Several of my blog friends have recently done Dream Lists and I thought that would be a great way to wrap up 30 straight days of posts for NaNaBloPop. On my old site, I had a "Lifetime To Do List," but it was pretty vague. Inspired by Frema and Molly, here's my 100 dreams list, in no particular order. Some may seem outlandish, some would never happen unless I won the lottery, but they are dreams nonetheless. And who knows what could happen? Ten years ago I would have laughed if someone had told me I'd live in NYC and work on Broadway, so stranger things have certainly happened.
DREAM LIST
1. Learn to make killer guacamole. I want it to be so good that people throw parties just so I'll make a batch.
2. Bake and decorate a wedding cake for a friend.
3. Own a catering business with my husband. We will specialize in ribs, tacos and other comfort foods.
4. Get a tenure-track, full-time teaching gig.
5. Run my own stage management department, whether it's academic or professional.
6. Work on Broadway again.
7. Take Dean to NYC and see his face the first time he sees Times Square, the Statue of Liberty and his first Broadway show.
8. Donate money to the National Kidney Foundation.
9. Take my mom on a trip, just the two of us, even if it's just overnight.
10. Attend at least one football game a year with my dad.
11. Own a Kitchenaid stand mixer.
12. Take care of kids. I always thought I'd have more than one biological child, but since that's not in the cards for us, this will include my nephews, my students and any other kids out there who happen to need me.
13. Throw an amazing Christmas party, complete with a live tree, lots of decorations and incredible food.
14. Visit Italy and eat as much as humanly possible.
15. Host a cooking show, preferably with Daniel as my co-host.
16. Attend BlogHer. (Got my ticket for 2010 in NYC!)
17. Save enough money to live for a year with no income, just in case.
18. Buy Marcus a bass boat.
19. Watch Marcus teach Dean to fish.
20. Teach Dean to make cupcakes, chili and black beans and rice, among other things.
21. See my best friends more.
22. Take at least one class a year at the university where I teach, preferably something not even remotely related to theatre.
23. Rewrite my graduate thesis. I had the honor of working with the director about whom I wrote my thesis and I really need to write about that experience and how it changed my perception of his work.
24. Stage manage another show at Cornell.
25. Work with my husband as much as possible.
26. Visit Alaska again and catch my own salmon. Eat crab legs until I explode.
27. Figure out how to make chocolate souffle just like my favorite restaurant in Ithaca, Just A Taste.
28. Be there when Meredith has her baby.
29. Celebrate Kitty's 40th birthday with her, preferably in Disney World.
30. Work on a production of Jesus Christ Superstar directed by my husband. In a perfect world, my dad will guest star as Pilate.
31. Expand my herb and veggie garden. I eventually want to get to the point where I never have to use another store-bought pepper again.
32. Stage manage a production of Noises Off.
33. Attend a class reunion for my high school.
34. Attend a U2 concert.
35. Re-read Pillars of the Earth over and over and over again.
36. Teach Dean to ride a bike.
37. Sit on the beach at sunset with my husband and listen to the waves.
38. Re-learn French and use it as much as possible so I don't lose it.
39. Visit the town where I grew up and meet my childhood friends' families.
40. Convert my third bedroom into an office for me and only me. I will paint it yellow and there will be lines in the carpet from where I've freshly vacuumed.
41. Install hardwood floors in my house.
42. Visit colleges with Dean and help him make his choice. Advise him when he asks for it and sit back and chill when he needs me to.
43. Clap until my hands hurt at Dean's college graduation. I may even cheer aloud.
44. Snuggle lots of sweet grandbabies.
45. Figure out how to use our fancy camera on something other than the "auto" setting.
46. Finish writing our Will with Marcus.
47. Throw Dean into a pile of raked leaves. Repeat as necessary.
48. Give up Coke Zero, but never coffee.
49. Attend a "coffee cupping." (like a wine tasting, but with coffeeeee!)
50. Own a house with a really great kitchen.
51. Serve on a Board of Directors.
52. Throw my mother in law and my dad retirement parties. (MIL retires in June!!)
53. Attend my friends' weddings whenever possible.
54. Visit Canada. (Eva, I'm coming for YOU!)
55. Tailgate with my friends from grad school.
56. Help my students get jobs after graduation.
57. Own a house in the Florida Keys and decorate it with every piece kitschy fish stuff I can get my hands on.
58. Fly to NYC for my 50th birthday and eat at a Five-Star restaurant.
59. Establish holiday and other family traditions that Dean will be proud to pass along to his own family.
60. Get my engagement ring repaired so I can wear it every day.
61. Anonymously donate a truckload of supplies to the church daycare where Dean goes three days a week, even if it's waaaay in the future.
62. Find a real church home.
63. Eat a Nathan's hot dog at Coney Island again.
64. Sleep in on the weekends.
65. Hand one of my students his or her diploma.
66. Install a half-bath in our house.
67. Write a play. (This shocked me when it came out of my fingers. It's Marcus's fault. He keeps telling me how good the few I wrote in college were, so it encourages me. We shall see.)
68. Have my house cleaned by a professional JUST ONCE.
69. Find a cure for Dean's eczema.
70. Cook a big family meal every Sunday afternoon.
71. Host Thanksgiving and Christmas for both our families.
72. Spend Christmas in the Smoky Mountains.
73. Go sledding.
74. Go to the movies at least once a month.
75. Watch my son play sports, perform in a show, play music or whatever he decides is his "thing." Cheer for him with all my heart.
76. Learn to make gravy.
77. Produce one of my friend Qui's plays, preferably at our undergrad alma mater.
78. Work with my stage management mentors again.
79. Plant yellow tulips in my yard.
80. Go on a brunch date for Mother's Day with Marcus and Dean.
81. Own a dog. Name said dog. (Marcus is not allowed to name animals.)
82. Accessorize my home.
83. Start playing the piano again.
84. Have dinners with friends that last hours .
85. Take a weekend getaway to a spa.
86. Visit California. All of it.
87. Learn to make teacakes like my great-grandma.
88. Learn to drive a stick.
89. Paint a picture to display in my home. (That one might take a couple of tries if my "artwork" in class is any indication of my talent...)
90. Have low cholesterol.
91. Join a book club. (The kind where you read a book, then go discuss it with people. Are they called book clubs? I dunno.)
92. Visit the Louvre.
93. Own every product Yes To Carrots manufactures.
94. Get electrolysis for my unibrow.
95. Take countless road trips with my family.
96. Host family and friends in our home as often as possible.
97. Be the best mom I can be and always have a great relationship with Dean.
98. Remain playful and goofy with my husband, even when we're in our 90s.
99. Visit Switzerland with Marcus.
100. Write it all down.
This is a beautiful list that will lead to a beautiful life weather the majority are fulfilled or not.
I like the last one the best!
Posted by: rkmama | November 30, 2009 at 09:48 AM
I like your list. I hope you get to do it all. :)
Posted by: J | November 30, 2009 at 10:49 AM
This is an amazing list. It is my personal duty to see #76 (which is also the year I was born) come to fruition. I may even have to make it a video post on hungryhomo.com
Yes, Mrs. Lane. You will be a gravy mama soon. By the way, the gravy I made for my turkey (which I just made up BTW) was so good people were eating it with a spoon. So I graduated grave school, and so can you. And I will hand you YOUR diploma.
Posted by: Hungry Homo | November 30, 2009 at 01:34 PM
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!!! You are my newest hero! :-)
Posted by: TeriLynne | November 30, 2009 at 07:36 PM
You will be there when the baby is born. No doubt! And I will go with you to NYC for your 50th and eat at a 5 star restaurant! Love you!
Posted by: Meredith | November 30, 2009 at 08:43 PM
Awww:)
Call me when you do "Noises Off," I LOVE that play!
What happened to your engagement ring?
Posted by: eva | December 01, 2009 at 12:27 AM
Great list!
(Sorry - brain not functioning enough to write a good comment - can only take in one or two pieces of information at a time it seems).
Posted by: AJU5's Mom | December 01, 2009 at 06:02 PM
I second the "visit Swisterland" and "attend BlogHer" ones. So I can see you and give you a big hug!
Posted by: Elisa | December 03, 2009 at 06:05 AM
I love your list and I'm so sorry I'm late in commenting on it. I hope we can attend a BlogHer together someday (with Molly, of course). Luke would be in on the U2 concert. We both want a house with a great kitchen, too. And I look forward to the day when sleeping in is something later than 7 p.m.
Also, you have to know how sophisticated "Rewrite my graduate thesis" sounds in my head. So intellectual!
I hope every single item on this list comes true for you!
Posted by: Frema | December 07, 2009 at 09:14 PM
Er, 7 AM. If I go to sleep and don't wake up until 7 p.m., somebody call an ambulance.
Also, I've never tried Yes to Carrots. Talk more about it!
Posted by: Frema | December 07, 2009 at 09:15 PM
14 - YES! I'll join you.
94 - LOL! Seriously.You kill me.
But you're missing one...
Attend Relevant 2010! ;)
Posted by: Sarah Mae | January 05, 2010 at 09:50 PM
Love love love goals and dreams list!! What a fantastic thing to blog about!
Posted by: Christine | January 05, 2010 at 10:00 PM
Loved it the first time ... love it again now!!!
Posted by: TeriLynne | January 06, 2010 at 09:25 AM
I'd like a bookclub as well. In my real life, that is (as opposed to the virtual variety which is still good, of course). And I'm not ever giving up coffee either.
Posted by: lisa writes... | January 06, 2010 at 10:45 PM
So, did you reach any of these dreams???
Posted by: stacey | January 07, 2010 at 12:13 PM