So how about we take a break from politcs for a bit?

What were some of the things that you have done that have helped you to discover who you really are inside?

For me a few things that have helped to make me who I am are as follows:

1. Hunt big game and butcher it yourself. (for 20 years now)

2. Teach someone else to hunt, and take a back seat while they learn. (5 kids to date, and hopefully more to follow.) Had a real hard time not taking charge and taking over, but helping these guys through the process was a treat, and I have some lifelong friends/partners because of it.

3. Build a house, either as the builder, or as a spectator. (in process) Makes you appreciate the process. Much better if you get dirty.

4. Tell a boss to f-off, and walk out the door. (many years ago) One of the guys in the dorm who worked in food service with me told me I was his hero after that scene. I had just gotten a job with Red Robin and was working out my two weeks, but she was such a bitch decided I had to take a break. Sometimes a job referrence isn't all that important, after you use it to get another job.

5. Raise children (in process as well). What a fun and terrifying ride this is.

6. Run a political campaign or run for office. (BTDT, got the t-shirt).

7. Learn how to run heavy equipment. (So much easier than running the dumb stick, aka D-1 dozer)

8. Teach someone how to drive. (Early stages, but moving along)


What else do I need to do before I die?

Good post Dogfish

I can't find fault with any one of the eight items posted. Revel in it and enjoy every second of it as life's to short.

The two pieces of advice that I have given to those behind me is:

1. First get all the education you get and remember life is an never ending learning experience.

2. Second if you ever get to the point where you think you know every thing there is to know about anything you are doing and no one can teach you something new it's time to start doing something else as then you will either hurt or kill yourself or someone else. You never know everything there is to know on any subject.

Sometimes it's the best therapy to just take time off and go fishing.

There's one thing that I want to do and that's to do the Alaska thing either by the Alaska Ferry System and fly back or do it by way of the Alcan Highway. Either way I want to do it.

1. Fish or hunt as much as you can possibly get out.

2. Learn something new every single day that you do.

3. If you learn something useful, share it with the next generation.

I'd like to see my grandchild catch a wild steelhead.

Build a boat.

A lot of really great ones so far. Here's the one's off the top my my addled head:


Ride the train from coast to coast-- on more than one continent.

Learn to ski.

Learn to surf.

Learn another language and go where it's used long enough to realize how bad you've been butchering it.

See the elephant.

Set foot on every continent.

Start a conversation on world politics with a foreigner-- in his own country.

Take dancing lessons.

Have akee, bammy, and saltfish for breakfast with coffee from beans grown out back and sweetened with cane syrup from sugar cane grown in the same garden.

Climb a tree.

Teach a kid to ride a bike.

Stay up all night watching stars.

Climb a mountain.

Go sailing.

Save a life.

Learn to play a musical instrument.

Habst ein bier an Oktoberfest---im München.

Visit Mexico during The Day of the Dead.

Try to explain to some cracker from back east about salmon fishing, clam digging, backtail hunting, and then listen to him shoot you down so he can tell you about sitting in a heated blind getting schitty on Yuenglings and waiting for white tail to come to the automatic broadcast feeder he has set up in his front yard year-round.

Dog fish,
I am not sure if this is what you meant, but I am looking at your post a little different then everyone else.
1. When I was young I picked a lot of strawberries for money. I remember one day talking to an older cambodian in the next row that started telling me in broken english, how just 7 days earlier he was pushing a plow in a rice patty somewhere in Cambodia and now was in America. It was obvious how happy he was to be here, but even at 12 or so, I really felt he was lying. The story made no sense, how did he reallly get here and how did he learn english so fast. The more I talked to people, the more I have realized that a lot of them really lived amazing lives. My gardner was a mobster (no lie). My father thought he had the greatest girlfreind until he learned 45 years later that she was a CIA operative. My freinds father, a meek nurse, who in another life was a doctor and barely escaped out of Cambodia with his family, sliding through mine fields and swimming through alligator infested waters with his children on his back to get his family out. Another quiet, meek freind of mine went bezerk one night and killed his wife, pratically decapitating her. Experience has taught me that you can never judge a book by its cover, but unfortunately we all seem to.

2. Had a chance to be a hero once. To me there is nothing more scarier then knowing it up to you to save someone's life. Found out that I can get the job done, but also found out that I was not cut out to be a fireman, cop or doctor.

On the to do list... Write a book. Spend a year traveling Europe on foot and train. Invent something. Pull a stunt that fools the nation.

Ahhh, the bucket list. This is a great post. Be right back......

Watch the Huskies win a football game........

Mine seem to be mostly hunting/fishing stuff.
1. catch my daughter a wild steelie.
2. Raft the yukon to the ocean. (from the border all the way)
3. hunt Africa (the cape buf and kudo)
4. Revive a river (the duck or does)
5. Never walk past trash in the woods
6. Live with nothing and be happy with that.
7. Biuld a cabin from scratch (peel the logs and make everything)
8. Be remembered for making a difference (for the better)

Awesome post. I'll have to think about it.

The other night I caught a 20#+ chinook with my 2 y.o. daughter on my back in one of those kid-packs cheering me on. That was a huge thrill, something that has always been on my list, and I finally had it happen. I was super stoked by that.

When he first thrashed in front of us, she was like "oooooh, dat's a big one Dad!" Then when we were releasing him she was like "You catch 'im Dad? You catch 'im?" Then she patted me on my head for doing a good job.

That was such a great moment.

Geeze, these are some tough ones. I actually read all the posts here, since it seemed like a good one to learn something about someone without actually meeting them. Some things were confirmed and others were a surprise.

See my kids be successful good people. Biggest one by far.

Showing them atleast two third world countries and one new continent. I think that the world travels beyond our country is a huge advantage to life experiences and learning how to apreciate what we have. I know it changed my outlook on things greatly.

For me learning a second langauge is a big one. Carrying a conversation with someone in the native tongue is even bigger. Going to another country and having a local come to ecstatic to use your langauge to speak is interesting. Having them tell you how great your country is while doing it, a learning experience to say the least.

Calling in a Bull (elk) for someone else and have them actually get a kill shot on it is huge one also. Called in a fair amount for others, but never had them get the shot off (archery).

Travel the world and see all the continents. So far I am at two, N America and S. America. Peru was one of the best experiences of my life. Not the canned Machu Pichu experience either.
Mountain bikes and a local guide through the mountains to 3000 year old cities with bones and skulls layin all about. Through peoples front and back yards full of chickens and various farm animals, one spare chain, one spare tube and a cliffside. Priceless in my book.

By the way Dogfish, good topic to break the strain of the political gabage. Good call.

Thanks DF. We needed the break.

I have been so unbeleivably ucky that my "Bucket list" is now pretty shotr.. I have soem I wnat to do and might yert do and a few that are just dreams.

I want to, and have a shot at:

See my grandson catch his first steelhead on a fly.

See my grandaughter enter an Ivy league school.

Celebrate my 50th anniversaty with my wonderful wife. BTW Today is 36th.

Catch a BIG GT on a fly.

See the Northern Lights.

Catch a steelhead on my 80th birthday.

Before I die I'd like to have the opportunity to take 1 solid week devoted to fishing in AK.

I had the chance when I was younger and squandered it. Now with 2 kids and another on the way it seems like a far off notion.

Another one is to have a son. I love my 2 girls but c'mon. There's already enough estrogen in the house with the 3.

I'd like to be in the 10% that catches 90% of the fish. (I'm a long way off there but I work hard at it)

Everything else that comes to mind on this topic relates to of course seeing my kids grow up to be good people, paying off my house, getting back to being self-employed yet having the security that my family needs, stuff like that.

Things I DON'T want to do before I die:
Get a divorce
Bury a child
Get too busy to not be involved with my kids
Lose my mind (no comment needed here)
Lose my motor skills (I don't think anyone wants to wipe my butt for me)

I've spent most of the last 30+ years hunting & fishing and have taken great pride in that.

All of my accomplishments pale when I am able to see my son succeed at those things that I have such a passion for.
When he succeeds it is a huge accomplishment for me.

Caught some nice fish, taken some nice animals, but in the grand scheme of life those hobbies are less important than relationships with family.

I only hope I can teach my son to be a good human being and to be there for him if he needs me.

When I'm on my deathbed all of the fish & wildlife trophies will be unimportant.

Having my son there to hold my hand and tell me I was a good dad is all I could wish for.

I challenge anyone to top that one.

Happy anniversary Dave!
Great idea for a thread DF.
I've taken almost a year off work. I recommend it.
I'd like to hunt for sheep in Alaska.
Of course I'd like to see my son find something to do in life when he grows up that makes him happy....I'd like the same thing for myself.
I'd like to have a hobby farm or ranch.
I think Rodney King was a loser but if "we could all just get along" that wouldn't be a bad deal.
I'd like my new puppy to be house broken now.
I'd like to fall in love with a really cool chick that will never go psycho.
I'd like to do that Russia trip that Dave went on with big trout and helos.
New Zealand would be cool.
I'd like to shoot a machine gun. I don't need to own one...just shoot one some time.
I think owning your own float plane would be pretty cool.
I'd like to surf Indonesia.
Catching some big ole trophy fish on my own wouldn't hurt the old ego.
Teaching the boy to hunt over the dog next year should be higher on the list. After watching DF's oldest with a gun walking around I see that is a reality that will soon be accomplished. I'm not looking forward to him driving.
I too would like to make a difference. I'm going to have to work on that one. I do the feed the homeless thing at the soup kitchen and write checks but I need to figure out how to give back to our water and land resources that have made a huge positive impact in my life so that the little ones and their little ones can enjoy what gives the posters here joy. I do pick up garbage but I don't as I read before "never walk by litter" ..I shouldn't put that in quotes beacause I first read this thread this morning and I'm sure I got it wrong.
That's it for now.

Great thread! It's made me realize just how lucky I am. I have lived a very carefree life so far and have been lucky enough to enjoy most of what I have wanted to accomplish in life.

So far I have....

Skydived ( did it, but never again )
Saw the Northern Lights
Heli fished Alaska
Raced MX, cross country and cars, and won
Harvested a trophy Blacktail
Caught a 20lb Steelhead
Caught a 50lb King
Had a son ( greatest accomplishment of my life )
Watch my son take his first deer

May not seem like much to some, but I am a simple person. I dont have a lot of wants in life.

My bucket list as of today....

Grow old with my wife
Watch our son graduate College
Have grandchildren
Watch my son take his first elk
Harvest a trophy Rosevelt elk
Take a trophy Mule Deer
Teach my grandkids to hunt and fish