I don’t care if it’s almost halfway through my summer, I still have exactly eight weeks left before I head back up to the University of South Central Southern California in Los Angeles to become a full time student, part time zombie–thanks to the LSAT, my love for LA nightlife, and a caffeine addiction so powerful I drink coffee with most of my dinners.
I’m no mathematician, but I think I can obtain at least one item off this list per week if I rally hard enough and utilize all my resources (this does NOT include craigslist). I’ll throw a few extra events just in case I’m feeling especially productive that week. It’s a scientifically calculated number so complex that I’ll leave you with that explanation, modified for simpletons of course.
It’s named my Sandcastle Pail List to fit the overall theme — buckets are so fall 2011, and the word bucket makes me think of this boy in 5th grade who gave a speech on President Jackson. He ended his speech with a huge smile and said, “in 1845 Jackie-boy finally kicked the bucket!” The whole class laughed while my teacher gasped in horror. None of us knew what kicking the bucket meant, but I think the imagery of a president physically kicking buckets was enough to stimulate our overly active imaginations. The literal thought still makes me feel a little silly yet uncomfortable. We got a lecture on respecting the dead and after I told my dad what happened, he mentioned that Jack Daniels died from kicking a safe. Imagine my confusion! Was saying, “he finally kicked the safe” disrespectful too? My little mind couldn’t take it!
Basically, sandcastle pails are less depressing, more summery, and more useful for creating things than a bucket.
Alas, My Sandcastle Pail List.
- Pick spherical tree fruits. I don’t want to limit myself to simply apples or oranges, I’ll settle for picking anything off a tree as long as I can snack on it while doing so.
- Take a foreigner on a tour of San Diego. My best friend and I did this with some French boys in L.A., and it ended up being a really great day! Some potential spots to meet foreigners: Pacific Beach at night, the zoo (where apparently hunting is forbidden?!), the beach — I’ll keep my eye out for anyone with leather shoes, floaties, and a speedo.
- Swim in the ocean at night. Just call me shark bait… maybe I’ll complete this one after I forget about this ordeal.
- Make and fly a kite. I picture the kite plummeting down towards me like a spear and hitting me right between the eyes. I still want to do it, though! Kitesurfing will meet and exceed this requirement.
- Watch a Shakespeare play. My love for Shakespeare deserves a whole other post in itself — I’ll spare you for now.
- Learn to play a song on the guitar. Will it be a heart wrenching score from Lil’ Wayne? Johnny Cash? Jack Johnson? Subscribe to find out! I’ve already been putting the word out on obtaining a guitar… so far I haven’t had the best of luck.
- Camp in the bed of a truck. I adore beach camping and have a lot of great recommendations for sites in California. It’s a summer staple that I have yet to do! Sleeping in the bed of a truck is perfect because you’re raised off the ground and still remain secluded.
- Rollerblade at a skate park. Is this even allowed? Either way, I’m going to launch myself into a pit of cement doom just to cross it off my list. Hopefully the middle school hoodlums won’t pick on me like the last time I showed my face there.
- Go sailing. I’ll rig a bathtub with a sheet, ropes, and a pole if I have to.
- Send creepy, yet inspirational, anonymous notes to someone and get a response back! Any ideas on going about this? Should I just simply open a phone book and choose from there? What address do I tell them to respond to? Put the note response under a tree in the park? Aye, this one obviously has a few kinks to work out.
- Hit a home run on my softball team. This isn’t an official list maker because I don’t have too much faith in actually accomplishing this. I’ve only played softball once in my entire life — it was last week. It was also our first game. I was so bad, the opposing team was giving me pointers and my team had to yell RUN!!! and STOP!!! My hand-eye coordination could use a bit of improvement. So we’ll see how this one turns out. Go Warhawks!
- Hang gliding off of the cliffs of Torrey Pines. $200 aka 800 gumballs… which is my budget for four days in Europe.
- Go geocaching. I did this in L.A. and my GPS led me to the shadiest of places just for a prize of a ziplock baggie with a toy soldier in it.
What didn’t make my list
- Spiked lemonade stand – most customers are drive bys. Drinking and driving is never okay.
- Going to the fair – I’ve been a few times, and I’m sad to say that the fair is slightly overrated. I love greasy food, depressed barnyard animals, and 10-for-10 rides (That’s 10 dollars for 10 seconds of a ride) just as much as the next person… but it didn’t make my list this summer.
- Saying “yes” to everything for a whole day. I work at a summer camp where kids come up with the most creative of questions (Can we splash each other in the urinals? Can I honk the bus horn just one time? Can you tell the devil I want to make a deal?). This wouldn’t apply to a weekend day either because I’d like to go out at night and that requires the ability to say no. Offers commonly turned down: creepy men trying to wife me up in Pacific Beach, any type of meat — I don’t eat it, my sister asking me to do her makeup… and hair… and wear my clothes.
Do you have a Sandcastle Pail List yet?