JP
Kristen Dowling is hounding me to begin writing my list of “101 Things I Want to Do Before I Die.” I’ve read hers, and she wants to be able to read mine and talk about it … fair enough. She promised this would not take too long, and while I don’t know if I can get it done all in one sitting, at least I’m starting! This will be a work in progress (c’mon … it’s Camp season!)
- Learn to play the djembe (round African drum).
- Adopt a child.
- Be a foster parent.
- Finish a triathlon.
- Speak at a Taylor University chapel.
- Own a Vespa.
- Go to Italy on vacation.
- Go to the Olympics.
- Re-landscape our backyard.
- Take a photography class.
- Take a gourmet cooking class.
- Learn to pick on the guitar.
- Take formal guitar lessons.
Get married.- Finish my Masters of Theology degree.
- Teach a college level class.
- Work for Starbucks.
Own Starbucks stock.- Retire at 62.
Work for Dan Ribbens Contruction and learn everything I can.- Ride 50 miles on my bike.
- Take my Vespa (see #6) on a tour through Northern California.
- Go on a Disney Cruise.
- Play the guitar with Jennifer Knapp.
- Play the guitar with the Indigo Girls.
- Own a house with a large, gourmet kitchen.
- Become a great pool shark.
- Learn Greek.
- Learn Hebrew.
- See a World Cup soccer championship.
- Work with college students alongside my husband (see #14).
- Have an office someday with floor to ceiling bookshelves for all my books.
- Continue collecting books.
- Go on another houseboating vacation with my family.
- Go on another hosueboating vacation with my college buddies.
- Visit the north east in the fall during prime color time.
Share my new big girl bed with a SMOG (studly man of God). #14 is a pre-requisite.- Drive my Pontiac Vibe until it’s time to bury it without crashing it.
- Spend time every week in a coffee shop reading.
- Go to the beach more reguarly.
- See the ball drop at Times Square
Have a guy ask me to get dressed up and take me to The Sage and Onion- Have a guy ask me to wear shorts and flip flops and pack a picnic at the beach
Ok … just have a guy ask me to do something!- Be an elder at SBCC
- Do a bike tour down the coast of Southern California
- Do a bike tour through Italy (this is different than #7)
Have a “home theater room” … The Blue Room in my current house- Own my own Christian Cafe/Coffee shop, featuring live music and hours past midnight (I’ll hire someone else for that shift!)
- Write a book … topic TBD
- Visit Val in Boston
- Always stay friends with Julie Fredeen and Marcy Ripberger (my two closest college buddies … thank you Verizon!)
- Find a mentor that I can meet with every week or so over some great coffee or tea.
Install an attic staircase.- In the event of #14, stay sensitive to my single friends (like my friends Paul and Karen are!)
- Be a really great Homegroup Leader
- Teach Zak not to go crazy when the door bell rings.
- Teach Zak to sit like a good boy when the person enters the door.
- Teach Zak to pick up his toys and put them in his basket.
- Teach Zak to enjoy the swimming pool and go for a dip with me.
- Be able to afford to heat the swimming pool so #60 happens.
- Make my really cool living room furniture from Target last until #14 happens, then pick out new stuff with said person).
- Bike from Ojai to Ventura to the beach on that super cool bike path.
- Own one of those amazingly small Sony laptops.
- Own an Apple computer (just for the Garage Band feature).
- Learn to play “Peace” by Jennifer Knapp (did I say that already??)
- Own a VW Camper and take it all kinds of fun places in the US.
- If #14, #2, or #3 ever happen, make camping our regular family vacation … everyone remembers camping trips!
- Go camping with Julie and Marcy (#52) when it DOESN’T rain.
- Experience a church in Korea … one of the MEGA churches.
- Live near the Friesen’s.
- Be asked to be someone’s God-parent.
Have someone throw me a surprise birthday party.- Make a regular time each year to hang out with Sal and JB (my how we laugh when we’re together!)
- Stay active in GWEOT and read some GREAT books (even though it is slow).
- Have all 7 of my neices and nephews come visit me for a week.
- Use my bow flex at least 2 times a week (I need a workout partner!)
- Visit China (might be helpful if Val came along).
- Have a situation like the Peterson/Ridenour/Ridenour/Popp houses … have good friends live right next door.
- Complete a 40 day fast.
- Read through the Bible every year
- Have one of those houses that people just KNOW they can relax in and feel totally themselves.
- Have one of those houses that people always feel like they can stop by for a visit, even if I’m not home (like pretty much all the places mentioned in #79).
- Take a sabatical (sounds cool, doesn’t it!)
- Visit Knotting Hill (is it really a place?)
Hold hands in church with someone special.- Go to a Women’s Final Four again with Marcy.
- Learn to dress better.
- Have my “fat pants” last until I die.
- Be buried in my “fat pants” (seriously … I want to be buried in those pants. I’ll put it in my will.
Find a 2nd pair of pants I love nearly as much as my “fat pants” for under $10 (just in case #89 doesn’t happen).Have Reed Jolley officiate my wedding.- Serve In and Out at my wedding reception.
- Serve Twinkies and juice boxes at my wedding (in lieu of cake and punch … cause it’s about as random, don’t you think!)
Have dancing at my wedding, and have everyone feel OK about the fact that I don’t want to dance, but I’ll enjoy watching them.- Lead Homegroup with the McLeans for a long time.
Visit Coach Yow, Rob, Christy, and Steph in North Carolina.- Establish a will (I figure if I’m going to die, this would be an important thing!)
- “Set my house in order” in such a way that when that time comes, my family and friends don’t have to worry and stress over stupid things like what songs to play or what color casket to buy. I realize this is a bit morbid, but like I said in #98, if I’m thinking about all I want to do before I die, this seems appropriate.
- Be a discipler on an AIA soccer tour along with the Friesens (see Jamie’s list for added confirmaton!)
- Reach a level of spiritual maturity that I long for the eternal life in Jesus’ presence more than I love this life.
- Drink 3 Nalgene bottles of water every day.
- Memorize the book of Deuteronomy.