101 Things in 2000 Days

Happy New Year.

We’ve all heard about bucket lists and New Years’ resolutions ad nauseam. One of the more popular “memes” (sic) on the Net this decade was the 101 things to do before you die, 101 things to do in the new year, etc.

I’ve done one, but amended it to 101 Things To Do Within The Next 2,000 Days. One, because 2000 fits with this blog, and two, because I’m very serious about this list and want to accomplish everything on it. But one year isn’t long enough, and “before I die” would not be motivating enough.

Today I begin my quest to complete each thing on this list. Within 2000 days. Which gives me until June 22, 2016. Exactly 2,000 days from today.

Sounds like forever, but trust me, based on the last twenty years of my life, 2016 is going to be here in about five minutes.

The 2Kin2K10 Unfat Project changed my life. A lot of these goals (things) were born out of this past year. A lot of them are things I’ve wanted to do my entire life. And some are things that occurred to me over the past two weeks as I spent serious time and reflection thinking about myself and my life. This is NOT one of those “Marry Brad Pitt” or “Score the winning goal in the World Cup” lists, though I’m sure Brad is a fine fellow.

The goals on the list are very real, and all important to me – some in a frivolous way, others in a deep spiritual way, fitness, adventure, knowledge, etc., etc.

I will leave this list up at this web address for 2,001 days. As I complete a goal/task/thing I will post here – crossing it off the list and perhaps sharing a brief tale about the experience. That will be the only posting I will do. So if you give a wad about whether I’m accomplishing any of it, I suggest you subscribe to this blog so that you won’t forget about it if I haven’t posted in weeks.

I wish everyone great success in 2011 right through 2016. Thanks for sharing my maiden cycling journey with me. And without further blathering, I present to you, The Unfat Project’s:

101 THINGS TO DO IN THE NEXT 2000 DAYS

START DATE:  JANUARY 1st, 2011

END DATE: JUNE 22nd, 2016

1. Finish this list – completed this morning

2. Ride the El Tour de Tucson 109 again

3. Play Pebble Beach golf course

4. Take my kids to California completed 3/19/2011

5. Weigh less than 185 lbs completed 6/10/2013

6. See Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band in concert one last time – No Longer Possible (June 18, 2011  RIP Big Man)

7. Break 80 on a championship course again

8. Be nominated for an Emmy or Golden Globe

9. Attend an Arsenal match at Ashburton Grove

10. Order the breakfast Horseshoe at Charlie Parker’s diner in Springfield, IL  completed 10/06/2011

11. Ride in Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge GranFondo

12. Visit Italy

13. Do 100 pushups without stopping

14. Do 100 situps without stopping

15. Play poker in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas

16. Meet Elden Nelson (aka Fatty of fatcyclist.com) completed 4/8/2012

17. Visit at least 3 2 states I have never been to completed 8/2014

18. Fish with Mark Zona

19. Learn a foreign language

20. Live by the Optimist creed

21. See a Red Sox game at Fenway Park

22. See a Packers game at Lambeau Field

23. See a Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium completed 10/21/2013

24. Ride to the summit of Mt. Lemmon

25. Visit a tropical island other than Hawaii

26. Visit Hawaii

27. Compete in the Eddy Merckx category of a Time Trial

28. Find a church I love

29. Watch my kids swim with dolphins completed 11/01/2011

30. Direct

31. Go one month without fast food completed 4/2/2013

32. Make a hole-in-one

33. Visit New York again

34. Order the $24 spaghetti at Scott Conant’s Scarpetta completed 1/06/2012

35. Purchase a custom-made suit completed 5/11/2011

36. Go on a cycling tour of a place I’ve never been

37. Read the bible more than not

38. Have a real office either in my home or rent one somewhere

39. Watch my son win a bike race

40. Get a new iPod completed 6/25/2011

41. Own one of those giant Mac monitors for my desktop

42. See a live taping of Iron Chef America

43. Go on a ride with Gaz – the Amazing 39 Stone Cyclist

44. Find out why Judging Amy and LA Law are not on dvd

45. Ride the Katy Trail with my kids

46. Complete 101 58 random acts of kindness

47. Host a dinner party

48. Write a children’s book

49. Learn actual culinary arts

50. Attend the Solheim Cup

51. Eat fish at least once a week for a month

52. Learn basic bike maintenance

53. Own a Lange & Sohne Datograph

54. Volunteer

55. Learn how to use iMovie

56. See Barcelona play live

57. Ride in a Livestrong Challenge event  completed 10/16/2011

58. Learn to fly fish

59. Visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH

60. Build a 1/32 slot car layout in my basement

61. Plant a vegetable garden

62. Finally learn to play the guitar for real

63. Go marlin fishing

64. Go tarpon fishing

65. Play the Old Course at St. Andrews

66. Have breakfast, lunch or dinner with Steve Sabol – No Longer Possible (September 18, 2012  RIP Steve)

67. Visit New Orleans

68. Eat at Gladys and Ron’s Chicken and Waffles in Atlanta, GA

69. Have a house with an in-ground pool

70. Meet Jens Voigt

71. Visit Canada again

72. Ride 5,000 miles in one year

73. See cancer cured

74. Ride the Team Fatty 100 Miles of Nowhere  completed June 5/06 /2011

75. Have a Newfoundland dog

76. Go whale-watching

77. See John Pinette in concert – No longer possible (April 5, 2014 RIP John Pinette)

78. Buy a carbon fiber bike completed 4/9/2011

79. Eat at the Salty Dog Café in Hilton Head, SC

80. See Brian Regan in concert again

81. Go to a UofA – ASU football game at Arizona Stadium again

82. Ride the Tour de Donut with my son completed 7/09/2011

83. Attend a Maple Leafs home game

84. Run a six-minute mile

85. Take a cruise

86. Get all the bridgework done I’ve been avoiding

87. See the Aurora Borealis

88. Visit Washington D.C.

89. Attend a Formula 1 race

90. Try mountain biking again (outside of Arizona)

91. See my name on air after “Created by”

92. Find a regular group of people to ride with – completed 1/15/11

93. Play golf at Augusta National – home of the Masters

94. Learn origami

95. Attend a World Cup match

96. Attend a Women’s World Cup match

97. Not be in another earthquake over 3.0

98. Have breakfast, lunch or dinner with Bob Costas

99. Participate in an Improv Everywhere mission

100. Finish the novel

101. Find the one

Eat better.

Ride your bike.

Never give up.

Fair winds and following seas, Willy