The Emerald Rose

      Ok, saw a “blurb” today that the guy who wrote a book called “100 things to do before I die” , well,….he died, at age 47! And like one commentor said, “Boy he really checked out early, I wonder how much of his list he got done?”

      Started me thinking,…first I take the given that at 63 a list of 100 things might just be pushing it a bit. So I scaled it back to 10 things, when I get them done I’ll make up another ten. Sounds more practical to me! After all if a date with Bridgette Bardot had been on my list at 21,…well it would have been replaced with “ritual Hari-Kari”! Saw a picture of here a couple weeks ago, and she has NOT aged well,…not well at all!

      Anyway thought I’d throw out the challenge to everyone, a serious challenge, not a joke. Below are my “Current List” of ten things I’d like to do before I die, (and possibly a little comment on them by way of expansion)

      They are in no particular order, or preferance either, so don’t do a freud thing on me over them.

     So you got the “moxie”, “guts” or “visionary thinking modern human being of this Global Village” to send me your “Top Ten”?

       Here we go;

              1. Go to Ireland and hang out in a few pubs every evening for a week or two, sit in on a “sessiun” (same as here, a session), drink Guinness, and play my Bodhran (a single skin drum which looks more like a Tamborine frame, played with a “tipper’ or six inch long stick with rounded ends, and tone changed by exerting pressure on the back and in various places on the skin itself. Usually made of Goatskin.)

              2. Go to “Old Trafford” legendary home of the Manchester(England) United Red Devils Football Club and watch them play a League game.

              3. Charter a 45foot Catamaran and just cruise and “Island Hop” all over the Carribean for a few weeks with my wife, and noone else (except the Captain, and the Cook/1st Mate) Sort of a second Honeymoon after 43 years, or is it 42? Shit, whatever from June 10, 1967 calculates out to be.

              4. Go back to Boston for a visit, watch the Red Sox play from on top of “The Green Monster”, take another “Duck Tour” (Ducks are HUGE old WWII amphibious landing craft with six or eight wheels. The Tour consists of riding around the City of Boston, seeing the Historic sights, “quacking” at everyone walking and watching, then drive right into the Charles River and boat on down the river past Harvard University, Boston University, and MIT), THEN an evening picnic of Champagne, great cheeses, a “Ploughman’s Platter” on the “Esplanade” on the Charles River about thirty feet away from The Boston Pops Orchestra for the Annual 4th of July Concert and Fireworks.

                5. A nice Harley-Davidson (not a damn Rice Rocket!) of my own (Sportster is fine, already got the Motorcycle Licence from a past life) just to get off my ass and feel the wind in my face again after a day of bitchy work and just go “blow the stink off” two or three times a week.

                6. A full summer with a nice big RV, all gasoline paid for of course and no breakdowns, to cruise the country and see things in the west we always flew over, go to a few Drum & Bugle Corps contests, see the mountains, go visit the kids and grand kids, and just chill out for three months.

                7. Go back to Hawaii for two weeks just to enjoy the great climate and Hawaiian culture and beauty.

                8. (Gotta have one that is a HUGE stretch and may indeed just have to move to the next list each time) Hit the lottery for about ten million dollars to take all the pressure off the rest of our brief stop in life, and that I can provide gifts to worthy causes

                9. Obtain my Bachelors degree from either Boston College or Florida State University in Business and/or History

               10. Obtain a job teaching History at a High School or Junior College level. (There were one or two teachers and Professors I had who made you love learning, I know I could do that. I wouldn’t be orthodox about it, but by God my students would learn, and better yet love to learn, and carry that love of learning forward and pass it on to others)

           Then I would start on my second list of ten. So what’s you’re top ten?

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