Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Why Peanut?
So you might be wondering why I go by "Peanut." First of all it is not a nickname I came up with, believe me. I am what you might call height challenged, not that I'm ridiculously short but I'm definitely not as tall as I would like to be and let's just say I'm "below average" in the height department. Well on day at work, one of my co-workers said I was like a "little peanut" and sure as shit the name stuck. Wouldn't you know. So now I embrace it, sometimes it is just easier that way.
A little about me...
About a year ago my wife of almost 10 years, who was my best friend and soul mate, passed away from breast cancer at the young age of 35. While I've spent the last year coming to grips with this, one of the things that I am grateful for is that although our life together was cut short, I can honestly say that I have no regrets about how we lived our life. I have already checked many things off my bucket list, because we lived every day to the fullest and made sure that we got out there and really experienced life. So it is with that same sense of adventure that I now embark on this new chapter in my life. I can't say it has been easy, but I've gotten this far, and I'm determined to continue to live my life to the fullest because the one thing I've learned through all this is that we never know how much time we have, so seize not just the day but every minute of the day.
I have no idea if anyone will read this, but if you are...thanks first of all. Second of all, have patience w/ me because this is all new to me. I have no idea what I will post here, but I promise the posts won't be all deep and meaningful. Actually they will probably border on the ridiculous, but stay with me, I have flashes of brilliance every once in a decade or so.
I have no idea if anyone will read this, but if you are...thanks first of all. Second of all, have patience w/ me because this is all new to me. I have no idea what I will post here, but I promise the posts won't be all deep and meaningful. Actually they will probably border on the ridiculous, but stay with me, I have flashes of brilliance every once in a decade or so.
My Bucket List
Ok, so here goes. I like many people have a bucket list. One of the things on my list was to create a blog, for no particular reason at all. While talking about my bucket list with a friend and mentioning that one of the items was to create a blog, but I had no idea what I would blog about, she told me to start by blogging my list. So here we go, in no particular order.
- Go hiking on a glacier
- Visit every local brewery w/in 50 miles
Stand in the glass balcony in the Sears tower(completed 1/23/13)- Sit on the glass at a Blackhawks game
- Skate on the ice at the United Center
- Go jet skiing.
- Go snowmobiling
- Ski the Rocky mountains
- Drink coffee in Seattle
- Road trip from the east coast to the west coast
- Play catch in the outfield of Wrigley
- See the Grand Canyon
Try absinthe(Completed 3/3/13)Create a blog…and actually have followers (halfway done!)Eat at someplace I saw on the Food network, preferably Diners / Drive in’s and Dives(Compltd 3/3/13)- Take a cruise to Alaska
- Go scuba diving
- Go indoor rock climbing
- Build a huge kick ass sand castle
- See the sunset in Key West
- See Mt. Rushmore
- Eat some exotic game (that I haven’t already)
- Swim with dolphins
- Actually watch a meteor shower
- Go to Lincoln Park Zoo
- Jog along the lake shore in Chicago
- Attend a mystery dinner theater
- Go hiking in the Pacific Northwest
- Try surfing
- Run a half marathon
- Learn to actually play guitar, not just 5 chords and parts of a few songs.
- Go to England and Ireland
- Go on a tour at the Jack Daniel’s distillery.
- Go on a zip line
- Take a cooking class
- Ride a camel
- Walk on fire
- Ride a Segway
- Pan for gold
- Go indoor skydiving
- See the Friday night turtle races at Joe's Pub
- Cage dive with Sharks
- Go para-sailing
- Ride a mechanical bull
- Stay at an ice hotel
- Complete the Tough Mudder
- Create my own "signature dish"
- Join the "mile high club"
- Have drinks at The Redhead Piano Bar
- Eat at Hot Doug's
- Learn to play chess
- Take a Chicago water taxi ride
- Kayak down the Chicago River
- Have a drink at Girl and the Goat
Drinks at the Signature Room(Completed 2/2/13)- Ride each of the El lines
- Attend a Chicago street festival
- Go to a burlesque comedy show at Gorilla Tango Theater
- Go on the Haunted Chicago tour
- Ride the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier
- Eat Ice cream at Margie's Candies
- Watch a movie in the park
- See a comedy show at Second City
- Tour the Revolution Brewery
Do the polar plunge(Completed 2/24/13)Take silly photos w/ someone in a photo booth(Completed 2/3/13)- Jump into a pool fully clothed
- Rescue a dog from the pound
- Attend the Thanksgiving Day Parade
- See a band at The Metro
- Milk a cow
- Get yelled at at Wiener Circle
- Go to a blues bar downtown
- See a comedian at Second City
- Eat at Hamburger Mary's
- Eat from a food truck
- Attend a brew and view at The Vic Theater
- Go on a dog sled
- Go whale watching
- Start a fire without matches
- Smoke a Cuban Cigar
- Buy a stranger behind me in line at Starbucks a coffee
- Learn to blow glass
- Get a caricature done with a significant other
- Learn sign language
- Drink coconut milk from an actual coconut
- Have drinks at an ice bar
- Go apple picking
- Fly somewhere spontaneously for the day
- Attend a black tie event
- Ride on a Zamboni
- Visit a ghost town
- Take some really artsy photos, suitable for framing
Make a snow angel(Complted 2/26/13)- Live with no regrets
- Go on a picnic
Eat chocolate covered bacon(Completed 2/9/13)Eat chocolate covered beef jerky(Completed 2/9/13)- See a show at The Looking Glass Theater
- Take a picture with the Picasso statue
- Swim at one of Chicago's beaches
- Visit Graceland Cemetery
- Eat at a Mexican restaurant in Little Village
- Eat Chinese food in Chinatown
Eat at an Italian restaurant in Little Italy(Completed 2/2/13)- Go on a Chicago Tastebud Tour
- Go on a dinner cruise
- Eat at Fat Willy's Rib Shack
- See a concert at Northerly Island
- Eat at Smoque
- Have a craft beer at The Bluebird Chicago
- Have a drink at The Southern in Wicker Park
- See Bye Bye Liver: The Chicago Drinking Play at The Pub Theater
Tour Lakefront Brewery (2/17/13)- Do the Hustle up the Hancock
- Put my hand print in wet cement
- Eat the worm from a bottle of Tequila
- Drive a race car
- Visit the Hancock Observatory
- Go Zorbing
- Find a 4 leaf clover
- Get my palm read by a psychic
- Ride in a hot air balloon
- Visit a pumpkin patch
- Swim with beluga whales
- Tour Half Acre Brewery
- Swim with Stingrays in the Cayman Islands
- Touch a baby sea turtle.
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