Creating a Bucket List in a Tragedy

One of the first things I did after Brandon’s passing was to create two lists. The first one included things that I didn’t want to forget—like how he would make squeaky noises with his mouth, to which I would press my lips back. The other list I made was a bucket list. I have it in random order on my list, but I’ll categorize it better here. I hope you enjoy it.

General Life Goals

• Get my motorcycle license so I can ride our Harley
• Start counseling
• Eat Ben & Jerry’s straight from the container the night everyone leaves
• Learn to fly the drone. Completed 04/03/2024
• Get a tattoo with Brandon’s writing on it Halfway Point: 04/02/2024
• Learn to fly the DJI drone Completed 04/02/2024
• Get caught up in school Completed 04/21/2024
• Get a good job Completed 7/1/24: Creating my own good job! <3
• Write on this blog/ update vlog consistently. Completed 09/11/2024
• Get my FAA license (this helps me be able to fly a drone commercially)
• rock through with straight As until I graduate
• Pay of all debt by May 2030
• Write a book (that is an extension of this blog)
• Play a game of Monopoly (because in the ENTIRE 20 years I was married to him he only ever lost once… well, guess who’s not winning this game. Muahahahaha).
• Watch a movie in B’s honor every February 11th (Grand Turismo is the last movie we ever watched… but he loved watching movies so I’m open to other ones)
• Added 9/14/24: Get a miniature Labradoodle (I decided I wanted one in July… but want to be ready for it)

Home Goals

• Move into the Blum house Completed 04/27.2024
• Start a garden with flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Completed 03/22/2024
• Get a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher <3 Completed 03/25/2024
• Get more chickens Completed 05/14/2024
• Buy nice furniture Completed 05/09/2024
• Get rid of the wood pile
• Get rid of the trash pile
• Get rid of the trash in the back of the truck
• Sell the Hillsboro house (Real estate agent: Kathy Lajara)

Travel Goals

• Stay at the Lorenzo Hotel in Dallas Completed 04/03/2024
• Visit Hot Springs National Park Completed 05/19/2024
• Go to Boston with my co-horts Done 04/19/2024
• Visit NYC with my mom Done 04/21/2024
• Go back to Two Guns, AZ. Completed June 2024
• Land of Oz in North Carolina
• Take the girls to the Peabody to see the ducks
• Go to the Gangster Museum
• Go back to Big Bend on a clear, dark night
• Revisit Surf Market Gualalala (can I live there?)
• Visit Havasupai
• Get my passport
• Visit Puerto Rico (this was one of his biggest dreams, and towards the end, I saw why he wanted to go)
• Go to Costa Rica- make it the first place out of the USA I visit.
• Stay in a treehouse in the Texas Hill Country
• Stay at Big Sky’s Retro Resort
• Check out things in my town like:
  • The roadside museum
  • The dinosaur museum
• Finish the stickers on the van
• Vegas for Vaeh’s 21st birthday Coming July 2026
• Disney cruise for Bre’s graduation Coming May-ish 2025
• Go to the Pioneer Woman’s coffee shop
• Go to the non-alcoholic bar (Wild Child) in Shawnee, Oklahoma
• Go to Dry Tortugas National Park

Honestly, the National Parks should have their own section- Hahahaha

Food/Health Goals

• Go to a hot yoga class. Completed 3/20/24
• Buy an inflatable standup paddleboard Completed July 2024
• Go to the Farmers’ Market regularly. Still going regularly as of September 2024
• Lose weight (specific goal for now: 25 lbs)
• Make tamyaki
• Go to Bonton Farms
• Host a dinner party once a month
• Become a flexitarian
• Take a pole dancing class
• Learn yoga
• Become certified to teach something