Bucket, part deux

It's now been a year since my first posting of my Bucket List, and I thought it time to add/update the list. I think it's important to keep setting goals and achieving dreams, so if you don't have your own List going, get moving.

Since last year, the only one on the previous list that I've checked off (and really, if it was only gonna be one, it's a good one) was the WPS game. I came close to the hotdog stand by getting a Chicago dog at Wrigley Field, and got to ride the L, which mostly fulfills my While You Were Sleeping dreams. For other things I've done this past year, which weren't necessarily on the list, but were still awesome, see the first part of this post.

Additions to the Bucket List:

Go to Ireland
See Shakespeare performed live (high school theater doesn't count)
Make Greek food
Learn to dance
Fly first class
Hike the Incan Trail
Brewery Tour
Learn more Spanish (working on this one)
A Vesper martini

Should get a few more checked off in the next year...happy listing!

Going for Gold

Some favorite Olympic moments so far:

Lindsey Vonn's Gold. For me, hands down, probably the most triumphant moment of the games, just barely ahead of

Evan Lysacek's Gold. The gracious way he handled the ridicule from silver medalist Plushenko made it even better.

Kelly Clark singing to her iPod before dropping in to the half-pipe. She's totally tone deaf and doesn't care. I love it.

Adding to what Tess and I have termed our "Olympic Dance Montage"--seeing athletes do funny things as they warm up or celebrate. Among them: Lindsey Vonn's "visualization" of the course, that one freestyle skier that we dubbed "The Pointer", and pumped up dances by Louie Vito, Julia Mancuso, and others


The American snowboard team, men and women: they are so laid-back and goofy--"It was the savvy and saucy thing to do"--and are probably having the most fun of anybody

The triple chocolate bundt cake that came over for the opening ceremonies and stayed until Fat Tuesday. Nothing like diabetes to go with those Olympics.

Mary Carillo's day as a Canadian Mountie. If you can find a clip of this, watch it! It's hilarious.

Commenting on all the cool uniforms. I pretty much want one of everything. Besides the men's figure skating costumes. You can only take so many feathers.

Morgan Freeman's Go World Visa commercials. I'm not kidding, I get choked up talking about them. Ask Mary. They're great.

Amman's interview after his first gold. He was so ecstatic, he would say half a sentence and then go, "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!! I can't believe it!" The poor interviewer couldn't even get a full sentence out of him. It was fun to see that much joy.

And finally...

The fact that we're only halfway done! Keep watching kids!

Summon the Heroes

It's hard to explain the feeling that surrounds the Olympics; I'm sure for most people it's that way. Every 2 years (now that we've split the Winter and Summer Games), the whole world stops, comes together, and celebrates the human spirit. It's about athletes, yes, and I'm certainly one to appreciate the quest for greatness and glory in sports. But it's more than that. It's the joy and fire of the tap-dancing fiddlers and the quiet pride of the aboriginal people in the opening ceremonies. It's seeing countries of millions represented by one, proudly waving their flags for all they're worth. It's story after story of triumph in the face of extreme trial--recovering from injury, competing in memory of lost loved ones, somehow continuing after losing a teammate to a freak accident the day before he takes the world stage. It's tears and awe and fear and relief. It's pure and over-the-top at the same time. There's nothing like it. So, excuse me while I glue myself to the TV for the next 2 weeks to cheer on 216 of our country's greatest.

Eat, Pray, Love, and Fight

While in Indy, I read "Eat, Pray, Love", which I had sort of had on my list for a while, but of which I had no expectations. I enjoyed it. I envied her freedom in Rome to wander in search of the best Neapolitan pizza and gelato, the time she had in India to pray, and the peace she found in Indonesia. And I was impressed by her ability to put words to her spiritual struggles, emotional turmoil, and self-discoveries. While slightly Eastern in its spiritual bent, it wasn't beyond my ability to relate strongly to her experiences in prayer. I laughed out loud multiple times, cried a little bit, and am already planning all the food I'm going to eat next time I'm in Italy.


Finally saw "Avatar." In 3-D. An incredible experience, a visual treat, a moving story. I really enjoyed every minute of it, but part of it got me to thinking. When the general guy (sorry for being ignorant of his name or rank) is rallying the troops against the "native savages" and convincing them that the only way to survive is to attack, I couldn't help but think of all the times we as a country have invaded other lands, displaced people, and killed innocents. I have to believe that most of these were triggered by something more noble than a capitalist endeavor and corporate greed, but regardless, the soldiers believed that they were completely in the right, that they were justified 100% in their vicious attack. They were led to believe that this was the only option. What about the option of leaving? What about the option of exploring other stores of this valuable metal? I can only pray that when American generals (or any generals for that matter) are rallying the troops, they consider all the options, and consider that ours aren't the only lives affected.

A quick note of gratitude...

I returned last night for the last time...until Spring Break. The latest week-long trek to Indy capped off a 10-city, 2 month tour of the US in an effort to seal my fate for the next 3 years. While I do have some good stories from the latest trip (think miniature donkeys), I mostly wanted to take this chance to thank everyone who housed me, chauffeured me, fed me, picked me up from the airport at 11 o'clock at night, and listened to my ranting throughout the whole process. Considering how traumatic this whole thing could have been, you all made it fairly bearable. So, thanks.

World Traveler

Okay, I haven't traveled the world. Whatever. Here's some highlights from my most recent trip to KC and Des Moines/Omaha:

Getting to eat spaghetti pie (watch Waitress) and some authentic KC BBQ. Seeing Gianna imitate an octopus (funniest thing ever!). Seeing friends. The Plaza--can you say 4-story Barnes and Noble? Seeing my first real live dodgeball game. Ordering pizza and vegging on the couch with an old movie.

Sledding with the Kiels=big wipeout. Chicken Ole. Personal guided driving tour of Des Moines. Tasty Taco. Show choir performance, complete with Lady Gaga. My first Doris Day movie. Chocolate shake poured on my head at Stella's.

Morning visit to Gerda's German restaurant and bakery: you get your homemade donut and coffee for a dollar, then sit at the counter where the regulars read the paper, argue with each other, and refill their own coffee, and yours. Pretty classic, and delicious.

So nice to have a real vacation. Thanks to all my hosts!

A new decade...

Hey folks, as the year ends, I thought I would take a look back. I stole this from a friend's blog (only he used it in 2007, but who cares) and shortened it a lot so we wouldn't both be here forever. So, here's the year in review:

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Won the flag football league, volunteered at a homeless clinic, bought a car, snowshoed my first 5K and ran my first 7K, played DDR and Rock Band (SO fun), did 4 14er's in one day, ate a pizza with an egg on it (thanks, Jenni!), drank a boot at the Crescent Moon, went to a Cubs game, and a college football game, and a WPS game, went to Salt Lake, Sacramento, and Minneapolis, rented a car, got published in an academic journal, and all sorts of medical procedure/surgery things that might gross you out but were actually really cool (intubating kids, holding a beating heart during surgery, doing a circumcision, stitching people back up, getting an arterial line in).


2. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Well, I'll list a couple, since following directions has never been my strong suit. Passing Step II of my boards, orchestrating this whole residency interview thing, getting through my Sub-I's and my surgery rotation, and if I had to pick just one, I would say doing so many new things (see above) cause I'm pretty comfortable in my comfort zone and it's a big deal for me to step outside it.


3. What was your biggest failure?
That I still can't wink.
Just kidding.
I really can't, but if we're being serious, I would have to say that I wish I had kept up more on reading for school during all this down time. I know that I needed my elective time, and I've appreciated it, but I could have done much more with it and not stressed myself out too much. Epic failure.


4. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to Chicago with Hilary. Everything about it made me really excited-riding the El, Cubs game, WPS game, Chicago dogs, Buckingham Fountain. Everything.


5. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Eating meals with friends. I ate a lot of meals alone. Also praying. Also riding my bike. And I wish I'd cooked more, like real food.


6. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sitting at my computer doing stupid things. And eating crap.


7. What was your favorite TV program?
If I had to pick only one, Firefly. Hands down. But also, I really like Castle and have gotten really into NCIS. And of course, Bones and The Office are returning favorites.


8. What was the best book you read?
Oh, that is indeed a tough one for me. I really liked Sherlock Holmes and The Book Thief and the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. I read a ton of other good things, but those would probably be my favorites.


9. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
I think one big thing I learned was that I regret not doing things much more than doing them, whether it's trying something new, stepping outside my comfort zone, doing those things I've always wanted, or even just calling up a friend--I need to just do it. You'd think it wouldn't have taken me so long.

That's it, kids. I'd love to hear your highlights/lessons learned/favorites of the year. May your 2010 be a year to remember!