Saturday, December 11, 2004
Ten Things to do Before I Die
Most people have a "ten places to go" or a "ten people to meet" list that they hope to accomplish in their lifetimes. I don't. In fact, I've never really sat down to hash this out before, so I reserve the right to edit the list as other things come to mind. Truth be told, I am mercilessly ripping the idea off from the short lived TV show "Boomtown", where one of the key characters had a list of ten things to do before he died. Unlike him, "banging a hooker" was never really that important to me.
So without further ado, here are the ten things (off the top of my head) I hope to do before going on to hang with Zevon:
1) Ride a motorcycle across the desert at night. If you've never traveled the desert at night, I'm not sure I can explain this one to you. There is something mystical about it - distances become irrelevant, and visual perception becomes suspect. Are those approaching lights a mile away, ten miles away or 50 feet away? If, on the other hand, you HAVE driven across the desert at night, well - you understand why I'd want to do this.
2) Write a best selling novel - yeah, I know - it's cliche. Still, I've got it in me: I know, with absolute certainty, that one day I'll sit down at a keyboard and bang out the great American novel. In one sitting. Without interruption.
3) Drive a car that scares me. As a former racer and driving instructor, I've driven a fair number of vehicles, from the mundane to the extraordinary. Ironically, I've yet to drive a car that put the fear of God into me, and I'd like to experience this once before I die. Perhaps a race tuned Group B Quattro on a gravel rally course, or an F1 car from the glory days of the turbo era (1200 HP from 4 cylinders). Anything that would produce soiled Nomex is fine with me...
4) Own a Beck Spyder. Although this is the world's LEAST practical car (two seats, no usable top or storage room, no heat, radio or air conditioning), it is the one example I can think of where a copy is better than the original (the 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder). I also think it's the most beautiful car ever designed, but hey - your mileage may vary.
5) Fly on a supersonic aircraft. I didn't realize until after the Concorde was grounded that I REALLY wanted to fly on it. Just once. Maybe the days of supersonic passenger air travel aren't over, and I'll get another chance.
6) Take an extended driving/riding tour of the US. Gotta bang out that novel first, but when the bills are paid and the cash is in the bank, you can color me and the missus gone for a good six months or so. I need to go find the REAL America - it's out there, underneath the megastores, malls, chain restaurants and other pre-digested culture. Don't worry - I'll send you a postcard when I find it.
7) Build a house of my own. Sure I like the place I live in now, but someone else built it. A house of my own design and construction would fit me like a glove - I'd know where everything was, how everything was built, why things were done a certain way. Hell, if I can get a lucrative contract for my SECOND novel, I may even build summer AND winter houses.
8) Revisit Berlin and Stuttgart. I was last in Berlin in 1981, before the wall came down. It was an eye-opening experience for me as a teenager, and I'd love to go back and see it again post-communism. Spent some time in Stuttgart as well, and found it more charming than Munich.
There's also a branch of the family that remains a mystery. Apparently my German grandfather had more than one wife and more than one set of children. Wouldn't mind learning more about THAT...
9) Learn to play guitar. For me, this is slightly MORE ambitious that walking on the moon, since I have absolutely NO musical talent whatsoever. There's just something that feels right about holding a guitar, and I've got more obscure guitar knowledge than most musicians. All I need is lessons, practice and time. And a guitar.
10) Do a frame-off restoration of a classic car. Maybe a '68 Camaro or a '69 Mach 1 Mustang, I dunno. I'm a realist - there's stuff (like paintwork and upholstery) that I don't have the talent or patience to do. The mechanical stuff I could easily jump right into; hell, I've even got all the tools I'd need. For a gearhead like me, few things could be more satisfying.
So the common thread to my list appears to be cash. With a few exceptions, all of my "to do" list requires a great deal of green stuff. Any chance I could get you guys to buy my novel in advance?
So without further ado, here are the ten things (off the top of my head) I hope to do before going on to hang with Zevon:
1) Ride a motorcycle across the desert at night. If you've never traveled the desert at night, I'm not sure I can explain this one to you. There is something mystical about it - distances become irrelevant, and visual perception becomes suspect. Are those approaching lights a mile away, ten miles away or 50 feet away? If, on the other hand, you HAVE driven across the desert at night, well - you understand why I'd want to do this.
2) Write a best selling novel - yeah, I know - it's cliche. Still, I've got it in me: I know, with absolute certainty, that one day I'll sit down at a keyboard and bang out the great American novel. In one sitting. Without interruption.
3) Drive a car that scares me. As a former racer and driving instructor, I've driven a fair number of vehicles, from the mundane to the extraordinary. Ironically, I've yet to drive a car that put the fear of God into me, and I'd like to experience this once before I die. Perhaps a race tuned Group B Quattro on a gravel rally course, or an F1 car from the glory days of the turbo era (1200 HP from 4 cylinders). Anything that would produce soiled Nomex is fine with me...
4) Own a Beck Spyder. Although this is the world's LEAST practical car (two seats, no usable top or storage room, no heat, radio or air conditioning), it is the one example I can think of where a copy is better than the original (the 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder). I also think it's the most beautiful car ever designed, but hey - your mileage may vary.
5) Fly on a supersonic aircraft. I didn't realize until after the Concorde was grounded that I REALLY wanted to fly on it. Just once. Maybe the days of supersonic passenger air travel aren't over, and I'll get another chance.
6) Take an extended driving/riding tour of the US. Gotta bang out that novel first, but when the bills are paid and the cash is in the bank, you can color me and the missus gone for a good six months or so. I need to go find the REAL America - it's out there, underneath the megastores, malls, chain restaurants and other pre-digested culture. Don't worry - I'll send you a postcard when I find it.
7) Build a house of my own. Sure I like the place I live in now, but someone else built it. A house of my own design and construction would fit me like a glove - I'd know where everything was, how everything was built, why things were done a certain way. Hell, if I can get a lucrative contract for my SECOND novel, I may even build summer AND winter houses.
8) Revisit Berlin and Stuttgart. I was last in Berlin in 1981, before the wall came down. It was an eye-opening experience for me as a teenager, and I'd love to go back and see it again post-communism. Spent some time in Stuttgart as well, and found it more charming than Munich.
There's also a branch of the family that remains a mystery. Apparently my German grandfather had more than one wife and more than one set of children. Wouldn't mind learning more about THAT...
9) Learn to play guitar. For me, this is slightly MORE ambitious that walking on the moon, since I have absolutely NO musical talent whatsoever. There's just something that feels right about holding a guitar, and I've got more obscure guitar knowledge than most musicians. All I need is lessons, practice and time. And a guitar.
10) Do a frame-off restoration of a classic car. Maybe a '68 Camaro or a '69 Mach 1 Mustang, I dunno. I'm a realist - there's stuff (like paintwork and upholstery) that I don't have the talent or patience to do. The mechanical stuff I could easily jump right into; hell, I've even got all the tools I'd need. For a gearhead like me, few things could be more satisfying.
So the common thread to my list appears to be cash. With a few exceptions, all of my "to do" list requires a great deal of green stuff. Any chance I could get you guys to buy my novel in advance?
// posted by John Patmos @ 11:48 AM 
Comments:
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Everything is money. What doesn't involve money? Not much.
So you're a racer? I have a 1997 Supra Twin Turbo. Not much mods on there though.
Play Lotto to up your chances of doing those ten items sooner than anticipated. Good Luck.
So you're a racer? I have a 1997 Supra Twin Turbo. Not much mods on there though.
Play Lotto to up your chances of doing those ten items sooner than anticipated. Good Luck.
Thanks cedia!
When it comes to gambling, I'm one of the unluckiest people on the planet. I couldn't win dysentary by eating at a dirty Mexican cantina...
When it comes to gambling, I'm one of the unluckiest people on the planet. I couldn't win dysentary by eating at a dirty Mexican cantina...
Shame on me, but i've never been to Berlin nor to Stuttgart. And that as a native German....Berlin is supposed to be the "new" New York though, a very impressive city. And yes, I plan on going there within the next 6 month.I get my butt on a 6 hour train drive.
that_girl: I was in Berlin when I was 16; I remember stepping into the airport (Tempelhof, IIRC) and seeing guards with automatic weapons. We went into East Berlin, and I got to see what life was like under Communist rule. When we took the train from Berlin to Stuttgart, I remember stopping at the border so the guards could search the train for stowaways.
Pretty heady stuff for a kid from Jersey...
Pretty heady stuff for a kid from Jersey...
Togo: The "required thing in life aside from a lack of death" comment had me ROFL.
Money is important, but not as important as you may think. Some of my best memories are from times when Mrs. BG and I were just scraping enough together to survive.
Money may help alleviate misery, but it sure doesn't buy happiness. I wish I'd learned that sooner in life.
Money is important, but not as important as you may think. Some of my best memories are from times when Mrs. BG and I were just scraping enough together to survive.
Money may help alleviate misery, but it sure doesn't buy happiness. I wish I'd learned that sooner in life.
I think this is a great list but there are a few endeavors that don't require money. Writing a novel is a freebee, or at least incremental wrt your computer. Incidently, Stephen King is purported to write from the top of his head so you'd be in good company. Pretty scary huh?
You don't need money to learn to play the guitar. My first one I bought from a neighbor garage sale for $10. You can actually buy a decent acoustic with built in pick ups for less than $200. I know because I just bought a really nice Ibanez with a tiny amp for around $200. I look forward to your first tune in the near future.
Forget the two seater...I have an MX-5. Great fun on nice days around the cape but you can't even go grocery shopping unless you leave somebody at home. As for the scary car ride...just drive to work with me in the morning. Nothing like 50,000 untrained, pre-occupied drivers going way faster than they, and their cars, should be- all trying to get to work for god knows what reason.
Great post....I think I need ambition!
You don't need money to learn to play the guitar. My first one I bought from a neighbor garage sale for $10. You can actually buy a decent acoustic with built in pick ups for less than $200. I know because I just bought a really nice Ibanez with a tiny amp for around $200. I look forward to your first tune in the near future.
Forget the two seater...I have an MX-5. Great fun on nice days around the cape but you can't even go grocery shopping unless you leave somebody at home. As for the scary car ride...just drive to work with me in the morning. Nothing like 50,000 untrained, pre-occupied drivers going way faster than they, and their cars, should be- all trying to get to work for god knows what reason.
Great post....I think I need ambition!
That is a really great list.
Number one I have done, and on a motorcycle...offroading no less.
It is even more surreal when you are just driving by feel.
Writing a novel is a big ambition of mine. I even mostly got done one time before and delted it because I did not know where to go from there.
I would be happy just to get published, though. I don't need any fame or anything. I'd feel as if then my life had meant something even if in the big picture it was only an eyelash worth.
I AM going to be building a house, though not all by myself. I wouldn't mind some help. So far my dad and stepbrother have volunteered.
Number one I have done, and on a motorcycle...offroading no less.
It is even more surreal when you are just driving by feel.
Writing a novel is a big ambition of mine. I even mostly got done one time before and delted it because I did not know where to go from there.
I would be happy just to get published, though. I don't need any fame or anything. I'd feel as if then my life had meant something even if in the big picture it was only an eyelash worth.
I AM going to be building a house, though not all by myself. I wouldn't mind some help. So far my dad and stepbrother have volunteered.
# posted by 
: 8:01 PM
: 8:01 PM
darth: Surprisingly enough, I've go no interest in the "going into outer space" thing. I think it's because you don't really GO anywhere. Now if you took off in NYC and landed in Frankfurt two hours later, I'd be all over that...
Jane: I think it's got something to do with watching the introduction of the Concorde as a kid. The future was going to be rosey and bright; in no time, we'd be traveling on supersonic aircraft everywhere. New York to LA would take around an hour, and we'd be renting jet cars when we got there (to travel to our hotels in the sky).
Quite frankly, we were sold a bill of goods on our future, and I'm not happy with the delivered product. Who can I see about getting my money back?
Quite frankly, we were sold a bill of goods on our future, and I'm not happy with the delivered product. Who can I see about getting my money back?
Politico - good to hear from you! I thought you'd moved to Canada after the election debacle...
I had an MX-5 myself. Great car, and much cheaper than a psychotherapist. Mine had some substantial suspension mods, and could outcorner a ZR1 Corvette (and yes, I know this from experience). I used to love getting the "chick car" comment, because it always led to a "test drive". As a few people learned the hard way, it's hard to be derisive when you've just shit your pants...
I had an MX-5 myself. Great car, and much cheaper than a psychotherapist. Mine had some substantial suspension mods, and could outcorner a ZR1 Corvette (and yes, I know this from experience). I used to love getting the "chick car" comment, because it always led to a "test drive". As a few people learned the hard way, it's hard to be derisive when you've just shit your pants...
Mister Underhill - cool on the bike thing. It would be way more intense (and dangerous) without roads.
I wouldn't expect to build a house by myself, either. I'd draw up the plans (which I once did for a college mechanical drawing class, in the days before Autocad) and help with the framing and finish carpentry. The electrical and plumbing would be sourced out to people who knew what they were doing.
I've started novels from time to time, but always shelved or scrapped them. Somehow, it just wasn't "time" to write them.
I wouldn't expect to build a house by myself, either. I'd draw up the plans (which I once did for a college mechanical drawing class, in the days before Autocad) and help with the framing and finish carpentry. The electrical and plumbing would be sourced out to people who knew what they were doing.
I've started novels from time to time, but always shelved or scrapped them. Somehow, it just wasn't "time" to write them.
Well, I was only 11 or 12 when the wall came down so I have an excuse to never have been there before it came down. I went to East Germany (Chemnitz) like 5,6 years ago and then again last year and damm, it has changed. Don't wanna live there though (apart from Berlin) as the unemployment rate and too many fucking Nazis. DUH! FUCK 'EM!
Anyway, I want to make a list like that, too, now. I'm at work so I have some time..lol*
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Anyway, I want to make a list like that, too, now. I'm at work so I have some time..lol*
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