30 Before Thirty

Lose 40 pounds

Chip Bennett — Thu, 06 May 2010 20:03:44 +0000

I recently amended my list. I added ‘lose 40 pounds’ and took off learn to fly fish. I calculated it and I have about 32 weeks to pull it off. I weighed in on this weekend at 254 so I feel like I’m making good progress. I think what I’ll do is weigh in every Friday and write about it here. For me it’s very helpful to be public about where I am and where I want to be. So check back and encouragement in the comments would be great.

Be a dad

Chip Bennett — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:08:57 +0000

Here are a couple of pictures of Karyn’s growing baby bell, July
21st is coming quickly.

Write Regularly

Chip Bennett — Mon, 03 May 2010 23:14:53 +0000

One of the items on my list is to write regularly. I have strong desires to attend seminary and then enter full-time ministry. As of now my writing skills are a little rusty. The only way to improve my writing is to write more often. I don’t want to clutter up this blog with my writing so I’ve been posting some of my writing on my personal blog. Go there and check it out. Also be sure to check back here this week, I’m feeling pretty motivated to knock something else off of my list.

About the list

Chip Bennett — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:46:27 +0000

So I started my list with some pretty big dreams and some pretty big goals. As my 30th birthday get’s closer and closer I start to realize that some of them just may not happen, and some things that aren’t on the list are just more important. So with that in mind I’m gonna make a few adjustments to my list. Instead of learning to play a new instrument, I’d rather focus on the one that I know and complain that I never play anymore. So I’m gonna swap learn to play piano for learn to play the guitar better. There was a time when I was much better than I am now and I’d like to get better. Also learn to fly fish is the last thing on my list because I’ve always wanted to learn how, but never had the proper motivation. It’s not a pressing thing, just something I’d like to learn. A more pressing issue is my ever expanding waistline on my pants. So in order to motivate myself I’m gonna replace learn to fly fish with lose 40 lbs before I turn 30. I weighed myself a couple weekends ago and weighed in at 255 lbs. So by Dec 27th I’d like to weigh 215 lbs. That’s alot to lose, but I’d at least like to try. So I think every week (or maybe more often) I’ll post my progress.

So there you have it. It’s my list and I’ll do what I want to do with it. I’ve got a few more to knock of my list soon so stay tuned.

Start a garden

Chip Bennett — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:33:46 +0000

One thing that I’ve always wanted to do was to start my own garden. When I was a kid I remember my parents having a garden where we all kinds of veggies from corn, to squash, to tomatoes, and plenty of others. There’s something about it that stuck with me I guess and last year had planned on starting one until I thought I was being deployed. I was told I was leaving in July and didn’t want to jump into a garden that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy. Since I didn’t end up being deployed last year I decided to start a garden this year. On Tuesday I started digging up the sod and Wednesday got the bed tilled. I plan on doing some planting before the weekend is over.

Here’s what’s going in my garden. Onions, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, squash, peppers, and cucumbers. I’d like to add some herbs to, but I haven’t gotten that far yet. I’d love to get some advice from some green thumbs out there. I’ll be sure to post a few pictures in the next few days.

About my photography class

Chip Bennett — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:36:27 +0000

On Saturday I officially knocked another off of my list. Karyn and I drove up to Pittsburgh on Friday evening and stayed with our good friends Justin and Carrie. On Saturday morning I left to head down to the studio the class was being held in. After a quick introduction from John and David we started learning about our cameras. I quickly learned how little I know about photography, and about my camera. To sum up what I knew before the class was how to turn my camera on.

I don’t want to bore anyone too much with the details of what we went over but I will share with you the trinity of photography as they described it. ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Put them all together and I found that I can actually take a pretty good picture with our DSLR camera and I don’t even have to use the auto mode. The best part of the class is that I feel like I have the tools to begin to take some really great photos. Check some of the pictures I took.

Photo Class

Have lunch with Leonard Sweet

Chip Bennett — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:49:30 +0000

Yesterday was a pretty eventful day around here for me. I posted an open request for Leonard Sweet and shot him the link via twitter. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but while I was eating lunch I checked my twitter and saw this response:

lensweet @captinchip302 Why don’t you come to my Mountain Advance in Canaan Valley, WV this fall? My treat.

If I said I was happy it would be an understatement. If you don’t know much/anything about these advances then check them out here. So this November I’ll not only get a chance to eat lunch with Leonard Sweet, but I’ll also get to spend a weekend with him (and some others). This is such a great opportunity and I feel very lucky to be able to participate.

I’d like to thank Leonard Sweet for his quick response and his generosity. I can’t wait to mark this one off my list.

Take a photography class

Chip Bennett — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:00:00 +0000

What I’ve been enjoying the most about my list so far has been the interaction I’ve gotten from so many different people. Some that I know and some that have just clicked their way over to my site. I love the feedback and interaction. My friend Carrie posted a comment last night telling me about a photography class being offered by David Burke and John Craig in Pittsburgh this weekend. To sweeten the deal all the proceeds from the last three seats they had open are going to Hatti. So I took the plunge and signed up.

I’m really excited about this because David is the photographer that did Karyn and I’s wedding pictures (for free I might add) and he was amazing. Karyn and I revisit the photos that he took for us often. He did an incredible job capturing all the moments of that special day for us. I want to know more about how to use our DSLR camera, and I’ve read some of David’s how to photo blog, but was still pretty clueless. I can’t wait to learn more about my camera and flex my creative muscles a bit.

So on Saturday I’m taking a photography class that my friend Carrie tipped me off too. What are some of the things on my list that you can help me accomplish? What are some things on your list that you need some help accomplishing? Let’s do it together, it sounds much more exciting that way.

An open request for Leonard Sweet

Chip Bennett — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:37:22 +0000

Dear Dr. Sweet,

I’ve recently begun a journey to complete a list of thirty things before I turn thirty. My 29th birthday was Dec 27th 2009 giving me about 11 months to complete my list. The list ranges from strange things like swim to work to more profound items like be a dad. As I was creating my list I wrote: Have lunch with _____________ . My wife filled in “Len Sweet.” I think she wrote this because after I discovered your Napkin Scribbles I would frequently say things like “Google or Gutenberg” or you “have to listened to this Napkin Scribble?” So she may have just been annoyed that I was quoting you so often, in any case I thought it would be a perfect fit. When I learned that you were from West Virginia I was pretty excited (I live in Buckhannon, WV). Then when I learned that you were a part of the West Virginia United Methodist Annual Conference I was even more excited (I’ve been exploring ministry opportunities within the United Methodist Church).

I wanted to sit down and have lunch with someone who has had a part in forming the way I think. I’ve come to appreciate your insights about theology and the church, and of course the directions that they are headed. I love the fact that you are forward thinking but still value the history of The Church. I like that you’re not so wrapped up in your denomination, or theological camp that you don’t see value outside of your tradition. These are things that I’m slowly beginning to learn, in part because of you and your influence.

So here’s my request. Sometime in the next 11 months I would like to have lunch with you. I’d love to be able to ask questions and gain some insight, however, more than anything I would like to simply share a meal with you. I live in Buckhannon, WV and I have no idea if you are passing through this area in the next 11 months, if so then allow me treat you to lunch or even welcome you into my home. If that won’t work then I’d happily travel to meet with you. Perhaps while you were at Drew or maybe at some point when you’re traveling on the east coast.

Please consider my humble request. You can respond to me via email christopher.w.bennett at gmail dot com or twitter.com/captinchip302 or via phone/text 304.460.9706

Some other 30 before thirty lists

Chip Bennett — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:05:25 +0000

I thought I’d share some links with you from around the interwebs of different 30 before thirty lists that I’ve come across. I’m pretty sure they everyone on this list is still working on their lists. Feel free to add some of your lists and check out some of these lists too. There are some great adventures to be had in every one of theses lists. Let’s hear what’s on your list.

http://ncsuz.blogspot.com/2008/07/welcome.html

http://northwestern.news21.com/2009/08/24/30-before-30-list-part-one/

http://sliceofpink.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/thirty-before-thirty.html

http://brightyellowworld.com/30-before-30/

http://www.stratejoy.com/2009/07/30-things-to-do-before-im-30/

http://blog.sweetvenus.org/?p=538

http://marialaitan.com/2009/09/30-before-30/