Lists

Love, love, love crossing things off lists. In my younger chef days when I worked the line I would have a long prep list written out on a chit, as most cooks do, and it would be a pleasure to cross those items off as we neared service time. Scallops - check. Linguine - check. Duck prosciutto - check...and so on. Don't tell anyone, but I would sometimes put things on the list that I had already done just so I could cross them off.

Bucket lists are funny things to me. I like the idea as long as they aren't confining in any way. As in, I didn't kiss the blarney stone, whatever shall I do?? I must be a failure. I tend to look at them as aspirations and dreams that I will try to accomplish, but if I don't I'm sure I will have some fun along the way. So, in no particular order, here be some things on my bucket list.

• Find a way to live part of my time in Europe. I don't care if I have to work a bit while there for some spending money, I just don't want to be only a tourist passing through. Greece, Italy, France, Spain, England, Portugal....I don't care, they all sound great
• Motorcycle road trip. If I ever get a bike, the epic ride to anywhere and back
• Bungee jump off of something really high up...balls in the throat sort of thing
• Spend a week in Monaco for the Grand Prix
• Watch my kids grow into the amazing people I know they will be
• Hold my grand kids 
• Put my life, such as it is, into the hands of a master sushi chef. Sit down with a good friend and let them do as they wish. We are your palette...create!
• Lock myself away in a grand bookstore or library for a week. Surrounded by history, I would sneak in some wine, food and cigars and let it all soak in
• See John Mellencamp in concert again. His show way back when is still one of the highlight shows of my life
• Bag tag Donald Drumph...fucker that he is
• See her again
• Speaking of balls in my throat, fly on a fighter jet for some real speed action
• Spend a month sailing the waters around the Caribbean. Well, someone else can sail and I will sip wine, feast on fresh fish and other delicacies  
• Hang out with Neil Young for a week. The last of the five that I called "the man". The others, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley and Leonard Cohen are all gone
• Recreate the "Big Night" dinner for important people in my life

Hmmmmmmmm, family and friends, travel, conviviality and food and drink. Seems about right. With a little stupidity thrown in for good measure. These are but a small sampling of some of the things I'd like to do, the important thing is to understand that it is much better to be doing stuff than owning stuff. For that fact, to being doing anything that teaches me something, opens my mind to something and takes me out of my comfort zone, even a little bit is fine by me. 

Taking myself out of my comfort zone and letting things happen on a personal level is one of those newer things that I have come to enjoy since really taking myself out of comfort with my divorce. I went to a sing along choir. I rolled down the hills at Acadia simply because. I went to U@, fully prepared to go at it alone. Like that picture above...someone wanted to do my portrait and I don't care for posing, but I'm glad I did.

What's on your list?

Ciao

D