5 New Experiences Added to My Bucket List

120. Be an extra in a movie
This may happen sooner than I thought, since I am on a list to be an extra in a memorial scene of a movie tomorrow!!

121. Milk a cow
Being from a small, farm town I am surprised that I haven't experienced this yet.

122. Watch turtles hatch & run for the ocean

123. Create a piece of art & sell it
I have made some wine cork art that hangs in my restaurant. I'm going to stick a price tag on it & see what happens!

124. Finish a crossword puzzle (no dictionaries allowed!)
I have been doing crosswords for over 20 years, why can't I finish one!!!

#26 Eat at 500 great restaurants

Great restaurant #109 is GG's Earth & Surf in Santa Rosa, CA

I was so happy to have stumbled across this restaurant when we were headed to a brewery for burgers & beer!"

The most amazing thing happened on Saturday night; our restaurant was slow and we were able to go to dinner before 8:00 on a Saturday night!! Opportunities like this only happen about twice a year, so we weighed our options. It wasn't long after that we realized that we had no reservations and the places in town were packed (I just found a perk to having Monday night off). Defeated, we headed to 3rd Street AleWorks after the Russian River Brewing Co. turned out to be a chaotic mess with no apparent hostess. Thank goodness, on our way we came across GG's Earth & Surf. The menu claims to be "earth friendly" with lots of vegetarian, organic and vegan items. I'm not a vegetarian (this girl likes a steak every now and again), but the menu enticing. The prices seemed way too reasonable, I had no idea how they could charge $14 for Halibut, but then the tentative waitress informed us that is was "tapas" style. Fine by us, we love to try a bunch of different things. Food was creative, service was awkward & ambiance was a cross between modern sleek and a cheesy hotel breakfast restaurant.

What I ate and how I liked it:

Crostini of the Day A-

Every day their crostinis rotate. That day the 2 features were: basil ricotta, caramelized onion & smoke steelhead and shrimp, grapefruit & radish.

Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheese on Baby Greens Vanilla vinaigrette B

This salad was nicely done with a variety of fresh greens on the plate. The vanilla vinaigrette was something I had never heard of so I was dying to try it. At first, I love the flavor, but after a few bites it was just odd to have vanilla mixed with vinegar.

Spring Risotto with a Cashew Cream A-
The risotto was nicely cooked, though I didn't taste any cashews in the cream sauce. The variety of fresh herbs that is was topped with added most of the flavor.

Panna Cotta with Lemon Granita A

I didn't care for the presentation of this dessert, but the flavor of the panna cotta together with the granita was tremendous.

Manifesto Cabernet Sauvignon A

I very nice semi-bold wine choice. Many of the wines on their list are organic, though this was not one of them.

Bucket List #36. Run (at least) a 5K

I starting training for my first 5K today. I am not a runner, nor am I a jogger....heck, I barely like to walk. A friend had told me about the "From Couch to 5K" training program. If you follow the plan, you should be crossing the finish line in 9 weeks.
On the week one agenda was the following: A brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes (3x/week). My initial thought was that day one would be pretty easy, much better than the typical 60 minute spin class I would have taken that day. But, to my surprise, I was winded after 10 minutes. Hmm...lesson learned...running is not the same as spinning. If someone was literally a "couch potato", day one would most likely not lead to a day 2! But, I am excited that I only have 8 weeks & 6 days left.

#106 Completed! Smoke a Fine Cigar

"Yes, I inhaled...but maybe I shouldn't have!"

Let me start by saying, I have no idea what the characteristics of a fine cigar are. But, I assumed, the more expensive the better. After staring at the a daunting selection of smokables in a little Mexican shop, we opted for a box of Cohibas. I wondered why they didn't have something like peach flavored? I'm not really sure how much they cost because it was Pesos and I didn't pay. I wondered if they even sold fine cigars in Mexico? I was grateful as I bit off the end my cigar, that we did not have one of those scarey cigar cutters (horrible visions of the mafia chopping fingers off). I inhaled once and had mixed feelings about the taste; good or bad...hmmm? The second puff was deeper, longer and started me on a perpetual coughing display. I wondered why this was on my bucket list at all? That was enough for me, goal completed.

#82 Eat at a great restaurant from every country

Puerto Rico (yes, I am considering it its own country)

"Puerto Rican food is definitely worth the experience, but I won't be going back any time soon...maybe just for the plantains!"

My mother really wanted to go to a Puerto Rican restaurant for Mother's Day and I thought "how great is this, I can spend time with my mom and check one more thing off my bucket list". We had gotten a fantastic recommendation for a place in San Rafael, CA called Sol Food. It turns out that they have two locations just one block away from each other. Weird, right? I called to ask which one was better, the employee told me that the old one (on 4th Street) had more character and would be a great place to go for our first experience. Though, when we did a drive by we thought that the restaurant look too small, so we chose their alternate location on Lincoln. The decor was colorful and eclectic, they had one wall lined with different colored old doors. This is a "order at the counter" type of place. The counter gal was very helpful in explaining & suggesting items on the menu.

What I ate and how I liked it:

Let me preface this by saying I have no idea what Puerto Rican food should taste like, so really this is just a matter of opinion (but aren't all reviews anyway?).

Pollo al Horno (chicken thighs, marinated in oregano and garlic) C
I was told that this dish was their specialty and the most popular item on the menu. The chicken thighs said they were marinated in oregano and garlic, but I tasted neither. The piece of meat was on the dry side and I was happy that I opted for just the one piece meal.

Maduras (sweet plantains) A+

You could have just given me a plate of these sweet, fried plantains and I would have been a happy girl. I might go back and order just that!

Pastelon di Carne (beef and plantain lasagna) B
This dish was layered similar to a lasagna, but with plantains, beef & cheese. My mother really enjoyed this, though we had to search for the plantains at the bottom of the dish.

Templeque (coconut pudding with mango puree) A

This was a perfect way to end a filling meal. The pudding was light and the flavor of coconut wasn't overwhelming. The mango puree was delicious!

Coco Rico Soda (coconut soda) C

I love coconut, but I do not love coconut soda. I think I will just stick with Diet Coke.

Liminada Fresca (lime fresca) A+
This house-made fresca (lime, sweetener & water) was a house specialty and I definitely could see why. It had the perfect balance of lime & sugar with the water; not too tart or too sweet.

All in all, if you are looking for Puerto Rican Food in Northern California, Sol Food would be a great choice.

#2 Completed! Swim with Dolphins

"An amazing experience that I would highly recommend!"

How I did it: I recently went on a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Besides sitting on the beach drinking Pina Coladas & eating chilaciles, swimming with dolphins was the only other activity on the agenda. Lucky enough, my girlfriend & her boyfriend sat through the torture of a 3-hour time-share seminar (God bless them!). They were able to score 4 tickets to the Dolphin Experience at Vallarta Adventures for $130! The usual cost is about $120 per person.

The dolphins were kept in large pools (similar to swimming pools). I was worried that it would make me feel sad that they were contained, but they seemed to be having fun. A few were just playing ball with each other with no trainers around. We stood on a platform in the pool and, for all you wimps (myself included), the water was cold! I sucked it up because I couldn't wait to swim with Dolphins! We were able to ride the dolphin, get a kiss, dance and feed it a slimy fish. For more money there were more intimate experiences available, but I was pleased with the interaction we had. Everyone with me agreed that we don't need to do it again, but it was totally worth it!

The only bummer is that they don't allow cameras in the dolphin area, so their photographer took all of the photos & you had to purchase them if you wanted any record of your experience. We paid $99 for 8 photos on cd. I felt kind of ripped of, but couldn't pass it up.

#55 Completed! Stay at a 5-Star Hotel

"Such luxury that it will be hard to return to Motel 6"

How I did it:

This goal would have not been completed unless my former company footed the bill! When I was working for Fox Restaurant Concepts we won an award for one of the best Fast Casual restaurants in the Nation. I was invited to Chicago to accept the award and was booked to stay at The Peninsula.

I figured they would have some fine chocolate on my pillow, but they brought in a whole complimentary fruit & cheese platter. The bed was the most comfortable I ever slept in! I still have the slippers! I took them!

#54 Completed! Have a second home in Sonoma County

"Happy to be able to spend time in both the town I grew up in and Arizona!"

How I did it: When I moved to Arizona, I missed my family and friends so much that I decided to add "have a second home in my hometown" to my bucket list. There was an old inoperative school in my town that was built in 1927 and then turned into 10 lofts. I fell in love with the loft lifestyle so we decided to purchase the corner unit. Our intention was to turn this home into a vacation rental and we did so for six weeks until there was an opportunity for us to move back to California. We now have made the Sonoma County home our primary residence and the Arizona home our secondary!

#24 Completed! Try to Rappel

"Rappelling was thrilling, but would have been better if I could have gone down faster!""

How I did it:
I always try to do "something I will remember" for my birthday. This year I selected rappelling from my bucket list. It was a 3 hour drive from my home to the Moaning Caverns in Murphys, CA. We all were required to watch a short video that gave you the dos & don'ts of rappelling, followed by a 2 minute lesson. That's it! The instructor hooked us into our harnesses and led us to the rope into the cave. The first portion of the rappell was like rock climbing backwords. The second part was more of a free fall drop (the fun part). Next time, I would opt for something faster and longer!

After the rappel, we went to eat in the town of Murphys, CA. The quaint downtown offered several nice restaurants & 20+ wine tasting rooms. Couldn't have ended the day any better!

#12 Learn How to Make Paper

Since as far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated with paper. It doesn't matter if it is wrapping, printing or tissue paper, there is just something appealing about the array of colors, weights & textures. I have been known to peruse the paper store aisles and leave with goodies I have no intentional use for. Doesn't everyone do that? My closet houses at least 10 rolls of wrapping paper, 8 different colors of tissue paper, 12 types of printing paper & 15 sorts of craft paper. You never know what you might need!

I can't resist the after-Christmas 50% off wrapping paper sales. This is a great time to stock up on the "necessities" for next year. My question is: How many rolls of Xmas wrap is enough? I would have to buy approximately 300 gifts a year to use all that I have!

I have a secret fantasy (get your mind out of the gutter...not that kind of fantasy!) of sitting in my future craft room at home and creating handmade gift tags for a living, maybe I'll add that to my bucket list. My shelves would be lined with the worlds largest assortment of papers; parchment, linen, recycled, embossed...oh my! I suppose it fits that I would want to create my own paper. That way I can be the controller of my own paper destiny.

#101 List 10 things I am grateful for every day for 1 month

I once read somewhere that you can change a habit in 21 days. I am a slow learner so I figured I'd give myself 30 days to train my brain to concentrate on all of the grateful things in my life. I definitely believe that being grateful is the key to happiness. I only have two more days to go and have been extremely surprised when reading back my past entries. I figured much of my gratitude would be related to money somehow and there are a few passages that are just that, but for the most part what makes me happy is not monetary.


7 Spending time with friends, family and loved ones seems to be the top on my list. Even when it was as simple as having coffee with my mother (who would have thought?). The next trend on my gratitude list was related to feeling a sense of accomplishment; completing all my errands, painting the house, finishing taxes, etc. I am definitely a "list" person, so I feel grateful when I can complete anything off my list. The rest of the entries seem to be pretty random; making good deep fried gorgonzola balls, feeling skinny, happy hours, poker night, spin class, etc.

All said and done, making a point of being grateful has definitely helped my happiness in the last month. One of my entries actually read "I love my life!" I can't remember the last time I felt that.

#57 Drink a Bottle of Trendy Champagne

MTV Cribs may have influenced the "drink a bottle of trendy champagne" goal. Damn that MTV for making me want what all the rich people have! I am envious after watching all these famous folks open their perfect refrigerators, with their beverages all lined up in a flawless row, and pull out the infamous bottle of Krystal. Next to the "this is where the magic happens" slogan when someone brings the cameras into the bedroom, the token bottle of expensive Champagne in the ice box is a standard event.

My questions is...at my age, why have I never been indulged in a luxury bubbly?

#107 Completed! Meet someone famous

"I am ashamed to admit that I was starstruck to meet someone who I had watched on TV...many, many times!"

How I did it: The company I worked for took a bunch of us to Vegas & put us up at The Palms for our Holiday Party (I know...great company!). We went to a very late dinner at N9ne restaurant where at the table next to us was MTV's Rob & Big. Rob is a professional skate boarder who started a reality show on MTV with Big, his friend/bodyguard. Yes...this is using the term "famous" loosely! The first half of my meal I contemplated going over to get a photo, but by dessert I couldn't resist getting my picture with them! They were very cordial.
After dinner my coworkers & I went to party at Moon Nightclub where Rob & Big happen to have a private booth. A friend of theirs invited me to join then, so I spent most of the night boogieing in their booth. Definitely, an experience to remember.

#83 Completed! ride a zip line

"Riding a zip line in Costa Rica was absolutely thrilling & beautiful"

How I did it: When I was in Costa Rica I saw a brochure for zip line tours. There was no question that this was something I would have to do! There were several rip line companies to choose from, but we went with the one the hotel recommended. It had 11 lines on it, which meant we were able to fly down 11 different cords all with varying lengths & heights. The first one was the scariest because you weren't sure if you were going to fall. But, by the end we were flying upside down!

Lessons & tips: Do your research to make sure you are using a reputable zip line company. This is definitely something you don't want to take any chances on. Using one that the hotel recommends is a wise idea.

What helped me cure a bit of my fear was to suspend myself in the air while I was still over the platform. This way I knew that I was secured properly and the cord could support my weight.

#2 Swim With Dolphins

I am well aware that this goal is trite in the Bucket List arena. Really, who doesn't want to swim with dolphins? Can anyone resist the charm of potentially being smooched by this enchanting creature? I suppose swimming with sharks would be a more adventurous feat, but I'm just not ready for that yet (maybe by the time my bucket list gets into the 200s).

You would think that a dolphin swim would be easily obtained, but no so. There is actually some planning and travel involved. I will be going to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in April 2009 and then I think this goal will have a big check mark by it (if the Tequila doesn't take over first)!!

#89 Completed! Enter something in a food competition

"I am proud that I cooked something that I actually won was of those cheesy red ribbons for!"

How I did it: Most fairs have an exhibit portion where they accept entries for such things as baked items, vegetables, photography, art, etc. I checked with the local Harvest Fair to see what type of food submissions were available. I decided to enter the cookie category. I baked Italian pizzelle & lime meltaway cookies. I won 2nd & 4th place & $6!!

Lessons & tips:
Make sure you read the requirements carefully! There are usually strict deadlines on when you have to bring your entries to the judges.

#1 Learn Italian

It still amazes me that I don't know how to speak Italian considering my mother was born in Italy and is completely fluent. Even more so because I lived with my grandmother and she barely spoke English for all of her 35 years in America. I have often asked my mother why she did not teach her children how to speak her heritage language at an age when it would have been so much easier for us to learn. She responded that when the family arrived to the United States on "the boat" they wanted so desperately to just be American and fit in. At that time, she was embarassed by her Italian culture, especially when she started 1st grade without speaking a lick of English. She did not want me to go through what she thought would be the same sort of embarassement. Oh, if hindsight was 20/20. Now, my whole family yearns for the Italian tradition that we once had; large Sunday lunches, homemade Italian Easter bread, afternoon siestas & vino with every meal (oh, I still do that one!).

I feel that learning Italian will somehow bring me closer to my grandmother who has since passed on. A way of better understanding her life and traditions. Possibly a way of carrying on these customs to honor her memory. I know it sounds alittle kooky, but who really can say how the mind works?

So far, I have taken 1 year of college Italian courses, did online study, read numerous books and listened to those redundant audio cds. Though I believe all have helped, none have enabled me to have a fluent conversation. Next on the list will be Rosetta Stone (the standard in language cds) and then living in Italy for at least 3 months.

I will speak Italian someday, I just hope that at that time there will be someone to talk to.

The Bucket List

1. Learn Italian
2. Swim with dolphins
3. Live in Italy
4. Have a net worth of over $1 million
5. Own a custom home
6. Go on a Mediterranean cruise
7. Own investment Real Estate
8. Have a full day at a resort spa
9. Be 110lbs again
10. Tell dad I love him
11. Go to Seattle
12. Learn how to make paper
13. Play the stock market
14. Compete in an amateur ice skating competition
15. Go to Africa
16. Semi-Retire by the age of 50
17. Make a significant change in someone’s life
18. Take a pottery/ceramic class
19. Have my 15 minutes of fame
20. Go on a cruise
21. Think Positively
22. Be a member of the audience of a TV show
23. Be a food Critic for a day
24. Try Rapelling
25. Get a spa pedicure
26. Eat at 500 great restaurants
27. Do something with puppies
28. Try to Surf
29. Be published in anything
30. Teach a class
31. Hold a Monkey
32. Hold a Koala Bear
33. Throw a huge themed party
34. Stand under a Waterfall
35. Volunteer or Donate Something
36. Run at least a 5k race
37. Blow $150 on one 5-cent slot machine
38. Create a family tree
39. Ride an elephant
40. Go on a $500 clothes shopping spree in one day
41. Become a good listener
42. Be a mentor
43. Ride in a gondola in Venice
44. Go to the Smithsonian institute
45. Test drive a convertible high-end sportscar
46. Find my best friend from High School
47. Surprise Someone
48. Get a bikini wax
49. Attend a black-tie gala
50. Be a better wife
51. Be a game show contestant
52. Be debt Free
53. Have a closet only filled with clothes I love
54. Have a 2nd home in Sonoma County
55. Stay at a 5-star hotel
56. Cook every dish in one cookbook
57. Drink a bottle of trendy champagne – Krystal, Dom or Veuve
58. Drive any type of racing car
59. Earn 6 figures per year
60. Find a career I love
61. Go on a spontaneous road trip
62. Paint something at a ceramic place
63. Go to the Hamptons
64. Have a maid
65. Have enough money to stop worrying about it
66. Help my family
67. Inspire others
68. Invent something
69. Try archery
70. Learn to knit & crochet
71. Make something mosaic
72. Leave my friends & family with many happy memories together
73. Set a record in the Guinness book of world records
74. Visit every state in the US
75. See a Volcano
76. Stop worrying about things I have no control over!
77. Get a metal detector and use it.
78. See a Broadway play
79. See a pyramid
80. Win something really good.
81. Have a house where every room looks like a model home.
82. Eat at a great restaurant from at least 30 countries
83. Take a canopy (zip line) ride.
84. Try 50 new foods/food products
85. Take a trip with mom
86. Cook one recipe from every cookbook I own.
87. Write a book.
88. Take a makeup lesson
89. Enter something in a food competition
90. Indoor Skydiving
91. Skeet Shoot
92. Flip a house
93. Be on a reality tv show
94. Hike every trail at Point Reyes
95. Make my own perfume
96. Be blond for a day
97. dress in super sexy lingerie
98. Try a pole dancing class
99. Ride a Mechanical Bull
100. Indoor Rock climb
101. List 10 things I am grateful for every day for 1 month
102. Try Spelunking
103. Go to a Vodka Lounge
104. Have a bed/bedroom that you can lounge in
105. Read all the books in Oprah’s Book Club
106. Smoke a fine cigar
107. Meet someone famous
108. Own an award winning restaurant
109. Start a blog
110. Smoke a Hookah
111. Visit a Castle
112. Learn Latin dance & use it at a Latin club
113. Be able to do a Google search on my name & have at least 1 page of stuff on it!
114. Climb an indoor rock wall
115. Create my own recipe
116. Try to blow glass
117. Learn how to sing without breaking glass!
118. Take an improv class
119. Fly on a trapeze

About The List

I have always had a list. A shopping list. A to-do list. A need-to-repair list. A list of all my lists. And my favorite of them all, my bucket list. Having a bucket list is the perfect way to get myself motivated and experience all the pleasures in life. The following are things that I have completed on my list so far:

~Skeet Shoot
~Take a Pilates class
~Enter something in a food competition
~Take a Rip Line ride
~See a Volcano
~Have a 2nd home in Sonoma County
~Make a significant change in someones life
~Teach a class
~Stay at a 5-Star hotel
~Blow $150 on one 5-cent slot machine
~Get a spa pedicure
~Try to surf
~Tell my dad I love him
~Go on a $500 clothes shopping spree in one day
~Play the stock market
~Spend the day at a resort spa
~Own investment real estate
~Rappel

I still have 105 more (& counting) things on my bucket list! I hope this blog helps me keep a record of the progress of my goals and help those who want to create/experience their own list.