One question I'm frequently getting (with much understanding) is "how many things have you done on your list?"

This is kind of a bit tricky, because some of them are in train already. It's not a finite thing.

Some of these include:

-Learn to use my camera fully on manual mode

-Learn to use photoshop

Both of these I have been putting to good use. I've been taking photos while out and about and everything has been in manual mode and edited in photoshop. I wouldn't say that I've mastered it, but I'm certainly learning and will feel comfortable by the end of this project that I've come a long way.

There are other ones which are also underway including re-reading 3 books from high school. I just finished Anna Karenina, which at 1500+ pages (even at a reasonable sized font) is still a big read.

I won't lie and say I'm not nervous about some of them. It's certainly a a challenging list and some items (like cater a party for 30) I haven't even begun to think about.

Attend a gay pride parade : tick

I was suprised to hear someone ask whether this was on my list because I'm homophobic.

NO WAY!

This is on my list because I really admire people who can stand up and say, this is who I am. Whether that's gay, straight, white, black or whatever, I have real respect for people who don't shy aware from who they are.

I used to have a lot of gay friends in college. I don't really in NZ. I have a few, but not many and for awhile I thought perhaps it was the culture. NZ often feels like a throw back several years and it had crossed my mind maybe people weren't as open about it here. Certainly the only lesbian I know was out to friends, but did not publicise her orientation at work.

In any event, the thought that there wasn't a huge gay community was shattered here. The parade was packed! Tons of people.

My friend Megan went with me - she has been great about supporting me with this quest (so many people have).

We had a blast. The parade lasted for about 35-40 minutes and while there weren't a huge amount of floats, there were loads of people. Politicians marching, drag queens, teens in support, people in body paint and roller derby girls. The one that was the most inspiring was the soldiers who were marching for the first time this year in their uniforms.

Part of it was really awe inspiring. I mean here were people of all types, of all body shapes (and many of them on display) saying "here I am".

Here's some pictures from the event. And yes, they were all taken in manual mode on my camera and edited with photoshop.

And see more pics at http://plus.google.com/photos/104090773504255815550/albums/5848933534082961249 - click this link to see the photos"

Take me out to the ball game...

So last weekend I was able to across another item off my list - understand the in's and out's of cricket and go to a cricket game.

Some people have asked me why this is on my list, but I think this question from my friend Chris sums it all up - "Do you understand the rules now? I seem to remember trying to explain them to you and you not getting it at all".

I've now been living outside the US for 8 years now (give or take). This time has been spent in England, Ireland and New Zealand. I'm married to an Australian. These are all cricket playing and loving nations. In my 8 years abroad I've tried to understand it. Or watch it.

The first time I made any effort was in a pub with Matt in Perth back in 2006. We sat there and watched what I think might have been the Ashes for several hours. *yawn*. Didn't get it.

I've had several other friends try and teach me over the years. When I went to a 20/20 game with Matt and Victoria back in 2009 I think I spent most of my time watching the food and beer than I did the cricket.

To give this some context, this is like an American not knowing baseball. A national past time.

So, fast forward to 2013 and it's time to learn.

Matt, Kyle and some of their friends from frisbee all came along to the game with me. The game we went to was New Zealand's Blackcaps (the national team) vs England at Eden Park which is one of NZ's biggest stadiums. Surprisingly, there was a pretty decent sized crowd considering that Eden Park holds 60,000 (there were ~20,000 people there for this game).

Cricket can be played over several days, but we went to a short game, called a 20/20. What this means is that each team has 20 overs (180 pitches of the cricket ball) to get the highest score before either a) their 20 overs are up, b) their team mates are all out or c) they beat the 1st teams score.

Seems simple enough, right?

Actually, it is. Well at least it seems it is.

In an effort to support our new homeland, Kyle and I supported NZ.

There were actually a fair amount of English supporters there too. We were a little late arriving, but England was setting a pretty good pace. At the end of their 20 overs they had 215 runs and 7 outs.
We were hopefully that NZ could match it. What would be better than seeing the underdog (NZ) win with a big NZ crowd around.

Sadly, it was not meant to be.

With cricket, you bat until you're out. When a batsman is up, the highest they can hit on each swing is a 6. Even with cheering and signs, NZ just didn't seem to have it in them and from what I understand the 215 benchmark set by England was pretty high. There were some 6's when they came to bat, and with each 6 they had flames ignited in the stadium (these were the same flames that just earlier had been going off signaling an out for an English player).

Cheering for a 6!

We had a great time, even with NZ losing, and I now feel confident that I can watch cricket and have a solid understanding of what's happening.

And with that, I'm out.

Update #1

Right, so I can tick one off my list!

It took a few hours, but I cleaned out my closet on Saturday.

It's funny how you have sentimental attachment to clothes. You might not even wear them any more, but it's still there.

I managed to clear 3 bags worth for Goodwill (or the NZ equivalent) of normal clothes and t-shirts and 2 bags of work clothes which I plan to donate to Dress For Success. Plus another 2 bags of old underwear and socks that I just threw out.


What I cleared from my closet For the rubbish I have t-shirts from most of the bar/restaurant jobs I've had over the year - The Rat and Parrot pub I worked in London, Bru Bar in Ireland and even from Falcone's Pizzeria where I worked in high school. But these are my past. They were great times and I don't need a fading t-shirt to remind me of that. I've also started reading Anna Karenina. It's a bit daunting reading e-books because suddenly you look down and you're only on page 45 of 2950! But it's big text. That's what I keep reminding myself. Well, back to the books.

The start of 30 before 30

Several months ago while at a friends 49th birthday the suggestion of him doing a 50 before 50 list was made. While I think many people have already heard of a 30 before 30, 40 before 40, or 50 before 50, this concept was a totally new idea to me. While we spent the dinner working on his list, in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think I wanted to do this! 2013 is a big birthday for me too as this year I turn 30. This idea has sat in the back of my mind for the last few months but never gained any traction. Until this week. I finally decided I want to do this. I am going to do 30 before 30. The slight catch with this is that I turn 30 in a mere 75 days! This doesn’t leave me with much time to do this goal, let alone come up with the ideas.
But I did come up with the things to do. I’ve spent awhile surfing the net looking at other lists while building my own and while doing so, 2 things struck me.

1. There are some pretty cool things I could do
2. I’ve already done a lot of stuff on other peoples lists

So my 30 before 30 list was born. But at the same time so is the things I’ve already done and am thankful for list. I think they go hand in hand and so without further ado here are the lists.

Lindsay’s 30 Before 30

1. Reread 3 books from high school

I’m a voracious reader so this shouldn’t be too big of a challenge, although it does put a dent in my Jack Reacher book marathon. In thinking back through the books over my high school period, 3 stood out.

To Kill a Mocking bird by Harper Lee
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

I think it will be a good mix and I’m hoping I may even have an old essay on these stored some where on the old hard drives I have from high school here to see what I thought of the books back in high school.

2. Give blood

This may not sound like a big deal, but the thing is - I’m afraid of needles. Seriously afraid of needles. I usually freak out in a panic and start hyper ventilating. But I found out a few years ago that I’m AB+ which is a rare blood type. Roughly only 2-3% of the population in Western countries is AB+. So I should give, and try not to lose it in the process.

I have to be honest though, this one scares the crap out of me.

3. Reverse bungy

In addition to needles, I’m also afraid of heights.
I don’t think I could handle sky diving or proper bungy diving, but in down town Auckland they have this reverse bungy. Basically they put you in a ball attached to the ground and then tighten the strings upward - and then whoosh they let go. This seems like a happy medium of enough heights but should also be fun.

4. A great walk in NZ - the Routeburn Trek

New Zealand has 9 great walks. They are meant to be some of the best in the world. I’m going to do the Routeburn Trek which is 32km long which we will split into 3 days of hiking and staying at huts along the way. I’ve never camped where everything I’ve needed has to fit in a backpack I can carry (and carry for several days). I’m super excited about this trip.

5. Write myself a letter for when I’m 40

I got this one off another list. I think it’s a great idea. I can only imagine what crazy ideas 20 year old me had and i think writing a letter than i will be able to read to put things in perspective in 10 years time (before kids) will be really interesting.

6. Book in for the best high tea in town

Surprisingly for a person who loves tea and English culture as much as I do, I’ve never been to a proper high tea. Hopefully, I can find somewhere here that lives up to the expectation.

7. Find a mentor

This one is pretty self explanatory.

8. Spend a whole morning speaking a foreign language

Once upon a time, I had a goal of speaking 3 languages fluently before I was 30. Oh how times change! Despite several years of French in University I don’t think I could order a croissant (ok, well I can “Je prend un croissant s’vous plait”), but my skills in French are lacking. My Spanish, while a little rusty, is still very good, so my goal will be to to this one in French.

9. Scuba dive in NZ

I got certified in Scuba in 2006 by my Uncle John. Since then I have done a grand total of 2 dives, despite living only 2.5 hours away from what Jacques Cousteau called “One of the top 10 spots in the world”

10. Run round the bays

Round the Bays is a run/race in Auckland along the waterfront. It’s 8.4km long. While I’ve done a half marathon before, I haven’t been running in awhile.

11. Throw a party & cater for 30 people

This is ambitious. I’ve had people over for dinner, but never this number and never doing all the cooking. I’m inspired by a dinner party my Mom is having for a lot of her friends where she is cooking for everyone. I don’t know where to do this - Matt doesn’t like the idea of it at our house. I'm not completely crazy - just planning on lots of tapas rather than a sit down meal. The other issue is do I actually have 30 friends who will come here?!!

12. Go to a gay pride parade

I’ve never done this and there’s one coming up next month in Ponsonby.

13. Volunteer (1 session is ok)

When I worked at JBWere, I used to get a day a year off from work to volunteer (and still got paid). This will be different and in my own time. Given I have lots on, I don’t think I can commit to a regular volunteer gig like at the SPCA, but there are others I’m looking at which still will be good including beach clean-up days and conservation work.

14. Go to a cricket match / understand the ins and outs of Cricket

Last time I went to a cricket game, I spent most of the time drinking. Hopefully, I can do better this time - there are a few 20/20 games coming up so this might be a perfect chance.

15. Make my own ball of yarn

A lot of the lists I looked at had something creative (learn to sew, draw, paint, etc..). I wanted something different. Earlier this year, my friend said one of his bucket list items is to shear a sheep. Well so happens my friends HAVE sheep. While Kyle hasn’t shorn their sheep yet, the last time they were done, they kept the wool and gave it to me. I literally have a bag of wool (yes sir, yes sir). I need to 1) Sort it - there’s probably stuff in there I’m not going to want 2) wash it - the danger here is trying to not wind up with felt by agitating it too much 3) card it and 4) spin it.

16. Watch a movie in a cinema on my own

One of the lists I saw said they wanted to spend time alone. I’m a social person and don’t tend to do much alone. I often feel like i need backup. This will is my chance to try being alone.

17. Learn to meditate (properly!)

I’ve tried to meditate before. I just can’t seem to try and get my mind to quiet down. So I’m going to try again and perhaps even check out what classes are available in town.

18. Ride in a helicopter

I’ve never been in a helicopter. Nuff said.

19. Donate to a charity

Usually when I’ve donated to charity its for a specific reason - supporting a friend during Movember, because it’s the charity my work was sponsoring etc… I want to find a charity *I* want to sponsor and then give to them.

20. Reconnect with an old friend

Over the years a lot of people have crossed my path. To be truthfully, even with Facebook I can’t say I’ve kept in touch with many. I don’t want to be altruistic and say I’m going to rekindle all my friendships and we’ll be best buds going forward, but I am going to work one.

21. Learn to properly use my camera on manual

I have a DSLR but will admit I often fall prey to using a fully automatic mode. Occasionally I’ll use a manual one, but I don’t know the full science behind it.

22. Watch a sunrise from One Tree Hill

I’m not a morning person, but I think this will be beautifl.

23. Learn 1 new word a day and use it in a sentence

With 75 days to go, this is 75 words to learn. Today’s word is “Armseye noun: An opening in a garment for attaching a sleeve; an armhole.”

24. Learn to use photoshop

Matt gives me a lot of crap because when push comes to shove I’m often trying to resize or edit pictures at work with Microsoft Paint. I’m not looking to become a guru, but perhaps have enough skills to do the things I would normally do with other software (resizing, cloning, changing to black and white, etc..)

25. Clean out my closet of old clothes I no longer wear

I have a lot of clothes that I just don’t wear. Some of them I’ve held on to for sentimental reasons, like the top I wore in the pub I worked at in London, The Rat and Parrot.

26. Drive a manual car to the shops

Yes, I don’t drive manual. In the 13 years I have been driving, 2 people have tried to teach me - my uncle Larry and my father in law Peter. I get the basics, I just need to practice it. I’m not looking to do Nascar, just feel comfortable with getting around town.

27. Do 20 real pushups

Matt also gives me crap for not doing “real” pushups, but “girl style” ones which are on my knees.

28. Finish my family trees

For Christmas my Mom gave us a book of family history. It sparked and interest and I’m keen to make a proper family tree (for both sides).

29. Sort my on-line passwords and get a password safe in place

This is actually one of my New Years resolutions. I see no reason why I can’t double up.

30. Help a stranger

I have no idea what form this will be, but hopefully it sparks its own pay-it-forward.


And finally, these are the 30 things I have done that I’m already proud of…
1. visit 30+ countries (on 6 continents)
2. live in a foreign country
3. go to a music festival
4. Go to a club in Ibiza
5. Go to Peru / Inca Trail
6. run a half marathon
7. dye your hair
8. take a photography class
9. grown something
10. play poker for money
11. sew something
12. perform in a play
13. take a road trip
14. make my own pasta
15. make my own jam
16. cook a thanksgiving meal
17. made cheese
18. stayed at a hostel
19. taken a ballet class as an adult
20. sing karoke
21. shoot a shotgun
22. go to Vegas
23. bake a wedding cake
24. play on a soccer team
25. get SCUBA certified
26. changed jobs
27. be a certified Irish whiskey taster at the Jameson factory
28. Learn to ski
29. buy a house
30. get married

For those curious about #1 the countries are: US, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, The Bahamas, Guadeloupe, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Bermuda, The UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji

I will be blogging my way through my 30 before 30 tasks sharing them with you all - some of you may need to help with a few!

Here’s to getting started!