Your life list, non-sportswriting version

Not to threadjack, but at some point in the past, there was a web site where you clicked on all the states you[ve been to and it produced a colored map.

It was pretty cool. People were posting their own US maps with all the states they had been to.

 

--married the kindest woman in the world -- who puts up with all my crap.

--we have three beautiful, good-hearted boys.

--surrounded by tremendous friends who go above and beyond for us.

--blessed to have both parents still alive and active at 78 and 74, a treat for their grandchildren.

the rest is all b.s. 8) 8) 8)

 

By the established criteria, my state count is a paltry 12. Hell, I have more tattoos than that. I need to get out more.

 

But tattoos are hot. States aren't.

 

Best that I remember, 25 states and D.C.

 

Mine's pretty negative, so I'll just STFU and let others have their fun. :-\

 

Nah, c'mon Handsome, we're all here to share and support.

 

I've never had anyone call me Handsome before.

 

Take it to a PM, you two.

 

I'd love to find that site again, Hank. I've been to 38 states now (missing the entire Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains, Maine, plus Alaska and Hawaii.)

As for me, I've crossed quite a few things off my To-Do List for Life already (mostly related to sports and travel, my two great passions):

- Been to Cooperstown (plus, Been to Cooperstown to See Ripken's Induction)
- Attended games at the Holy Quartet of baseball stadiums: Wrigley, Tiger, Fenway and Yankee
- Attended a Rose Bowl game, a World Series game (two of 'em) and an Indy 500
- Attended Randy Johnson's perfect game
- Watched the sun set (and rise!) over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans
- Driven the entire length of Interstate 10 ... both ways.
- Got drunk on Bourbon Street and the Vegas Strip
- Worked security backstage at a Dave Matthews concert at Soldier Field
- Have seen McCartney, Aerosmith, the Stones and Springsteen in concert
- Athletic feats: Threw two no-hitters, hit one career home run, got a future (current) big leaguer to ground out in his only HS at-bat against me, picked off a future SEC and NFL defensive back at first base

Needless to say ... can't complain. I'm a lucky boy.

 

36 states for me. I'm basically missing Rhode Island and everything north of Boston ... the big chunk is comprised of Southwest states in between Texas, California and South Dakota. Also missing Hawaii and Alaska.

 

OK. You asked for it. But I will come up with some good things.

Here goes:

* Lost my father at 12.
* Had a mother that didn't show love.
* Was bullied all through school.
* Lived in the worst parts of Riverside and San Bernardino, CA from ages 15 through 19.
* Lived on the streets at 19.

* Became born again while living on the streets.
* Did two mission trips to Tiajuana, one to Monterrey.
* Worked my way up from dishawasher to computer operator to operations supervisor in a 10-year career at a retreat center (Arrowhead Springs).
* Got married at 24 to a 19-year-old.

* Have two beautiful children.
* My daughter started on the high school soccer team as a freshman.
* Moved from Missouri to California to Orlando to Oregon.

* Was laid off from that 10-year-career only because I automated my position away.
* Was homeless again; moved in with my wife's mother and step-father.

* Went from $25,000 a year to working as a dishwasher at Denny's.
* Went from owning a home in Orlando to living on welfare in Oregon.
* Moved into a cockroach-infested apartment because said father-in-law was such an asshole.
* Son fell down stairs three times in said apartment.

* Returned to school after 13 years to earn Associate's degree in journalism.
* Worked at a TV station on a 6-month internship via the welfare office.
* Entered the home with a TV reporter where a man was brutally murdered.

* Got my first newspaper job in 1998.
* Became a sports editor 2 1/2 years later.
* Met my childhood hero, who turned out to be a real asshole.
* Found out I had a distant cousin that was a several-time All-Pro football player.

* Have lived in midwest for a total of 20 years,chase storms and have yet to see a tornado.
* Left a job I loved because of an asshole took over as sports editor.
* Was sent into counseling due to said asshole.
* Am currently unemployed and am contemplating splitting up the family to get a decent job.
* Am raising a 10-year-old son with Asperger's syndrome (a mild form of autism).
* Currently don't have two dimes to rub together.
* Had to postpone a job interview because I didn't have gas money to get there.

* Have rookie cards of my three sports heroes (George Brett, Joe Montana, Julius Erving).
* Have won awards in every sports category and two non-sports categories in 8-year journalism career (FWIW).
* Have stayed married to the same woman for almost 19 years.
* Am recovering from major back surgery (very well, thank you).
* Have owned seven cars and one motorcycle as an adult.
* Own more than 300,000 sports cards and more than 100 other action figures and memorabilia.
* Managed to stay alive despite fistfights, drive-by shootings, and several attempts at being accosted by thugs during teenage years.
* Helped my wife achieve two degrees and her first teaching job in the past five years.
* Am still alive.

There. I managed to find some positives.