40 for 40

Here is a list of 40 things I'd like to accomplish during my year of being 40.  Some of these are vague.  Some are specific.  Some will require me to step outside of my comfort zone and actually organize.  Some are health oriented.  Some are financial.

1.  Complete Smithville 8-hour Adventure Race
Midterm: Registering this weekend.  Begin training next week (3/18)--8 weeks to race.
2.  Do 100 pushups without stopping
Midterm: I've been doing the 100 pushup program at home with Dominic, but not very consistently.  Need to get more disciplined.  I can do about 45 right now, so need to pick it up.
3.  Get my weight to 200 lbs.
Midterm: Hovering around 220.  Trying to eat healthier.
4.  Ride my bike to work at least once
Midterm: Saving this for summer, and hopefully don't get run over by a car.
5.  Plant some trees in my yard 
Midterm: Hopefully at the end of this month or the beginning of next, if I can afford it.
6.  Complete a Statistics course
Midterm: Need to find a good one.  The last one I tried on Coursera wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
7.  Compete in a regional racquetball tournament
Midterm: Completed!  Third place (B-division) and Second place (Consolation-A-division) at the Athletic Club of Overland Park Winter Classic.
8.  Become proficient with Data Mining
Midterm: Lost momentum with this one.  Need to get back to it, working through the book I have, and trying to find applications at work.
9.  Go flyfishing with my dad
Midterm: Hoping to do this in Tionesta this summer, but might also try one of the trout parks in Missouri.
10.  Go on a float trip/canoe ride with boys
Midterm: Will try this in summer, probably on the Niangua River, or perhaps on the Des Moines River in Iowa.
11.  Cook regularly
Midterm: Uh, not doing well on this one.  Still 6 months to get it right.
12.  Break my 30-minute personal rowing record of 7885 meters
Midterm: I haven't rowed since the end of last year, and I was really burned out.  Need to pick it back up quickly if I'm going to get to 7885 by September.
13.  Take the boys snow skiing/tubing
Midterm: Well, I would still like to do this, if the weather cooperates.  Maybe sometime in April, or the end of March.
14.  Take the family to Chicago
Midterm: Thinking of doing this in the Fall for Sharon's birthday, so technically won't be done while I'm 40, but we should get to the Windy City while she is still 40.
15.  Take guitar lessons
Midterm: Haven't looked into this yet.  I should start practicing on my own at home.
16.  Ride single-track around the KC area
Midterm: I've got something on the calendar for early April.
17.  Do boot camp at least 1x per month
Midterm: Fail so far.  Haven't done it once, but it is going to be part of my training program for the adventure race.
18.  Organize a reunion weekend in Iowa City
Midterm: We exchanged some e-mails about this, but nothing was nailed down.  I need to follow up with the guys to nail down a date, probably in May.
19.  Do paintball with Dominic
Midterm: I have the tickets.  Just need to pick a date that works.
20.  Take Dominic shooting at Jon's house
Midterm: Slotted for this summer.
21.  Serve at a soup kitchen
Midterm: Need to pick a weekend and get this done.  Pope Francis has inspired me.
22.  Get to 10% body fat
Midterm: Well, I don't know where I am on this, but I have an appointment to get checked in April.  I have a feeling I'm nowhere close.
23.  Buy a new van
Midterm: Doing this after I pay my taxes.
24.  Draw up plans and get estimate for a deck
Midterm: I'll try to get something put together over the coming months.  Dreaming big here, so not planning on getting it actually done this year, but just planned and budgeted for.
25.  Complete a 5K race with the boys
Midterm: Both boys have been into fitness lately, doing Parkour and pushups with me at home.  I will try to pick a race in the spring that doesn't look to demanding, and we will do this.
26.  Achieve a 1500+ chess rating on Red Hot Pawn
Midterm: Oh so close at 1491
27.  Study M-W word-a-day
Midterm: Failing on this one.  I get them each day in my inbox, but promptly move them to another folder without even looking at them.  Pathetic.
28.  Go to a beach somewhere
Midterm: I'd like to fit this in maybe on our vacation to Pennsylvania in June.  I've got sabbatical time this year, so hopefully can coordinate with Sharon to get enough time off work.
29.  Do ziplining
Midterm: Maybe on vacation, up around Tionesta, PA.  Need to do some research on this.  Cook Forest maybe??
30.  Eat 6 death-wings at Grinder's in one sitting
Midterm: Uh, I don't know what I was thinking when I put this one down.  I might give it a shot, but making no promises.
31.  Compete in an adventure race with Jerod
Midterm: We are trying to pick one that is somewhere between Kansas City and Chicago.
32.  Go to Las Vegas
Midterm: Done!  Went right after Thanksgiving.  It was cool, and I didn't lose all of my money.
33.  Start drawing up plans and saving for a European family vacation
Midterm: Haven't started this yet, but I'm looking forward to it.  The trip itself will probably be 5 years out, but need to start planning and saving now.  Must-sees for me are Rome, Paris, Slovenia, Venice and London.  Might start studying some of the romance languages as well.
34.  Enroll in a literature course
Midterm: I need to see if I can find something on Coursera, or maybe Maple Woods.
35.  Go turkey hunting with dad
Midterm: I'm not sure if this is going to happen.  I'll talk to him this weekend to see if he can still get a license.  If not, we could at least go out and scout for some turkeys.
36.  Read "What Color is Your Parachute"
Midterm: Haven't started yet, but maybe will try sometime this summer.  Not looking for a new job, but as I remember, this is a good book for self-discovery.
37.  Participate in a book club/study
Midterm: Haven't done this yet.  Might try to find something at Church.
38.  Go on a marriage retreat with Sharon
Midterm: Haven't looked into this yet.  If we can't do an organized retreat, I'm hoping we can get away to a bed and breakfast or something sometime.
39.  Build corner workbench and loft in garage
Midterm: Going to try to get this done during my sabbatical, sometime over the summer.
40.  Read the New Testament
Midterm: Haven't started yet, so I need to get moving to finish by September 2.

Comments

Gacknoops said…
What will come first the 200 lbs or the 10% bf or is it a twofer? I'm just kiddin'. Good luck man, I'm rootin' for ya!
8:33 PM
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