Below is what I call The List.
I officially created The List at the end of 2013. The List is all of the stuff that I want to do before I die.
On the left is actually what is currently on The List. On the right are the things that I have done. I add to The List often. However, before I add anything to The List I first answer a few questions to make sure it is "The List" worthy.
On the DONE list are both items from The List as well as significant events I want to remember (Like fun times with my family). Keeping track of special events and things that I have done for the first time is what got me started on creating The List. I highlighted some of the "BIG" stuff.
Why am I sharing The List? First, to inspire my kids. Secondly, because I hope it inspires you to create your own List.
Good Luck, Find Your Adventure and Live Your Life.
THE LIST
- Wear Pajamas to Walmart
- Learn another language
- Throw a dart at a map and go there
- See Mount Rushmore
- Do a TED Talk
- See the Northern Lights
- Compete in a real boxing match
- Ride in a hot air balloon
- Go to Cuba
- Ride a train coast to coast
- Complete a Half Iron Man 70.3
- Take my sister fly fishing
- Go to Everest Base Camp
- Perform a song live with my son
- Climb Mt. Aconcagua (Argentina)
- Get a belt in martial arts
- Sleep overnight on the summit of a mountain
- Hike the PCT
- Legally change my middle name
- Go on a trip for disaster relief
- Visit all 7 Continents - 3 remain
- Stay awake for 48 hours straight
- Go to Burning Man
- Run with the Bulls in Spain
- Ride in a crop duster
- Take that calculus class. You know...
- Research the news from the day I was born
- Summit Mt. Kosciuszko, Austrailia, 7 Summits (Bass)
- Swim with a shark
- Change hands in everything I do for a month
- Do the Portland bike naked event
- Anchor a newscast
- Actually sell ice cream to an Eskimo
- Really save a person's life
- Hold a job in a foreign country
- Ride the Hiawatha Bike Trail
- Sleep in a fire lookout
- Ride a motorcycle coast to coast
- Fly in a glider
- Learn to do the Napoleon dance
- Take singing lessons
- Get a job on a boat or ship
- Ride my bicycle across a state
- Find a real arrowhead
- Go diving and spearfish
- Float the Grand Canyon
- Do the TransPac sailing race
- Visit every State- Left remaining are Alaska, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Maine, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, West Virginia
DONE
- 1/1/13 - Polar Bear Challenge in Boise
- 1/2/13 - Boiling water in cold air experiment
- 1/8/13 - Found out Ellie's last chemo treatment date
- 1/23/13 - Watched Ellie play Ursula in performance
- 2/12/13 - Competed in Gumbo Cook-off on TV
- 3/13/13 - Took my sister zip-lining
- 4/9/13 - Went to Zappos University
- 4/10/13 - Got my picture taken with Elvis (at least he said he was Elvis)
- 4/27/13 - Ran 10-miles for first time in my life
- 5/4/13 - Took Ellie to the MSTI Prom
- 5/6/13 - Visited President Lincoln's grave
- 5/12/13 - Canoed to Shoshone Falls with Walter - 1st time
- 5/19/13 - Ran 13.1 miles for the first time
- 6/8/13 - Emceed a cancer fundraiser with Ellie
- 8/16/13 - Covered the Ketchum wildfire
- 9/7/13 - Did a 3-person triathlon by myself
- 9/14/13 - Completed the Rim 2 Rim with Kaleigh
- 10/1/13 - Drove the limo carrying Ellie to last Chemo treatment
- 10/24/13 - Ellie's Kicked Cancer Party. Dressed as Dorothy
- 10/25/13 - Won my flight President's Cup BLCC
- 10/1/13 - Twin Falls Sales Team delivered the annual budget
- 11/28/13 - Began Black Friday tradition with Ellie
- 12/3/13 - Took Walter to Megadeath Concert
- 1/11/14 – Took Walter to KISS Tribute Concert
- 1/26/14 – First time to visit Miami
- 1/27/14 – First time to eat Cuban food
- 1/28/14 – Ran 8-miles with Raven on South Beach
- 3/9/14 – First Father Daughter Ball with Ellie at BLCC
- 4/5/14 – Paddled to Shoshone Falls with Walter - 2nd time
- 5/8/14 – Bought my first drone
- 5/13/14 – Took Ellie to New York City
- 5/14/14 – Took Ellie to First Broadway Show
- 6/3/14 – Painted my toes for the first time
- 6/19/14 – Made honorary firefighter in Hailey (still dial 911 if you have a fire and I am there)
- 6/23/14 – Did the famous Cat Picture with Artemis
- 7/22/14 – Climbed Idaho’s tallest mountain, Borah, with Jason
- 8/9/14 – Competed in a cardboard boat race
- 8/15/14 - Competed in a rib eating contest
- 8/22/14 – Dressed as an indian at a dude ranch
- 8/23/14 – Completed the Hotter N Hell Hundred
- 9/5/14 – Completed another 3-person triathlon by myself
- 10/7/14 – Signed up for my first marathon
- 11/2/14 – Ran 20-miles
- 11/16/14 – Completed the Las Vegas Marathon
- 12/13/14 – First time to Nordic Ski
- 12/14/14 – Performed in my first ballet, Nut Cracker, Sun Valley
- 12/22/14 – First time to have a wreck with a cop car
- 12/23/14 – Reenacted Napoleon Dynamite with Ellie in Preston, ID
- 1/2/15 – Started using a stand-up desk
- 1/18/15 – Completed SCUBA Certification
- 2/6/15 – Got my KLR-650 Dual-Sport Motorcycle
- 2/7/15 – Completed my first Nordic ski race (despite the avalanche warning)
- 2/14/15 – Ran a 5K with Ellie
- 2/28/15 – Finally got my motorcycle license
- 3/14/15 – Walked in a parade wearing a kilt
- 3/21/15 – Visited the Farnsworth TV Museum in Rigby, ID
- 4/5/15 – Made my first Jello mold
- 4/11/15 – Slept in the Red Rock Desert
- 4/12/15 – Ran a half-marathon in Vegas
- 4/26/15 – Visited World’s Largest Rocking Chair
- 5/3/15 – Took my first real ADV motorcycle trip
- 5/5/15 – Took Ellie to Vegas
- 5/7/15 – Watched Jason graduate Marine boot camp
- 5/21/15 – Received Philanthropist of the Year Award St. Luke’s
- 6/6/15 – Completed Bruneau Beast Half Marathon, Bruneau Sand Dunes (walked 18-holes of golf later that day in a tournament)
- 6/18/15 – Floated the Middle-Fork of the Salmon River, 5-days
- 7/1/15 – Had to quit a job I loved
- 7/4/15 – Went to a Burmese Water Festival
- 7/9/15 – Picked Raspberries with Ellie
- 7/10/15 – Videotaped my first tornado
- 7/22/15 – Ran 34-miles for my birthday
- 8/13/15 – Visited the grave of Billy the Kid
- 8/14/15 – Visited home of Dr. Pepper in Dublin, TX
- 8/29/15 – Entered something in a fair for the first time
- 9/2/15 – Won first place for bread in the fair
- 9/13/15 – Repaired a piece of furniture, correctly
- 9/19/15 – Participated in a real protest, Austin, Vulcan Lives Matter
- 9/25/15 – Met Robbie Knieval
- 9/26/16 – Entered first car show with Ellie
- 9/29/15 – Rode Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel
- 10/15/15 – Met Yo-Yo Ma with Ellie
- 10/17/15 – Rode Segway for the first time with Ellie, Austin
- 11/1/15 – Learned to play guitar and played the first song with Walter
- 12/13/15 – Went to an official Bigfoot sitting spot
- 12/28/15 – Began a challenge to run 1,000 miles in a year
- 1/16/16 – Painted my first real picture
- 1/5/16 – Toured the Blue Bell Factory
- 1/7/16 – Rode in a helicopter for the first time
- 1/7/16 – Shot a machine gun for the first time
- 1/10/16 – Climbed Enchanted Rock
- 1/30/16 – Took my first cooking class
- 2/4/16 – Made my Will
- 2/6/16 – First visit to New Orleans for Mardis Gras
- 2/24/16 – Visited Washington DC for first time
- 3/7/16 – Completed walk from Montgomery to Selma
- 4/11/16 – Joined the NRA and ACLU (I figured one canceled out the other)
- 4/16/16 – Climbed Guadalupe Peak
- 4/17/16 – Saw 2 rock concerts on the same weekend
- 4/24/16 – Lived as a homeless person for 3-days
- 5/14/16 – Completed a Tough Mudder race
- 5/25/16 – Adopted a trail in Twin Falls
- 5/28/16 – Visited my parent’s grave for the first time
- 5/29/16 – Got a season pass to an amusement park
- 5/30/16 – Visited Magnolia Marketplace
- 6/4/16 – Played in an official Putt-Putt tournament. I won!
- 6/5/16 – Ate the hottest chicken wings in Texas
- 6/9/16 – Drove a General Lee replica car
- 6/9/16 – I got to pet a live 70-pound Bobcat
- 6/19/16 – Ran 81-miles in a week
- 6/26/16 – Finished 1,000 mile running challenge
- 7/22/16 – Skydive for the first time on birthday
- 7/30/16 – Sailed a boat for the first time
- 7/30/16 – Learned basic Beekeeping
- 8/27/16 – Finished another 100-mile bike race
- 8/28/16 – Ran a half-marathon the day after the 100-mile bike race
- 9/22/16 – Finished reading the Bible cover to cover
- 10/1/16 – Got a job delivering pizza at Dominos
- 10/6/16 – Took Ellie and family to Seattle
- 11/14/16 – Went to Austin City Limits concert
- 11/17/16 – Went to Africa
- 11/26/16 – Summited Mount Kilimanjaro
- 11/28/16 – Went on an African Safari
- 12/27/16 – Took final run of year. Ran 1,760-miles in 2016
- 1/1/17 - Started BMF Adventure Club Website; Grit, Courage, Confidence, Curiosity
- 1/3/17 - Made it a year without a political post on Facebook. Never again
- 1/15/17 - Experienced an LGBT event in Little Havana. Very interesting.
- 1/20/17 - Visited Duck Commander in Monroe, LA
- 2/19/17 - Played in my first disc golf tournament
- 3/4/17 - Slept in a Tipi & first international ADV ride, Big Bend
- 3/25/17 - Went to Snow's BBQ. Best BBQ in Texas
- 4/29/17 - Went skydiving with Tammy
- 5/3/17 - Gave first BMF speech to Waco Y.P.
- 5/16/17 - Went to the top of the Empire State Building
- 5/28/17 - Became a Bull Rider; for about 3-seconds
- 6/10/17 - Did a 500-foot rappel off of W Hotel in Austin with Ellie and Chava for Make A Wish. We raised over $7K!
- 7/22/17 - Went Paragliding with Ellie on my birthday
- 7/23/17 - Shot a Picture of the Milky Way Galaxy. It was perfect
- 8-6-17 - Completed the Badass Texas Half-Marathon in Waco
- 8/14/17 - Went to Four Corners Monument with Ellie
- 8/19/17 - Took Ellie to her first Texas Rangers baseball game
- 8/27/17 - Completed the Hotter-N-Hell Triple Threat; MTB Race, 100-mile Bicycle Race, Half-Marathon
- 9/3/17 - Went cliff diving with Ellie at PK
- 10/1/17 - First Official Off-Road Motorcycle Rally
- 11/26/17 - Completed writing my first book
- 2/10/18 - Did the Cupid Run and ran a race in my underwear
- 3/20/18 - Official beginning of Flight School
- 3/31/18 - 100% free of debt
- 4/26/18 - Landed an airplane for the first time
- 5/19/18 - Floated a river on a tube with Ellie
- 6/23/18 - Went off of the BSR Slide Royal Flush with Jason
- 7/22/18 - Took Ellie and Hannah on an adventure. Climbed Half Dome in Yosemite
- 8/12/18 - Took a lesson from a new instructor and flew a new plane
- 9/7/18 - Met Mel Robbins
- 9/18/18 - Did my solo and became a Pilot
- 9/27/18 - Took Ellie on her 5-Year Last Chemo Anniversary trip to Colorado
- 9/28/18 - Climbed Colorado's tallest mountain with Ellie; Mt. Elbert 14,439 elev.
- 9/29/18 - Floated Glenwood Canyon with Ellie
- 9/30/18 - First time to Fly Fish with Ellie and rode Vail mountain coaster
- 10/13/18 - Was on a 17-mile training run when a tornado hit
- 11/7/18 - Went to Europe with Ellie; Greece
- 11/9/18 - Had my first adult drink with Ellie at Cafe Bistro 46 in Athens
- 11/11/18 - Ran "The Original Marathon" from Marathon to Athens, Greece.
- 12/15/18 - Taught Ellie how to "Sabre" a bottle of champagne
- 12/23/18 - Took Ellie on her first skydive
- 12/28/18 - Had my first wax job. eyebrows and ears only
- 12/31/18 - Went to the Idaho NYE Potato Drop. Thanks, Melissa
- 1/2/19 - Made my first online unassisted stock trade
- 2/24/19 - Became and Uber Driver. Made $8.15
- 3/26/19 - First cross-country piloting a plane
- 4/4/19 - My first grass landing. Wildcat Canyon 2,450' in 30-degree 20K crosswind
- 4/28/19 - Played golf at Willie Nelson’s golf course The Cut & Putt
- 5/4/19 - Ellie goes to her Senior Prom on the same day as her MSTI Prom 6 years earlier
- 5/8/19 - Applied for my Russian Visa
- 5/17/19 - Trained on Mount Rainier
- 5/29/19 - Ellie graduated from high school
- 6/14/19 - On 3-year anniv. of driving General Lee car, John Schneider visits our station
- 7/11/19 - Completed my 100th CycleBar Class in under 6-months
- 7/14/19 - Went to Russia. Mark Asia off the list. That's 4 of 7
- 7/21/19 - Summited Mt. Elbrus in Russia. Tallest peak in Europe
- 7/22/19 - Celebrated my 53rd birthday in Russia
- 8/4/19 - Rescued two people from an overturned car in the rain
- 8/24/19 - Rode the HHH 100 bike race in a new PR
- 8/30/19 - Was an Extra in the movie A Louisiana Christmas
- 10/20/19 - Attended Bigfoot Festival and met Bobo (Finding Bigfoot)
- 11/16/19 - Actually made it into the Lifetime Christmas Movie; A Louisianna Christmas
- 11/28/19 - Volunteered at Mission Waco on Thanksgiving
- 12/7/19 - I spent the day with Jason, Walter and Ellie on their birthday this year
- 1/16/20 - Completed a blacksmithing school with Jason
- 1/24/20 - Had a major surgery. I'm now a cancer survivor
- 3/20/20 - Mt. Everest Base Camp climb canceled due to Corona Virus
- 5/10/20 - Completed Bigfoot Social Distancing 1/2 Marathon, Fouke, AR
- 5/20/20 - Moved to Houston to manage KIAH CW 39. Market #8
- 7/22/20 - Climbed Mt. Whitney. The tallest mountain in the Lower 48
- 7/22/20 - Went to Badwater Basin, Death Valley. The lowest point in U.S.
- 7/22/20 - Went to the highest and lowest point in the lower 48 on the same day
- 8/7/20 - Went to South Carolina. 12 States left.
- 9/12/20 - Decided I was done eating alone.
- 10/19/20 - Did my first Fast; 5.5 days. Thanks, Jamie.
- 10/22/20 - Went powered hang gliding with Ellie for her birthday.
- 10/31/20 - Visited a psychic in New Orleans on Halloween on a Full Moon.
- 12/3/20 - Got my 3rd tattoo. It was a Temporary tattoo.
- 12/6/20 - Attended my first Yoga class.
- 12/11/20 - Watched the movie Giant in Marfa at Hotel Paisano.
- 1/1/21 - Started my "Only Eat At a Restaurant Once" challenge.
- 1/12/21 - Got my 4th tattoo. Fulfill Your Intentions.
- 1/26/21 - Got my 1st Covid shot.
- 2/23/21 - Got my 2nd Covid shot.
- 4/2/21 - Parasailed behind a boat in Cancun with Jamie.
- 4/15/21 - Reached the financial goal I've been aiming at for a very very long time (knock on wood).
- 4/17/21 Rappelled off of a 450' building.
- 6/16/21 Completed the Texas Water Safari with Charlie, Jason, Ellie, and the Fuller's. 88-hours.
- 7/3/21 Went to an Acupuncturist for my arm. Enter the Dragon!
- 7/22/21 Went to IHOP for the 55+ menu. This was my Birthday Adventure. Still not healed from TWS Race
- 8/20/21 Stomped grapes for wine at Messina Hof Winery in Bryan with Jamie
- 8/28/21 Completed the Hotter N Hell 100 with no training on the bike
- 9/12/21 Earned my ASA 101, 103 & 104 sailing certifications. I'm officially qualified to sail at sea
- 10/23/21 My first time to sail on my own, Galveston Bay
- 11/15/21 Doctor told me that my biopsy was all good. No cancer
- 11/28/21 Had everyone down to Galveston for Thanksgiving and we celebrated a year of holidays
- 12/31/21 Spent New Years with Jamie at The Stonewall Motor Lodge. Jamie fell through the trap door
- 1/1/22 Completed my year-long challenge to not eat at the same restaurant twice
- 1/8/21 Did my first half-marathon for 2022
- 1/29/22 Went to Broken Bow with Mike and Amy for Jamie's birthday. I made her a cake
- 3/26/22 Completed my second half-marathon for 2022
- 4/16/22 Learned to surf
- 5/21/22 Attended Booker T's Pro Wrestling Camp. Got bodyslammed!
- 6/9/22 Finished Project 220 Pounds
- 7/5/22 Went to Red Rocks for a concert with Jamie
- 7/11/22 Ellie and I got tattoos together. She got the date of her last chemo treatment in Roman numerals
- 7/22/22 Began the process of buying my first sailboat
- 8/27/22 Rode the HHH with Lexie
- 8/28/22 Ran with Ellie on her 1st half-marathon and I completed the 191 mile Quadzilla
- 9/12/22 I got a clean cancer report 🙂
- 9/13/22 Lady Gaga with Jamie, Ellie, and Juan
- 10/6/22 First time to go to Puerto Vallarta. Nice place
- 10/22/22 By invitation, Ellie and I met a former POTUS. Had a conversation and got a picture. One more down from my list and Ellie's birthday adventure too
- 11/6/22 Did 76.6 miles of the Alzheimer's ride in Wimberley. My bike broke
- 11/24/22 Thanksgiving in Galveston with 2 or 3 kids
- 11/28/22 Got my "Cape" tattoo. Inspired by a marathon training run
- 12/16/22 First official time to solo sail a boat
- 12/22/22 Official name change of my boat. Video https://youtu.be/Z_Cb_CHDrLc
- 12/31/22 Sunset New Year's Eve sail with Jamie
- 1/1/23 Ran the Kingwood Marathon
- 1/15/23 Ran the Houston Marathon
- 1/28/23 Went on my first cruise to celebrate Jamie's B-Day