What Have You Not Done That You Wanted To

[folivier]

Learn to fly, started back in my 40's and work got in the way. Vertigo issues keep me from following that dream.
Buy a 40' or so boat and cruise to the Bahamas and further. Hurricanes kept me from pursuing that dream over the last 15 years. Now I'm just too tired.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We have done a lot of traveling but haven’t gone to Ireland, Scotland, Germany and England.

 

[aja8888]

Even though I have DW's consent, I have not bought my next Corvette.

I keep looking though.

Did all the travel I (we) wanted to do. Etc.

 

[Walt34]

Right after I bought the house after my divorce DW-to-be asked what I was going to do when I wasn't working and my off-the-cuff response was that I would read "War and Peace". I knew nothing more about it than it was a very thick book and was regarded as a classic. She took me seriously and bought the book for me as a gift, so I tried very hard to read and finish the book. I actually got about halfway through it, waiting for when "the good part" would start, sort of like the book "Great Expectations" that we were forced to slog through in Jr. High, but never got there and I finally gave up.

Come to think of it the the good part of "Great Expectations" didn't come until almost the very end, and perhaps that's the way it is with "War and Peace". But I'll never know, because I have reconciled myself to the fact that I will never finish that dreadfully dull "War and Peace".

 

[EastWest Gal]

I like candles. Candles can be expensive. I decided to make my own candles.

Step 1 - get a bottle cutting kit (make candles out of old wine bottles), wax, thermometer, etc.

Step 2 - discover that cutting bottles is way harder than you thought it would be.

Step 3 - find a place to store the un-cut bottles and hide the wax/etc so my wife wouldn't ask me "when are you going to make those candles"

You can make square candles in a milk carton. It was a project I did in Camp Fire Girls when I was about 10.

 

[harley]

Through hike the Appalachian Trail. Yet.

 

[cbbennet]

Right after I bought the house after my divorce DW-to-be asked what I was going to do when I wasn't working and my off-the-cuff response was that I would read "War and Peace". I knew nothing more about it than it was a very thick book and was regarded as a classic. She took me seriously and bought the book for me as a gift, so I tried very hard to read and finish the book. I actually got about halfway through it, waiting for when "the good part" would start, sort of like the book "Great Expectations" that we were forced to slog through in Jr. High, but never got there and I finally gave up.

Come to think of it the the good part of "Great Expectations" didn't come until almost the very end, and perhaps that's the way it is with "War and Peace". But I'll never know, because I have reconciled myself to the fact that I will never finish that dreadfully dull "War and Peace".

I was struggling through a particularly boring book when a more experienced retiree revealed a great retirement truth:
There's no need to waste time during retirement, especially on unrewarding activities - just read the last few chapters and/or get the Cliff notes! I do it all the time now, and it is quite rewarding.

 

[PoorOldCountryBoy]

So I had this idea that I would read a massive book on American History. Ordered in on Amazon three and a half years ago. Starts in the 1500's. Never made it out of page 15. Kept nodding off.

Picked it up again three years later. Skipped a hundred years. Nodded off after five pages. There is no hope for me.

Just curious what plan you had that never came to fruition no matter how mundane or grandiose the idea was.

Had to give up volunteering at a local church when they had a new security screening form required my SSN. I supported about 25-33% of the budget each year for this and also worked weekly, and was bringing in donors from outside the church. I asked if they could just run it without the SSN and was told NO EXCEPTIONS. Understandable given previous church abuse scandals but I just had to walk away given the choice I was given. And I wasn't just the only one to do so, sadly.

 

[whitet]

1. Leisurely drive the Blue Ridge Parkway in Autumn. It is perfectly situated between our summer and winter places, but when the time comes we are always in too much of a hurry to get there. Retiring in spring 2020, so next year should be the year. (Still, I wonder how long we will last when stuck behind a 30 mph leaf peeper)

2. Since reading How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan, try psilocybin or LSD. If this sounds insanely dangerous and foolish to you, as it did to me before reading the book, you should read it too and learn the truth. Who knows, maybe it should be on your bucket list.

3. Be a singer-songwriter. Attempting this would be far more foolish than trying psychedelics. =)

 

[O2Bfree]

Attain complete and perfect enlightenment.

 

[H2ODude]

Right after I bought the house after my divorce DW-to-be asked what I was going to do when I wasn't working and my off-the-cuff response was that I would read "War and Peace". I knew nothing more about it than it was a very thick book and was regarded as a classic. She took me seriously and bought the book for me as a gift, so I tried very hard to read and finish the book. I actually got about halfway through it, waiting for when "the good part" would start, sort of like the book "Great Expectations" that we were forced to slog through in Jr. High, but never got there and I finally gave up.

Come to think of it the the good part of "Great Expectations" didn't come until almost the very end, and perhaps that's the way it is with "War and Peace". But I'll never know, because I have reconciled myself to the fact that I will never finish that dreadfully dull "War and Peace".

I tried to read it in my college years, why I have no idea. IIRC I gave up on it because the names seemed to keep changing and I couldn't keep them straight.

 

[bolt]

Even though I have DW's consent, I have not bought my next Corvette.

I keep looking though.

I'd suggest hunting on CL every summers end, like now!
Good luck !

 

[O2Bfree]

Right after I bought the house after my divorce DW-to-be asked what I was going to do when I wasn't working and my off-the-cuff response was that I would read "War and Peace". I knew nothing more about it than it was a very thick book and was regarded as a classic. She took me seriously and bought the book for me as a gift, so I tried very hard to read and finish the book. I actually got about halfway through it, waiting for when "the good part" would start, sort of like the book "Great Expectations" that we were forced to slog through in Jr. High, but never got there and I finally gave up.

Come to think of it the the good part of "Great Expectations" didn't come until almost the very end, and perhaps that's the way it is with "War and Peace". But I'll never know, because I have reconciled myself to the fact that I will never finish that dreadfully dull "War and Peace".

I've been reading some of Tolstoy's philosophical works, and they're a slog as well. He'll take five pages to say what could be said in a couple paragraphs; then in the next chapter you'll find yourself wading through the same ideas from a slightly different angle. His detailed descriptions of events can be entertaining, but seem superfluous in such works.

His short stories are not bad though. The collection The Death of Ivan Ilyich has some absorbing tales, and I enjoyed his descriptions of Russian life.

 

[FreeBear]

Never went to Greece, despite talking about it for over a decade. We hope to go next year.

 

[GravitySucks]

Attain complete and perfect enlightenment.

Didn't you ever Loop for the Dali Lama? Gotta wait for the deathbed moment.

 

[pacergal]

thought I wanted to travel more, but we have realized the a couple of big trips and a few shorter ones are enough. Also thought I would travel all over the world, but so far we are enjoying places in the US that we haven't explored yet.
Grandbabies keep me grounded , and it's a great thing.

 

[O2Bfree]

Didn't you ever Loop for the Dali Lama? Gotta wait for the deathbed moment.

Sadly no, so I ain't got that goin' for me.

 

[Scuba]

Used to have a fantasy about “vagabonding.” Thought it would be fun to put stuff in storage, rent condo our for a year or two, and travel the world indefinitely without a planned itinerary. Initially our dog stopped us from doing it. He’s still with us and we’ve decided we won’t go on long trips without him given his health issues and likely short (2 years?) remaining lifespan.

However even after he passes, I’m not sure we’re really the “vagabond” types. We may not be willing to make the trade-offs required to completely give up a home base for years. More likely, we’ll try to follow Brett’s style of 2-3 month trips with less planning than we usually do and see how that goes.

 

[check6]

Always wanted to fly the SR-71. Dropped off my application, got the grand tour and watched a launch from the chase car but was not selected.

 

[SumDay]

Volunteering after retirement. You know, saving the world and stuff. Just haven't gotten around to it.

 

[steelyman]

Volunteering after retirement. You know, saving the world and stuff. Just haven't gotten around to it.

That seems OK to me. Your time is still valuable but now under your control. When the right opportunity arises, you’ll know it. Until then keep it open.

 

[Letj]

Right after I bought the house after my divorce DW-to-be asked what I was going to do when I wasn't working and my off-the-cuff response was that I would read "War and Peace". I knew nothing more about it than it was a very thick book and was regarded as a classic. She took me seriously and bought the book for me as a gift, so I tried very hard to read and finish the book. I actually got about halfway through it, waiting for when "the good part" would start, sort of like the book "Great Expectations" that we were forced to slog through in Jr. High, but never got there and I finally gave up.

Come to think of it the the good part of "Great Expectations" didn't come until almost the very end, and perhaps that's the way it is with "War and Peace". But I'll never know, because I have reconciled myself to the fact that I will never finish that dreadfully dull "War and Peace".

I could have written this comment. Some years ago I decided that I wanted to read as many of the classics as I can. I got War and Peace, Great Expectations, Anna Kerenina and Remembrance of Things Past. I started each one and stopped several times and could never get into them except Anna Kerenina which I found interesting and finished. I understand they’re great literature but they seemed so boring I just couldn’t.

 

[LARS]

You mean other than date Christie Brinkley? ;-)

 

[gauss]

Way too many things.

I find it better for me to dwell on what I have actually accomplished. Less chance to induce sadness that way.

 

[ls99]

Be a time traveler.