It’s not been until recently that I ran across the term “bucket list.” When my wife Lynndee explained what it meant, I told her that’s what I’d always considered a “to-do” list. On research, I discovered what is considered the origin of the term. It was used in a 2004 book Unfair & Unbalanced: The Lunatic Magniloquence of Henry E. Panky , by Patrick M. Carlisle which contained the line,  “So, anyway, a Great Man, in his querulous twilight years, who doesn’t want to go gently into that blacky black night. He wants to cut loose, dance on the razor’s edge, pry the lid off his bucket list!” Then there was the 2007 film The Bucket List, about two men escaping from a cancer ward, going on a road trip with a list of  “to-dos” – my phrase – to accomplish before they die.

Thus, the bucket list refers to things to do before you die, or, kick the bucket, a term that first appeared in 1785. That put me in mind of my simple to-do list which also, ironically, ties in with going on a road trip just like the guys in the movie The Bucket List, though by no means am I terminally ill.

One of our road trip destinations: Turner Field, Atlanta, home of the Braves!

As for road trips, since getting Lynndee here from the Philippines in 2010 and marrying her, I’ve made it a point to take her and our son Yogi on several road trips to introduce them to their new home country. Our first trip, in 2011, took us to the Washington, D.C. area for, of all things her alumni reunion. It amazed me to know that there were so many Filipinos in the U.S. who had graduated from her hometown alma mater.

Our next trip in April, 2012, took us to Baltimore, Maryland, to attend the baptism of one of her childhood friend’s child, more amazement to know that two girls who knew each other as kids come together again half-a-world away from where they first met. While in Baltimore, we got to visit Fort McHenry, the birthplace of our National Anthem. And on the way home, another history lesson, stopping in Sharpsburg, Maryland to visit the Antietam National Battlefield, the site of one of the bloodiest battles in our Civil War.

And not to sit on my duff and get lazy, we hit the road again in July, 2012, destination, Atlanta, GA. I’d been to Atlanta many times in my life and had so much to share with Lynndee and Yogi. Atlanta is the site of another famous Civil War battle which they memorialize at their Cyclorama. Our time there was a jam-packed four days, but of most excitement to me was going to see my beloved Atlanta Braves play; we went to two games.

And it’s my love of baseball that leads me to the last-two major items in my bucket list, or on my to-do list, which will also require two major road trips: seeing games played in the remaining two old-school baseball parks, Boston’s iconic Fenway Park and Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

Fenway Park

Fenway Park, at 103-years old, is the oldest Major League Park still active. Fenway contains many historic features, the most famous one being the Green Monster, a 37 feet high wall in left field. One of the most memorable moments in the Monster’s history is when Boston catcher Carlton Fisk hit a drive to left field in the bottom of the 12th inning of the 1975 World Series and as he ran down the first base line, he was vigorously using his arms to wave the ball fair past the foul pole. And the magic worked, for it stayed fair, hitting the foul pole, and the Sox won, 7-6, only to lose the series in Game 7, 4-3, after a dramatic come-from-behind win by the Cincinnati Reds, them scoring the winning run in the 9th inning. That series was the continuation of the legendary Curse of the Bambino, Boston having traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees after winning the 1918 series and not winning another one for 86-years.

Wrigley Field

Chicago’s Wrigley Field, named after chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr., is 101-years old. What makes Wrigley interesting is its ivory covered brick outfield wall and the strange pattern of winds blowing in off of Lake Michigan, which can be a pitcher’s nightmare when blowing balls out for homeruns, or a hitter’s nightmare when blowing in, holding their fly balls up long enough to be caught. And it still has a hand-turned scoreboard and was the last park in baseball to install lights for nighttime play in 1998.

Chicago too has suffered from a legendary curse, the Curse of the Billy Goat. They won their last series in 1908, and last appeared in one in 1945, 70-years ago. The curse arose after a man named Billy Sianis, the owner of a bar called the Billy Goat Tavern, was asked to leave Game 4 of the 1945 series because the odor of his pet billy goat, Murphy, was bothering other fans. He was so irate that he supposedly said, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” Then it’s claimed that he sent a telegram to Phillip K. Wrigley stating,  “You are going to lose this World Series and you are never going to win another World Series again. You are never going to win a World Series again because you insulted my goat.^” Billy Sianis nephew, Sam, has tried to break the curse, a couple of times, bringing a goat out to Wrigley field on Opening Days 1984 and 1989. The Cubs actually won their division those two years, but..no luck after that.

I can’t help by say that another item in my bucket list would be to see the Cubs finally break the curse and win a series. What would be even better would be to be sitting in Wrigley and see it happen! And here’s hoping that I at least get to finally see a game in both those famous parks, emptying my bucket before I kick it.