50 Before 50 (My Bucket List)

I turned 47 on March 6th (2019). I don’t shy away from my age, I don’t get sad about it, or lie about it, or wish I were aging in reverse. I embrace it. I own it. I have made it this far and it’s been a pretty amazing 47 years. I have a few frown lines, a few gray hairs, and lord knows my memory is not what it used to be, but each day I wake up is a blessing and today, on the anniversary of my entrance into this crazy world, I am thinking about how much I still have to do. In that spirit, I have decided to publish a “50 before 50” list: fifty things I’d like to do before I turn 50. Some of the things on the list are things that have been on my mind a while and may even have accomplished or am in the process or accomplishing; others are things that have come to me more recently. The list is a work I progress. My hope is to blog about each item as I accomplish it (or attempt to) and I’ll link those posts here. These are in no particular order… except the first one, because NKOTB!

**Welp, I turned 50 in March of this year (2022), and I still had a bunch of these left undone. So I’m going to spend some time amending the list (I’ve already started tweaking it), adding and deleting and updating as I go. Latest updates are in bold.

See NKOTB in concert (again). This one is happening! Click here for an update! And then click here for an EPIC update! But then click here for an even more epic update!
Girls weekend! Girls weekend, girls weekend, girls weekend.
Go to a Red Sox game.
Visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney. I cannot wait for this one. The attraction is opening this August and we’re hoping to visit in November! Grrr. This one is currently on hold thanks to the COVID pandemic. Not really sure if this one is going to happen, but I’m keeping it on here because I’m an optimist…
Officiate a wedding. That happened!
See Pink in concert. Got tickets for her August show at Fenway!
Go to a Pat’s game.
Organize my office. Feels like a losing battle, but I’m working on it. This one’s pretty much a lost cause at this point.
Take my son to visit New York. We had a trip planned over April vacation to DC and NY, but the COVID pandemic got in the way. Not sure what will happen with this one.
Get a(nother) tattoo. Have gotten several more since I posted this, but there’s another one coming soon.
Watch every episode of West Wing again. This one is constantly in progress because it’s the greatest show in the history of shows. Martin Sheen is just the bee’s knees. His book with his son Emilio, Along the Way, is among my favorites. I’d love to sit down with him over a cup of tea and just chat about faith. And I’d love to sit and have a glass of wine with Allison Janney! She made me laugh then; she makes me laugh now.
Attend my 30th(!) high school reunion. This is supposed to happen this July (2020), but we’re in the middle of the COVID pandemic and it looks like it’s going to be postponed if not canceled. This COVID crap is seriously starting to piss me off! This wasn’t rescheduled, so here’s hoping for the 35th.
Let my guard down, embrace the vulnerability, and open up. Just talk. Probably will require wine…
Make a scrapbook.
Go to a drive-in movie.
Put my gi on and go to the dojo one more time. Don’t think this one is likely to happen, but I often dream about it.
Learn to cook anything from scratch.
See Billy Joel in concert. ~~We have tickets for his September show in Boston!~~ Mission complete, and it was a great night! Click here for deets!
Complete message banking. Just about done with this one.
Host a movie night by the pool.
Finish writing screenplay about Paul. Working on this one.
Take my son to another Imagine Dragons concert.
Visit Washington D.C. (See note on #9.) This may be happening in July.
Rent a boat and spend the day out on the ocean with friends.
Go to Comic-Con.
See Air Supply in concert. Done!
Write my name in wet cement.
Learn more about my Dad’s family in England.
Cousins road trip to visit family in Kentucky. Done! Read all about it here.
Spread the rest of Paul’s ashes.
See my son graduate high school.
Get more involved in ALS fundraising and advocacy.
See Star Wars IX. ~~Coming to a theater near me December 20, 2019. Cannot WAIT! RISE OF SKYWALKER!~~ Done!
Make more time to pray/meditate each day.
Take some classes at a local college. This one is in progress. I took a philosophy class last fall. I had to withdraw from a winter class I’d signed up for because I developed a respiratory infection and missed too much. Hoping to go back.
Become more active on Facebook and Twitter and use it for good. Meh. This one is touch and go…
Reconnect with my cousin Kristen. Happily in progress! Sadly, this one didn’t age particularly well.
Visit colleges with my son.
Read the books I’ve loaded on Kindle over the past couple of months. (And then load some more.)
Fill out advance directives.
Do something completely out of my comfort zone.
Complete a D&D campaign with my son. Started, stopped, and started again. Will update soon.
Watch all Star Wars movies in a row in a single weekend.
Completely unplug for a ~~week~~ weekend (baby steps…)
Visit my childhood neighborhood.
Visit my grandparent’s old house and try to get inside to look around (by asking the current owners, not breaking in…)
Go to a Kentucky Derby party (and rock a big hat!).
Prepare a will. Done-ish
Experience a flash mob.
I’m keeping this one open, because you never know what tomorrow may bring…

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