This will be the 9th year of my blog, there have been some light years and some heavy years for blogging, some ups and some downs in life are recorded within. A lot can certainly happen in 9 years.
This is the first time in 9 years that I've written a blog on the first day of a new year (though I hit the 2nd day once). It is kind of surprising as I'm a bit of a sucker for reminiscing on holidays and birthdays.
I'm not someone who puts much stock in new years resolutions, but I've still done it every year (I think). Keep it simple.
For the proceeding resolutions I will be listening to "Highway to Hell" by ACDC, listen along if you wish.
1) Lose some more weight. I'd like to lost another 15 pounds minimum by the end of the year. I think it is within reach, I've been averaging almost 20 so far.
2) Progress my career. Not sure where to go next exactly, I like the career track I am on, but it relies heavily upon the growth of my department. Soon the company will have a new Senior Shipping/Receiving Line Lead position, which would be the next logical step towards becoming a Supervisor/Manager over Shipping/Receiving/Inventory/Materials.
(Now I'm listening to "Everyday is Exactly The Same" by Nine Inch Nails)
I've just started the process to go bankrupt... its lame, but unfortunately necessary. I've fought the idea for five years, trying my best to pay things off. I'm now paying $700 to $800 a month just to debt and I barely have any money to set aside for christmas, birthdays, vacations, activities for the kids, cars for the kids when they turn 16, and so many other things I want to do, but can't. I've paid my due for the sins of my past, the ignorance and irresponsibility. Its time for a clean slate, so that I can finally start looking forward towards my future, towards the boys future.
3) Start and aggressive savings plan.
4) Start the kids in football.
5) Do something fun for Spring Break with the kids.
Now for my Nerd Goals of the year. Time to put some music on that will pump me up "Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against the Machine.
6) Practice Making RPG Games with RPG Maker on my PC and make at least 1 polished, but short, game before the end of the year.
7) Learn how to program in Ruby
8) Teach my kids the fundamentals of Computer Programming
9) Teach the boys how to play Dystopian Wars, finish painting my fleets.
10) Show the boys how to build and set up their own computers.
11) Finish reading the Star Wars RPG and play it with Samantha and the boys.
12) Beat or Advance the following games:
- Assassins Creed 3 (Ongoing)
- Assassins Creed 4
- The Last of Us
- Dishonored (Ongoing)
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Ongoing)
- Final Fantasy X HD (AGAIN, 3rd time)
- Final Fantasy XIII (Ongoing)
- Final Fantasy XIII-2
- Kingdom Hearts HD (AGAIN)
- Metal Gear Solid 3
- Metal Gear Solid 4
- Transformers: War for Cybertron (Ongoing)
- Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition (AGAIN)
- Shadow Warrior Classic Redux (AGAIN)
- Dead Island
- Dead Space
- Fallout 3 (Ongoing)
- Skyrim (Ongoing)
- Warhammer 40k Dawn of War 2 (Ongoing)
- Torchlight 2 (Ongoing)
- The Wolf Among Us
- Star Wars The Force Unleashed (Ongoing)
- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
- Mass Effect
- Dragon Age 2
- Grand Theft Auto IV
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Gears of War 2
- Gears of War 3
- LEGO Lord of the Rings (Ongoing)
- LEGO Batman 2
- LEGO Marvel Heroes
- Hitman Absolution (AGAIN)
- God of War Chains of Olympus
- God of War Ghost of Sparta
- God of War (AGAIN)
- God of War 2 (AGAIN)
- God of War 3
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time HD
- Prince of Persia: Warrior Within HD
- Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones HD
- World of Warcraft (Get 2 more characters to max level)
- Star Wars The Old Republic (Get 3 more characters to max level)
- Diablo 3 PC (Get 1 more character to level 60)
- Diablo 3 XBox (Get 2 characters to level 60)
- DC Universe Online PS3 (Get 1 character to max level)
- Marvel Heroes Online (Get Cable to max level)
- And More...???
- Inferno by Dan Brown
- Tides of War by Stephen Pressfield (Re-Read)
- The Profession by Stephen Pressfield
- The Harsh Cry of the Heron by Lian Hearn
- Heaven's Net is Wide by Lian Hearn
- Pompeii by Robert Harris
- Lustrum by Robert Harris
14) Complete my Collections of old Star Wars CCG cards, down to less than 100 cards missing
15) Most important resolution of all, blog more. Probably the most difficult out of the whole list. Once a month is all I ask.
Jadon's is doing great with learning the Trumpet, I think he is liking Middle School more than Elementary. He just made a new friend, but he has been having trouble having a social life so far this year. Until the last 3 weeks he hadn't done anything with friends outside of school at all, but he made a new friend and had him over and went to his party all right before winter break. So things are looking up I think. His grades are holding steady, he struggles at times but he has exceptional determination when faced with challenges. He will be turning 13 later this year, a teenager, scary :-)
Tristan is enjoying being the big man on campus, 5th graders. He and his friends play football everyday, its almost always the first thing I hear when he gets home, all the touchdowns he has made, all the cool plays they did. I remember those days! Tristan started slow socially too, but it comes a bit more naturally for him, he seems to be with friends all the time. He is excited to start middle school later in the year, he is interested in playing drums or sax.
Samantha and I have done a great job budgeting over the last year, this bankruptcy should help take the strain off our budgeting sessions. We won't be getting married this year, but now that we actually have the ability to set money aside for it, we will possibly choose a date.
I'm excited to get our tax refund this year, we've got lots of plans, but the foremost plan that has been on my list for a long time is acquiring the components for building new computers for the boys and Samantha to help build and use.
All in all I go into 2014 with a fair bit of hope. So as my first blog of the year comes to a close, I raise my glass and say cheers! Cheers to my family, cheers to my friends... cheers to the future.
My parting gifts are quotes from Napoleon Bonaparte that apply to our current national political climate:
1) "Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich"
2) "In politics stupidity is not a handicap"
3) "If you wish to be a success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing"
4) "Among those who dislike oppression are many who like to oppress"
5) "A celebrated people lose dignity upon a closer view"
6) "Men are more easily governed through their vices than their virtues"
Goodnight,
-J
