A (sad little) item off the bucket list

Any day you can strike something from your bucket list is generally a pretty good day.

Unless, like me, you have an extra-ordinarily boring bucket list.

Still, it’s nice to have done something worth checking off and to be honest I wasn’t sure I would ever do it – after all I’m 43 years old and have ever come close to doing it before though I have on occasion given it a go. After completing this task, I believe it can only be achieved by someone living on their own. Or perhaps two men sharing a pantry – but I have a hard time believing it would be possible with a woman in the house and certainly not with children.

Children, while they might ‘want’ to do this, don’t have the dexterity to make it happen quite frankly, and that’s too bad because honestly, it’s probably only 6-year-old boys (and me) who would ever waste the time to try. And women, well, I’m sure women would agree this is the most pointless thing since cubic zirconia.

It took a few weeks but I successfully used half a jar of peanut butter.

This is what it's come to - this is the
kind of thing that amuses me now.

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “you always use half a jar of peanut butter.” But I don’t mean using halfway to the bottom, I mean I used a vertical half jar of peanut butter. I’ve included a picture here so that you can see the half of the top that remains is unblemished and smooth and it continues right down through to the bottom.

I like to think that this bit of work means that I have gained some measure of patience during the last 18 months. However, when you consider that I talk to myself regularly now, I think it only means I’ve got lots of discretionary time on my hands.

Still, it has shown me how life continues to be different away from the family whom I will board a plane to visit this week. At home, if I were to try to accomplish this, someone would no doubt scoff at the notion of what I was trying to achieve. And to be frank, I’m not sure it would be The Shadow – it very possibly might be my 5-year old daughter. For his part, I think my son would consider it worthy goal although I’m not sure even he would take the time.

No, it’s not a master painting or the great American novel or even the rare joy that I get on the rare occasion I select a decent movie, but it’s something and sometimes something keeps you going – at least until later tonight when I make sandwiches for dinner.