What else is on the list?

I actually had it written down somewhere (bored in a long car ride, but had pen & paper), but I never typed it up. It's around here somewhere.

I still don't know how to drive a stick. It's one of my many shames as a man.

I feel ya. (er, felt ya... :P)

Skip hang gliding and learn paragliding.

Easier to learn, more fun, and LOTS less gear to worry about. You can carry around everything you need for paragliding in the trunk of a small car.

(I even used to carry around my paramotoring gear in my Prius. Paramotoring is like paragliding, only with a motor on your back and no need for a cliff to run off of...)

There is great ridge soaring down in Pacifica too.

- chris

I've heard this, too. I've spent some time here in San Diego hanging out at the popular Torrey Pines Gliderport and most of the people there are doing paragliding rather than hang gliding.

Although, iirc, paragliding is less safe and more difficult to learn.

Yeah, I keep meaning to get in touch with him and ask when he's going next.

Avast, land lubber. Ye be starting with a small vessel not unlike the Laser. Yar theory and mechanics are all well and good, argv. But like shifting that manual contraption, ye do it without thinking, much like the last round o' grog.

(A Laser and light wind are great for learning. Great tactile feedback for input, quick response, and the ability to quickly right it when you dump it over make it a lot of fun. Even with a small two-handed boat it gets a little sluggish on the feedback where you need to anticipate more.)

Ah, listen to me going on like an old sea dog. Arrr. Heed my words and tharl be no luff in ye sail.

Funny, I had some americans visit not long ago who commented on my hill starts (stick shift is more the norm on this side of the pond) - basically we're taught (and indeed required) to use the handbrake (aka parking brake) to stopt he car from rolling backwards while hill-starting, in order to avoid having to do the funky heel-and-toe manouevre with the brake and accelerator pedals. Apparently my tourists were not familiar with this technique. I have no idea if this is a general thing, however.

That's what I did on one particularly nasty hill (use the parking brake), but it felt like cheating.

my dad has a small sailboat and we've gone out in the sound. I ran the tiller for most of the time and called out the tacks, so I guess that's sailing. I suppose its trickier when you've got reefs and what not to deal with.

I'm down for learning to sail!

I'm moving to SF August 1st. I've done some sailing with friends in a Catalina 27 in San Diego and I want to get my ASA certifications. I want to take the Basic Keelboating course before the end of August.

Here's a list of schools in California. I looked at Spinnaker Sailing, which is at Pier 40 near SoMa which is nice, but I've heard their classes rope you into a club membership, which is pricey.

I'm considering OCSC Sailing, which is in Berkley. If anyone is interested in going to classes with me, let me know. I'd like to make a new friend in SF.

Looks strangely similar to my list.

I'm hoping to pick up a Class M (motorcycle) permit on Saturday.

Went Skydiving about a month ago.

Going to Washington state next month, and have plans to go Hang Gliding.

Did a triathlon, so bought a wetsuit, and decided I should try scuba diving someday.

No major interest in Saillikng, but hey.. such is life.. Learned to drive on a manual car (and glad I did, I can drive any drunk person home).

Other goals:
triathlon (done)
bike tour (do the MS 150 one.. I'm thinking of a solo Portland to Seattle next month)
Iron Man triathlon (the 5-7 year plan)

Do bicycle shifting skills convert quite readily to either?

I never learned to drive but sometimes the idea seems enticing...

Do bicycle shifting skills convert quite readily to either?

Not really.

I guess stopping pedaling (or pedaling with low torque) while shifting is kinda like the clutch.

But not really.

I add one more item to my list of differences between Russia and USA: you get driving licence on an automatic transmission car? I thought in all countries it is on a manual transmission, never thought it might be different.. The world turns out to be so diverse =)

Right now i own my first car with automatic transmission (you saw it:) after two others with a stick. And i can say that i like the stick better. Next my car definitelly will have manual transmission because it's cheaper, more controllable, because it consumes less fuel and because it saves brakes.

I could swear I remember hearing you talk about learning to drive manual on your parents TT....

Yeah, they let me try once... I pretty much sucked at it. I wouldn't call it "learning".

I have a promising lead for sailing. It's possible that you'll even get a chance to practice your Russian. I'll let you know if it pans out.