That’s right, no great computer mod that has designs to be published in a computer magazine. I already did that. It was a great mod I called Functional Design. It took a couple of months to build and had all the latest and greatest hardware of the day. I gave it a beautiful paint job, lots of bling and I didn’t stop at just the case mod either. I modded the monitor with a matching paint job and some chrome accents, did the same for the keyboard and even the mouse (actually, I hate mice and only use trackballs). The whole system was mounted on a roll-about Craftsman tool cabinet that I had enlarged the surface of to make room for everything. The publishers at CPU Magazine loved it and made it their Mad Reader Mod for the month of October, 2003. Here are a few pictures – be sure to click them to see them full-size.

So, I don’t really need another published mod. That was a lot of fun and I was really proud to have it featured in a major magazine. It did encourage me to do even more and I spent a lot of my time online sharing what I could with other modders and those who wanted to be modders. My last project was sponsored by a major computer gear manufacturer, Cooler Master, of Taiwan. They gave me most of the products used in the modding of what I fondly called “The Grump Case.” That is the nick-name I used in many forums on the internet. That project was chronicled on the Cooler Master forums and on another forum I frequented, Gideon Tech Forums. There are a lot of pictures on both of those sites, but here’s a few to satisfy you if you don’t want to spend the time on the other sites.

I think I have accomplished my goal of having a wide audience appreciate my craftsmanship in modifying a computer case. It has given me a great deal of pride and it was so much fun helping others make the right choices and develop the skills to do painting, wire management, cutting windows, layering Plexiglas and being creative.

The last time I built a computer was shortly after I moved to my current apartment. I didn’t mod a thing. I didn’t feel like it and I don’t think I was able to do any painting or other radical mods because of my physical limitations. I’m okay with that now and I don’t need to prove to you or me that I can mod a system. I miss doing it, but it is no longer a priority. I am not saying goodbye to modding, but I don’t embrace it like I used to and very rarely spend any time thinking or writing about it.

A modded computer published in a magazine is off the list. More important things to do. This is a good thing, not a negative. But if any of you reading this has any questions about modding your own machine, I would be happy to offer my opinion. It may not be worth much these days, but it would mean a lot to me.

Now, let’s see if there’s any other house cleaning I can do in regards to that bucket list.

This is born from a homework assignment my shrink gave me to do this week. I gotta mention now that during our first meeting, she said she didn’t give out homework assignments. I wonder if I should be concerned that she lied to me and saddled me with this project on only our 3rd meeting? Naw. My feeling is she knew it’s what I needed to do. I was doing nothing but complaining, rambling and being entirely discombobulated. There was no focus. Maybe this will help me realign myself.

I Decided to make the list public by putting it here on my blog. It serves a bonus purpose of adding some interesting content to one of my websites, which I had also complained about a lack of inspiration in doing. So, let me get to it.

My Other Foot List

1.) Move into a nice house with a yard and a deck.

If I don’t get to do anything else, I would like to have a little house, where I don’t have to worry about the neighbors hearing my noises in the bathroom, or the landlord next door banging on my wall when I play my Maroon 5 CD. It doesn’t have to be big and fancy, but more than the 440 square foot apartment I have now would be nice. A little yard that my dog, Loomis, could enjoy and a small deck I could sit out on to get some sun and throw the occasional stick for Loomis.

2.) Go to a Maroon 5 concert.

Maybe you hadn’t noticed, these guys are my new favorite band. You might think going to a concert was no special thing, but it is to me. I haven’t been to a concert for many years and now that I have the time, I don’t have the money. And Maroon 5′s concerts are so far away from me that I would have to drive a long distance and do the whole lodging and restaurants thing – a lot more money. But I can see me dancing on my Segway while experiencing the magic they make with their music.

3.) Be a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Who doesn’t want to be on TV? There’s a few talk/variety shows I like and I got to wondering, if I could only be on one of them, I think it would have to be Ellen. I admire her not only for her wonderful humor, but for the adversity she has been through and her great and kind heart. I used to be able to dance pretty good and every time I see Ellen dance through her audience, I wish I could be there to experience that. And, selfishly, I want so much for my flooring website to be very popular to do-it-yourselfers and flooring professionals all over the world, I would hope for an opportunity to plug it on her show.

4.) Attend Surfaces (flooring convention) in Las Vegas.

Surfaces is one of the largest flooring conventions in the world. I have gone a number of times. The members of The Floor Pro Community sent me there a year ago and one of them arranged to have a Segway donated to me so I could traverse the miles of exhibits in an upright position. Unfortunately, the security team there decided my Segway was a danger to the visitors and made me use a sit-down cart. The cart got stuck trying to get into a restroom and I managed to run over several toes and bump into a few displays. Donations have been way down on my flooring site, but I do want to go again – this time using my Segway. I feel I need to attend to help make other flooring manufacturers and organizations aware of the support we offer to the industry.

5.) Lead a Segway tour of part of The Pacific Crest Trail.

And parts of my beautiful home town, Quincy, California. After returning from Vietnam, I worked for a short time in a training program for the U.S. Forest Service. During part of those months, we built 3 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. It was hard work, but it was a wonderful experience. I’d love to re-live part of that by taking some fellow Segway gliders, especially those who use them as mobility aides, on a trail glide. I’d like it to include a short tour of the historic and scenic areas of Quincy.

6.) Get a college degree.

In and out of college through the 70s and a couple more half-hearted attempts in the 80s, I never got so much as an AA degree. I don’t know how many credits I need, but I would like to be able to say I completed something as important as a formal education. There are some courses I might find interesting too. And, if things haven’t changed too much since my last class, them college girls are pretty damn cute.

7.) Customize my minivan and win a prize in a car show.

I’ve owned lots of vehicles over the years and have even been the proud owner of a 1965 Ford Thunderbird for the last 8 years, but my real pride and joy on 4 wheels has been my 2001 Chrysler Town and Country. I managed to do a few modifications to it, including a cat-back system, hot plugs and wires, some great wheels and tires. I even installed a beautiful, deep blue cable shag carpet throughout. But there’s so much more I would love to be able to do. Lower it a couple inches, have a flared ground effects system installed, custom grill with matching cowl work, molded in backup lights and a really sweet paint job. No, I don’t want a hot-rockin’ babe magnet van from the 70s. I want a daily driver that drives like a sports car, looks very cool, but is durable and practical – and a show winner.

8.) Do a great computer mod that is featured in a computer magazine. NOTE: This is now OFF the list.

I’ve actually done this and it’s a wonderful feeling. I just want to do it one more time. The thing is, most of the current crop of computer mods are gaming rigs and look like space ships or comic book super heroes. I like elegance, style – something an executive would want to put on their desk, or use as part of their home entertainment system. A little chrome, some exotic woods, subtle lighting and great performance from an easy to service platform. I kinda like a mixture of Moderne and Art Nouveau.

9.) Go to the largest computer gear exposition in the West.

My passion for computers goes back to 1992, but I have never once made it to a big computer trade show. There have been some almosts, but no been there’s and done that’s. There is a very nice one, I hear, in Las Vegas, called CES. It’s right around the time that Surfaces (flooring convention) is held. Maybe with the right kind of luck, enough money and a laptop to manage my websites, I could do an extended stay – the vacation I’ve never had.

10.) Attend the biggest and best auto exposition in the USA.

SEMA. Also in Las Vegas. Usually in November. Trouble is, it’s for the trade professionals only – or the media. I wonder if I could get in as a correspondent of some sort? I am associated with a car club. Maybe Ellen would want to send me there to do a “sneak peek” report on the great new vehicles coming. I’d settle for a really nice car show in a hot location like LA, San Francisco, even Modesto. I just love being around all those beautiful cars.

That’s my bucket list… er, My Other Foot List. Some of these aren’t so far fetched. I might be able to do some of them before my time is up here. The doc says I have a couple 2 or three years (“maybe”), so there’s certainly time enough to try to make these come true. I’ll let you know how it goes.