Wednesday, July 21, 2010

My Very Annoying Bucket List

Recently, I read the book “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. It was very inspirational and left me with many things to ponder in my own life.

One of the “happiness increasers” (that’s my word, not Gretchen’s) that she shares in the book is how delicious it feels to really commit to a goal—and then, of course, accomplish it!

So I got to thinking about my goals—and then about my own personal bucket list.

For inspiration, I Googled “bucket list” to see the ideas that other people had.

Here were some examples:

--Break a world record
--Experience weightlessness
--Extreme skydiving
--Feed the sharks
--Ride a camel
--Ride in a hot air balloon
--Be a contestant on Survivor

Yikes! I don’t think that’s quite what I had in mind. For one thing, I really really really really hate heights and especially flying. Also, I’m scared of sharks, I heard that camels spit, and I am a huge wimp who could never last more than a day in the wilderness without my allergy pills, my microwave oven, and my sweet-smelling herbal shampoo.

Besides, I was thinking more about those types of annoying and/or seemingly insurmountable tasks that I often think that I’d like to do, but somehow never get around to it.

For example:

-- Clean out our hall closet and ditch or recycle stuff—like the green bar of soap shaped like a boot that I got in a White Elephant Christmas gift exchange at work a few years ago.

--Go to the doctor for my plantar fasciitis pain and get that damn cortisone shot, already!

--Clean up my blog links and get rid of old, inactive links—as well as add some links to blogs I’ve been enjoying but keep forgetting to link to. (Bad Alice and Yellowdog Granny, I’m thinking of you two!)

--Organize our bookshelves and get rid of books that I will never, ever, ever read.

--Somehow convince Iwanski to get rid of the books that he will never, ever, ever read. (This would truly be a miracle. Iwanski is an even bigger packrat than I am.)

--Finally take the three big garbage bags of “to donate” clothes that have been sitting in our bedroom for two months to Goodwill or Salvation Army.

--Tear the house apart looking for the tiny key (which has been lost for two years) which opens the locked filing cabinet in our living room

--After failing to find the tiny key, find out how to pick a lock so that I can open aforementioned filing cabinet.

--Clean out said filing cabinet.


Whew! I’m exhausted just looking at this list.

However, in less than a week I am going to check one item off the list. I FINALLY made a doctor appointment for my plantar fasciitis. And dammit, I’m going to get that shot, even if I have to scream “I WANT CORTISONE!” at the top of my lungs. I’m sure the doctor would love that…but I am SO ready for this pain to go away.

So hell, at least I am doing one item on my Very Annoying Bucket List.

So what should I do next? Clean out the hall closet? Organize our bookshelves? Find out how to pick a lock?

Whatever I decide to do, I think I will have to approach the task with an open mind…and an open bottle of wine.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's a trick for the filing cabinet.... look for the manufacturers name, find their website, and use the number on the lock to order a replacement key. For about $10, you can check one item off your list.

Citymouse said...

I have the same kind of bucket list but I have found it hard to do with working so much. Today, I have a day off, I am starting at one end of the house and working my way to the other in the hopes of getting a great deal done.
good luck with your list!

lisahgolden said...

I have one simple solution for the boot shaped soap. Use it. I hang on to soaps that I bought for outrageous prices because they smelled nice or the packaging matched the lime green bathroom or some other crazy reason like I felt obliged to buy something in the downtown boutique shop so it would stay open.

While money is tight, I'm glad to have had a back up supply and it's one of those things - why wait? Plus they really do smell nice.

Well done on making that appointment! Away with the pain!

Mom said...

Your bucket list seems ever so much more practical than the sample list, but I did actually ride a camel.

Random Thinker said...

I say pick the lock. You could stage as sort of a "Al Capone Safe Opening!" Invite friends, serve wine.

Br. Jonathan said...

Two words:
Trash Chute

Unknown said...

I saw the nice mention of my book, The Happiness Project, here! I very much appreciate those kind words and you shinning a spotlight on my work!! Thanks and best wishes,
Gretchen

Barb said...

My bucket list (such as it is) is somewhere between the authors and yours. But it constantly evolves. I do have ride in a hot air balloon on it though.

rosemary said...

hum....your annoying list sounds like a lot of work!!!! I did my bucket list....you can borrow a few of my last adventures. i started The Power of Now.....I am lost at page 27 and don't understand it. I need a first grade level starter book on how to live NOW instead of worrying about what has happened and what will. I went to your web suggestion and was overwhelmed.....what do you suggest?