Back in September of 2004, I posted the BBC's Fifty Things To Do Before You Die List. For some reason it popped in my head this morning, so I thought I'd revisit it 12 years later and see how things have changed.

Boy howdy. I've been busy.

I marked the updated places in blue and added new comments in italics...

1. Swim with dolphins (Done it!)... The dolphins I swam with were wild, so it was pretty special. — Though I feel kinda bad about having done it, I did swim with captive dolphins at Discovery Cove in Orlando as well.
2. Scuba dive on Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Wanna do it!) (Done it!)... I would want to re-up my certification first (it's been a while), but I would absolutely do this. — Though the reef was badly damaged, I did manage to finally scuba dive it... for which I'm thankful, because it's pretty much completely dead now.
3. Fly Concorde to New York, New York, USA (Probably not!)... Now that the Concorde has been grounded, this is impossible.
4. Go whale-watching (Done it!)... From shore on Maui... no need to go buzzing around the poor things in a motorboat.
5. Dive with sharks (Done it!)... For my certification graduation dive in Maui, there were reef sharks (fairly harmless) swimming around.
6. Skydiving (Done it!)... A friend wanted to go tandem skydiving, and I loved it so much I went back and took parachuting classes.
7. Fly in a hot air balloon (Done it!)... Just up and back down again... would have been nice to actually go someplace.
8. Fly in a fighter jet (Probably not!)... And how, exactly, does one go about arranging this? I would do it, if it's possible.
9. Go on safari (Probably not!) (Done it!)... This would be okay, so long as no animals were harmed in any way. — This ended up being one of the greatest experiences of my life.
10. See the Northern Lights (Sorta did it!)... On occasion you can see the Northern Lights from Washington State, but they are nothing like the show you would get in Alaska. So, while I have done this, I don't think I'll count it until I've seen them "for real."
11. Walk the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, Peru, South America (Wanna do it!)... My brother and I were going to do this, but he decided to get in an accident and nearly blow his face off instead. Oh well, maybe one day.
12. Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia (Wanna do it!) (Probably not!)... And when I finally end up making it to Australia, I probably will (despite my fear of heights!). — Finally made it to Australia. Saw what was involved. Noped out in the biggest possible way!
13. Escape to a paradise island (Done it!)... Both Maui and Bali are candidates, and I love them both. — Should probably add Fiji to this list.
14. Drive a Formula 1 car (Probably not!) (Kinda Done it!)... I've sat in a Formula 1 car, does that count? — I got to go to the "Richard Petty Driving Experience" in Disney World and drive a race car, which was close enough to a Formula 1 for me... probably more fun too.
15. Go white-water rafting (Done it!)... Granted, this was a pretty tame run down the Columbia and not something spectacular like the Colorado or something.
16. Walk the Great Wall of China (Wanna do it!) (Done it!)... Absolutely want to do this one. — Was first on my list when I visited Beijing.
17. Bungee-jumping (Done it!)... Probably more frightening than skydiving for me.
18. Ride the Rocky Mountaineer train, Canada (Probably not!)... I'm not ruling it out, but there are a lot of other things I'd rather do first.
19. Drive along Route 66, USA (Done it!)... Well, not the entire thing, but I've driven parts outside of L.A., outside Chicago, and around St. Louis. Seems like it would be a great motorcycle trip to run the entire thing though.
20. Fly in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon, Nevada, USA (Done it!)... And I took my mom along for the ride.
21. Take the Orient Express from Venice to London (Probably not!)... Okay, it's not that I am opposed to this, it's just that it's so incredibly expensive that I don't know how I could afford it.
22. See elephants in the wild (Wanna do it!) (Done it!)... Since I'm sure the elephants at Disney's Animal Kingdom don't count, I do think it would be cool to go to Africa or India and do this one. — Saw multitudes of elephants in the wild when I was in Zimbabwe.
23. Explore Antarctica (Probably not!) (Going to do it!)... Uh, why? I might consider it if they built an authentic Hard Rock Cafe but otherwise no. — I have a hard time believing that I felt this way at one time. It ultimately found its way at the top of my bucket list and I'm going next December.
24. Ride a motorbike on the open road (Done it!)... Every chance I get!! — While I have done this... a lot... for health reasons I had to give up my motorcycle (insert frowny face).
25. Have a go at cowboy ranching (Probably not!)... Not exactly my cup of tea considering that the object of ranching is to breed cattle for slaughter.
26. Climb Mount Everest (Probably not!)... You've got to be kidding. Putting the extreme danger aside, can you imagine how much money it would cost to put such an expedition together? I'm guessing it would be a minimum of $10,000, which is ridiculous.
27. Wonder at a waterfall (Done it!)... Kauai has some nice falls, as does the Big Island of Hawaii. — Beautiful as they are, Hawaiian waterfalls kind of pale in comparison to the wonder of seeing Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
28. Travel into space (Probably not!)... Now this is just stupid. How many people are going to get the chance for this in their lifetimes?
29. Explore the Galapagos Islands (Probably not!) (Wanna do it!)... This is a preserved area, and only scientists, researchers and such are given permission to visit. — I didn't know what I was talking about. There are all kinds of ways to visit the Galapagos Islands, and I would totally love to do it.
30. Trek through a rainforest (Done it!)... Fortunately for me, my home state just happens to have a rain-forest available at Olympic National Park! — I've also been to the Costa Rican rainforest and the Daintree Rainforest in Australia... both of which are frickin' amazing too!
31. Gallop a horse along a beach (Wanna do it!)... My riding skills are crap though.
32. Ride a camel to the Pyramids, Egypt (Wanna do it!) (Probably not!)... Absolutely something on my list to do. — Ended up watching my mom ride a camel, but wasn't inclined to do it myself when I was there for some reason. Maybe because I had already ridden a camel before? I dunno.
33. Take the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok (Probably not!)... Whatever. I wouldn't pass it up, I suppose, but I'd think it would be a bit boring for a trip wouldn't it?
34. Catch sunset over Uluru (Ayers Rock) , Northern Territories, Australia (Wanna do it!) (Done it!)... And, again, when I finally get to Australia I probably will. — And I totally did. Here's your sunset right here. Heck, here's a sunrise for you too!
35. Go wing-walking (Done it!)... Part of parachuting is walking out on the wing strut to jump off, so I guess I've done this already.
36. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa (Probably not!)... Gack! Again with the massively expensive expedition that only a handful of people on earth could even manage to afford!
37. Fly over a volcano (Wanna do it!)... While on the Big Island of Hawaii, I walked over a volcano, which seems much more impressive, doesn't it?
38. Drive a husky sled (Probably not!)... Sorry, but I am one of those people that thinks this is cruel to the sled dogs, and have no plans to ever try it.
39. Hike up a glacier (Done it!)... My home state of Washington has glaciers as well. Nothing like Glacier Bay in Alaska, but still. — And when I made it to Alaska's glaciers, I took a helicopter ride up to one and hiked around it.
40. Ride a rollercoaster (Done it!)... Who hasn't? The Incredible Hulk Coaster and Universal Studios Florida being my favorite.
41. Fish for blue marlin (Probably not!)... I don't eat fish, nor would I kill them for sport, so this is something I have no plans of doing.
42. Go paragliding (Done it!)... Well, parasailing, which is close enough in my book.
43. Play a round of golf at Augusta, Georgia, USA (Probably not!)... Bah! If I were to play a round of golf anywhere, it would be in Scotland where the game was invented!
44. Watch mountain gorillas (Wanna do it!)... Who wouldn't?
45. See tigers in the wild (Wanna do it!)... But don't tigers EAT you in the wild?
46. Do the Cresta Run, Switzerland (Wanna do it!)... Heck yeah I would do this! Probably die while trying, but what a way to go!
47. Visit Walt Disney World, Florida, USA (Done it!)... I think I've been seven times, though it is not really a place I enjoy much.
48. Visit Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (Done it!)... Hasn't everybody?
49. See orang-utans in Borneo (Wanna do it!)... Why not? Boy, sure a lot of wild animal watching on this list!
50. Go polar bear watching (Wanna do it!)... Why not? Boy, sure a lot of wild animal watching on this list!

Of everything left on this list... walking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru is probably the most likely after my Antarctica expedition has been checked off next year. Something I've always wanted to do... but it probably won't happen until after I've been to India.

I first visited Gatlinburg around my birthday in March of 2000. There was a Hard Rock there I hadn't visited yet, and I had some time to drive through the region after a work trip took me to Memphis. So far as places go, The Great Smokey Mountains is a beautiful part of the country. Gatlinburg itself is fairly touristy, but a perfectly charming and lovely town.

And now it's engulfed in flames...

Which is heartbreaking in so many ways... especially when you see families losing everything in the devastation. Fires like this are commonplace where I live, and we've had major fires here the past two years (The Carlton Complex Fire of 2014 and The Okanogan Complex Fire of 2015). I've been through a fire myself, and have come close more than once (the most recent close call being in 2004).

It's hard to know who to trust when it comes to all the charitable organizations that have popped up around the Smokey Mountains fires, but Dolly Parton (who was born in the area and has a theme park there) has stepped up to help...

If you can't trust Dolly Parton, who's giving a huge chunk of her own money to help, who can you trust? If you'd like to help Dolly help others, here's a link to donate to her My People Fund.

Stay safe, everybody.

Guess Bullet Sunday is just going to have to wait, because I've got one last day in San Francisco...

Which started rather late, because I was wiped out from a late night of enjoying the smooth, soulful, vocal stylings of Jester and Mustache Harbor for their second sold-out show at Bimbo's 365 Club last night.

It was every bit as awesome as Friday's show, where we were once again transported to OUTERRRRRRR SPAAAAAACE...

WE LOVE YOU, ACE FONTANA!!!

Jester as Ace Fontana as Ace Frehley — ©2016 by Tananarive Aubert Photography

   
I had two things left on my San Francisco agenda, which Jester was willing to accommodate... 1) A FALAFEL WRAP SANDWICH... and... 2) FORTUNE COOKIES FROM GOLDEN GATE FORTUNE COOKIE COMPANY...

After that it was off to the airport so I can rest up before tomorrow's early morning flight.

Thanks a million times to Jester for making everything in my San Francisco holiday possible!

Live music is a treat I don't get to experience often enough. Mostly because I almost always have to travel to get to it. This trip to San Francisco was all about getting to finally see a Mustache Harbor show... of which my long-term friend, Jester, is a part.

Last night was the first of two sold-out shows at Bimbo's 365 Club, and it was glorious...

Jester as "Ace Fontana" singing to a legion of Mustache Harbor fans on SPACE NIGHT!

   
Fantastic show. And a pretty great way to spend an evening. Needless to say, if Mustache Harbor is ever playing in your neck of the woods, they are well worth checking out.

Because who wouldn't want to experience a band brought together by their astrological signs and a love for vintage soft rock and sweet staches?

When I woke up this morning I immediately grabbed my laptop so I could take a look at the weather in the mountains. Last night the forecast was for snow, and I didn't know if this would affect my trip over the mountain passes.

The top of the pass webcam was completely obliterated by snow...

Fortunately, the drive over wasn't bad at all. The roads were bare and wet and no trouble to drive on...

Here's hoping I have this kind of luck for the drive back.

Hey! This is PART THREE of THREE PARTS updating everybody about my cats.

While I love Jake and Jenny and wouldn't trade them for the world, there's one small problem that becomes a big problem when it comes to them allowing me to have them live with me. And that would be when I'm not at home. Travel is something I cannot avoid, which means there are stretches of time that food won't be put out and litter boxes won't be cleaned.

The easiest solution is to have a friend or neighbor drop by twice a day to take care of things. But it's kind of a burdensome thing to have to ask somebody. And so I went looking for automated solutions that would cover me for short trips away. Longer trips would still require a cat-sitter, but those are far and few between.

IMPORTANT UPDATE! AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2018, FEED-AND-GO HAS CEASED OPERATIONS. THEIR CLOUD SERVICES HAVE BEEN SHUT OFF. THESE FEEDERS NO LONGER WORK! Bad enough that the company had to close AND shut down their servers, rendering the feeders useless. But it's reprehensible that they didn't bother to notify their customers... or keep their website up with a message to warn their customers... or push out an app update which warns their customers. Because otherwise there is NO WAY TO KNOW that the cloud service has been shuttered. The blue network light on the units still glows blue! Luckily I test the units every time I haul them out, otherwise my cats wouldn't have been fed FOR THREE DAYS. What a bunch of pig-fuckers. They are perfectly content to let YOUR PET STARVE rather than warn you their product no longer works. I can only hope that some genius electronics expert out there will come up with a circuit board replacement that will allow the feeder to be programmed directly, instead of relying on a cloud service that's been shut down.

The first thing I looked at was an automated feeder.

There are "gravity feeders" that are basically a never-ending buffet of food that keeps replenishing itself until it runs out of kibble. This would be problematic for Jake, because he would eat and eat and eat all day long. They also have gravity feeders that are portion-controlled and timer-driven... but when I bought one for Spanky at my old place, it would clog up and a neighbor had to keep checking on it. I wanted something that wouldn't jam and also allow me to verify that the feeding took place.

Enter the Feed-and-Go automated, web-enabled pet feeder...

I bought two. They work flawlessly. There are six compartments that rotate through the feeding window. That means you have five days (in addition the day you leave) to be gone with once-a-day feedings. If I'm gone for three days or less, I put half-portions in the cavities and set it up for twice-a-day feedings so there's some variety. I had concerns as to what happens if the internet goes down... but each feeder stores a schedule locally, so it's all good. Pricey as hell... but good.

FEED-AND-GO SMART PET FEEDER: $199 from Amazon.

   
But what about the litter box?

I did a lot... and I mean a lot... of research. But every time I read the reviews on those litter trays that essentially drag a rake through the kitty litter to clean the box, there were always horror stories. Rakes getting jammed. Rakes getting clogged with poop. Rakes bending out of shape if two clumps of pee were fused together or if a clump fused to the bottom of the tray. They just didn't seem very reliable.

And then I came across the Litter Robot...

This thing is frickin' magic.

Because it uses gravity to do its dirty work, there's no rake to clog or break. The bottom floor of the unit is a flexible rubber sheet that pops out of place as the dome rotates, so even if a clump gets fused to the bottom, it's still getting cleaned out. I had some problems with the weight sensor at first... but after dumping the litter and re-calibrating, Litter Robot has been operating flawlessly ever since.

And my cats love the thing. They took to it immediately. All I had to do was put the Litter Robot in the same spot where the old litter tray was located, and boom goes the dynamite. Which was a pleasant surprise, because they are generally fearful of entering a space where they can't see a way out. I was more than a little worried that they would be too afraid to jump in. But, hooray, that was not the case. I have two other litter boxes in the house. I took one out, but left the the one upstairs so there's a box on each floor. They hardly ever use it, preferring to go downstairs so they can use the Litter Robot instead. I guess they like the privacy of the dome... and the fact that the box is always clean and ready to go.

The best part? Even with two cats, it only needs to be cleaned every five to six days. In other words, its schedule is the same as my Feed-and-Go pet feeder! Changing out the bag is easy, and I always dump in a Red Solo Cup of fresh kitty litter to replace the litter that was clumped and removed. So far, the litter inside looks like its staying clean. But, for sanitary reasons, I'll probably replace it anyway every two to three months.

The not so best part? Magic comes at a price.

I bought the larger "Open Air" model to accommodate my cats' claustrophobia. It's also the most expensive model (which I recommend it because I think it's how a cat would be most comfortable). So prepare to chop off an arm and a leg. But... damn... I could never... and I mean never go back to scooping out a litter box again. This product is just too perfect. I recommend buying direct from the manufacturer because you get free shipping and a 90-day money-back guarantee.

LITTER ROBOT OPEN AIR: $449 from Auto-Pets.

   
After I ended up being so thrilled with the Litter Robot, I ordered a few accessories. First was the Litter Robot Ramp, which will make it easier for the cats to reach the box when they're older ($50 from Auto-Pets)... next was the Litter Robot Fence, which helps keep the kitty litter in the box (and should come with the unit instead of being an add-on ($25 from Auto-Pets). And, of course, you'll need replacement drawer-liner bags ($50 per 100 bags from Auto-Pets). You can use any clumping litter in the Litter Robot, and I top off with Arm & Hammer brand litter because it's always on sale at Safeway. But I ended up buying the "official" Litter Robot litter too, as it comes pre-measured to perfectly fill the tray when starting out or when replacing old litter. Pricey, but very convenient ($46 for two, 10-lb. bags from Auto-Pets).

   
And there you have it. An automated solution that can cover my being gone for up to five days! It ran me around $1000 for both Feed-and-Go feeders, the Litter Robot, and Litter Robot accessories... but that's a small price to pay for the peace of mind I get when having to leave my Jake and Jenny at home alone. Luckily I already had security cameras installed so I can check in on them as well.

And did I mention that the Litter Robot is frickin' magic?

Lose not your faith in Blogography, fair human! Because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Broked. As if it weren't painfully apparent, my blog wasn't as fixed as I had thought it was. I honestly don't know what to do about it short of a complete re-install, and I ain't got time for that. But anyway...

   
• Book. As a massive fan of the original cartoon, I anticipated hating The Jungle Book live-action remake. Well, I watched in on the plane ride home and loved it. Just incredible stuff. Where did they find the kid who played Mowgli? Amazing young actor. The fact that they got Bill Murray as the voice of Baloo is just icing on the cake...

It's my understanding this was filmed in "real" 3D and is not a converted 2D movie. Looks like I have another 3D Blu-Ray to add to my shopping list.

   
• Umbrella. Before I got on the plane, I wandered through the French Quarter yesterday and had to hide under some trees in Jackson Square when a downpour started. That's when I saw a group of ladies caught in the rain who were squealing. A guy passing by handed them his umbrella. After several rounds of thank you's, this happened...
"Oh we gonna have to keep you now!"
"Sorry ma'am... Im already taken."
"Well I can see why. God bless you young man!"
And off he went into the rain without his umbrella. Then this...
"He was just like Batman!"

If I wasn't in New Orleans, one of my favorite places on earth, that would have made my day.

   
• Wrong. Kim Davis Asks Court to Dismiss Marriage License Appeal. Looks like somebody doesn't want to go down on the wrong side of history as a hateful bigot that refused to do her job. Well, I have news for you... that's ALL you're going to be remembered for as long as people remember who you are you pathetic farce. You'd think that this would serve as warning for other bigots out there, but I think we all know that's not true.

   
• Sodium. A friend of a friend closed his restaurant last December. Recently when he was asked if he would share some of his favorite recipes and he did. Then somebody asked him how in the heck he made his burgers taste so good. His answer? Butter and salt. Saturate the buns in butter before grilling them. Just before flipping, salt and pepper the patty (his restaurant had a touch of garlic powder in the mix) then flip and add more salt. Sodium nightmare? Yes. But restaurants don't have to post Nutrition Facts, so that's how he made his burgers taste great. And so I gave it a try with my Boca Burger patties. *AMAZING* The abundance of butter and salt totally takes them to the next level. High blood pressure, here I come!

   
• Doloris. When you're watching every episode of The West Wing for the hundredth time and you've JUST gotten over the fact that Mrs. Landingham died... only to have her pop up in a flashback in the episode Bartlett for America. Gets me every time. Boy do I miss this show.

   
And I'm outta bullets.

The Book of Love concert last night was pretty darn great... even though, technically, it was only half the band. Ted and Susan were there, Lauren and Jade were not. This was problematic on some tracks... like Alice Everyday... where Lauren sings a fairly critical part of the song. But it was filled by audience participation, which was actually kind of nice.

Song selection was pretty much what you'd expect. Boy was there...

And their biggest hit, I touch Roses, was there for an encore as well.

All in all, a pretty great show, and one more 80's band I've seen live that I can scratch off my bucket list.

After dinner I went to Coop's Place for an amazing veggie burger and some Jägermeister, which is a pretty good way to end a day in New Orleans, I think.

And when it comes to starting a day in New Orleans, it doesn't get much better than beignets at Cafe du Monde...

Which is how I started my day at 6:30am.

From there I spent my time wandering around The Quarter until I had to check out of my hotel. After checking out of my hotel, I spent my time wandering around The Quarter drinking...

And then... it was over.

I picked up my backpack at the hotel... hopped a ride to the airport... climbed into my First Class seat upgrade... then proceeded to keep drinking until landing in Seattle.

Where I somehow managed to find my flight home.

Where my cats were glad to see me.

Good night!

After staying out until midnight last night, you'd think that I would have slept in until noon.

Except this is one of my favorite cities on earth, and I was having none of it. I can sleep when I'm dead.

So I woke up at 7:00am so I could have Bananas Foster French Toast at Restaurant Stanley...

So much cool stuff is always showing up in French Quarter windows... MAKE IT SO, KYLO REN!

Despite the smell of urine, I like an early morning meander to Latrobe Park. A little peace and quiet in the city before heading back to the hotel so I can shower. Again...

Since I flew 8 hours to get to New Orleans, I reached out to a work colleague in Houston to see if they'd fly the 1-1/2 hours to meet me. This would save me a trip later in the year. Turns out they drove instead of flew, so it was 5 hours for them. I still won.

Because I upgraded to the VIP package for the concert tonight, I had to go buy new shoes to fit the dress code...

Then I decided to have a late lunch and not stop drinking until the show at 8:00. I had been craving falafel for ages, so I ate at Attiki...

And drank at Attiki. A great beer called Hoegaarden...

And then drank up and down Bourbon Street until it was time to drink at The House of Blues exclusive "Foundation Room" before the concert. The place is kind of a cross between a gay porn set and a Buddhist retreat...

And now? It's time to get on with the show...

...which I will wrap up tomorrow when my brain is back in my head.

And so there I was with an Alaska Air credit burning a hole in my pocket (because it was expiring soon) and nowhere to go. Rather than lose it, I decided to make a quick trip... somewhere... and get away for a bit.

But where? I dunno.

At least I didn't until Book of Love... an 80's band that was on my bucket list to see live... announced they were playing a gig in New Orleans at The House of Blues...

As if I ever need an excuse to visit one of my favorite cities on earth. My flight was booked the minute tickets went on sale.

The good news is that Alaska Airlines now has direct flights to New Orleans out of Seattle. The bad news is that I have to leave home at 4:00am to make the 5:40 flight to Seattle to take it...

The good news is that once I got to Seattle, Russell Wilson was onboard!

While I was in the air half-way to New Orleans, I got an email from The House of Blues asking if I wanted to upgrade from General Admission to VIP with reserved seating and club perks. The cost? $25. Considering my airline ticket was $520 and my hotel is $160 a night, that seemed like quite a bargain, so I jumped on it.

After a perfectly uneventful journey, I dropped my crap off at the hotel and headed off to my favorite restaurant in the city... Carmo! Their vegetarian Rico open-face sandwich is a taste of heaven on earth. Pair it with their banquette bread, and it's the meal of my dreams...

I was absolutely exhausted after dinner, having gotten no sleep the night before, so rather than head out for some bar-hopping, I decided to go to bed.

At least that was the plan.

First problem was that the toilet kept making noise. A seal must have been broken or something, because water was running out by the gallon. Even with the bathroom door closed I could hear it. The water running was annoying enough that I had to MacGyver a solution to make the noise stop...

That should have been the end of it.

But, of course, it wasn't.

Something... some thing was in my room with me. I don't know if it were paranormal activity or what, but an odd, shifting mass was dancing in my peripheral vision as I laid in bed. I kept looking in different places to make sure it wasn't my eyes playing tricks on me, but it appeared consistently in the same spot no matter what I did, so I chalked it up to ghosts. Or whatever. Unfortunately, it didn't appear in-camera even though I could still see it in the corner of my eye behind my iPhone...

Eventually it went away... or dissipated... or vanished... or whatever. But it was not forgotten. I was so pumped at the paranormal activity that I could not get to sleep and decided to go out.

Where I proceeded to drink way too much while staying out way too late.