Lists of thing I want to do before I croak? I was inspired by reading another local writer’s version, and some of the items on the list, I’ve already checked off. What dreams do I have these days?
It also goes back to a question posed by my father, last time I saw him in Dallas. I’m off to Dallas again, this time for fun instead just work, but still, as I was working through my list, I was trying to figure out what I haven’t accomplished that I wanted to get done.
Graduate degree. Never finished that. I’m only part way through one, and it’s been a good ten years since I was in a university class. In the meantime, I’ve written for newspapers, magazines, and finally, just this website. Works for me.
I’ve done river trips, mountain trips, seen Europe. Been to Australia. Hong Kong. Lived in foreign countries. Was fluent, at one time, in more than one language.
What got me off on this tangent, though, was thinking about climbing mountains. Not figurative mountains, but the real thing. Did that. I was about 14 or 15, Outward Bound kind of a deal. Pretty cool. Been there, done that. I remember the summit a lot less than the heart-pounding action of a half-dozen guys roped together, slipping on the icy face of an incline, I think, close to 10,000 feet – Canadian Rockies, Alberta or BC.
Raced motorcycles. Still the finest point in that adventure was 130+ MPH, a couple of times on a small bike on a racetrack, Texas World Speedway as it was called then, in College Station, and one night, with some friends, racing back to Dallas on the old Turnpike. Wouldn’t even dream of such behavior these days.
Did a night in jail for something like that. Funny, at least to me, that overnight visit doesn’t show up on my record. I think the arresting officer was just pissed. In my defense, I pulled over as soon as I saw the red lights – I didn’t mean to create a problem. Sure as hell never told my family about that – nor, for that matter, future and past employers.
I do think it would incredibly exhilarating to ride out a hurricane out as it hits the coast. 104 MPH winds were reported the other morning. Now that sounds exciting. But I’d like to do that in relative safety, not sure how I could accomplish that. I’m still working on the idea. Maybe from the balcony of a beachfront hotel.
That last idea, could be a few years off, but I think it was spawned by the both literature and the local weather. Nothing like a little hurricane in the middle of the summer to rattle the trailer.
All it did yesterday was intermittent rain. Sometimes heavy, sometime light. I’m worried, the horoscope column I finished weighed in at just a bit over 3K words. That’s just too long.
I did join the Austin Bloggers for a couple of rounds of coffee, under the eves of Ruta Maya.
“Next time, let’s meet someplace where there isn’t live music and a poetry reading going on at the same time.”
Test patterns
Another personal favorite, from Midland, Texas. The sign is no longer up because the local zoning laws changed. I always liked that one, though, as it demonstrated something about the Permian Basin. Not sure what, but it was something.
