#14 & #15 - Two for One

Here is the story of how I checked #14 and #15 off my bucket list...
1989
In Grade 13 Geography, our assignment was to write about the impact of population growth on the environment. I did not like the negative connotation of the topic and I wanted to write about something more positive. I asked my teacher if I could organize an environmental clean up and write an essay on my findings. He was intrigued and said he would have to clear it with the school board.
Two weeks later, I was given the go ahead. Yeah! I started to contact vendors to donate prizes, food for a barbeque and clean up supplies. Posters went up around the school for volunteers. I organized student and teacher clean up teams and individual contributors. I contacted CityTV, Global News, CFTO News, the Toronto Star and the Globe & Mail to cover the event.
One month later, the Humber River Clean Up took place. CityTV and CFTO were there to film. My grandmother almost fell out of her chair when she was watching the national news that night and saw me on TV.
Everyone did a fantastic job. I was so proud of all the people involved in the clean up. For a few weeks after, residents and businesses in the neighbourhood wrote letters of thanks to the school. The Toronto Star interviewed me for an article and that's how I completed two bucket items at one time.

#14 Be in the newspaper and #15 Be in the National News were added to the list in 1986, both checked off the list 1989.
Note: if you would like to participate in an environmental clean up... In 2007, Rick Crawford has created a Humber River Clean Up event which continues the premise of getting the neighbourhood involved in cleaning up the Humber River - each year targets a new section of the river.

#16 - Radio-active!

Here is the story of how I checked #16 off my bucket list...

1989

I was provided a lot of personal growth opportunities at York University. One of them, was 105.5 CHRY, the local campus radio station with approximately 50,000 listeners.

I had wanted to be on the radio and I knew that I would never get a DJ job just walking in off the street with no experience. So, I came up with a plan to ask the station program manager if I could do a weekly sports update, as I noticed they did not have one.

He was intrigued by the thought of a woman doing a sports update (keep in mind that this was before Linda Cohn, ESPN and Hannah Storm, CNN, Kathryn Humphreys, CityTV and Jennifer Hedger, TSN).

He gave me my own Friday mid-morning sports update. Fantastic!! I love progressive thinking people! Each Friday, I would spend 2 hours of prep for my 5-10 minutes of update.

After a few months, I would try to subtly incorporate my boyfriend Scott's name into my update. Great Scott -- how sad! Good thing I only did this for a year.

#16 Be on the radio added to the list 1986, checked off the list 1989.

#6 - Para-What?

Here is the story of how I checked #6 off my bucket list....

1989

My girlfriend and I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a week. The only thing I knew how to say in Spanish was "cookies", "grapefruit juice" and "please". That's all we ate for the entire week, which lead to #32 being added to the list.

We also decided to try something exciting with our limited funds. We were told that parasailing was available. A person is towed behind a boat while attached to a specially designed parachute. The boat drives off, carrying the person into the air right from the beach. We paid the huge sum of $40 US to go parasailing. Up into the air I went and it was fun and exhilarating. It is amazing how clearly you can see into the water. I even saw a battery of baracuda - good thing the ride didn't stop there!

Have I mentioned that I am scared of heights? After the baracuda, I spent the rest of the ride wondering how do you get down because you have little to no control over the parachute. Well,..sometimes good experiences are not well thought out before hand and I highly recommend trying it.

#6 Parasailing added to the list 1986, checked off the list 1989.

#18 - I’m a Highland Lassie!

Here is the story of how I checked #18 off my bucket list...

1996

Why did I want to learn how to highland dance? Well, my maiden name is Scottish and I married into a Scottish name but most of the traditions of that background are lacking. Hogmanay was referred to by some as New Years. On Robbie Burns Day, no one would touch a Haggis and bag pipe playing in the house was enjoyed as much as my Trombone and Saxophone practice for band class. At least there were shortbread cookies, scones and whiskey.

I decided I wanted to learn about highland dancing. Typically, dance classes were started around age 4 and you were done by 16 or so, unless you wanted to become a teacher. So at 25, I had a little catching up to do.

Classes started in September to April with an exam at the end of the year. Pass the exam and you got to learn new dances the next year. Fail and you do the same dances all again.

I started taking classes in January as part of a New Year’s Resolution, not realizing the extra pressure it would put on me to learn the dances for exam time. Thankfully I loved it! Absorbed the dances like a sponge and awaited my exam.

Examiners were flown in from Scotland and billeted with the teacher. You hoped that their stay with the teacher the night before was pleasant because one mistake cost you a mark, lose four marks and you fail. I had three dances to perform on one test. Luckily for me, three dancers would perform in front of the examiner at a time. I hoped that if I made a mistake, she might be looking at the other dancers.

Seconds before my exam, my teacher lined us up in order of the exam sheets, gave us last minute tips like march in tall, feet out, don’t look at the other dancers and smile. I started to get nervous as the door to the exam room opened. We marched in and stood tall in front of the examiner. She looked us over and asked our names.

While we waited to start, I glanced at the girl to my right. A pretty brunette, cute as a button, I guessed about 5 years old. The girl to my left was a blond, hair pulled into a tight bun, a bit of a nervous smile as she looked at me. I smiled back and she relaxed. I guessed her age to be 6 years. The examiner looked at me sternly and said in her thick Scottish accent, “I think ye may be in the wrong exam”. I replied nervously, “Actually, I am in the correct exam”. She paused, then a large smile developed on her face and she said, “Good fer you, lassie.”

I passed that exam with a highly commended and I have continued to dance – still love it!

#18 Learn to highland dance added to the list in 1986, checked off the list 1996.