The explanation: Liz Towne took me to the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin to watch the bat emergence. Even though the bats don't operate on a schedule, there was agreement from the gathered crowd that the bats were late in emerging. Most of the crowd left, but the bat tardiness provided more time for Liz and I to talk without distraction from one million flying mammals. And Liz remarked that watching the bat emergence qualified as one of the 1000 Things you are supposed to do before you die. It's official, too; it's in a book.
Liz Towne owns the book and she thinks she's accomplished approximately 42 of the 1000. As far as I knew (and know), I've accomplished 1: the bats eventually emerged. Instead of getting depressed at our very unaccomplished lives, we decided we should just create an alternative list of things we've already done. With an already accomplished list, we'll have the ability to always analyze our lives in a positive way.
On the return drive to Houston I thought about our idea some more. If I have 14 days of vacation per year and accomplished 1 official book Thing per vacation day, I would be fully accomplished in 71 years and 147 days. The probability of my living an officially accomplished life is not high; I know my life expectancy. Or maybe I could find something (some Thing) in each day that could constitute a new 1000 Thing. Something that might cause Uncle Alex to say, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
And so...
1000 Things To Do Before You Die
#1: Watch the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge bat emergence with Liz Towne.
Accomplished: June 15, 2012.
Half credit: No Liz Towne.
Extra credit: With an authentic New Orleans style snow cone.
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