A Bucket List

The bucket list.  The things in life that you hope to accomplish before you, well, kick the bucket.  I love talking to people about their bucket lists.  It is amazing what you can find out about a person by knowing what they want to do with the time that they have left.  Some have a list a million miles long, others only a few.  If you don't have one, I highly recommend jotting a few things down somewhere. 

Don't worry folks, I am not going to sit here and list the 58 things I need to do before I meet my maker because I don't have 58.  I have 3.  3 tiny little things that I feel that I should experience at some point in the hopefully near future.

1.  Go see a movie at a drive in movie theater.  I know I only live 45 minutes from Neligh and that O'Neill used to have one when I was little, but I have never been to a drive in movie and I think it would be wonderful.  I know most of you are thinking 'well then get in the car and go', but here is where my shyness comes into play.  I hate doing things for the first time with no guidance.  Going to a drive in movie without someone who knows the ropes would probably cause a panic attack or at least a little nervous sweating.  Are there certain rules?  Is there a vehicle that is better than another to take?  Do they still use the little speaker boxes that you have to put in your window?  What if it is really hot and I have to sit in a hot car and pass out and die?  Well I guess I could at least cross 'going to a drive in theater' off my bucket list at that point :)  So if you or anyone you know would like to go to the movies, keep me in mind.

2.  Go on a roller coaster.  Again, I know I am weird.  Here's the deal with me never going on a roller coast, or really any carnival rides for that matter.  I was watching Oprah when I was very little with my mom one afternoon and the episode was about carnival rides gone wrong.  Well lets just say that a family of four that was killed because the roller coaster came off the tracks and flew through the air may have scared me a little bit.  I also don't like rides that drop so fast where my butt comes off the seat.  I need to have my bum firmly planted at all times.  At some point I am going to muster up all of my courage and go on a real roller coaster.  Thank goodness I don't live near an amusement park so that I am able to put this off for as long as I possibly can.

3.  Swim with great white sharks.  Nothing about swimming with sharks makes me nervous or scares me.  I would have done it by now but I want to go to South Africa, because rumor has it they have the baddest of the bad when it comes to great whites, and that costs a pretty penny.  I am going to do everything like a true shark bad ass would do.  I am going to go where the big sharks are, throw the chum overboard and wait for them to swarm, get in a cage and dive.  I hope they get mad and bump into the cage and stuff like that. Cant wait!

I would love to hear what all of you have on your buckets lists!

Oh, Rats!

Last weekend I was keeping official book for the district softball tournament that was being held in O’Neill. We were up in the crow’s nest and I see something scurry across the floor. It was a mouse. A cute adorable brown and white mouse. For the brief few minutes I knew her I called her Scout, after one of my favorite characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Anyway, she crawled into someone’s shoe and I took her outside and set her free in the wild (i.e. the grassy area next to the playground) and watched her scurry away. I couldn’t believe the number of people that asked me if I had killed her! Of course I didn’t kill Scout, she was adorable and I believe we formed a lifelong friendship…. Oh my God, there is a good chance I am going to become a rat hoarder… I guess watch for me on A&E! ☺

There are several reasons that I couldn’t kill Scout.

1. I am not a farm Kid. Farms kids are, well, kids that grew up on a farm. They know that life comes and goes and have the ability to off cute little creatures such as Scout without thinking twice about it.
2. I learned nothing from “The Lion King” except for some awesome songs. I know that movie was meant to teach kids about the circle of life, but that lesson just didn’t sink in with me. I did learn however not to get trapped in a herd to wild animals with hooves, that wart hogs fart, and that hyenas think they are way more funny than they actually are.
3. I blame society for introducing some awesome rodents into my childhood which now prevents me from ever killing one. For Example…

Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What if Scout was on a mission to inform life sized turtles of the danger lurking in the sewers of O’Neill?? I was not going to be responsible for destroying that mission. You’re welcome O’Neill.


The Rescuers. Those beloved little mice who embark on a whirlwind adventure! How could you ever kill one of those little guys? Plus they have a leaf boat and a dragonfly escort. I can picture Scout cruising down 5th Street after a hard rain with her beloved in their leaf boat of love... yup I just couldnt ruin that for her.



Ground Hog day. As a child my hopes of an early spring all rested in the hands of a rodent! What up Phil! Scout and Phil dated I believe. He is sad they broke up, that is why he let himself go the way he did. Perk up Phil! You should come to Boot Camp with me!


And who could ever forget Gus Gus from Cinderella! Awwww Gus Gus… one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. Love his big heart. ☺ I bet Scout has a big heart too…



And Alf. I don’t know if he is really considered a rodent or not, but he kind of looks like one. He also kind of looks like something else...*ah hem*... and I believe he enjoyed eating cats, but we won’t go into that at this time. I don’t remember much of this show but I do remember that my family watched it when I was growing up.  I bet Scout has a family. I wonder what TV shows they watch?

So next time I find a mouse don’t count on this girl to be responsible for its death, I simply wasn’t raised that way ☺