I’m hesitant to use the term bucket list here, because that sounds pretty cliche, stupid, and conventional. I’d like to think that these things on this list are a bit more unconventional, and strange. So this is My List of Awesome because that’s exactly what it is…awesome.
- I want to meet another Alouise. Does anyone remember that episode of the Simpsons where the kids from Shelbyville steal Springfield’s lemon tree and Bart, Milhouse, Nelson, Martin and some other kids go to Shelbyville to get it back? Well in one scene Milhouse is on a walkie talkie with Bart and a boy from Shelbyville comes up to Milhouse. Milhouse asks, “is this the untimely end of Mihlouse?” The blue haired Shelbyville boy says, “your name is Milhouse? I thought I was the only one.”
- I want to celebrate my birthday in the winter. My birthday is July 23 (and yes I do accept Paypal money transfers for gifts, thank you). I live in Canada and the awesome thing about my birthday is it’s right in the middle of summer, my favorite season. When I was a kid I never had to worry about going to school for my birthday, and now as an adult I’ve always be able to book by birthday off from any job I had. The weather on my birthday is usually pretty good, hot, the odd year has been rainy but that’s about it. Yep July 23 rocks.
- I want to visit every Edmonton in the world. Here’s a funny story. When I went to London I got an Oystercard to ride the tube, and it came with a cardholder with an Ikea advertisement. On the back was a list of shuttles that would take people to different Ikeas, and one said Edmonton. Me, still in the midst of some pretty bad jetlag, got pretty confused. Why would Ikea in London, be offering shuttles to the Ikea in Edmonton, Alberta? Then it came to me, there’s an Edmonton in the UK – actually the Edmonton I’m from was named after it. I also know there’s an Edmonton in Kentucky, and apparently there’s an Edmonton in Australia too. Four Edmonton’s around the world. I’ve been to one (the one in Alberta where I live). One day I’d like to make it to the other Edmontons.
- I want to go to Alouise Court. Yep apparently the name Alouise is catching on in popularity. In White Lake, Michigan there’s a street called Alouise Court. I’m envisioning the making of a pretty awesome Facebook profile picture.
For the longest time (honestly for the first 23 years of my life) I was pretty sure I was the only Alouise in the entire world. When I was a kid I even wanted to copyright my name. I mean sure there are Louises and Eloises, but it’s not the same. Don’t tell me it is. That’s like convincing someone with the name Bryan that it’s the same as the name Ryan – totally different. One day on Facebook I found there’s a Danish singer named Alouise. My first follower on Twitter? Another Alouise. So I’m not the only Alouise in the world (guess I can’t copyright my name), but I’ve never met another Alouise face to face. Once in my life I’d someone to honestly say, “Hi my name is Alouise” just so I can say “Hi Alouise. I’m Alouise too.” Although a part of me worries that universe might not be able to handle something this awesome and intense. I mean this might alter the entire fabric of the space time continuum.
Still one year at least I’d like to go to the southern hemisphere, where the seasons are the opposite from where I am, and celebrate my birthday during winter. I think it would just be really neat. Plus I have a feeling that a country like Australia, South Africa, or Brazil doesn’t get nearly the amount of snow in winter as Canada would. I’d get to have my birthday in winter, without the -30 temperatures and freezing blizzards.
