Bucket list time

So the 40 things before I'm 40 was a bit of a failure.  Only 6 out of 40 tasks achieved:

• Watch Citizen Kane to the end.
• Get an ear pierced.
• Write a Haiku
• Get a tattoo on my right arm (have 2 there now)
• Buy or rent a place of my own
• Cook a curry from scratch

Therefore I am going for a bucket list with 50 tasks.  Hopefully I'll complete all 50 before I'm 50, but if not I will have more time.

So here they are:

Travel:

1. Visit Scandanavia
2. See the Northern Lights
3. Visit Paris
4. Go on holiday to San Francisco
5. Go on a UK road trip with no destination in mind.
6. Take a break in Edinburgh.

Experience:

1. Ride a horse.
2. Do a fund raising event for charity.
3. Attend a Tai Chi lesson.
4. Appear on a TV quiz show.
5. Climb to the top of York Minster.
6. Attend a tap dancing class.

Art & Culture:

1. Pass Grade 4 Piano Forte exam.
2. Learn the Bass Guitar.
3. Go to a music festival. - Download 2014. And 2015 booked.
4. Watch every episode of Breaking Bad.
5. Create a video project.
6. Create a piece of Photoshop Art.
7. Visit a jazz club.
8. Write a piano composition.
9. See Linkin Park live. - Saw Download 2014
10. See following acts live: NIN, Green Day, Metallica, GNR, Leonard Cohen

Personal Development:

1. Take and pass an A Level.
2. Speak fluent French.
3. Study Postmodernism.
4. Study Existentialism.

Other

1. Drop to at least 36" waist.
2. Have no outstanding debt.

An attempt at an Haiku

Though I'd attempt the easiest and cost free item on my list.  Here is an attempt at an haiku:

Winter rays of sun

hit the brooding clouds

A welcome interlude

New tattoo

The tasks are moving slowly, but another one has been achieved.  A tattoo on the right arm of Sisyphus.  It was inspired by my recent research into existentialism, particularly Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus.  As someone who does not have a faith, philosophy and particularly existentialism has helped my find direction and meaning in my life.

Task 8 - Ear Piercing

Finally got round to getting this done.  The list is moving rather slowly, partly due to monitary constraints.  Must concentrate on achieving more of the inexpensive options in the next year.

Way out West

As I recover from my operation I am focusing on the less adventurous tasks on my list.  Today I completed another film on the 100 greatest films.  Way out West is heralded as one of Laurel and Hardy's best films.  It did feel dated but there are still some funny parts in it and it was a joy to watch.

2001 - A Bizarre odyssey

I've been working through the list of the100 greatest films.  Today I watch 2001:A Space Odyssey, which has to be one of the bizarrest films I have seen in a while.

I remember trying to watch it as a child and giving up, watching it now I understand why.  It's over 2 hours long, with little dialogue, but it is a beautifully shot film.  More than any other film I have seen it portrays the emptiness of space and the claustrophobia of space travel.

It is easy to understand why it appealed to the hippies and counter-culture of the sixties.  There is a section towards the end of the film which is around 10 minutes visuals and colours, which is indeed very trippy, or as the film was re-branded "The Ultimate Trip".

It is a film which will need to be watched several times, as there are numerous interpretations of the meaning, particularly the significance of the black monolith.

Citizen Kane

A cold afternoon surrounded by snow was the perfect opportunity to sit back and watch Citizen Kane for the first time.  I can't say I was bowled over by it, and IMHO it does not deserved the high praise awarded to it by film critics.

I would give the film a 7, and may watch it again in a few years time but I wouldn't put it in my top 50 films.  I did mean I finally got a lot of the references made in the Simpsons episode Rosebud.

Started listening to 100 greatest albums

Task 36 was to listen to all 100 of Channel 4's 100 Greatest Albums.  Thankfully with Napster this is quite an inexpensive task as most are available to stream with the exception of the Beatles.  I already own the first 3 so my first one to try was Michael Jackson's Thriller.  IMHO it is highly over-rated, it would give it 3 stars.

2nd change of task

Beginning to realise that the weight loss task is probably not achievable considering my lack of will power.  I've changed it to getting an ear piercing.

First task achieved

With just over 2 years to go I have achieved my first task, I am now renting a place of my own.  I think one of my next tasks to seek out will be the horse riding.

Change of task

I will soon complete one of the tasks by moving into my own flat, unfortunately it does mean I have to ditch the exercise bike as I don't have space.  Therefore task 21 will now be:

• Have a 40th birthday party.

The final 40

I've decided on the following.  Maybe not too exciting but hopefully achievable:

1. Visit Scandanavia
2. Learn a foreign language
3. Visit another continent
4. See the Northern Lights
5. Watch Citizen Kane to the end
6. Achieve Grade 4 Piano Forte exam (after a break of about 25 years since grade 3 taken)
7. Take an A level
8. Drop from 40" to at the most 36" waist
9. Read every Wallander book
10. Swim in the North Sea
11. Visit Paris
12. Write a Haiku
13. Attend a Tai Chi lesson to see if I enjoy/find it useful
14. Do a fund raising event for charity. (Not sure what yet)
15. Get a tattoo on my right arm
16. Go on a road trip exploring Britain with no destination in mind
17. Take a mini break on the Yorkshire coastline during winter
18. Have no outstanding debit
19. Buy or rent a place of my own
20. Get a photograph published in a photography magazine
21. Reach 1000km on my exercise bike (currently at 5)
22. Complete at least one more 60 point module towards my OU degree
23. Write a piano composition
24. Create a piece of video art
25. Read more about postmodernism so I can concisely explain what it is
26. Ride a horse
27. Appear on a TV quiz show
28. Understand and complete a cryptic crossword
29. Get a letter published in the Guardian
30. Go to a music festival (not something I've done since my early 20s)
31. Visit a jazz club
32. Listen to Wagner's Ring Cycle from beginning to end
33. Go to the ballet
34. Take a break in Edinburgh
35. See all 100 of Channel 4's 100 Greatest Films
36. Listen to all 100 of Channel 4's 100 Greatest Albums
37. Re-watch all of the West Wing
38. Make a curry from scratch
39. Climb to the top of York Minster
40. Make a piece of Photoshop art.

Time to fire the starting gun.  799 days to achieve my list.

Some more for the list

I've added:

• Ride a horse
• Appear on a TV quiz show
• Understand and complete a cryptic crossword
• Get a letter published in the Guardian
• Go to a music festival (not something I've done since my early 20s)

Five more added:

1. Visit Scandanavia
2. Learn a foreign language
3. Visit another continent
4. See the Northern Lights
5. Watch Citizen Kane to the end
6. Achieve Grade 4 Piano Forte exam (after a break of about 25 years since grade 3 taken)
7. Take an A level
8. Drop from 40" to at the most 36" waist
9. Read every Wallander book
10. Swim in the North Sea
11. Visit Paris
12. Write a Haiku
13. Attend a Tai Chi lesson to see if I enjoy/find it useful
14. Do a fund raising event for charity. (Not sure what yet)
15. Get a tattoo on my right arm
16. Go on a road trip exploring Britain with no destination in mind
17. Take a mini break on the Yorkshire coastline during winter
18. Have no outstanding debit
19. Buy or rent a place of my own
20. Get a photograph published in a photography magazine
21. Reach 1000km on my exercise bike (currently at 5)
22. Complete at least one more 60 point module towards my OU degree
23. Write a piano composition
24. Create a piece of video art
25. Read more about postmodernism so I can concisely explain what it is
26. Ride a horse
27. Appear on a TV quiz show
28. Understand and complete a cryptic crossword
29. Get a letter published in the Guardian
30. Go to a music festival (not something I've done since my early 20s)

To 25

Five more added:

1. Visit Scandanavia
2. Learn a foreign language
3. Visit another continent
4. See the Northern Lights
5. Watch Citizen Kane to the end
6. Achieve Grade 4 Piano Forte exam (after a break of about 25 years since grade 3 taken)
7. Take an A level
8. Drop from 40" to at the most 36" waist
9. Read every Wallander book
10. Swim in the North Sea
11. Visit Paris
12. Write a Haiku
13. Attend a Tai Chi lesson to see if I enjoy/find it useful
14. Do a fund raising event for charity. (Not sure what yet)
15. Get a tattoo on my right arm
16. Go on a road trip exploring Britain with no destination in mind
17. Take a mini break on the Yorkshire coastline during winter
18. Have no outstanding debit
19. Buy or rent a place of my own
20. Get a photograph published in a photography magazine
21. Reach 1000km on my exercise bike (currently at 5)
22. Complete at least one more 60 point module towards my OU degree
23. Write a piano composition
24. Create a piece of video art
25. Read more about postmodernism so I can concisely explain what it is

Reaching 20

I've now got the following:

1. Visit Scandanavia
2. Learn a foreign language
3. Visit another continent
4. See the Northern Lights
5. Watch Citizen Kane to the end
6. Achieve Grade 4 Piano Forte exam (after a break of about 25 years since grade 3 taken)
7. Take an A level
8. Drop from 40" to at the most 36" waist
9. Read every Wallander book
10. Swim in the North Sea
11. Visit Paris
12. Write a Haiku
13. Attend a Tai Chi lesson to see if I enjoy/find it useful
14. Do a fund raising event for charity. (Not sure what yet)
15. Get a tattoo on my right arm
16. Go on a road trip exploring Britain with no destination in mind
17. Take a mini break on the Yorkshire coastline during winter
18. Have no outstanding debit
19. Buy or rent a place of my own
20. Get a photograph published in a photography magazine

Found quite a few websites to inspire me:

Life of Pie - 40 before 40

Bleeding Espresso

40 things to do before I'm 40

Forty things before 40

Further tasks

Thought of a few more:

1. Visit Scandanavia
2. Learn a foreign language
3. Visit another continent
4. See the Northern Lights
5. Watch Citizen Kane to the end
6. Achieve Grade 4 Piano Forte exam (after a break of about 25 years since grade 3 taken)
7. Take an A level
8. Drop from 40" to at the most 36" waist
9. Read every Wallander book
10. Swim in the North Sea
11. Visit Paris
12. Write a Haiku

Got a few more

1. Visit Scandanavia
2. Learn a foreign language
3. Visit another continent
4. See the Northern Lights
5. Watch Citizen Kane to the end
6. Achieve Grade 4 Piano Forte exam (after a break of about 25 years since grade 3 taken)
7. Take an A level
8. Drop from 40" to at the most 36" waist

The beginning

I reach forty in 2 1/2 years so have decided to draw up a list of activities and achievements to reach before then.  So far I have:

1. Visit Scandanavia
2. Learn a foreign language

Hopefully I will have drawn up a list of 40 by the end of the month.