Today's Path: "Live Somewhere besides Missouri" - Check

Today I have officially moved out of Missouri. Technically, I have been out of Missouri since Memorial Day weekend, but my furniture and everything arrived today! YEAH!!!

The movers came this morning with my things and in about an hour everything was in my apartment. By about 12:00pm, I had everything unpacked. This might surprise some people, but when you only have about 10-15 boxes it's not hard to do.

Currently, I do not have any pictures, but I will make sure that I get some and post them soon. I will post a few here, and I will post all of them on Flickr and Facebook.

The next phase of my life is here and I love it.

Rocking it in PHX,
~Lane J

Today's Path: "Graduate College" - Check

Today was the day that closed one chapter of my life and began another. Today I graduated college!! I walked across the stage with my head held high and accepted my empty diploma holder.

After three long years of hard work and a lot of help from friends, professors and family I accomplished what many may never do.

Once graduation ended, we celebrated. Friends and Family came to our house, and we enjoyed the company and the good food.

Here are some pictures from today:

Granny and Papa Payton

Angie and Dallas

McKenzie and Dallas

Mom and Dad

Grandma Joplin

What would graduation be without a best friend?

Angie

And what would graduation be without cake?

Today's Path: "Go Skydiving" - Check

Today was amazing!!! This afternoon, three of my friends and I took about an hour and a half drive to Bowling Green, Missouri. Once there we jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.

That's right. Angie, Beth, Josh and I went Skydiving.



It was like nothing I could ever describe. Once we reached about 10,000 feet we opened the door to the plane. And then we jumped. AHHHHHHHH! After free falling for 45 seconds to 1 minute. We then had the chance to pull the rip cord.

Once the parachute opened, Bryan, our tandem took us in circles around the area before safely landing us back on the ground.

It was amazing! I was able to release the parachute.

I cannot wait to get to go again!

Today's Path: "Get a Tattoo" - Check

Me and Angie

Disclaimer: Mom, if you are reading this, Angie made me do it!!!

Disclaimer #2: If anyone tells my parents, I kill you!!!

I am still working on crossing things off My 50 List.

Yesterday, we were out to lunch at Tortilla Joe's, in Downtown Disney. For some reason we started talking about tattoos. Well, one thing led to another and Angie remembered that was on my list.

We asked a few people working at the Tortilla Joe's were was the closest Tattoo Parlor. They all said that there was one close but not within walking distance. We went back to the hotel to look it up online. Yellowpages.com said Fanatic Tattoo was about 1.4 miles away.

To us that was still within walking distance, so we took off. I had an idea of what I wanted, but Angie wasn't 100% sure.

In my head, I was telling myself that if they were playing heavy metal music, I was going to leave, and the tattoo would have to wait.

We got to Fanatic. There was no heavy metal playing so I picked out mine. Angie had them draw one out for her.

I was up first. Paul was my tattoo artist.

Paul and Me

I was a little nervous, but I was going to do it. Angie told me the entire time she was going to hold my hand. She did. I don't know if she regrets it now because of how hard I squeezed.

Paul finished, and as I was paying, Angie said she was going to punk out. What a wimp!! Thank goodness she knows I can kick her butt. Let's just say she got one.

So for those who want to know what I got here you go:

It is Kanji for Happiness.
One way to look at it is I will always have happiness.

Today's Path: Define Who I am - Part One (of Many)

On My 50 List, I have "Define Who I Am." I have been trying to work on this the past few weeks. I realized it is going to take a lot longer than I thought it ever would.

So like anything else I have broken it down into several parts. However, I only have the first part. I don't know what the future parts are.

I found out that in order to "Define Who I Am," I need to first define the words that I am going to use to describe who I am or affect me, mostly this time it is the second.

These word include, but are no where near limited to, fear, failure, success, love, passion and pride. Six words that are in some big way a part of me. Some influence me. Some help to explain why I do or don't do things.

Here are the definitions I have put to each of these in relationship to me:

Fear- Fear is a nasty four letter word until you learn how to use it. Fear is similar to nervousness. Many think of nervousness as a bad thing, but what they don’t know is how to harness the energy to make a speech or whatever they are doing better. Fear can be harnessed, too, and when it is you can do amazing things with it.

Failure- Seven letters. Success is seven letters. So which one are you so scared of? Both for some reason can be scary. Failure is not an option. The result may not be what you wished, but did you learn something? If so, it was a success. So why is it so hard to start something new? It is hard because you do not have enough control over it to make it what you want. You cannot see the end of it so you don’t want to start.

Love- Love is what makes the world go round. Love for life, family or anything else. Without love, no one would enjoy their job, and business as we know it would cease. We have the businesses we have because someone loved something and took the chance to make it.

Passion- Putting all your effort and energy into something to make it what you want it to be. Being passionate about life and the tasks you encounter during life, will help to ensure the fullest life. (could I use "life" again in the same sentence, I'm sure I could if I tried.)

Pride – Be proud of who you are and what you have done. So you haven’t found the cure for cancer, neither has anyone else. You are who you are because the self-confidence you have. Don’t let those around you get you down. Stand with your head high and kick ASS!

Today's Path: "The Bucket List" - Movie Review

After posting My 50 List last week, a friend and I decided to go and see The Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. I thought that it would be interesting what Hollywood thought would be somethings that are important to do or see before you die.



The movie started with the beginning of the end of the lives of a multimillion, Edward Cole (Nicholson), and a mechanic, Carter Chamber (Freeman). It wasn't until about 40 minutes into this 1 hour and 37 minutes movie, that the bucket list is even mentioned. This leaves 57 minutes for them to develop their bucket list and then complete it. I know there is the magic of movies in which time is not a factor, but come on. It took me 2 months to get my list done.

Once the list is made and they take off to complete it, the movie picks up after a little disagreements over different things and whether or not they should be on the bucket list.

In the end, hopefully you see this coming even if you don't see the movie, they both die and complete the bucket list.

One thing that really bugged me was that Nicholson never wore glasses in the movie. In every other movie I have seen him in he has glasses on.

Once we got to our seats we looked around, and we were the youngest people there. The average age was probably about 37 (and we brought the average down) for the 7:10pm showing.

All in all, I would give it 3 out of 4 stars. It is definitely a must see if you want a tear jerker and a side splitter.

Today's Path: It is complete!!!

Just shy of two months, I have finished compiling My 50 List.

My 50 List started out as a way to help define my future and to keep me from freaking out about it. Little did I know that I would struggle and wrestle so much with myself while finding 50 things I wanted to do before I turned 50. I have come to a better understanding of who I am through this.

I have divide my 50's into categories. Many of my 50's are things that I want to see, others are what I want to do, and others still are things I want to accomplish. Several overlap into more than one category, but I feel where they are is where they need to be.

So without further ado, I present My 50 List:

To accomplish:

• Live on the beach
• Get my EMT certification
• Have a job I love doing because of the job and not the pay
• Learn Yoga
• Learn to meditate
• Graduate college
• Get my Master's Degree
• Live some where besides Missouri (no offense to Missourians
• Take a cruise
• Work for an advertising agency
• Define who I am
• Fall in love with ME, again
• Win an award for something
• Take someone under my wing, like so many people have done for me
• Compile My 50 List
• Complete My 50 List
• Spend at least 3 consecutive days unplugged (no phone, no Internet, no television, no radio)

To do:

• Skydive
• Take a hot air balloon ride
• Go windsurfing
• Scale part of the Grand Canyon
• Take the Polar Bear Plunge
• Ride an Ostrich
• Get a tattoo
• Learn to Cha Cha
• Go Cliff Diving
• Run in a 5K.
• Go bungee Jumping
• Drive a silver Ferrari
• See a taping of the Oprah Show
• See a Laker's Basketball Game (the best basketball team in my eyes)
• Ride in a limo
• Have my own horse
• Attend a VIP event

To visit:

• Visit Europe
• Visit Asia
• Visit Australia
• Visit South America
• Go to the Olympics as a Spectator
• Go Skiing in the Rockies
• Climb Pike’s Peak
• Visit the Taj Mahal
• Ride a Zip Line Through the Rain Forrest
• See the Northern Lights
• See the Ball drop in New York on New Year’s Eve
• Visit the Pyramids
• Swim with dolphins
• SCUBA Dive
• See the Clouds of Magellan
• Visit Washington DC

Today's Path: Up to 37 Things Before 50

It has been about a month and a half since I started formulating my 50 By 50 List. When I started, I thought that I would have my list compiled in maybe a week or two.

Well, it is now six weeks later, and I am not finished. I am up to 37 things. Ideally, I want my list finished by the end of the year. But, it is not looking like it will be. I am still hopefully that it will be done, though.

Without futher adu, here is another four:

• Graduate College
• Get My Master's Degree
• Compile my 50 list
• Complete everything on My 50 List

I hope that you are not have as much trouble as I am with compiling your 50 List.

Good Luck!!!