This is a list of things that I’d accomplish before I die. I have an active list below and also a retired list for those items I used to think about but on which I’ve changed my mind. I also have the completed list.

The Active ToDo List

Things I’d like to do, but in no particular order. So far I have these sections:

  • Family
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Career
  • Misc
  • Craftsmanship
  • Posessions
  • Physical

Family

Family is an important part of my life. I’ve completed lots of this stuff, but here are a few more:

  • Have a 25 yr marriage celebration - Somewhere fun with family and friends
  • See at least one of my kids have a commitment ceremony - Hopefully one decides to get married or make a commitment.

Travel

I enjoy traveling with my wife and experiencing the world. It’s really opened my eyes.

  • Visit all seven continents
    • North America - born here, so this one was easy.
    • Europe - Spring 1987.
    • South America - ??.
    • Asia - Aug 2016 - India, Oct 2017 - Went to Hong Kong with my wife for a weekend
    • Africa - ??.
    • Antarctica - ?? - Not sure here
    • Australia - June 2019
  • Madagascar - Can’t explain this one, but I want to go.
  • Katmandu
  • Japan
  • the Great Wall of China
  • Egypt
  • Alaska
  • Belize
  • Pet an elephant - Not sure why, but this somewhat falls under travel

Food

I like food and to cook, and these are things I’d like to do. Ugly Delicious has inspired me a bit to be more adventureous.

  • Pizza in Naples
  • Pizza in Tokyo
  • Tacos in Tulum
  • Make a good tortilla - so far, none have been very good
  • Make mole
  • Ribs - Learn to make some fall-off-the bone ribs

Career

Items related to my career. Right now, I don’t have a lot of them. Or any of them.

Misc

  • Write a fictional novel
  • Work for a charity full-time
  • Teach school for a year - Any level, any topic, any format
  • Start a scholarship fund
  • Avoid wearing a tie - Last known date, 2/12/2018
  • Have lunch with Roger Staubach - He was a hero of mine when I was growing up. Since I have been disappointed in meeting some people (that were famous) in my life, I am not sure about this one, but I think I would like to meet him.

Craftsmanship

  • Rebuild a car engine
  • Ride a motorcycle or bicycle across the United States
  • Build a house from scratch - not by myself, but buy land and have a house built or build it myself. Doesn’t need to be big. Could be a 1 or 2 room cabin.
  • Paint a picture - or sketch something.
  • Perform a major repair - or renovation on my house with only my family.
  • Write a software application that someone else uses - For free or for profit.
  • Build a chair - Something we use here at the ranch.
  • Build a cabinet we use
  • Grow a tree
  • Make a signpost

Possessions

I worry less about things as I age, but still a few from my younger years. Can’t quite decide what to do here.

  • Own a hot tub - Can’t decide if this fits the lifestyle. Or the maintenance
  • Own an electric car - This is becoming more attractive to me.

    Physical

  • Climb Mt Everest - as far as I can up in two weeks.
  • Climb Mt Fuji - as far as I can go
  • Climb Machu Pichu - My wife got me interested in this one.
  • Ski in Japan
  • Attend a fantasy baseball camp - and play for a week.

The Completed List

These are the items that have been knocked off. Various times in my life across the years, as best as I can remember.

It’s an impressive list to me, since I wasn’t actively working on things for a number of years. Still managed to move in those directions.

Family

  • Fall in love and get married - (1998) I have a lovely wife whom I love more today than the day we married.
  • Have a child - (1992, 1998, 2001) I have three great children, Kyle, Delaney, and Kendall. Hence the inspiration for the domain
  • Own a dog as a adult - Spring 1994. We had a doberman for a few weeks when I was in high school, but then got rid of it. When my wife and I were dating we got a Great Dane and now have had many. Currently an Aussie and a pit bull mix.

Misc

  • Earn a college degree - Completed May 1989. BA in economics from the University of Virginia.
  • Publish an article - Spring 1999 I published my first article in SQL Server Update - a UK technical journal in the Spring of 1999.
  • Learn to ride a motorcycle - Fall 1991 I had one in San Diego and commuted with it for eight months.
  • Write a non-fiction book - September 2001. Published (as co-author), SQL Server 2000 Design Study Guide
  • Publish a book - Summer 2002 - Published The Best of SQL Server Central.com 2002 in the summer of 2002
  • Fly first class on an airplane - Jan 1999 - My first time was for an interview in Colorado. Since then, it happens often. Or at least, I upgrade to business about every 3rd or 4th trip.
  • Write a poem - 1983. Wrote a lot in high school and college.

Physical

  • Climb to the top of a mountain - 14000 ft minimum. - August 15, 2002 Hiked to the top of Gray’s Peak in Colorado.
  • Complete a marathon - March 1987 Shamrock marathon in Virginia, March 1987.
  • Complete a triathlon - September 1997 Sandman triathlon, September 1997.
  • Scuba dive to 100 ft. - October 1991. Completed in San Diego, La Jolla cove in October 1991.
  • Run every day for a year - I did this and kept going. As of 2021, I am #321 on the retired streak list with 1564 days.
  • Play baseball as an adult - I did this for a decade, from ages 38-48. I missed parts of different seasons for injuries and finally stopped when I had my ACL replaced and couldn’t play. I was already getting too old.
  • Bench press my own weight - getting harder. I was up to 205 lifting when I weighed around 215. Now at 235, I’m not sure I can get up there with these joints.

Career

  • Earn $100,000 salary - 2000, Working for a startup, I got up to $110,000
  • Start a business - Did this with partners, at SQLServerCentral.com. Ended up selling it after a few years.
  • Get accepted to speak at TechEd - It’s Ignite now, and I was accepted. I had to decline as I had surgery scheduled.
  • Earn an MCSE - Did this in 1994 or 1995.

Craftsmanship

  • Learn to play an entire song on the guitar - Circa 1984 Completed this one in high school
  • Play in a band - 1984-ish. Completed this one in high school. I actually got paid to perform a few times.
  • Build a structure - Done a bunch of these for my wife. Horse structures, typically 20x12ft or larger.

Travel

  • Travel to Hawaii - March 1995. Flew there for 2 weeks on a vacation
  • See a pro Football game - 1993. Saw Chargers in their miracle run to the Superbowl and a Monday night Raiders/Broncos (and a few more).
  • See a pro Basketball game - March 2001. Saw Knicks play in 2001 for the first time.
  • See a pro Baseball game - Various Seen quite a few. Rockies in CO, Yankees, Padres, Seahawks, Diamondbacks, and Orioles at home.
  • See a pro Hockey game - March 1999. Saw an Avalanche game in early 1999 with clients for my company. At the old stadium in Denver that they demolished a few years later
  • Go on a cruise - January 2001. On Carnival. Just a 3 day to the Bahamas and not that great. Not sure if I will go on another one.
  • Make a difference in someone’s life outside my family - I did two of these, raising money for sick kids. Details not important, but both were fundraisers I put on and raised thousands of dollars.
  • Visit Greece - went with my wife in 2018.
  • Drive through the Florida Keys from Miami to Key West - June 2021, completed with my wife. A fun trip.
  • Watch the sunset in Key West - June 2021
  • Visit Venice - went with my wife in 2022
  • Visit Lisbon - went with my wife in 2022

    Posessions

  • Own a house - Summer 1992 I have owned quite a few. Bought one right after college and have owned one ever since. Actually own a few now.
  • Own a house outright - We bought a condo outright a few years ago. One of our better purchases.
  • Bought a Porsche - (A partial completion January 2003) - Got a 914 Targa. Finally got a 1988 911 Targa in Apr 2007.
  • Acquire $1 million in assets - 2014 - Not sure when I crossed over, but between investments and real estate, I made it.
  • Own a swimming pool - the short ones for indoor use count. I’m not sure what to do here. I’d like one, but spending significant time in one isn’t something I plan on doing. The one at the gym works fine.

The Retired ToDo List

Items that I no longer am interested in.

  • Own a bookstore - I think the days of this as a viable business are dwindling, but more I don’t know this is the type of thing that interests me as I’ve almost exclusively been a digital reader for over a decade (in 2021)
  • Retire at 40 or 41 for six months with my wife - I’m over this age, and we talked about it at this time. We could have, as I’d sold my business, but decided I didn’t want to do this. Instead, I wanted to enjoy life and keep working. Plus, my company has given me 6 week sabbaticals, which have been a great recharge for me.
  • Earn an MBA - I still might pursue an advanced degree, but really I’m a lifelong learner. I also think that MBAs and that philosophy of business first in most schools has ruined American business. This has no value in my career (as of 2001) and would be an expensive endeavor that I don’t believe in anymore.
  • Skydive - not sure about this one. I used to think about my kids, but they’re all adults now. At this point, not sure I want to prove I can do this to myself or risk my health.
  • Compete in an Ironman triathlon - When I thought of this, I was a few years removed from a couple sprint tris. However, at this point in my life, I’m too old. My joints hurt, and the physical toll would likely be greater than the mental one.