100 Things in 500 Days... the more we do, the more there is to do
Italicized, check mark, and date means I've done it!
Animals 1. Get a dog and name him Baxter 2. Take my picture with 50 dogs and maybe 1 cat I meet randomly #1 - Hugo, #2 - Higgly #3 - Statue Dog/Chattanooga #4 - Cordelia/Wilson, Kansas, Cricket/Red Rocks Amphitheater/Morrison, CO #5 - Nellie/Cape Code, Massachusetts Be Better/Be Helpful 3. Donate Blood 4 times #1 - with Shannon at Tuscola National Bank on Monday, July 15, 2019 #2 - with Shannon at United Church of Atwood on Thursday, October 17, 2019 #3 - with Shannon at American Legion in Sullivan on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 4. Volunteer 5. Start a cross country meet ✓ (I helped to start a meet at Arthur on Tuesday, September 24, 2019) 6. Umpire a softball game✓ 5 games at Illinois Special Olympics in Springfield on Saturday, July 27, 2019 and then... Monticello, Urbana, Bloomington, Paris...
7. Attend 3 different church services ✓ #1 - Catholic Church in Oberreifenberg, Germany #2 - Trinity Methodist Church Tuscaloosa, AL #3 - First Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, AL (Ashton's church) and a second time for Ashton's baptism!
Books 8. Read 10 books (2 classics) Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult (finished May 19, 2019) The Devil Wins by Reed Farrel Coleman (Robert B. Parker) (finished June 1, 2019) The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh (finished July 4, 2019) How to Stop Time by Matt Haig (finished July 22, 2019) The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (finished July 30, 2019) Elevation by Stephen King (finished October 16, 2019) The Walk by Richard Paul Evans (finished October 21, 2019) Miles to Go by Richard Paul Evans (finished November 10, 2019) The Road to Grace by Richard Paul Evans (finished November 15, 2019) A Step of Faith by Richard Paul Evans (finished November 20, 2019) Walk on Water by Richard Paul Evans (finished November 22, 2019) The Reckoning by John Grisham (finished December 8, 2019) The Christmas Train by David Balducci (finished January 8, 2020) A Very Stable Genius by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonning (reading it now)
9. Listen to 10 audio books (2 classics) The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (finished December 1, 2019) Bossypants by Tina Fey (finished January 27, 2020) Entertainment 10. Attend a Broadway show ✓ (Mean Girls on December 20, 2019) 11. Attend a TV show taping 12. Watch a movie at a Drive In (Gibson City)✓ (Hobbs and Shaw on August 4, 2019)
13. Daytime movie ✓ Avengers: Endgame w/ Shannon at 4:30 pm on July 3, 2019 The Sandlot w/ Shannon and Ashton on July 10, 2019 The Big Lebowski with Shannon on August 21, 2019 More to come I hope...
14. Watch 3 Netflix TV series✓ #1 - Jack Ryan #2 - Stranger Things #3 - Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (finished on July 29, 2019) Even more on the Read/Watch page 15. County Fair 16. Watch 5 Best Picture Movies
Exercise 17. Climb 3 mountains ✓ #1 - Sky Pond in Rocky Mountain National Park #2 - Ute Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park #3 - Deer Mountain in Rocky National Park More to come I hope...
18. Run/Walk 30 miles a week (average) (working on it) 19. Lift weights or do Push-ups 400 days (working on it) 20. Hike in 5 National Parks (#1 Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, #2 Acadia National Park in Maine, #3 Death Valley National Park in California, #4 Red Rock Canyon National Park in Nevada, #5 Zion National Park in Utah) 21. Hike on the Appalachian Trail (Shannon) 22. Weigh 180 pounds ✓ (177.5 on June 24 and 178.2 on July 25, 2019) 23. Warrior Race 24. Run a 5k ✓ #1 - Tuscola Sparks in the Park 5k on July 6, 2019 w/ Ashton- 25:57 #2 - Tom Short 5k in Shelbyville, IL on Saturday, August 3, 2019 w/ Shannon and Ashton #3 - 5K for Domestic Violence Awareness at U. of Alabama on Sunday, September 22, 2019 w/Shannon and Ashton #4 - Mattoon YMCA Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Morning 25. Run a 10k (incomplete... but I did run the New Orleans Rock and Roll Half Marathon with Shannon and Ashton)
Food 26. Eat Barbecue in Kansas City 27. Eat Barbecue in Memphis
28. Just Eat (places I love or just want to go) a. Bell Buckle Cafe in Bell Buckle, TN* ✓ (July 17, 2019 with Shannon and Ashton) b. Lucky Monkey, Bement, Illinois c. Moonshine, Illinois (Jill Rogers) d. Dairy Bar, Altamont, Illinois ✓(July 2, 2019 with Tony, Jeremy, Joel H.) e. The Original Burger King, Mattoon, Illinois ✓ (June 12 w/ Tony and October 23, 2019 w/Tony and Jeremy) f. Flat Branch Pub & Brewing, Columbia, Missouri* (w/ Shannon on a Taylor Brachbill recommendation) g. So many Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives
29. Fast Food places to try a. Waffle House b. Popeyes c. Zaxby’s d. Carl’s Jr e. Wingstop f. Quiznos g. Shake Shack ✓ (in New York w/Shannon and Ashton on Saturday, December 21, 2019) h. Firehouse Subs i. Jack's j. Popeye's k. Torchy's Tacos * ✓ (Tony Reeley recommendation - September 12, 2019 in Northfield/Denver, CO w/Shannon) l. Cookout ✓ (Ashton Smith recommendation - November 25, 2019 in Nashville)
30. Just Try a. Big Mac b. Tofu c. Scotch d. Banana Split e. Coffee f. Tamales g. Lobster h. Clam Chowder i. Oysters j. Chimichanga ✓ (November 10, 2019 at Iberostar Resort in Mexico) k. Huevos Rancheros ✓ (April 21, 2019 at Firefly Grill in Effingham, Illinois) * l. Arnold Palmer ✓ (June 10, 2019 at Oak Terrace Golf Course, Pana, Illinois)* m. Calamari ✓ (June 18, 2019 at Limoncello in Bad Homburg, Germany)
31. Bake a. Bread b. Chocolate chip cookies✓ (Shannon helped me on Thursday, January 9, 2020) c. Cake✓ (made Ashton a "Got a Job!" chocolate cake from scratch on Sunday, July 28, 2019)
32. Make a pie ✓ (with Ashton on July 22, 2019 for Shannon's birthday) 33. Eat food from a truck ✓ (Blenz with Shannon and Ashton on September 20, 2019 at University of Alabama) 34. Find the best cheeseburger (working on it) 35. Find the best taco (Torchy’s Tacos in Denver?... District Taco in Washington DC?) 36. Make marinara sauce and meatballs ✓ (with Shannon on August 22, 2019 from our garden tomatoes... and it was good!)
Friends 37. Host 4 Wine Nights 38. Monthly lunch with Tony and Jeremy (May, June, July, August, September, October, December, January, February, March, April)
39. Take 5 people to lunch a. Brown Bag, Monticello, Illinois (Dr. Z) ✓ (Thursday, January 16, 2020)
Fun 40. Play paintball 41. Play poker 42. Play chess in a park 43. Ski or snowmobile 44. Kayak✓ #1 - Friday, August 23, 2019 at Turkey Run State Park w/Shannon #2 - Lake Dillion on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 w/Shannon)
45. Bike down a mountain✓ (Vail Pass on September 9, 2019 w/Shannon) 46. Smoke a Cuban cigar (Mexican cigars have been purchased) 47. Go fishing at Walnut Point 48. Sled at Shelbyville Dam 49. Buy a motorcycle 50. Shoot Clay Pigeons/Shoot a shotgun 51. Fly fish 52. Get my picture taken with a celebrity 53. Play Frisbee golf 54. Play blackjack in Las Vegas 55. Go bowling and eat lunch at the alley ✓ (w/Shannon and Ashton on Friday, January 3, 2020 at Old Orchard Lanes & Links in Savoy, IL)
Golf 56. Courses (as many courses that I love or want to try) a. Norton Knolls Golf Course, Oakland ✓ (October 18, 2019) b. St. Elmo Golf Club ✓ (July 2 w/ Tony, Jeremy, Joel H., August 24) c. Lake of the Woods Golf Course, Mahomet d. Bent Tree Golf Course, Charleston✓ (June 27 and November 20, 2019 w/ Tony) e. Meadowview Golf Course , Mattoon ✓ (October 23, 2019 w/ Tony and Jeremy) f. Eagle Creek Golf Course, Findlay g. Oak Terrace Golf Course, Pana ✓ (June 10, 2019 w/ Steve, Carol, and Ryan) h. Orange & Blue - Savoy (August 7, 2019) i. Leatherstocking Golf Club, Cooperstown, New York ✓ (October 4, 2019) j. Sweetens Cove Golf Course, South Pittsburgh, Tennessee ✓ (August 13, 2019 k. Ironhorse Golf Club, Tuscola ✓ (July 3, 2019 w/ Tony, Jeremy, and Steve) l. Brautorholt Golf Club, Reykjavik, Iceland ✓ (June 13, 2019) m. Legends Golf Course, Champaign ✓ (July 11 and 25, 2019) n. Rogala Public Links, Mattoon ✓ (July 12, 2019 w/ Tony) o. Timberlake Golf Course, Sullivan ✓ (July 31, 2019) p. Lake Estes Golf Course, Estes Park, CO ✓ (September 11/13, 2019) q. Highland Links, Provincetown, MA ✓ (October 6, 2019) r. Iberostar Cancun Golf Club, Cancun, Mexico✓ (November 5 and 7, 2019) s. Rend Lake Golf Course ✓ (November 25, 2019)
o. Play in a golf tournament and a scramble (3 Man Scramble at St. Elmo Golf Club w/ Randy and Jay on Saturday, August 24, 2019)
57. Golf in 10 states (Illinois, Tennessee, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts) 58. Get 3 Birdies in a round, Eagle, Chip in, and Hole in One (at some point) (Chip in at Timberlake Golf Course #4 on July 31, 2019 and #6 at St. Elmo Country Club on August 24, 2019)
59. Golf in a foreign country ✓ (Iceland - Brautorholt Golf Club in Iceland on June 13, 2019 and Mexico - Iberostar Cancun Golf Club on November 5 and 7, 2019)
Hobby (New) 60. Take 25 great pictures (working on it) 61. Start a record collection ✓ (I now have a record player and two albums- Chris Stapleton and Meatloaf)
House 62. Clean every room in the house… and windows… and purge✓ (April 2020) 63. Clean garage and purge (working on it) 64. Get yard in shape/trim bushes/fix sidewalk/fix landscape border✓ (May/June 2020) 65. Have a good garden✓ (official on Wednesday, September 18, 2019)
Music/Art 66. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio ✓ (October 1, 2019) 67. Rock concert 68. Buy or make art
Shannon 69. 10 things she wants to do (or more... I'm flexible) a. Dallas/Waco, Texas b. Central Park, New York City ✓ (w/Shannon and Ashton on Saturday, December 21, 2020) c. Walk at Walnut Point State Park, Oakland, IL ✓(July 21, 2019) d. Mexico ✓ (November, 2019)
70. Hike from Breckenridge to Frisco, CO ✓ A walk at 10,000 feet - Segment 7 Colorado Trail completed in a little over 2 hours on the morning of September 10, 2019 w/Shannon
Sports 71. Kentucky Derby (toured Churchill Downs on July 19, 2019) 72. Indianapolis 500 73. Visit 3 new baseball stadiums (Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on July 19, 2019, Coors Field in Denver, CO on September 11/12, 2019) 74. Minor League baseball game 75. Go to an Illinois football or basketball road game✓ (w/Shannon to Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, November 23, 2019) 76. NHL Playoff Game ✓ (April 20, 2019 - Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues w/Ashton) 77. Hoosiers Gym in Knightstown, IN ✓ (w/Shannon on Sunday, January 5, 2020) 78. Take the Train to a Cardinals/Cubs Game ✓ (May 3, 2019 w/Shannon, Tony and Jeremy) 79. Catch a foul ball or home run 80. SEC College Football Game ✓ (University of Alabama games on September 21 and October 26) 81. Green Bay Packers game
Tech 82. Start a blog to document my year ✓ (April 19, 2019) 83. Go 7 days without getting on the internet
Travel (Places) 84. Graceland/Memphis 85. Mount Rushmore 86. Grand Canyon from the North Rim 87. Niagara Falls (Canada side) ✓ (October 2, 2019) 88. Washington DC and New York City historical sites✓ (December 2019) 89. Dallas/Waco/JFK sights 90. Visit 4 countries ✓ (Iceland, Germany, Austria, Canada and Mexico) 91. Visit a Presidential Library (Jeremy Doughty)
Trips (Scheduled but not completely planned) 92. September - Mountains ✓ 93. October - Northeast✓ 94. November - Mexico✓ 95. December - Washington, DC and New York City ✓ 96. January - Upper Midwest 97. February - Las Vegas, California, Arizona, Utah ✓ 98. March - St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training (got cancelled) 99. April - West (Pandemic) 100. May - Canada (Pandemic)
Unexpected Opportunities 101. Easter Egg Hunt ✓ (April 19, 2019 at Ervin Park in Tuscola, Illinois) 102. Car Show✓ (June 8, 2019 in Downtown Tuscola, Illinois) 103. Cricket Game✓ (June 22, 2019 in Munich Park, Munich, Germany) 104. National Corvette Museum✓ (July 19, 2019 in Bowling Green, Kentucky) 105. Kayak at Turkey Run✓ (August 23, 2019 w/Shannon) 106. Red Rocks Amphitheater✓ (September 12, 2019 w/Shannon on recommendation of the owner of 5280 Burger Bar in Denver, Colorado)
Do Stuff Not on My Original List 107. Ride in a Combine during harvest (Toby Ring) 108. Hike in Shawnee National Forest, Southern Illinois (Beth Pugh and Steve Fiscus) 109. Beekeeper (Tom Brachbill) 110. Stand on the corner of Winslow, Arizona (Nancy Brachbill) (February 4, 2020) ✓ 111. Four Corners - Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico (Nancy Brachbill) 112. Get Ordained to Perform a Wedding ✓ (August 14, 2019) 113. Finish a crossword puzzle ✓ (December 2019) 114. Telluride, Colorado (Michele Lindenmeyer) 115. Hot Air Balloon (Diana Daggett) 116. Attend a rodeo (Mike Sneddon) 117. Eat a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich in Philadelphia (Mike Sneddon) 118. Eat at Bea's in Chattanooga (Mike Sneddon) 119. Eat Larry's Tamales at the Crossroads in Clarksdale, MS (Mike Sneddon) 120. Visit the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum ✓ (Mike Sneddon) (Louisville, Kentucky on July 19, 2019) 121. Eat ice cream from the Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen✓ (Mike Snedden - Louisville, Kentucky on July 19, 2019)
122. Suggestions welcome!
* Items not on the original list but I couldn't pass them up