When I started this blog several years ago, my life was pretty aimless. I had moved to Calgary for the worst reasons, I didn’t have a job, and I had no ambition beyond getting to the next day. Things have improved drastically over the years, and my life seems to be heading towards its apex. Looking at my bucket list, I’ve managed to accomplish a great deal of the things I’ve wanted to do since making it. Some things were big, some were small, but things I had always wanted to do.

As awesomeness tends to beget more awesomeness, I’ve gotten new ideas and more ambition. In the interest of “go big or go home,” I’ve decided to append these items to the bucket list:

• Go bobsledding Calgary Olympic Park has a bobsled track that you can ride down. I just have to find a few other adventurous souls, and schedule a time at the track.

• Participate in the Olympics Possibly a bit too ambitious, but that’s what a bucket list is about, right? I don’t know what events I’d be good at, but send suggestions!

• Publish a novel I’ve actually finished writing one, and I’m in the middle of editing it now. I’ve pretty much put the carriage in front of the horse on this one, but once I’m done I hope to shop the novel around to publishers.

• Guest post on City of Calgary Blog The city actually has a pretty good blog - perhaps this one I’ll try to aim for this year.

• Guest post for Calgary is Awesome Another well-done blog about Calgary. Rather than kvetch, they focus on what’s awesome.

• Finish one more full-length record Mind, I still have to finish the Digitalis EP. Someday...

• Book-a-week for year 52 books in one year? It’s possible, but I’ll have to have a little more discipline.

• Skydiving This one is totally irrational, but it just seems like one of those crazy things I should do.

• Boat around the world I’ve always had a love of the sea and travelling. Go for broke and make a full once-around.
• Wander a desert Deserts have always been quite interesting to me. I’d love to take a trip to New Mexico and take a trip through the deserts, Jim Morrison-style.
• Visit Australia I’ve heard that there are beaches in Australia with free public barbecues. If that doesn’t sound like win, I don’t know what does.
• Visit England I like the music, the culture, the landscapes. Tea with the Queen would be fun, albeit highly unlikely.
• Hike the Appalachian Trail It’s a long hike (about 5-6 months), but from what I’ve heard it’s a life-changing experience.
• Run a side-business I’ve got a steady job now, but it would be fun to have my own side business again, if only to pay for my adventuring.
• Mardi Gras in New Orleans It hasn’t been the same since Hurricane Katrina, but I should do it before some other catastrophe hits the city.
• 6-pack abs This is probably the most vain out of my bucket list items. It’s one of those “it would be nice if I could prove it to myself” experiences.
• Surfing I can skateboard, so this one may not be much of a stretch. Could be a fun experience, though.
• Write a letter to the “other” David Crosby This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. What does he think about?
• Ride a motorcycle If someone has one and a private spot where I could try it out, contact me - that would be wicked cool.

• Skate some laps on the Olympic Oval I did a fair bit of ice-skating this year, but every time I wanted to go to the Olympic Oval (“The Fastest Ice in the World”), it’s been inconvenient.
• Drive on a race course I’ve been known to do some fast driving in my earlier days. It would be nice to drive on a real track with something a bit more powerful than my old Hyundai Excel.
• Ride with the Calgary Rollercade Inline Speed Club Maybe you’ve noticed I’m a bit of a speed-freak. I just got a slick new pair of rollerblades as well, so this could be a good one.
• Go to space This one will probably take a while. As space tourism gets cheaper and more realistic, it would be rad if could actually go to space.
• See the Red Sox play in Fenway Park Being a Maine boy at heart, this is my equivalent to a pilgrimage to Mecca.
• See the Red Sox play in Ft. Myers The Red Sox are awesome. Florida is awesome. Combined? I hope to say: “wicked awesome”.
• Hit a home run in softball I’ve signed up for the softball beer leagues this year. I want to hit just one home run - anything after that is just gravy.
• Snorkeling somewhere tropical When I went to Aruba, I really wanted to head out into the water and see the aquatic life. It doesn’t have to be Aruba, but I’ve always been fascinated by tropical underwater life.
• Do a residency at the Banff Centre I’ve visited there, and whoa; it’s a very inspiring place for artists. I don’t know where to start on this one, but I’m all ears.
• Run the Leadville Ultramarathon I read the book “Born To Run” over the Christmas break, and when they described this race, I knew immediately I have to do it. Just have to finish a marathon first...