Fired a gun – I’ve gone hunting a few times and blasted a few tin cans back to the Stone Age with an AR-15.
Gone on a blind date – I’m of the age where I’ve had successes and failures writing personal newspaper classifieds and internet dating.
Skipped school – I didn’t skip school when I was a kid, but during college, I planned my schedule so I always had three or four day weekends.
Watched someone give birth – No
Watched someone die – I was in a hospital emergency room when I saw a guy die from shoveling snow.
Visited Canada – Many times. The most memorable was a high school road trip with a bunch of kids from around Wyoming. We drove to Prince Rupert and boarded a ferry there for Sitka. We were on a Presbyterian work crew at Sheldon Jackson College.
Visited Hawaii – I’ve only been once in the mid-1980s to visit relatives and watch the University of Wyoming play Hawaii in football. It’s nice to watch a football game in balmy weather.
Visited Europe – It was a layover in Amsterdam on my way to Uganda. Staying longer is on my list of things to do.
Visited Las Vegas – What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Visited Washington DC – Many times. My aunt lived there. I went to Nixon’s 1973 inauguration and Clinton’s inauguration in 1993.
Visited Asia – After all my grandparents died, my family made a pilgrimage to Japan. Kumomoto is where the big earth quake just happened.
Visited Africa – I was in Uganda for three weeks shooting a movie that never came to pass.
Visited Florida – Many times. I took a college class and visited all over the place, including Key West. Florida has the most cattle of anywhere in the country.
Visited Mexico – I worked in Zacatecas, Mexico off and on for about five years. That was quite the experience. My idea was to keep people from coming the the US to work. A couple of these little towns would be deserted when all the men left for construction jobs. I set up a bunch of home sewing operations putting together hair ties. In the end, I learned that the reason all the maquillas are located along the border is because of transportation.
Visited Australia – I have a proposal out to show my cohousing movie there.
Seen the Grand Canyon in person – Several times. I’d like to do some adventure there, as opposed to looking over the edge. If you’ve seen one gouge in the ground, you’ve seen them all. The Grand Canyon of the Gunnison is at least as spectacular.
Flown in a helicopter – When I was airlifted out from the Big Thompson Canyon after the big flood I rode in a Chinook to Fort Collins. This was 1976 before cell phones. My friends and family thought I was dead.
Been on a cruise – When in Alaska, I was technically on a cruise ship. My high school mates were in steerage on a liner called the Wickersham. I remember venturing to the upper decks and hanging with people in tuxedos and long dresses.
Served on a jury – I was on a grand jury in Wyoming. While in Colorado, I have never been called. Technically, I’m not supposed to mention that I was on the jury.
Been in a movie – I’ve been in a studio movie, “Catch and Release.” I was Passerby 257 in some Pearl Street Mall establishing shots. A couple of my friends are making a short movie next week and I’ll be an extra in that.
Visited L.A – Many times – nothing memorable though. Disneland, maybe.
Been to New York City – Many times. The most memorable was watching the Super Bowl between the Falcons and Broncos in the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street. I didn’t realize it was a famous gay bar at the time.
Cried yourself to sleep – When my cat died.
Played in a band – I played in the Fremont County community orchestra. I keep threatening to get out my fiddle and hack away at it. I picked up my grandfather’s violin I loaned to a second cousin. She was done with it.
Recently colored with pencils – No
Sang karaoke – In Hawaii, there was a lot of that when it was new in the US. I can’t remember the last time I sang in a bar – unless it was at a college reunion at the Wagon Wheel Bar.
Swam in the ocean – A few times. I’m not much of a water dog and don’t seek out the water.
Paid for a meal with coins only – When McDonald’s hamburgers were $.15 there was not much credit card use in those days. In a short movie I made in Vail a few years ago, the main character having a bad day ended up paying with his loose change, including from the ‘leave and penny – take a penny’ tray.
Made prank phone calls – Call to local store, “Do you have Prince Albert in a can? Well, let him out!”
Laughed so much you cried – I used to really laugh a lot when I was a kid to the point of tears. Not so much as an adult. I also got bad grades for citizenship. Tonight Bill Maher made me laugh so hard I cried when he told 25 things you don’t know about Ted Cruz.
Caught a snowflake on your tongue – The other day when it was coming down in cotton balls.
Had children – No
Had a pet – Family pets. I had three cats that were under my guardianship.
Been skinny dipping – At church camp, there was a pond and a bunch of us stupid kids jumped into ice cold, frigid water. Not very smart.
Rappelled down a building/tower – At the University of Wyoming, there were several building climbing routes and rappelling was a part of it. I also put up some routes in downtown Lander. I got in big trouble for that, especially since they ended up in route descriptions in the local newspaper.
Gone zip lining – I haven’t zip lined, but have swung in a big swing that pendulummed down from a big crane at the Colorado State Fair. It was a zero gravity experience.
Been downhill skiing – This was probably my last year. I skied four times and I’m not moved to go again, but who knows.
Been water skiing – I went once at Keyhole Reservoir near Devil’s Tower.
Been camping in a tent – I’m from the west. I carry one in the car at all times.
Driven a motorcycle – The biggest motorbike I’ve ridden is a 50cc Aprillia scooter.
Jumped out of a plane – No, but given the opportunity I’d do it. If George HW Bush could do it half crippled up, I can do it.
Gone to a drive-in movie – My first drive in movie was Cleopatra at the Motor-Vu in Cheyenne. I live in the Holiday Neighborhood which used to be the drive-in movie.
Done something that could have killed you – I fell asleep at the wheel driving back from Dubois to Lander. I woke up in the nick of time.
Done something that you will regret for the rest of your life – Yeah, it wrecked a friendship. Time has healed it, but one of these days we’ll talk about it.
Rode an elephant – The circus came to town in Lander and as a publicity stunt, I was asked to ride the elephant.
Rode a camel – No, but I did see camels that were for transport in Uganda. I didn’t think about asking about getting a ride. It was hard enough getting used to traffic on the wrong side of the street.
Eaten just cookies or cake or ice cream for dinner – I’ve eaten dessert for all three meals. The best thing about adulthood is being able to eat what I want and not have someone tell me it will spoil my dinner, I can spoil my dinner if I want.
Been on TV – I ran a public access TV station and on from time to time. Cheyenne has a pretty good local TV station and they offer time for event organizers to be on the air as a public service. I also used to be on for my work in city government from time to time.
Been in the newspaper – I’ve been writing in newspapers since 1963. I was in National Geopgraphic once.
Stolen any traffic signs – Some of my friends had traffic signs in their dorm rooms. Taking traffic signs wasn’t on my crime list back then.
Been in a car accident – The first was when I slid the Falcon through an intersection into one of my neighbors. The latest is when I rolled my Eurovan on the Hoback highway between Pinedale and Jackson a couple summers ago when I was sick. I shouldn’t have been behind the wheel.
Stayed in hospital – My longest stay was for six weeks a couple years ago. I was on my death bed, but snapped out of it.
Donated blood – I’ve heard there are people who do this on a regular basis. I’ve donated once for some camaraderie thing.
Had to pay a fine in the past 12 months – Traffic ticket. I was unloading stuff in front of the Boulder Theater for the Boulder International Film Festival and got an illegal parking ticket. I was going to contest it, but didn’t get around to it.
Eaten snails – There was a French restaurant in Denver where I had some escargot. I like ’em.
Gotten a piercing – Other than jabbing myself in the finger with a knife or needle?
Gotten a tattoo – Only the temporary ones that came in bubble gum. Topps made tattoos of baseball players. Mickey Mantle is worth several hundred dollars.
Driven a standard car – My first manual transmission was a red Ford Falcon and my last stick was a 1993 Eurovan that I just traded for a new Jetta.
Ever owned your dream car – I owned my two dream cars, a 1965 Karmann Ghia and a 1973 VW convertible.
Been Married – Yes, but it wasn’t memorable.
Fell in love – My first love was the best love. I’ve been in complicated love.
Paid for a strangers meal – In Mexico, I would regularly pull over in taxi cabs and treat the drivers to shrimp cocktails.
Driven over 100mph – Only once when a college ‘mate pegged his Roadrunner passed 120mph on a straight away between cornfields in Nebraska.
Worked in a pub – I ran booze between the bar and the Hitching Post Inn banquet rooms in Cheyenne during Frontier Days. That midnight to 8am shift was a lot of fun for a teenager.
Been scuba diving – No, I’m a land lubber.
Found a dead body – No
Lived on your own – Still do.
Sat in the back of a police car – The one time I was arrested for DUI, I sat in the back of a police car. It was a false arrest and I got close to suing the cops.
Written or published a book/story/poem/song – I was a newspaper writer. I’ve been rewriting a bunch of my columns and adding stuff like this list to jog my memory about stuff for a memoir I want to finish by this time next year when I turn 64 – just like the song.
While in college I became interested in the “Chariots of the Gods” craze.
Graham writes, “Some reputable scientists deny and others assert that UFOs do appear to people from time to time. Some scientists have reached the place where they think they can prove that these are possibly visitors from outer space.
Another factoid and why I like this card is, Jesus Alou started his professional baseball career in 1959 playing for the Hastings Giants in the “D” Nebraska League.
Greta got to the end of her leash.
My tan and gray tabby cats, George and Gracie, were given to me by a coworker when I was in Lander, Wyoming close to 40 years ago. Both were the runts of the litter. I fed both with a medicine dropper until they were able to get around on there own.
Views from Behind the Lens 