Bucket Lists, Paper Cuts and Jell-O

In my last blog post I mentioned that visiting Ireland was on my Bucket List. And in doing so, I was prompted to go back and take a look at the whole list. To be honest, I was quite encouraged with my progress, particularly since I’ve always tried to cast every care to the wind and live my life to the fullest: to not only push the edge of the envelope but to lick the flap in such a way that it might induce paper cuts on my tongue.

So I thought I’d share my list with you in hopes that it will encourage you to reach for the stars as well. And because I love to cook, many of them are food related. But I also love to sing, play instruments, and act the fool, so some of those are on here as well.

Enjoy.

Warren’s Bucket List as of March 31st  (With a few caveats and explanations.)

1. Push the edge of the envelope then lick it to induce paper cuts. – Check

2. Learn to not lick the salt off a margarita glass after doing so. -- Check

3. Publicly express my appreciation to then-CIA Director George Tenet for his outstanding leadership at one of the top culinary schools in the world. – Check*

   *Which raised the eyebrows of the other thirty or forty people present but brought a smile to Mr. Tenet who then promised to share with me his grandmother’s recipe for pastitsio after the meeting.

4. Hike and cook along the Appalacian Trail. – Check

5. Learn to spell Appalachian. -- Check

6. Become the best banjo player in the state of Florida. – Check*

   *I came close. Placed second. Not bad for a born and bred New Yorker who wouldn’t know grits from a grunt.

7. Sing background vocals on a Peter, Paul & Mary album. – Check*

   *Paul Stookey lived in the neighborhood and he needed some kids to sing background vocals on the album Peter, Paul and Mommy. I was one of the ones who couldn’t outrun Mr. Stookey so they dragged me and a bunch of other slow runners to the studio. (Yes, that’s me in the lower left hand corner of the pic on the back of the album.)

8. Make my own wine. – Check

9. Yuck. Okay, make my own wine vinegar. – Check

10. Personally thank Nobel Peace Prize Winner Desmond Tutu for his great work in designing all those dresses for little ballerinas. – Check*

     *Amid all the accolades he received at that small luncheon, I think mine was the most meaningful to him. At least it seemed so by the roar of his laughter.

11. Make my own mess. – Check

12. Learn to clean it up. – Check

13. Surround myself with a gorgeous wife, great family, and very patient friends. – Check.

14. Write a novel. – Check

15. Write a cookbook. – Check

16. Right a wrong. – Check


Items still yet to be done:

1. Visit Ireland.

2. Eat Jell-O with chopsticks.

3. Write a sequel to Julie and Julia about two women who run a kosher catering company in Manhattan’s diamond district. Call it: Jewry, Jewelry, Julia and Julie.

4. Teach an old dog new tricks.

5. Learn to speak a foreign language. I'm thinking Spanish. Or maybe even Haiku.

6. Walk into a Starbucks and tell them their coffee really does taste like battery acid.

7. Live to be 110 just so I can tell folk that daydreaming, single malt scotch, blog writing, roller coasters, and a strong (but woefully inconsistent) love for God are the keys to a long and happy life.

Now…

What's on your Bucket List?