Hey there, internet friend. Well, it has been quite some time since I posted anything, which you probably noticed. The last few months have been very sparce in the posting category. However, I decided to make a change and take some time out on New Years Eve to write a yearly update and to say thank you for reading and viewing this page! Well, it's not so much a yearly update, but rather a kind of glance at the year and a discussion of goals for the future. As we close in on 50,000 views to this blog, it feels really good to know that some people are checking it out (because I am telling myself that there are real people visiting and not just bots crawling). If you want to skip this post and just jump to the dog picture then turn this link purple.
Real fast, before I get started, and even though I am sure I am not the first person to point this out to you today, but in the United States (with how we tell dates) today is 12/31/23 or 123123, which is a little fun. It isn't like super fun or very interesting, but at least worth pointing out. Other countries do dates differently but also come up with interesting patterns for today. I wonder what it is for the person reading this!
2023 was a year that contained a bunch of ups and downs. The year started with some pretty serious personal problems that nearly resulted in a disaster. However, that disaster was avoided and instead things changed for the better. We sold our house in Desert Hot Springs and moved to La Quinta. This has been great for everyone in the family, including the dogs.
This (2023) was the first year that I didn't release any music (I was steadly making releases for the last couple of years). Between personal issues and frustrations of one kind or another, I was not able to get over the hump of putting music out. There were some tunes created, but I wasn't happy enough with anything to finish it and release it. Instead, I just played a ton of RuneScape3, managed to max out my character (though I still have all but Necromancy to get to 120), and tried to relax. One of my goals in 2024 is to release and promote music from both my instrumental project, "Dude and the missing rugs" as well as my other secret project that has been on hiatus. Recording, mixing, and mastering music is one of my many goals for 2024.
I suspect that a big part of my problem in 2023 was that I don't recall setting any goals or making any resolutions. Things were not going so great in December of 2022 and into the first two months of 2023. That's something I am going to work hard to remedy and not repeat.
To address that issue, I've been working on not only a resolution, but also a list of goals to accomplish. In addition to reading more, I want to also finish some professional certifications that have eluded me, but also to try and push above and beyond. I've got a big birthday coming up next year and I want to make sure I am not caught off guard, as I was when I turned (dirty) 30. Using the Notes app will also allow me to keep these resolutions fresh in my mind and not get lost in everything else going on.
Overall, I am setting the most important goal and resolution of being a better husband and dad. That was an area that would have made my life better, and usually (almost always, maybe always?) improves my life when I focus on doing it right. Honestly, I can't think of a time when focusing on being a better husband and dad made my life worse. Being a husband and dad has not come easy to me, as I frankly had a pretty poor example of how to be a good partner when I was growing up. I don't want to trash my dad too much here, but it's been no secret that he and I have not seen eye to eye in the past. But that's OK, I am not the only one with a complicated relationship with my parents, but I am going to do my best to not use that as an excuse anymore, and instead to just get better. Being 40 and still blaming your issues on your parents is not a good look for me. I will leave it up to the reader to decide what they think about that.
Changing subjects very sharply and quickly, I am going to do my best to post weekly updates again starting next year, even if that's to just write that I don't feel like doing an update and I will skip that week. It would also be great to find a web ring to join, as I've been hoping to find one for some time now. Perhaps that will also go on the list?
That's all I've got to report for this year, internet friend. Once again, thank you for checking this out. I hope you have a nice day, a great week, and that 2024 is the best year for you yet. Cheers!