40 before 40

I was inspired by my friend Lindsay's 30 before 30 list and accomplishments (read her blog here, it's very fun!) and I decided that I'm going to borrow her idea and do a 40 before 40.  Ugh 40. . . moving on.  My list is not grand or extravagant  it's just a bunch of random things that I've always wanted to do or that I've been too scared to do or that I think would be funny to do.  I only have 20 so far but I'm sure I'll come up with the other 20 soon.  If you have any suggestions please let me know, I'm very open!  

Here's what I have so far:

1. Drive to San Diego.  
One of my "bucket list" items is to drive until it's warm (I have this whole north means cold, south means warm thing.  I know it's flawed, that's not what this blog is about).  I figure I could do a two for one here.  I honestly don't remember how Geoff and I ended up picking San Diego, we were probably talking about Anchorman!

2. See the Full House house.  
YES, I'm aware that it's in San Francisco, this is a different list item.  I am most likely going to do both on the same trip.

3. Have a vacation alone with girl friends.  
Ideally 1, 2 and 3 could all be down at the same time but who knows what will happen.  One of my oldest and dearest friends, Rachelle Rimmer, has already signed up for this one and another dear friend Mel gave me a great suggestion.  I initially wanted this to be a month long trip but she pointed out that it might be rather hard for people to get a month off of work.  She suggested having friends come and go throughout the month.  I think it's perfect.

4. One month vow of silence.  
This one, although invokes laughter when I tell to people, is probably the second most important list item to me.  I won't be able to do this one for a few years because I think that the girls will need to be a bit older to understand and for us to still be able to function as a normal family.

5. Learn sign language.
I've always wanted to learn sign language ever since I was in Mrs.Guspie's junior high class and my friends and I taught ourselves the sign language alphabet and would spell out words to each other from across the class.  It was our answer to not being allowed to pass notes in class.  My friend Yuval Greenfeld has signed (pardon the pun) up for this one and the next one.

6.  Have a serious argument in sign language.
I use to watch The L Word, love that show.  There's this one scene where a deaf woman and her partner are in a really serious argument.  The partner knew sign language so that whole scene was dead silent.  It was so intense, their hands were moving so fast and there was so much emotion.  Yuval and I tend to "debate". . . about everything.  It's all with love and heartfelt but it's true.  I couldn't think of a better person to do number 5 and 6 with.

7. Great White Shark tank dive.
I love sharks, Great Whites are my favourite.  I have wanted to do this for as long as I can remember.  I had an opportunity when my parents took Douglas and I to Hawaii but my mother simply said, "What if you die?"  That meant that I wasn't allowed but I'm no longer on a family vacation and I will make sure not to be when I do number 7.

8. Learn to change a tire.
I believe that this is a skill I should have.  Melody Forbes has offered up her time to teach me this one.

9. Take a pole dancing class.
I think this will be really hard!  Pole dancers, although I don't encourage their choices, are very strong and some are quite talented.

10. Do a proper baseball slide.
I'm not a baseball fan at all, I know very little about the game but when I think about baseball my dream is to slide onto a base.  It doesn't have to be home, any base.  I think that moment would be so exhilarating, your heart pounding knowing you only have seconds to be get there, running as hard as you can, your lungs burning from pushing yourself, watching the ball from the corner of your eye and praying to make it there before it does.  Knowing that sliding below the glove will be your only option.  You drop with your feet leading, everything goes silent until the inertia of your foot slamming in to the base jolts your whole body.  You smile and think to yourself, I made it, I can breathe again.  I want that feeling.

11. Follow a random semi truck for 7 days.
This sounds crazy I know.  I just think it would be so random!  Go to a truck stop and pick a truck with an out of country license plate and go!

12.  Read The Shining.
That movie scared the crap out of me.  I don't even remember how long it has been since I watched it.  Stephen King is so talented and I think I owe it to him to read his novel seeing as his film is still giving nightmares.  I'm truly scared to do this one.

13. Get my PADI.
I should have done this at least 10 years ago.  I've missed out on so many opportunities.  I've done "entry" dives in several different countries that could have been proper dives.  All of those entry dives were amazing but I know that I short changed myself.

14. Rent a table at a flee market and sell painted rocks for way too much money with my Auntie Noelle.
I see no reason that this one needs any further explanation.

15. Get wheels on my skateboard.
Years ago my friend Gail invited me to rock and roll bingo.  I asked her what that was.  She explained it me to as regular bingo but that you win prizes instead of money. I (jokingly) said that I'm only going if I can win a skateboard, she laughed and told me that she had no idea what the prizes were.  I won a bingo that night and I won a skateboard.  It was so funny.  The skateboard is only the deck, no wheels.  I've decided that it needs wheels and to set a deadline.

16. Learn how to skateboard.
I'm going to have this brand new skateboard, why not put it to good use.  My friends growing up were primary boys and a few of them skateboarded.  I always wanted to learn but I was the girl who watched with pride on the sidelines, silly girl.  It's my time to learn, nothing fancy, I'm not even attempting to learn any tricks but to be able to go a few blocks would be nice.

17. Visit the gopher hole museum in Torrington.
For the last 9 years every time Geoff and I are driving from Calgary to Edmonton I ask him if we can go to the gopher hole museum, his answer is obvious.  I have to be honest though, up until about 2 months ago I envisioned the museum as glass boxes showing different gopher homes (holes) but then I read an article about it and it's actually a bunch of stuffed gophers posed (picture the mice Steve Carrell's character in Dinner for Schmucks dressed up but gophers).

18. Meet Jason Maas.
I use to be a big Edmonton Eskimo fan, my brother bought me season tickets one year and I was hooked!  I went to almost every game for 2 seasons.  Jason Maas was my favourite.  Then I went travelling.  One of the really neat things that the Eskimos use to do is that they would call their season ticket holders each year to ask if they were renewing.  While I was travelling, who calls asking for me. . .my parents told him that I was away and how sad I'd be as I'm such a big fan.  They ended up meeting him at a charity event and got his autograph for me reminding him of the phone call.  I have no idea the likelihood of this one actually happening but I'm putting it on.  I may not follow the CFL anymore and I know that he doesn't play anymore but Maas will always be my favourite!

19.  Volunteer to help end Alzheimer's.
I'm not sure in which capacity I'd like to volunteer yet, if it would be on the fundraising side or if it would be on the patient care side or something else all together but I want to help end Alzheimer's in any way that I can.  Number 19 is the most important one on my list.

20.  Jump off of a high dive.
Like a really really high one.  I'm terrified to do this, sick to my stomach as I'm typing terrified.  Cheers to facing fears!

There you have it.  I'm halfway done writing out my 40 before 40 list.  I've downloaded The Shining (number 12), that's as far as I've gotten on actually starting any of them.  I have 8 and a half years to do them, seems like a long time but I'm getting on them ASAP so that I don't run out of time.  If you have suggestions for any new ones please let me know.  Also, if there is one or more that you'd like to do with me, I'd be thrilled to have you join me on my 40 before 40 quest!  Thanks again Lindsay for your inspiration!