Procastination. It can wait till tomorrow quite frankly. After weeks of threatening, I've booked tickets to Carl Barron tonight. Bucket List Item #11 becomes arguably one step closer. Or does it? The Gold Coast Convention Centre is a big joint. I don't think jumping on someone's shoulders, taking my top off and swaying a cigarette lighter is the best way to get Carl's attention. Maybe I'll be lucky and find on the night that there's only six seats filled. Not unlike the Queensland Labor Party.
Sometimes procrastination comes about because of extenuating circumstances. For example, our trip to Eulo has been put on ice to ensure that the full effects of the recent floods have passed. My progress through my latest book has stalled due to the large number of words and small number of pictures. My date with the Ribs and Rumps Meat Your Match Challenge has been pushed back so that my jeans will not explode and take out half the restaurant.
The train must roll on though. The squash tally now sits at 720. Another contender enters the ring: Theo "The Rook" Papamanolis. It occurred to me that when this streak ends, it will never be repeated. More than seven years in the making, when (not if) it ends, I just can't see it being repeated. So the pressure is on. 800 is tanalisingly close. But so was popularity for Anna Bligh. Yikes.
Until next week...
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Week #10 Update
Urgent vs. Important. It's a battle that I deal with at work everyday. Well most days. Well some days. Well the days that the choice is between actual work-related tasks rather than steak vs. ribs. Trouble is that the Urgent vs Important debate more and more is a feature of life outside of work. Everyday I'm shufflin indeed.
Urgent urgent urgent... mow the grass, do the dishes, feed, bathe and clothe children. Preferably mine. Cook dinner, pay bills, check Facebook, check Linkedin, vaccuum, eat, sleep, iron, Words with Friends. All urgent, but is it important? Thank God I don't get the whole hashtag thing. My life would grind to a halt #firstworldproblem. Long term financial planning, unpacking the insurance rubics cube, home renos, superannuation consolidation blah blah blah. All important, but are they a focus. Unlikely.
And in a week where Joseph Kony starred in his own little 30 minute doco, does any of my urgent or important stuff matter in the scheme of the world? I'm not selling poster packs for $225 to help solve my problems, so probably not. Maybe because, as I found out through the wonders of the internet and my darling wife (happy anniversary bub), that people in Australia earning the minimum wage have an income in the Top 5% of the worldwide population.
So then what about the Bucket List - is this urgent or important? Well, I think it's neither and it's both. In the grand scheme of things, 15 wishes on a page of a very fortunate person are irrelevant. But to me it's urgent and important. It adds fun and purpose outside of the daily grind. Everyday I'm not just shuffling, I'm boogeying and busting a move as well.
And it was a slow groove this week. Another couple of pages down of my marketing book. The executive summary from last week still rings true.
Another few games onto the squash tally. Now 708 and counting.
Another movie under the belt. Blazing Saddles! Nothing quite as refreshing as a movie jammed end-to-end with unbelievable political incorrectness. Not unlike Kalibar at 3am Saturday morning which generated the hangover that spawned the decision to sit on my backside all day on Saturday and ultimately then watch Blazing Saddles. One hell of a circle of love. Blazing Saddles was classic Mel Brooks and possibly one of his movies would have to make it into an actual Top 20 funniest list. Certainly if I was 13 then one probably would. But I'm all grown up now. Insert deafening laughter here. That's nine movies down and eleven to go. Almost half way for those that a mathematically challenged.
I've got Carl Barron and a huge hunk of meat on my mind. That is definitely two different and distinct bucket list items. So while there's bigger fish to fry in the tacky fish n chip shop of planet Earth, I'll keep "chipping" away.
Until next week....
Urgent urgent urgent... mow the grass, do the dishes, feed, bathe and clothe children. Preferably mine. Cook dinner, pay bills, check Facebook, check Linkedin, vaccuum, eat, sleep, iron, Words with Friends. All urgent, but is it important? Thank God I don't get the whole hashtag thing. My life would grind to a halt #firstworldproblem. Long term financial planning, unpacking the insurance rubics cube, home renos, superannuation consolidation blah blah blah. All important, but are they a focus. Unlikely.
And in a week where Joseph Kony starred in his own little 30 minute doco, does any of my urgent or important stuff matter in the scheme of the world? I'm not selling poster packs for $225 to help solve my problems, so probably not. Maybe because, as I found out through the wonders of the internet and my darling wife (happy anniversary bub), that people in Australia earning the minimum wage have an income in the Top 5% of the worldwide population.
So then what about the Bucket List - is this urgent or important? Well, I think it's neither and it's both. In the grand scheme of things, 15 wishes on a page of a very fortunate person are irrelevant. But to me it's urgent and important. It adds fun and purpose outside of the daily grind. Everyday I'm not just shuffling, I'm boogeying and busting a move as well.
And it was a slow groove this week. Another couple of pages down of my marketing book. The executive summary from last week still rings true.
Another few games onto the squash tally. Now 708 and counting.
Another movie under the belt. Blazing Saddles! Nothing quite as refreshing as a movie jammed end-to-end with unbelievable political incorrectness. Not unlike Kalibar at 3am Saturday morning which generated the hangover that spawned the decision to sit on my backside all day on Saturday and ultimately then watch Blazing Saddles. One hell of a circle of love. Blazing Saddles was classic Mel Brooks and possibly one of his movies would have to make it into an actual Top 20 funniest list. Certainly if I was 13 then one probably would. But I'm all grown up now. Insert deafening laughter here. That's nine movies down and eleven to go. Almost half way for those that a mathematically challenged.
I've got Carl Barron and a huge hunk of meat on my mind. That is definitely two different and distinct bucket list items. So while there's bigger fish to fry in the tacky fish n chip shop of planet Earth, I'll keep "chipping" away.
Until next week....
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Week #9 Update
This week's update is two hours later than expected and slightly angrier. This is less to do with my tardiness and more to do with the Australian Cricket Team's penchant for losing unlosable matches. They tried their darndest. So close boys, but maybe you will choke more epicly in the second final.
This week I jumped back into reading (Bucket List Item #1). When you fly Qantas it pays to be prepared for delayed flights. Two flights. Two delays. I tried to remember the last time I took a Qantas flight that took off on time and landed on time, but my memory turned black and white, so it must have been a while ago. This week's reading project is homework from my boss - a marketing strategy book titled "Blue Ocean Strategy." I don't want to drag down the tone of my blog with boring marketing guff, but basically blah blah blah don't fight with competitors on their terms blah blah blah find your own unique space blah blah blah re-define the market. It's a great read if you're in marketing. If you're not, keep hanging onto the idea that we spend our days drawing pictures, having long lunches, snorting cocaine and playing with our ponytails. Mind you, I'm only about 10% through the book. I might learn other stuff that I'm supposed to be doing yet.
More movie action this week too (Bucket List Item #7). And finally, an actual contender. Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. Humerous for it's duration, as much for the ridiculous cameos as for the jokes. Neil Patrick Harris playing himself was legend - wait for it - DARY! Interestingly they reckon that NPH won the role of Barney on HIMYM based on his performance in this movie. Enough acronyms for you? Again, funnier movies spring to mind in the "road trip movie" genre. "Road Trip" in fact being one of them and "Euro Trip" also up for consideration. Either of these movies could make the actual funniest Top 20 movies of all time list. "Thelma and Louise" probably won't.
Carl Barron's gigs are selling out fast. He must be funny. Or playing 50 seat venues. I'll buy tickets this week. Let me know by Wednesday if you are keen to join me. The link once more for those playing at home... Carl's Gold Coast gig.
Until next week...
This week I jumped back into reading (Bucket List Item #1). When you fly Qantas it pays to be prepared for delayed flights. Two flights. Two delays. I tried to remember the last time I took a Qantas flight that took off on time and landed on time, but my memory turned black and white, so it must have been a while ago. This week's reading project is homework from my boss - a marketing strategy book titled "Blue Ocean Strategy." I don't want to drag down the tone of my blog with boring marketing guff, but basically blah blah blah don't fight with competitors on their terms blah blah blah find your own unique space blah blah blah re-define the market. It's a great read if you're in marketing. If you're not, keep hanging onto the idea that we spend our days drawing pictures, having long lunches, snorting cocaine and playing with our ponytails. Mind you, I'm only about 10% through the book. I might learn other stuff that I'm supposed to be doing yet.
More movie action this week too (Bucket List Item #7). And finally, an actual contender. Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. Humerous for it's duration, as much for the ridiculous cameos as for the jokes. Neil Patrick Harris playing himself was legend - wait for it - DARY! Interestingly they reckon that NPH won the role of Barney on HIMYM based on his performance in this movie. Enough acronyms for you? Again, funnier movies spring to mind in the "road trip movie" genre. "Road Trip" in fact being one of them and "Euro Trip" also up for consideration. Either of these movies could make the actual funniest Top 20 movies of all time list. "Thelma and Louise" probably won't.
Carl Barron's gigs are selling out fast. He must be funny. Or playing 50 seat venues. I'll buy tickets this week. Let me know by Wednesday if you are keen to join me. The link once more for those playing at home... Carl's Gold Coast gig.
Until next week...
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Week #8 Update
I love my job. But I've decided... when it comes time to quit, there's only one way to do it. I'll go on a work-funded trip. Halfway through the trip and in the middle of the night, I'll call a press conference to resign. This will be the first my boss hears about it. When I get back from my trip, I'll call another press conference, tell everyone my boss sucks at his job, tell everyone that I'm better at his job, that I'm better than the guy that does his job at Hogs Breath and the fate of Ribs and Rumps rests with me. Then I'll ask my colleagues to conduct a secret ballot to remove my boss and slot me into his job. That will totally work. I don't wear glasses, but I do have a round face, I'm arrogant, I talk about myself in the third person lots and I like the odd strip club visit, so if one K. Rudd can do it, so can I. However, before any of that happens, I will complete Bucket List Item #12
For the first time, I'm feeling the pressure of not progressing through the list at a fast enough pace. 8 weeks down means that I am 15% through the available time, and with only one item completed so far, I'm only 7% through the list. The maths aint good. But then, like a ray of sunshine from heaven, my skinny bald headed friend Carl Barron (not Joe Tallarida as many of you were thinking) schedules a new round of gigs. Don't get me wrong, if Joe scheduled gigs I would totally go as well. His "Try the veal" bit never gets old. Anyway, I digress. I've searched Google but I can't find the bucket list that Carl Barron has obviously compiled which at Number 11 has "Meet Scott Hamilton." I know that when the moment arrives for us to meet, the connection will be special. Note: Specialness of connection will be inversely proportionate to the size of Carl's security guards.
I know what you're thinking. About me. No not that. That would be fun though. Keep it clean please... this is a G-rated blog. I know what else you're thinking, "One of the best moments of my year slash life will be personally seeing Scott achieve Bucket List Item #11 - Meet Carl Barron - by joining him at the Gold Coast Convention Centre gig at 8pm on Saturday 26 May." It's an awfully precise thought, but both wise and accurate. So if ya wanna convert your thoughts into action (the second thought, not the first one), look at this link - Carl Barron's "Meet Scott Hamilton" Bucket List item achievement opportunity - and then shoot me a comment here or on Facebook in the next few days and I will co-ordinate a ticket buy. I'm sure some kind of dinner/drink thing will precede the main event. BYO confetti.
More actual progress on the list this week. Part #2 of "The Ref" turned out to be as riveting as Part #1, although Rosy and I elected to stay awake. Otherwise there would have been a Part #3. Then last night we knocked over Caddyshack. Rosy made the observation that Chevy Chase was cute when he was younger. Shame he wasn't funny. When I start to break down these movies by highly precise genre, I can automatically identify funnier movies that the ones on this so-called "Funniest movies of all time" list. Happy Gilmore. Way funnier golfing-related comedy than Caddyshack. American Pie. Way funnier frat house comedy than Animal House. Home Alone. Way funnier B-grade con taking people hostage in their own home movie than The Ref. "Keep the change.... ya filthy animal." Comedy gold (and also potentially a line to be re-used when taking care of Bucket List Item #14).
Until next week...
For the first time, I'm feeling the pressure of not progressing through the list at a fast enough pace. 8 weeks down means that I am 15% through the available time, and with only one item completed so far, I'm only 7% through the list. The maths aint good. But then, like a ray of sunshine from heaven, my skinny bald headed friend Carl Barron (not Joe Tallarida as many of you were thinking) schedules a new round of gigs. Don't get me wrong, if Joe scheduled gigs I would totally go as well. His "Try the veal" bit never gets old. Anyway, I digress. I've searched Google but I can't find the bucket list that Carl Barron has obviously compiled which at Number 11 has "Meet Scott Hamilton." I know that when the moment arrives for us to meet, the connection will be special. Note: Specialness of connection will be inversely proportionate to the size of Carl's security guards.
I know what you're thinking. About me. No not that. That would be fun though. Keep it clean please... this is a G-rated blog. I know what else you're thinking, "One of the best moments of my year slash life will be personally seeing Scott achieve Bucket List Item #11 - Meet Carl Barron - by joining him at the Gold Coast Convention Centre gig at 8pm on Saturday 26 May." It's an awfully precise thought, but both wise and accurate. So if ya wanna convert your thoughts into action (the second thought, not the first one), look at this link - Carl Barron's "Meet Scott Hamilton" Bucket List item achievement opportunity - and then shoot me a comment here or on Facebook in the next few days and I will co-ordinate a ticket buy. I'm sure some kind of dinner/drink thing will precede the main event. BYO confetti.
More actual progress on the list this week. Part #2 of "The Ref" turned out to be as riveting as Part #1, although Rosy and I elected to stay awake. Otherwise there would have been a Part #3. Then last night we knocked over Caddyshack. Rosy made the observation that Chevy Chase was cute when he was younger. Shame he wasn't funny. When I start to break down these movies by highly precise genre, I can automatically identify funnier movies that the ones on this so-called "Funniest movies of all time" list. Happy Gilmore. Way funnier golfing-related comedy than Caddyshack. American Pie. Way funnier frat house comedy than Animal House. Home Alone. Way funnier B-grade con taking people hostage in their own home movie than The Ref. "Keep the change.... ya filthy animal." Comedy gold (and also potentially a line to be re-used when taking care of Bucket List Item #14).
Until next week...
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Week #7 update
As is often the case, work gets in the way of life... Whether you "live to work" or "work to live" the reality is that most of us have to work at some point. Or join the public service.
This week, we had our work conference with two days and three nights of fun-filled frivolity. I really should have thought this through and adjusted my bucket list accordingly. For example "Beat your liver into submission one glass of red at a time" would have been ticked off. "Dance to Titanium with a 50 year old bikie at the Treasury Casino" also achieved (sadly not for the first time in my life). As far as conferences go, it was a ripper. I even learnt stuff. I was looking forward to outrageously tipping the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre staff for the outstanding food and service at the conference gala dinner. Sadly our table seriously debated ducking across the road to Subway for food... Bucket List Item #14 which at face value seems easy again goes unfulfilled. How do you get a slow roasted rib off the bone both crunchy and chewy at the same time. A rare talent. Gordon Ramsay would have broken the beeping machine.
Come Friday night and the opportunity arose to chip away at Bucket List Item #5 and Bucket List Item #7 concurrently. For Bucket List Item #5, I had methi leaves, as an ingredient in the Methi Malai from Curry Garden. An opportunity to deviate from the usual Indian take-out choices and it was devine. I'll be back for more. 1.2 billion people can't be wrong I guess? For Bucket List Item #7, we tackled "The Ref." I was operating under the assumption that Jerry Bruckheimer's name was not attached to anything bad. But sure, enough, there he is on the dust jacket of this little gem. Was it horrible? To be confirmed - we only lasted about 45mins before falling asleep. It's been a little while since I finished law-school, but I'm pretty sure "A furiously funny film you don't want to miss" could constitute misleading and deceptive conduct. Time will tell if we manage to stay awake for the next instalment.
Some early birthday gifts received on Sunday night from my in-laws (parent, sisters, brother - all in-law varieties) both helped and hindered my list. A very thoughtful cash donation to put towards Bucket List Item #10 - conquering the Sydney Skywalk was counter-balanced with another book added to my bedside table (Bucket List Item #1). Although the book lists 1000 cool things to do with kids in Australia, so could assist with Bucket List Items #6, so I'm calling this gift "Bucket list neutral." I haven't read the book yet (surprisingly), but I suspect that "strap the kids in for a 22 hour round trip to Eulo" is probably not included in the book. Guess next year's re-print will have 1001 cool things.
Until next week...
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Week #6 Update
Slow week in Bucket List land this week.
A special thanks to Paola Tanner for the book "5" which I finally read after only a few years of sitting on the bedside table (the book, not me), thus continuing to chip away at Bucket List Item #1. I've concluded two main things. First, that living your best life is not really that hard - you just need to figure out what you want, document how to get there and then stick to the plan. Second, that self help book authors are not real writers... just masters of the Captain Obvious game.
Interestingly, I'm so pleased with the process and progress, I've already started thinking about next year's bucket list. What didn't make the list this year that should have? Any ideas guys and gals? For starters, I'll be creating my own "Top 20 comedy movies" list and then watching them - Saturday night I took in the hilarious Naked Gun 2 which was funnier than anything I'd seen so far on the so-called Top 20 Comedy Movies list. Yet its not on the list. Hmmmm.
Carl Barron is makin' it hard for me (Bucket List Item #11). C'mon mate. He's just updated his tour schedule and has finally scheduled some dates outside of Sydney. Wollongong and Canberra. Not even the lure of Carl Barron could get me voluntarily to either of those places. Aim further North my friend.
Until next week...
A special thanks to Paola Tanner for the book "5" which I finally read after only a few years of sitting on the bedside table (the book, not me), thus continuing to chip away at Bucket List Item #1. I've concluded two main things. First, that living your best life is not really that hard - you just need to figure out what you want, document how to get there and then stick to the plan. Second, that self help book authors are not real writers... just masters of the Captain Obvious game.
Interestingly, I'm so pleased with the process and progress, I've already started thinking about next year's bucket list. What didn't make the list this year that should have? Any ideas guys and gals? For starters, I'll be creating my own "Top 20 comedy movies" list and then watching them - Saturday night I took in the hilarious Naked Gun 2 which was funnier than anything I'd seen so far on the so-called Top 20 Comedy Movies list. Yet its not on the list. Hmmmm.
Carl Barron is makin' it hard for me (Bucket List Item #11). C'mon mate. He's just updated his tour schedule and has finally scheduled some dates outside of Sydney. Wollongong and Canberra. Not even the lure of Carl Barron could get me voluntarily to either of those places. Aim further North my friend.
Until next week...
Monday, February 6, 2012
Week #5 Update
It's time to get all serious. Well... As serious as this little blog's gunna get. A few things happened this week that made me realise I'm not alone in my Bucket List journey... and that my journey means different things for different people.
First, a stranger from across the interweb reached out - Melanie Bowen contributes to a support blog for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance and believes that people maintain a much more positive outlook when committing their plans to paper and documenting the journey. Melanie asked that I post a link to her blog within my blog and at first, I declined the invitation - see my blog is about commitment to maintaining work/life balance, pushing myself out of my comfort zone and ensuring I keep doing something new. My blog (while important) is far more trivial than the issues Melanie is confronting. But you know what... my process is at it's heart about becoming a better person. So with that in mind, I've reconsidered. I urge you to click here to learn more about the great work that Melanie and countless other contributors do: Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance
Next I had a chance to drink beers with the chicky who gave me this idea in the first place. At the risk of exceeding my weekly shout-out quota, here is a link to the Kelly Stokes "30 things before I'm 30" blog. Check out her progress here: Kelly's ripper blog. Our conversation on the matter was actually pretty simple. "Are you lovin it?" "I'm lovin it!" "Are you lovin it" "I'm lovin it" Probably just as well as at this stage I was seven beers down and was sizing up the bartender as a slimmer, more personable and slightly hotter version of Zac Gallifinakis. Don't try googling that because I know damn well I spelled his name wrong. Just think Fat Jesus from the Hangover. Or in this case, Slim Jesus.
Then last night I had a ripper night with some of the ole' Red Rooster crowd and was informed that many are stalking my progress from afar and really enjoying the read. Siobhan told me she wasn't - she couldn't give a stuff and several other slanderous comments which I tuned out - much like most conversations previously had with Siobhan that descended into slanderous comments. Avoiding my blog is the online equivalent of not turning up to my conference presentations. I'm pretty sure she won't be able to resist having sneaky look though. She's only human.
Okily dokily. How have we gone on the progressometer this week?
The taste of 800 squash wins is tantalisingly close, like John Daly's sobriety, with the 700 mark crossed this week. 703 to be precise (Bucket List Item #3). Eulo is also tantalisingly close. (Bucket List Item #8) We just need to determine whether we will go by car or boat with Eulo currently underwater like much of the rest of Western Queensland. We tackled a 5+ hour drive through the Gold Coast hinterland with a short stop-off at "Natural Bridge" All the paths, ashphalt, ropes and such left me wondering how natural the bridge actually was though... Then on to Southport for a swim and home. Kids loved the drive and we are now foolishly lulling ourselves into a false sense of security that this roadtrip will be a walk in the park.
Interestingly, after a flood of initial commentary, only one person so far is brave enough to take on the Ribs and Rumps Meat Your Match Challenge with me (Craig) and one spectator (Angela). I'm also unconvinced that these people are all about the challenge - I reckon anything involving cows would get Craig to put his hand up and anything involving me looking stupid will attract Angela's interest. If you are also a fan of cows or me looking stupid... it's not too late... let me know!
Until next week...
First, a stranger from across the interweb reached out - Melanie Bowen contributes to a support blog for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance and believes that people maintain a much more positive outlook when committing their plans to paper and documenting the journey. Melanie asked that I post a link to her blog within my blog and at first, I declined the invitation - see my blog is about commitment to maintaining work/life balance, pushing myself out of my comfort zone and ensuring I keep doing something new. My blog (while important) is far more trivial than the issues Melanie is confronting. But you know what... my process is at it's heart about becoming a better person. So with that in mind, I've reconsidered. I urge you to click here to learn more about the great work that Melanie and countless other contributors do: Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance
Next I had a chance to drink beers with the chicky who gave me this idea in the first place. At the risk of exceeding my weekly shout-out quota, here is a link to the Kelly Stokes "30 things before I'm 30" blog. Check out her progress here: Kelly's ripper blog. Our conversation on the matter was actually pretty simple. "Are you lovin it?" "I'm lovin it!" "Are you lovin it" "I'm lovin it" Probably just as well as at this stage I was seven beers down and was sizing up the bartender as a slimmer, more personable and slightly hotter version of Zac Gallifinakis. Don't try googling that because I know damn well I spelled his name wrong. Just think Fat Jesus from the Hangover. Or in this case, Slim Jesus.
Then last night I had a ripper night with some of the ole' Red Rooster crowd and was informed that many are stalking my progress from afar and really enjoying the read. Siobhan told me she wasn't - she couldn't give a stuff and several other slanderous comments which I tuned out - much like most conversations previously had with Siobhan that descended into slanderous comments. Avoiding my blog is the online equivalent of not turning up to my conference presentations. I'm pretty sure she won't be able to resist having sneaky look though. She's only human.
Okily dokily. How have we gone on the progressometer this week?
The taste of 800 squash wins is tantalisingly close, like John Daly's sobriety, with the 700 mark crossed this week. 703 to be precise (Bucket List Item #3). Eulo is also tantalisingly close. (Bucket List Item #8) We just need to determine whether we will go by car or boat with Eulo currently underwater like much of the rest of Western Queensland. We tackled a 5+ hour drive through the Gold Coast hinterland with a short stop-off at "Natural Bridge" All the paths, ashphalt, ropes and such left me wondering how natural the bridge actually was though... Then on to Southport for a swim and home. Kids loved the drive and we are now foolishly lulling ourselves into a false sense of security that this roadtrip will be a walk in the park.
Interestingly, after a flood of initial commentary, only one person so far is brave enough to take on the Ribs and Rumps Meat Your Match Challenge with me (Craig) and one spectator (Angela). I'm also unconvinced that these people are all about the challenge - I reckon anything involving cows would get Craig to put his hand up and anything involving me looking stupid will attract Angela's interest. If you are also a fan of cows or me looking stupid... it's not too late... let me know!
Until next week...
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