T-Minus... Whatever

Well I didn't get very far on this list. I'll post what I have, in no particular order mind you. Here goes:

Mastered forklift driving in a cold storage

Graduated Cum Laude with a self-funded education

Learned Ancient Greek

Went to Scotland by myself and studied at the University of Glasgow for a semester

Co-starred in a play performed at the University of Glasgow

Learned to drink beer (in Scotland)

Woke up several mornings without my pants, and no recollection of how they came off

Woke up in an alcohol rehabilitation clinic in Inverness as apparently I was too drunk to walk.

Slept on the streets of Glasgow, blanketed by my leather trenchcoat. Yes, due to more drunkenness.

Kissed a Greek/Argentine girl

Woke up with a Greek/German girl in my bed one morning, discovered we were both clothed and I was still a virgin.

Stood on the shore of the edge of infinity with my friends at 3am in Tacoma

Watched two of my spiritual mentors and pastors get ousted from their congregations

In my application process to go into the ministry, was told by the church that I had too much debt and to come back when I had less

Decided not to become an ordained minister until God says otherwise

Helped found an independent film company called Dead Gentlemen Productions (DG)

Directed and produced a feature digital movie

Helped create one of DG’s most memorable characters, Silent Jim

Filmed a demon resurrection ritual being performed on an actual alter

Kissed my best friend between takes of said ritual

Produced and managed Dead Gentlemen’s biggest film yet, “The Gamers: Dorkness Rising”

Was appointed Manager of Dead Gentlemen Productions

Operated Dead Gentlemen Productions’ online commerce

Initiated, negotiated and closed a distribution deal with the largest gaming publisher in the nation.

Made friends with the largest names in the hobby game industry

Played D&D regularly with the designers and writers of D&D

Married my best friend

Learned the marine industry from scratch

Became a professional in the fiberglass industry with no formal training

Managed a facility and employees

Promoted, moved to Los Angeles, and then promoted again

Graduated with the championship award from my sales training class

Bought my dream car

Contracted salmonella. Twice.

So far, can’t name one enemy.

Lived on friends’ couches for about 6 months

Was propositioned by 7 hookers in one night

Negotiated and facilitated a role playing game based on DG’s first films, Demon Hunters

Had lunch with Kate Blanchett and her family

Met and hung out with Ken Foree, star of the original Dawn of the Dead

Can call several designers and writers for Dungeons and Dragons (past, present or otherwise) close personal friends.

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Well, now I'm starting to feel like I'm boasting. I can say though that after all this time and all that has happened:

• My wife is still my bestest friend
• My friends are my family
• My family are my best friends (that's literal by the way)
• My grandfather is still my hero
• My regrets don't matter
• Next to my wife, my sister, my mother and my grandmother are the most amazing and strongest women in my life
• God still believes in me
• I love my job
• I'm ready for what's next and I'm planning for it

A slight departure for a second. One of my highschool peers died this past week. Quite the athlete. Took care of himself, stayed active, had a very active spiritual life in the Church of Latter Day Saints, and yet a rare cancer came up and that was that. Rendell Wilkinson. He was one of the popular guys in high school. Really well liked. I can't say I knew him well though. Yet his death has made me realize that deep down, I guess that dumb fear of approaching your own time is affecting me. I don't know that I'm actually fearing it, as I am feeling it getting closer, my time that is.

So in order to dispel all that, I'm going to print here for all the world to see what I haven't told many people. Of course my thought is that by recognizing it, then it won't actually happen because I'm consciously and reasonably presenting to everyone who would read this and hold it accountable.

For more than half my life, I've held some kind of belief that my life will end in some kind of explosion/combustion/ball of fire, before I'm 40 years old. This belief started when I had three separate and different dreams where I died in some kind of explosion, and I remember those dreams to this day, and I remember feeling the explosion.

There, I've said it, I've PRINTED it, and I can't take it back. So here's to outliving my life insurance policy, and to seeing just exactly how long I can stretch both sides of my family's longevity. Unfortunately, my teeth regardless do not hold the same life expectancy. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Yes, that's a pun.

F this S in the A. I'm going to bed. Godspeed, and don't get run over.