Hello all,

   I recently caught a TV show about an ultimate list of 30 things to do in life... I tought I would share it with you and also take a look at what I have done... it's fun to see what you might have accomplished in life!

30. GET A TATTOO ? Follow the following three rules for getting a tattoo.

1. Make sure that whatever you?re going to get tattooed is something that you put a lot of thought into.
2. It's one thing to get your kid?s name tattooed, but remember tattoos last a lot longer than romance.
3. Don?t get tattooed for anyone else, get tattooed for you.
(I have been looking into one for years... just never got to it.)

29. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
(Done that.)

28. RIDE A ROLLERCOASTER
(I ALWAYS ride em every time I go to a park!)

27. PAY TRIBUTE TO THE GODS OF ROCK AND ROLL ? If you love music or just want to know more about the greats, then take a pilgrimage to the places where their presence can still be felt.
Places to visit:
Kurt Cobain?s house in Seattle, Wash.
Jim Morrison?s grave in Paris
John Lennon?s memorial at Strawberry Fields in New York
Joshua Trees in Nevada desert (made famous by U2)
The Abbey Road crossroads in London

(Nope... nothing done there...)

26. BUY THE HOUSE A ROUND

(One day... would be fun!)

25. TRY THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE ? Live it up by ordering a Magie Noir cocktail.  This ultimate treat is made by the mixologists at London?s Umbaba bar. With a shot of Hennessy aged cognac, a measure of Dom Perignon vintage champagne, and a dash of Cr? de Mure, the Magie Noir is officially the world?s most expensive cocktail at $620.

(Does a 9.25$ watered down Molson Ex at the Bell Center count?    Well, I did buy a bottle of Dom Perignon at 170$ once.

24. LEARN TO DANCE

(Believe it or not, I am actually a good dancer!)

23. JUMP ? At 216 meters off the ground, the Bloukrans Bridge bungee jump in South Africa is the highest bungee jump in the world.  

(I have 43 bungee jumps under my belt!)

22. BE NICE  

(f*** off!     Nah...I can say that I have done my share of this!   I even have a girl living at my place for the next few months so she can get back on her feet (boyfriend kicked her out beforre Xmas... a**hole) and I refused any rent... In the end, kindness always comes back your way.)

21. DRIVE YOUR DREAM CAR

(Well, I rather BUY my dream car, but I have driven quite a few that could fall in this category, including a 20-minute test drive of a 1985 black Lamborghini Countach... all I can say is that it is a true b**** to drive (shifts like a truck and you need a good set of arms to steer it), but the sheer G-force and screaming of that engine when you floor one... it is actually scary. The car seems to beg you to just push that pedal down.)

20. VEGAS ? Everyone should hit Vegas at least once before they turn 30.

Nope, not yet.)

19. ROCK ?TIL YOU DROP ? The music that you love during your younger years is the music that you?ll love forever. Crowd Surfing is a great way to share your love with the rest of the crowd. It?s also a great way to get the best view of your favorite band.

(OH YEAH! I always try to hit a concert when a classic band comes into town!)

18. COME FACE TO FACE WITH MOTHER NATURE ?  It?s dangerous, risky, and sometimes deadly but if you want to look Mother Nature straight in the eye, then storm chasing has got to be on the list.

(Yes... I hit a hurricane while on vacation in Florida a while back..I posted about it. VERY scary.

17. VISIT FAMOUS FICTIONAL LOCATIONS OR CELEBRITY WATCH ? Grab a cup of coffee in Tom?s Restaurant, the place made famous by Seinfeld. Or, go to Mann?s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, wait in line at a premiere and have your autograph book ready.

(Nope... well, maybe yes... I did go to Roxy's Deli in New York's Times Square in 1991 because I heard that famous people go there and food was good. I actually ran into one of my favorite Western film actors and then famous for a TV role (The Ninja Master), Lee Van Cleef! I still have his autograph somewhere! I loved that guy with Clint Eastwood in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. He said he was in town for a play (for which he gave me tickets for!!!)  and said that he was touched that a younger generation still appreciated what he has done and was still doing. A classy guy!).

16. BUY YOUR FAVORITE ARCADE GAME  

(MWAAAHHHAAHHHAAHHHAAA!!! I SHOULD GET BONUS POINTS HERE!!!)

15. LEARN HOW TO COOK

(I can BBQ like the best of em and I make MEAN desserts!

14. TAKE A ROAD TRIP ? The road trip is the only way to really experience all that our vast country has to offer.  Try one of these routes the next time you're in the mood for wide, open spaces.

Border to Border
From North to South, Highway 93 will take you from the Columbia Icefields all the way to Arizona. On this trip, don?t miss the Neon Museum Boneyard outside Vegas.

Coast to Coast
US?50 will take anyone brave enough to attempt this 3,200 mile monster road trip right across the country from East to West. After that humungous drive, de-stress and wind down with Grateful Dead fans in San Francisco?s hippy Haight neighborhood.
  
Or, try driving from Chicago to Los Angeles on America's famous Route 66.  For neon lights, an overload of classic Americana, and a whole heap of trucks and trailers go for Route 66.

(Well, I drove from Montreal to Florida quite a few times. I love to drive!

13. BECOME A WINE BUFF ? Here are three rules to ordering wine:

1. Your wine should normally match your meal.  Remember, white goes with light.  This means if you?re eating light flavors like chicken or fish, go for the white wine. Red goes with dark, so always pair red wine with red meat and highly spiced foods.

2. Get the right temperature. Keep white wine in the refrigerator and keep red wine at room temperature. Pink wine should be cold and sparkling wine even colder.

3. Like what you drink and drink what you like.

(I know the first 2 rules, but I rarely drink...)

12. AVOID LOOKING OLD ? Ami suggests the following tips for keeping that youthful glow.

1. Plenty of water inside and outside.

2. For men, keep your weapons sharp and clean.  A blunt razor will rip clumps of skin off your face and speed up the aging process.  

3. Give your skin regular pampering.

(I am screwed here...)

11. PARTY WITH THE BEST IN THE WORLD ? Want to really party?  Try one of these locations:

Ibiza, Spain
Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany
Carnival in Rio, Brazil
Miami, USA

Does any La Cage aux Sports during a Habs game count? ...I did go on Crescent Street in Montreal ... in 1992!

10. EAT SOMETHING CRAZY

(I am always wiling to experiment with food! I have eaten exotic stuff like shark, eel, crickets, beetles, snake, and some weird American stuff which was worse (and all fried) like fried pickles (is good!), and a deep-fried Snickers bar!! Now THAT comes back to haunt you at night!!!

9. MASTER THE WEDDING TOAST  ? Chances are you will be asked to give a wedding toast before you turn 30, but make sure you've actually mastered it before the big event. Keep it short and sweet no matter how much history there is between friends.

(I have done quite a few already.)

8. PUSH YOUR LIMITS.

(Weight limit?    Yes, I have in the past, but not in a while... I do miss the adrenaline rushes!

7. PLAY HOOKY AND DO SOMETHING FUN

(I can't tell you how many times I've left work to go pin-shopping!!!

6. SINK OR SWIM  ? Get up close and personal with the largest, most deadly, most intelligent, and the most colorful creatures in the sea. Suggested locations:

The Great Barrier Reef located off the Queensland, Australia is the world?s largest coral reef and considered one of the seven modern natural wonders of the world.  Covering an area of 23,200 square kilometers ? that makes it about half the size of Texas ? the Great Barrier Reef is home to more than 1,500 species of fish.  

There are less than a handful of locations in the world where you can swim with whales. Located in the southern Pacific Ocean is the island of Vava?u  in Tonga, where whales teach their newborn calves the ways of the ocean. This is a perfect place to come face-to-face with a 40-ton mother and her baby.
  
Cage diving in waters populated by the most deadly predator in the ocean is an experience every underwater explorer should have. Despite their fearsome reputation Great White Sharks can be shy and are difficult to find in the wild. So head for the waters around Dyer Island near Cape Town, South Africa for some guaranteed Great White action.

(I swam with stingrays. It was WAY cool! And no... no Croc Hunter incident...

5. BACKPACK ? Traveling the world, broadening your mind, and generally having the best holiday of your life is what backpacking is all about.  Check out some favorite spots.

Cambodia ? home of empty beaches, huge rivers, dense forests, and most famously the Ancient Temples of Angkor Wat. Mysterious and amazing these temples were only recently rescued from the jungle that had grown over them.  

Peru ? The best reason to travel to Peru is to make like the Inca and visit their legendary 600 year old city of Machu Picchu.

China ? Built nearly 2,000 years ago and stretching for 6,400 kilometers, the Great Wall of China remains a construction marvel today.

India ? You can?t claim to have visited India properly without setting eyes on the Taj Mahal. Come at sunset to see the white marble slowly turn from gold, to pink, then red, and finally blue. Everyone should find the time at some point to throw a few things in a bag and see the world.

(Nope...)

4. DESTROY SOMETHING BIG WITHOUT HURTING ANYONE

(My cousin's 1978 Mustang Cobra II... we ripped that car apart with everything we could find... sledgehammer, blow torch... baseball bat... you name it. I have also destroyed my share of games.

3. QUIT A JOB YOU HATE

(Oh, I did that... problem is that I may have taken another...     )

2. PUSH YOURSELF  ?  Test yourself by entering one of these world famous competitions:

The London marathon is the largest modern race in the world, so join the 40,000 other runners and see if you can go the 26.2 mile distance.  

If a regular marathon seems pretty tame, why not really push yourself and take part in the annual Iron Man competition. Wannabe Iron Men start off with a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike race, and then they finish off with a full marathon.

Today the really hardcore competitors are turning to Ultra Marathons to get their kicks. In Ultra Marathons runners compete over distances of 50 or 100 miles. The Marathon Des Sables is the most challenging event in the world. Competitors run six marathons in six days through the scorching Sahara desert.

(I don't think a 73-hour film-marathon for charity qualifies)

1.  FIGURE OUT HOW TO GROW UP, NOT OLD ? Each day should be an adventure where you do something different, learn something new and experience anything life throws at you.

(Obviously, the man that wrote this is either rich or delusional!   )


Well... 19.5 out of 30... I still have some living left to do!!!

Sparky

Did
29: Got married and had 2 kids, that was outside my comfort zone
28: Not too often but do
27: Jim Morrison, Syd Vicious (Hotel Chelsea in NY where he killed his girlfriend, dont know where he is buried)
26: Small bar in Detroit used to have an unadvertised 1 cent mixed drink special on Sunday night for locals.  I used to go with friends from Windsor and would put  a ten spot on the bar when I walked in
25: Bottle of Dom for New Years eve in 2000 when Y2K was going to stop the world
24: Punk and ska count?
23: One bungee on Vancouver island and one from a plane
22: Sod you jack
20: Several Times.  Love NL poker and have been to the pinball hall of fame
19:Still have all my vinyl and still collecting more in 45 now for the juke I may never own
18: Raced a twister in Illinois moving back from Vancouver in my omni pulling a trailer.  The tornado killed 5
16: We all have
15: Very well before I got married and lazy
14: In my fraternity university days we road tripped on half hour notice everywhere
12: I run, bike and swim.  Used to marathon
9: Best man a few times
8: Scuba dive all the time
7: I have been sick to go to the US for pinshow and bought my BK on a sick day
6: Scuba dive again
5: BC when I was in grad school but not lately
2: Many marathons under my belt and will be doing triathlons now
Twenty one out of Thirty. And on that note I would like to wish all my pin and vid brothers and sisters the Merriest of Christmas if you celebrate it, the Happiest Hanukah or the Kraziest Kwanza or the best of the season if you wish.  May you find a warehouse raid that you will share with me.