into the ground.

Number Two: Giving the Bird, Giving the Finger, or Flipping Someone Off

OK, this is a big one for me, it's very similar to the love sign. Do you really want to be giving the person the bird just for taking your picture? I mean, when you're 80 years old, well wait, never mind, if you're regularly giving the bird in photographs I think we all know you won't make 80, you'll be lucky to make 50. You'll probably die in a back alley bar with your wrinkled tattooed body lying in its own puke. But just in case you make it to 80, do you want to force your loved ones to try to find the best photograph they have of you for your funeral and all they have to choose from are pictures of you flipping the bird?



And the most-hated sign I see people use in photographs that makes me want to puke and kill myself a dozen times over.

Number One: PEACE

Give me a break! First off, who doesn't want peace beyond the "secret government puppet masters"? Everyone wants peace, so do we really need to tell each other that we in fact do not like war and would prefer to live in a world where there was no war? Seeing those stupid splayed fingers makes me want to go on a killing spree, which in fact is giving off the opposite reaction than what the person is trying to convey when flashing the sign. So please, for the love of peace, stop using it!

I also hate the stupid teenagers that try to make the peace sign "sexy" by displaying it sideways or covering parts of their face or crap like that. I mean, really, do we need to make everything about sex, even peace? I know, I know, the immortal John Lennon said make love not war, but half these girls and boys trying to appear mysterious and coy for their profile pictures only end up making themselves look fools, instead of sexy and politically aware, so let's stop the madness.



There you have it. My top five most-hated hand signs people use in photographs.

09-09-09

It's been three months since the last post and yeah I've been busy.

I'm about a day away from finishing the first draft to my novel at about 75,000 words. I'll give it to Jacq to do a light proofing. I'll spend the month of September and October working on my two short stories that I have at different stages and take a week off from writing at the end of October to outline my next novel.

Once November comes it's time for another NANOWRIMO. This way I'll have another rough draft to work on after my 2nd draft is being sent to friends and family to comment on. I'd like to be working on two different novels at all times so that I keep busy and learn how to write well enough to one day get a book in the stores. I'm just hoping by the third or fourth book one of them will get published.

California life is well and good. The fires and heat haven't killed me yet. I've been busy at my two jobs and wasting plenty of time reading, writing and watching TV when I can.

I recently found out I'm borderline Diabetic so I'm starting to eat less and cut down on my sugars and fats as well as exercising. Still wish I could find a sport I liked enough to want to do it a lot. Swimming's the top pick right now.