Time for Some Checkmarks!

"Tell me, what is your plan to do with your one wild and precious life." ~Mary Oliver

Well folks, my bucket list is shrinking this week! I'm planning on getting two checkmarks between now and Sunday and I'm an excited girl! (To see prior checkmarks, click here.)

Tonight I'm headed to watch two of the first round NCAA Tournament games. Going to a tourney game has been on my bucket list for a long, long time and I can't wait! I've been obsessed with March Madness for years.

It always makes me think of the time in high school when I got in major trouble with Mr. Franklin. At the school the teachers did a pool for the brackets, but instead of picking your teams, they were drawn for you out of a hat. So each participant would have 4 teams that were "their" teams and if they made the final four you got so much money and if they made the championship game you got more, etc. Anyway, Mr. Franklin had me drawing the names out of the coffee cup and he filled in the team by the teacher's name. Well....after picking him three HORRIBLE teams for himself, he told me I was fired and I was to go to the shop and not come back until class was over since I was bad luck! Totally not my fault, but I haven't won a bracket challenge since...maybe I'm cursed?

Anyway, tonight I'll be seeing Baylor v. South Dakota State and UNLV v. Colorado. Of course, due to Cousin Swiss Mister and his insane love for all things green and gold, I will be cheering for Baylor! We'll see if it can top the State Basketball Tournament last week, but I have my doubts. Stay tuned for a blog on this checkmark.

Then tomorrow I will be taking a day off of work (hallelujah!) and I'm headed for Chicago for St. Patrick's Day! Bucket list item to be had: seeing the green river. Did y'all know that they dye the river green for the holiday? I can't wait!

My love for St. Patrick's Day comes from my Gran (and my Irish heritage...it's in the blood you know?) who always celebrated every year. She would always wear a St. Patrick's Day broch to town on her green shirt and go to the Catholic Church corn beef and cabbage dinner. Sometimes she'd talke Little Brother and me along for the fun. So seeing the green river in celebration of St. Patrick and Gran seems appropriate.

Plus, I'm going to have some serious quality time with two of my favorite ladies, going to eat at Bongo Room (reason enough for the trip!), going to drink some green beer, see the parade and finish it all out with an 8K St. Patrick's Day run on Sunday. And maybe more Bongo Room....don't judge me. Anywhere that inspired the Pancake Boy blog is good for two meals in a weekend. Trust me, I'll be back with loads of pictures and stories next week!