Monday, June 28, 2010

9. Attend the Road Rocket Rumble

9: Road Rocket Rumble 2010: CHECK

I officially started checking things off my list this past weekend. Saturday, the day before my 26th birthday, I decided to head down to Indy to Check out the Road Rocket Rumble... The Road Rocket Rumble is a pre 1965 traditional hot rod and custom show hosted by the Road Rockets Car Club of Indianapolis, Indiana. I got to see hundreds of Cars and Trucks from Originals, to Hot Rods, to Customs, to Rat Rods. I'm a huge car nut so I can appreciate anything and everything Car related. The twist to this show is that it's supposed to be for Pre-64 cars and trucks... I did notice a few slightly newer vehicles made it in but there were no Honda's or Toyota's... For that matter there were no Camaro's or Mustangs either... which is refreshing for someone who frequents car shows. I really liked the show because it's the only one in the area where people show up and represent the Kustom Kulture. "Kustom Kulture is is an American neologism used to describe the artworks, vehicles, hairstyles, and fashions of those who drove and built custom cars and motorcycles in the United States of America from the 1950s through today." as described by Wikipedia... Is also "usually identified with the greasers of the 1950s, the drag racers of the 1960s, and the lowriders of the 1970s. Other subcultures that have had an influence on Kustom Kulture are the Skinheads, mods and rockers of the 1960s, the punk rockers of the 1970s, the metal and rockabilly music, along with the scooterboys of the 1980s, and psychobilly of the 1990s." I don't normally get into dressing up in costume but this seems different to me... More of a recreation of an era that I feel I should have been a part of. Either way it was pretty cool to see the retro fashions with guys sporting the slicked back pompadours, jeans, wallet chains and Pin Up Girls in Pencil Skirts... It's something you would see more out in California and not expect to see here in the heart of the Midwest. I had an awesome time at this show and plan on going every Summer if I get the Chance...

Here are some of the pictures of the show that I got with my Camera and iPhone: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100106864055508.2714426.13701831&l=53b0870cc3

And more pictures can be seen here: http://www.indyroadrockets.com/photo_album.html

And we're off....

Sooooo... June 27, 2010. I turned 26 yesterday. Time to set this whole thing in motion... I still don't have 30 things on the list yet... but that doesn't mean I can't start Checking them off...

  1. Drive Route 66...
  2. Take the Empire Builder Train Across the US...
  3. Take my Truck on the Power Tour...
  4. See the Memphis Belle again...
  5. Get a Tattoo...
  6. Ride in a Helicopter...
  7. Make a Music Video...
  8. See the Field of Dreams Field CHECK
  9. Attend the Road Rocket Rumble CHECK
  10. Learn to Weld: I like to work on cars... some day I'd like to build or restore a car and to do that I'm going to need to know how to weld. I don't think it's that hard... its just the fact I need to dedicate some time to it... Plus my dad already own a decent welder so I'd have all the tools I needed... :-)
  11. Lose 50 lbs: I was trying to keep something like this off the list... I don't know why though... So I'm putting it on here. I'm going to actively try over the next 4 years to be healthier and more active... I know I can lose the weight... it's just a matter of sticking too it.
  12. Attend the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, AZ: I've been watching this on the SPEED Channel ever year since I was 16. It's so awesome to see all those rare and classic cars all in one spot going to the highest bidder. The added bonus of completing this one is the fact my Grandparent's are always in Phoenix/Scottsdale every January when this happens... So I'd have people to see and a place to stay
  13. Complete My Tour of Big Ten Stadiums: While in College I had the privilege of getting to go see Football Games in 9 of the 11 Big 10 Stadiums. The two I haven't seen are The Horseshoe at Ohio State and the Quiet House up in Michigan. Since I graduated though Minnesota built a new Stadium so I'm going to put that back on the list... And with Nebraska entering the Big 10?11?12?13?14? I'll be adding them and any of the other new comers to the list too.
  14. Exercise the Rights Given to me by the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States: CHECK To put it plain and simple... I'd like to own a gun or two. I am a responsible person and understand gun and fire arm safety. I'd like to own a Rifle, a Pistol, and Shotgun. Being the History buff that I am I'd like to own weapons that were used in WWII. An M1 Garand, a 1903 Springfield, a Lee Enfield No.IV Mk.I, a Mosin-Nagant M1891/30, a Thompson M1A1, and a Colt 1911 are all on the list of guns I'd like to own... It would be owning a piece of history. I would also be happy with a Marlin Model 60SN which is way more affordable for Target/Varmint Shooting and a Remington 870 Marine Magnum for Trap and Skeet Shooting
  15. Actively Seek out New Employment: It's become blatantly obvious that I am not happy with my job. It's not that I'm unhappy with what I'm doing... I love working on A/V Equipment... It's more that I'm not happy with the way Purdue treats it's employees and how the department I am in manages it's people and how they make decisions. I'm sure that I'll experience these problems elsewhere... but at least they would be new to me...
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  30. TBA

Monday, May 3, 2010

A few more additions...

  1. Drive Route 66...
  2. Take the Empire Builder Train Across the US...
  3. Take my Truck on the Power Tour...
  4. See the Memphis Belle again...
  5. Get a Tattoo...
  6. Ride in a Helicopter...
  7. Make a Music Video...

  8. See the Field of Dreams Field: The Field still exists in Dyersville, Iowa. I love the movie and would love to see where it was filmed... Supposedly they still have baseball games on the field in the summer (EDIT: I just read that the Semi-Pro team that used to dress up like the Old Players Retired in 2007 Bummer...) Still this one doesn't seem too terribly difficult to accomplish. There are some factors that would be involved though... I'd want to go when the corn is tall like it was in the movie... Another bonus to this one is that my buddy from High School Jake Zoss lives about an hour and a 1/2 from the field and always likes to have the guys out to visit... I'm sure he gets tired of driving to Lafayette to see us...

  9. Attend the Road Rocket Rumble: The Road Rocket Rumble is a Car Show down in Indy that brings in over 600 Rat Rods, Hot Rods, Pre-1963 Classic Cars. The show spans 3 days and includes the Car Show, A Burlesque Show, A Pin-Up Contest, and Around 12 Rock-a-billy Bands... A lot of the participants dress up in the period correct clothing... Not a day goes by where I don't feel like I was born in the wrong era... I hope that one day someone invents a time machine and I can go back and experience the 40's and the 50's... I would give anything to experience what it was like to live through WWII and the changes that went through the Car world back then...

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The list continues...
  1. Drive Route 66...
  2. Take the Empire Builder Train Across the US...
  3. Take my Truck on the Power Tour...

  4. See the Memphis Belle again: I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with the story of the Memphis Belle... Last time I saw the Belle she was on Mud Island in Memphis, TN.... It was on a Family Vacation... Now she is under restoration at the National Museum of the USAF at Wright Patt. AFB in Ohio. I've been meaning to go forever... The only catch with this one is that you can only see it on a Behind the Scenes tour... and those tours are only offered in May and you have to register for the tours and they fill up ridiculously fast...

  5. Get a Tattoo: I know that to some people this is a stupid thing to do but it's something I've been fascinated with for a long time. I have toyed with the ideas of getting some sort of Purdue Logo but now that I'm graduated and working for Purdue I feel WAY less Love for my Alma Mater. I really would like a tattoo to pay homage the WWII era. I want to get a tattoo that looks like a patch from an Bomber Jacket... It would be my way of paying my respects to all those people who gave their lives to fight again the Axis Powers... Plus I'm a sucker for Nostalgia and Pin Up models...

  6. Ride in a Helicopter: One of my life goals is to learn to fly one... I'm not sure I'll ever get to actually fly one so I'll settle for just getting to ride... Helicopters for some reason interest me more than Air Planes... There is just something to be said about an aircraft that flies by brute force... it beats the air into submission.

  7. Make a Music Video: I have been blessed with a an overactive imagination. I'm always a fan of music videos that tell a story through the video... Every time I listen to my favorite songs I always visions of what I would want a music video for the song to be... The catch on this one is that I don't want it to look like a 5th grader made it... I would want it to be somewhat professional looking. With the advancement in HD cameras I think that I can make this happen...
TO BE CONTINUED...

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The List Begins: Subject to Change for Now...

Note: Not all the things on the list have to monumental experiences...
  1. Drive Route 66: Being the Classic Car guy and Car Motorabilia Nut I've always wanted to do this... For the longest time I've wanted to own a Custom Classic Car and just hit the road... however being the optimist I am I know that 40+ year old cars don't travel well... at least the ones I could afford now wouldn't... So renting a car or RV to make the trip sounds like a better idea... If I got an RV I wouldn't need to spend money on hotels... and I could cook my own meals and save money there too.

  2. Riding the Empire Builder: The Empire Builder is an Amtrak Train that goes from Chicago to Seattle/Portland. It's a 46 hour Train ride Across the US. The train has specially designed sight see cars and its is timed so that it crosses the Rocky Mountains in Daylight... I saw a show about this on the History Channel or the Discovery Channel and knew right then that I wanted to ride this train. Ive never been on an honest to goodness real train... Just a Coke Truck Pretending to be one... ;-)

  3. Take my Truck on the Hot Rod Power Tour: The HOT ROD Power Tour is considered one of the best automotive tours in the world. It's seven-day, seven-city tour it happens every summer. The vehicles that complete the all 7 days get a Long Hauler Award. This is something I've hear about for years and years while learning about classic cars and hot rods. I see cars at the car shows every year with the Power Tour badges and stickers. I think it's like a Badge of Honor for any Gear Head. Right now my truck runs and runs well but I think it would need a little work to pull off a 7 day drive across the US...

Preparing to Prepare...

I have to preface this blog by saying I'm not much of a writer. I do however want to have a way of keeping track of this endeavor so here goes nothing...

I was sitting at home watching TV with my dog and I realized that I'll be turning 26 in the next few months and I was thinking about what I have done with my life so far. When I sit and think about it I really have accomplished a lot. I've built and wrecked classic cars, graduated college, restored/rehabbed an entire house, made friends, lost friends... However, I still feel like there is so much that I've wanted to do but have never done. I know in my heart that if I don't do some of these things now while I'm young and fairly free to do whatever I want that I will never do them.

So the current plan is to formulate a list of 30 things that I've always wanted to do and try to do them all in the next 4 years before I turn 30. I'm in the process now of finding 30 things to do before I turn 30 that are actually attainable goals. I really do want to do things like Tour Europe or Sail to and through the Caribbean but those are things that aren't going to work in the 4 year time frame due to budget and time constraints... I believe this is enough for my first post. I'll be posting more of the plans and the research soon... Until then, Laterdays.