'The Buried Life'

I recently discovered a show airing on MTV called The Buried Life. It follows four guys who travel across the U.S. and Canada accomplishing items they listed on their "100 Things To Do Before You Die" list. They also ask people they meet to name something they'd like to do before they die...and make one of the strangers' wishes come true.

The show has made me laugh a lot as well as cry a few times. That makes a good show in my book! So OF COURSE I started thinking about things I'd like to do before I hit the ground - and remembered I actually made a list back in 2002 or so, when The Kid was just a little guy. This was before I started working for Satan Inc., and I was quite the optimist...so I was excited to see what I listed. I dug the list out and posted below (my snarky comments in bold, natch):

1. Gamble in Las Vegas
2. Go to the top of the Empire State Building (Ummm...been to NYC and was petrified of terrorists on every corner. Probably will cross this one off.)
3. Ski in Colorado
4. Run in a marathon (Psht! I only run when chased so I don't have high hopes for this one...)
5. Visit Los Angeles (My family lives outside of LA but I've never ventured into The City.)
6. Party at Mardi Gras
7. Move The Kid out of Illinois
8. Get my bachelor's degree (DONE!)
9. Get married - if only for a day
10. Gamble in Monte Carlo (This was when I still had dreams of marrying a billionaire. Or a professional tennis player.)
11. Take a dip in the Mediterranean
12. See the U.S. by motorhome (Yeah. I saw the Southeast by motorhome and almost left my mother in Georgia. On purpose.)
13. Go to Yellowstone and snap breathtaking pictures (I was a bit more...earthy back then. Now I'd go to Yellowstone only if they had an all-inclusive tour bus with A/C and a wet bar.)
14. Have a kitchen with ceramic tile floors (I don't know why...but my bathroom has a ceramic tile floor so DONE!)
15. Waterski
16. Teach a college course
17. Attend a Jimmy Buffet concert
18. Own a Land Rover (I'd actually rather marry someone who owns a Land Rover.)
19. Learn to play the guitar
20. Teach The Kid to dance (DONE!)
21. Attend a seance
22. Shop at Mall of America (DONE! but see snarky comment on #12 and replace "Southeast" with "Midwest" and "Georgia" with "Iowa".)
23. Visit Yale
24. Own a home (DONE!)
25. Swim with dolphins (DONE! And that REALLY kicked ass!)

Fast forward eight years and a whoooole lot of road later. I'm a completely different person now. I bought my own house, raised my son by myself, had a shitty abusive boss, lost my job, and am trying to pick up the pieces. So I've revamped my list...for better or worse.

1. Own a house with a pool
2. Deliver a baby
3. Raise The Kid to be a considerate compassionate man who doesn't own a motorcycle
4. Scuba dive again - perhaps in Belize?
5. Take another cruise
6. Perform one night of stand-up comedy
7. Gamble in Vegas
8. Ski Big Bear Lake again (This time without ice/snow and a concussion, please.)
9. Skinny dip properly
10. Forgive several family members who deserted me as a child
11. Be asked for an autograph
12. Get arrested (BUT NOT FOR DUI.)
13. Get married - and divorced in the same week
14. Overcome my fear of flying (probably needed to accomplish #4)
15. Save a life
16. Make a stranger's wish come true

Looking back, I see I've become less materialistic...and hopefully a better person. Then again, I think I'm more fun to be around since I've become a closet alcoholic.

Anyone else have some dying wishes???