Ride this Way: A Trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway

Over the weekend I watched an interesting documentary about Russian prisons. Pretty hardcore stuff, including cells within cells, transfers in stress positions with blindfolds, huge German shepherds bred for aggressivity, and, of course, Siberian winters. Russia never ceases to fascinate me.

I want to ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway from end to end. I'm thinking it can't possibly get much more epic than that.

Sail with the America's Cup Crew

Calling Ted Turner... I love the ocean and boating, and would love to see the America's Cup. That's pretty impossible unless you're a crewman or watching on TV, so I'll amend my wish to be sailing on one of our vessels before or after the race. Sure, I might roll overboard. Yeah, I'll probably need to be strapped down. But what an awesome ride!

P.S. Ted, the salmon in your restaurants is the best! Cool straws, too.

Ride in a Driverless Car

You know how excited people get when they see the GoogleMaps car out and about? Well, I would be super excited if I could ride in one!

Transportation is difficult for many people with disabilities. In addition to physical conditions making it impossible for some to drive (i.e., blindness), others lack the financial resources to modify vehicles or pay a chauffeur. My back hurts too much to entrust it to careless paratransit drivers, and even when I could ride paratransit, it often took two hours to travel fourteen miles.

I see driverless cars as the solution to many of these difficulties. The ease of rolling in, typing in an address, and going is awe-inspiring. It would mean freedom. I could meet friends for drinks, see the doctor regularly, and actually go grocery shopping.

Go technology!

Get a Make-up Consultation from Carmindy

I've loved playing with make-up since I was little. My parents still tease me about the clown red lips I sported when I was two. However, as I've gotten older, it's harder for me to reach areas of my face and grip certain tools. Unfortunately, the people who I ask for help usually leave me looking like a clown...

I watch What Not to Wear regularly, and like how Carmindy explains why she chooses the tools and products she does and then demonstrates proper application. I feel like this type of consultation would provide the needed instruction my helpers lack. Plus, she has her own line of make-up which means more stuff to play with!

On a deeper note, I also like that Carmindy tries to point out each woman's best features. I could benefit from this, too. Even if my make-up looks a bit off, I could fall back on my beautiful "X" and "Y," regardless.

Watch a Football Game with Shannon Sharpe

Indiana used to be the basketball capitol, but until Peyton Manning left the Colts there was quite a period of football mania here. (Whether this continues with a much-improved Pacers team and an almost entirely new Colts organizations remains to be seen.) Each Sunday we used to stop at Taco Bell on the way home from church and eat nachos while watching the game.

Before Mom had the opportunity to yell about "field golds" or ask what just happened, we would watch The NFL Today. Though the analysts' antics were pretty funny, none of them were particularly pro-Colts. Except Shannon Sharpe. He always seemed supportive of Indy's team.

So, as I watched the game today and realized that I've never been to Lucas Oil Stadium. Maybe Shann-on could help me get there!

Read the Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe

This one seems easily do-able; I already own them. Remember when Border's used to sell huge tomes for $4.99 a pop? Well, if I horde one thing, it's books, and those deals were too good to pass up. The only problem was I never got around to reading them all.

Anyway, I have a Facebook friend who has committed to reading one chapter of the Bible each day. In fact, several friends have undertaken this feat. As weird as I sometimes feel having in this Judeo-Christian society having never actually read the Bible (aside from occasionally being a lector at Mass (yeah, I'm very familiar with "reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah")), it just doesn't appeal. I decided that since October is coming up, reading something Halloween-y would be an appropriate plan.

I can become more well-read and take a book off the unread pile. Killing two ravens with one stone?

Find My Mark Antony

No, not as far as love interests go; Mark Antony committed adultery and slept around a lot. Rather, I've always wanted to be Cleopatra for Halloween, and it seems like more of a couples idea. I have a penchant for kohl-rimmed eyes and brilliant leadership. I also like the idea of bewitching men with mysticism and intellect. If only I could pull it off...

On a side note, it's said Cleopatra - to show off her wealth - dissolved a huge pearl in vinegar and drank it. Cool party trick...