#12 Watch Steve Martin in concert
#18 Complete Seattle back tattoo
#23 Get a professional massage
#26 Name a star
#29 Throw a surprise party
#30 Volunteer at an animal shelter
Finally, we’re getting to stuff I’ve actually done!
The first batch of checked off items are the ones that only required a ticket or tiny bit of organizing. They were things I wanted to do once, but because I wanted to try them and not because I expected my being to change at all. Tomorrow, we’ll go a little deeper.
#12 Watch Steve Martin in concert: October 2013
Anyone who is into comedy probably has to name Steve Martin as a huge influence on them. That’s true for me. I’m a huge fan of his movies but also of his stand up and of anything he’s done with the muppets. He’s got excellent timing to his delivery and knows how to write clean jokes that make me fall out of his chair.
He’s not really doing stand-up anymore, but he is touring with bluegrass bands. I have never liked bluegrass. I’ve stood up against my southern roots to reject anything (besides Kermit) with a banjo. But for Mr. Martin, I’ll bite that twangy bullet.
I’ve seen some amazing comedy shows, and this one ranked among the highlights, despite it not technically being about the jokes. The music was surprisingly awesome, too.
10/10 Would do recommend. And if you go, please take me.
#18 Complete Seattle back tattoo: June 2013
I have this tattoo on my back that is just ugly. It was supposed to be a Sevilla, Spain tribute, but I picked a guy who had been tattooing for 20 years and probably never made anything pretty. Don’t you hate when that happens? Because that tattoo is a symbol that kind of is a Spanish way of saying “Home is where the heart is” I wanted to pretty it up with a Seattle tribute. That’s really all this list item was about. I just needed a little motivation to actually do it.
I picked a shot of the city from the very famous Kerry Park, and I got the tattoo done before I had actually been to the park.
Despite me never living within the Seattle city limits before I went to Spain, Seattle culture is what I got homesick for when I was there. I remember this day I was wearing a corduroy skirt and Keens drinking a to-go (para llevar) cup of Starbucks walking around Sevilla by myself when it started raining. I almost cried. It was a perfect moment for me.
I still will never understand how people who visit get on a plane to go home. For all it’s faults, Seattle is still my perfect city.
#23 Get a professional massage: May 2014
An old boyfriend got this for me when he found out it was on my list. I thought it was going to be something I liked and I just didn’t at all. I think it was too much stranger touching for me?
Despite not being a fan at all the first time, I have a policy to try things at least twice in case the first time was a fluke. It wasn’t. After a third massage for TMJ or something, I gave up. Checked it off my list and I’m glad I did that. I won’t be trying it again, though.
#26 Name a star: December 2013
I’m not really sure why this ended up on my list, but I’m glad it did.
I named a star in Ursa Major for my grandpa Ken who died a few years ago after complications with several different kinds of cancer. Even at the end when he couldn’t speak and the only thing he could swallow was flat root beer, his eyes would light up around people, especially my grandma Leona and his kids.
Grandpa Ken was a special gift to this world and everyone who knew him will always miss his eye for nature photography and his insatiable curiosity, especially about the natural world he studied as a botany professor.
I probably won’t name another star, but this is one I’m glad I did for him.
#29 Throw a surprise party: May 2014
I love surprises and I was really looking forward to this one. I’m not sure lunch at a vegan-friendly pizza place is how I expected this to end up, but that’s what happened.
If I try to do this again (and I’m not sure that I will), I’ll do some things differently. I’ll have it hosted at a house. I’ll make sure the recipient of the surprise likes surprises and wants a surprise party. I’ll drive. I’ll know the friends of the recipient better so I don’t have to go through that person to contact them.
I’m glad I did it once at least, and isn’t that the point of the list?
#30 Volunteer at an animal shelter: August 2014
This one was pretty directly inspired by my friend Kyle wanting to volunteer at a soup kitchen for her 30 by 30 (which we did together). I love animals but couldn’t have one anywhere I lived so I thought I’d volunteer. Easy peasy, right?
Nope. Being around amazing dogs, watching people come by and have a great time, then decide to not take them home was crazy hard. It was really hard to meet these animals and not be able to take them home. I had no idea it would be so hard. This didn’t last very long (I don’t think I even got through training), but I learned a huge amount about myself (while getting serious puppy fever). Check.