F is for Fifty States

This one is pretty self explanatory I think.  I want to visit all 50 states.  I have a couple of rules I've given myself on this one as far as what qualifies as "visiting" a state.  Mainly, I actually have to do something while I'm there.  Just sleeping there, just eating a meal there, just sitting in the airport there or just driving through doesn't count.  At least not for me.  For instance, I've never stayed overnight in Pennsylvania, but I have gone to Philly with friends for a baseball game, so I count it.  On the flip side, I've both slept and eaten meals in New Mexico, but I don't count it as that's literally all I did there.  I didn't experience anything out out of the ordinary while I was there.  It was simply a pit stop.  Those are my rules for myself.

I've made an okay start to this bucket list item.  I've been able to cross the following states off of my list:

1. Arizona
2. California
3. Nevada
4. Alaska
5. Oklahoma
6. Tennessee
7. Virginia
8. West Virginia
9. Georgia
10. New York
11. Connecticut
12. Delaware
13. Pennsylvania
14. Texas
15. Maryland

So....15 down and 35 to go!

E is for Eggplant

Okay, so keeping in trend with the cooking posts I've had the last few days.  Eggplant.  I love to eat it.  However, every time I try and cook it, it never turns out tasty.  Once it turned out dry and papery.  Another time it turned out mushy and kind of slimy.

I don't understand why it never turns out the way I intend.  So one of my bucket list goals has become conquering eggplant.  If anyone has suggestions I would be more than happy to take them!

D is for Dine with Food Network Chefs

If you read yesterday's post, you won't be at all shocked to find out that I'm ever so slightly obsessed with the Food Network.  Mom and I watch the weekend line up every weekend, and I generally just like to have it on whenever I'm not catching up with the DVR.

I've decided I'd like to have a dinner party with a handful of my favorite chefs.  We would all make dinner together, and then just eat and hang out.  Nothing fancy, just dinner and conversation.  I just want to be friends with them all!  I don't even know that I would request specific chefs.  Whichever ones had time in their schedules to come hang out with me would be just fine.

So, I'll ask you all the famous question.  If you were hosting your dream dinner party, who would attend?  It can be anyone dead or alive.  Discuss... :)

C is for Culinary School

Culinary school is on my more short term bucket list.  I love to cook, and last year I had the epiphany that I loved it enough to try and make a career out of it.  If I'm being completely honest, the idea of culinary school really intimidates me.  It shouldn't, because I'm already fairly competent in the kitchen, but I think it's the idea of starting something from scratch that's just a little scary.  I always thought that if I went back to school it would be to get a masters or doctorate in the field that I started in (Psychology), or at least something similar.  On the other hand, I'm ridiculously excited, and I wish I could start taking classes tomorrow!

I have some things I need to take care of before I can get started (like getting rid of all of the credit card debt I accrued in college, and when I decided to move across the country), but I've made good progress with those things since moving back home, and I'm hoping to be able to start school in the next year or so.  I still haven't decided if I'm going to to do pastry school or the savory side of things, but when I do, you'll all hear about it!

B is for Bull Run

I have a very lengthy list of places I want to see in the world.  For most of those places I also have separate, very lengthy lists of things I want to see once I get there.  However, I don't really have a lengthy list of activities I'd like to partake in outside of touristy things like tours.  Spain is one of the exceptions.

I really want to experience a bull run.  I don't know that I really want to participate in it, as I don't have much of a desire to be trampled.  I do however want to be a spectator for one.  I think it would be amazing to see it in person rather than on TV or online.  So one day, I plan to be sitting on a balcony in Spain cheering on the running of the bulls.

A is for Attend a Stanley Cup Final

I love hockey.  It is hands down my favorite sport.  The rest of my family is obsessed with baseball, and while I like it, it's just not enough action for this girl.  I love how fast hockey is.  I love that I get to sit in a cold rink to watch it.  I love that it's not only acceptable, but expected, that the players beat the crap out of each other.  I just can't find anything about the sport of hockey that I don't like (except for maybe the trapezoid, and the delay of game penalty, but I digress!).

I'm currently an avid follower of two teams.  My hometown team, The Phoenix Coyotes, will always be my #1 team, but after living in Washington, DC for a few years recently, I also fell in love with the Washington Capitals.  Unfortunately for me, both teams have a reputation of getting into the playoffs, but not making it past round two.  I have faith that one day they'll both make it to the end game.  I plan to be there for the final game when one of them does.  

A to Z Blogging Challenge

Okay, so as per usual, I'm late in getting a post done.  I should have written this yesterday, or earlier today, but I didn't.

Anyway, back in January, my mom convinced me to join her in the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  I figured, sure, why not?  I have 3 months to prepare and pre-write.  It'll be easy!  Unfortunately for me, I got hit real hard with the procrastination gene (Thanks Dad!).  So now it's literally 12:01 AM on April 1st, aka day one of the challenge, and let's just say that I didn't do any of that preparation or pre-writing!

I did finally decide on a theme this morning, now it's just a matter of figuring out what to write about within said theme.  So here's the run down of the challenge.  Starting today, April first, we'll all blog about one thing a day.  Your topic for the day must follow alphabetical order.  Today will be A, the 2nd will be B and so on.  We'll blog every day except Sunday (with the exception of today of course).  That's basically it, but if you want to read more about the challenge, you can click the logo on the right.

I've decided to blog an alphabetical bucket list for you all.  Finding topics is turning out to be harder than I anticipated, so it should be interesting to see what I come up with!  Stay tuned....the letter "A" will be coming at you in about 12 hours.  :)