My Hopes and Thoughts for 2020

The year 2019 was definitely interesting for me.  I got a new job, I helped my parents move out of my childhood home and into their new home, and our apartment complex underwent renovations (on the outside--roof, windows).  The last year of the 2010s was a memorable one for me, and I'm thinking 2020 will be just as memorable.  I will discuss my thoughts and hopes for the upcoming year, from my personal to professional life.

I cannot state this enough: I need to lose weight.  I don't consider myself obese, but overweight, yes.  I am not expecting this to happen overnight or even over just one month.  I think it may take close to all year.  But I am going to put my mind to it.  I need to find some way to work out fairly consistently, and start planning lighter and healthier meals.  I'd like to lose 50 pounds over the course of next year, which would be an incredible amount, but I'd even be happy with 20-30.  I do not have a set plan yet, but I am going to give myself goals and rewards for reaching weight milestones.  For example, I cannot eat one of my favorite (unhealthy) foods until I've lost 20 pounds.  I will continue to make choices which involve more exercise, such as taking the stairs instead of the escalator/elevator, and eating the healthier option if I eat out.  I just don't like my self-image very much right now; and I know if I got back to the shape I was in in my early 20's, I would be so much more confident and happier.

Professionally, I don't know if I necessarily want to change jobs (already), but I will keep my options open.  I will continue to look at jobs, and if one pops up that I think would be a really good fit for me, I may go for it.  I do like where I am now, but it's not a job that someone stays at for years and years.  I also want to make a bit more money.  I will probably go back on some of the job sites (Indeed, ZipRecruiter) and opt-in to the e-mails again so that I can see what's out there.

I want to travel in 2020 for sure.  It may not be until the summer or even Christmas season, but I don't think I've flown to California in three or four years.  I haven't seen Amanda's family in that long, either.  I will do my best to get some time off to go with her somewhere, whether that be in the summer or for Christmas.  Christmas falls on a Friday next year, so it would be a great opportunity to get a three day weekend and travel to see her family.  Which reminds me, I also will have to either get my first ever passport or an enhanced driver's license.  I also want to see a Seahawks game next year; I saw one in 2018 but not this year.  I want to take Amanda to one in 2020, as she's only seen one Seahawk game, and that was in 2011. 

Next year will also be big for news.  We're going to have a presidential election in November, and hopefully get a new president.  The 2020 Summer Olympics will happen in Tokyo.  There are other things, but let's not forget it's also the first year of a new decade.  Also, when before some people were starting the current year "Two thousand-", they now almost all will start calling the year "Twenty-Twenty".  Not many people are going to say "Year Two-Thousand Twenty".  They'll say "Twenty-Twenty".

There are a couple other things that might happen in 2020, but I am not entirely sure.  I may get a new car, but that could wait until 2021 or later.  I may get a new computer, as my current one is having issues, as it is pretty old (around a decade old) and runs Windows Vista.  But I also want to build up my savings next year after the hit it took this year.  There are a couple other big things that might happen in 2020, but are personal to me, and I'll share them on here if they do end up happening.

I am excited for 2020 and what it brings.  I'm very curious to see how much my life changes in the next year.  I am really hoping for an improved me by this time next year.  I know that sounds all very cliche, but it's very true for me.  I am going to be that 2020 will be a significant year in my life, even more so than 2019 was.

2018 Hopes and Goals

This year, 2018, I plan to get a lot done.  I was very proud of my girlfriend last year not only buying a new car for herself but getting a new job.  I hope to have a similar sort of year this year.  I am considering 2018 to be the year of me buying big things for myself.  So far, I have already gotten a new phone (A Google Pixel XL 2) and bought new glasses (the old ones broke).  As of this moment, I am typing on my new laptop for the first time, an Acer Aspire E15.  I bought this laptop so it will be much easier for me to apply for new jobs, which is a hopeful goal for me in 2018.  My desktop computer is over a decade old (runs on Vista) and Google Chrome can no longer be updated.

So I hope to get a lot done this year.  Amanda bought a new (used) car in 2017 and I may do the same this year.  I'm not entirely sure, because my current car is running just fine.  But for a while now I have wanted a small-ish pickup truck or SUV.  I want a car that can carry large items/loads and one that can handle the elements.  It would make getting new furniture so much easier.  I'd also like to be the one guy a lot of people know that has a truck or SUV that they can ask me to help with.  I like to be helpful and give people a hand if they need it. :)

As for my job, it really is time to move on.  I love the pay I get, which is the main reason why I have stuck with Safeway for so long.  But I need to do something else.  I get so annoyed when a customer says to me "You've been working here a while, haven't you?"  Yes, I know I have.  Don't remind me.  But with my savings getting to a good point, getting money back from people I have loaned money to, I should be able to afford a lesser paying job for a while.

As always, I want to lose weight.  I don't consider myself obese, but I'd love to be the weight I was at 8, 9 years ago.  I'm trying to eat better and less and started going to the gym a little more.  I want to be at a decent enough weight for the summer so I can swim at our apartment complex's swimming pool without feeling self conscious of my body.

I don't like to put a bunch of pressure on myself, because I can get overwhelmed and fret and just want to give up because I can't accomplish most of my goals.  I just want to look back on 2018 and be proud of myself.  Does that mean I have to accomplish everything?  No.  I just want to be happy with the effort I gave and feel like I did what I could to further myself in life.  This is why I didn't make New Years resolutions.  Because I did last year and accomplished only a couple and felt disappointed in myself.  I am just going to remind myself of what I want as much as I can, and use that as motivation to by my best in 2018.

Star Wars the Last Jedi Hopes and Predictions

Later tonight I am going to see Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, and I am super stoked as you would expect.  I did a blog post right before seeing The Force Awakens so I thought I should do the same for The Last Jedi (Which shall henceforth be abbreviated as TLJ).  I'm going to make 10 predictions and summarize with what I hope will happen. 

1. Someone's origin will be revealed - But perhaps not Rey's
I do believe Rey to be related to Obi-Wan Kenobi, but I don't necessarily think that  will be revealed in TLJ.  Instead, maybe the origin of either Finn or Snoke will be revealed.  I do think Finn could be the son of Lando Calrissian, because Maz Kanata recognized his eyes and she's probably met Lando as she was good friends with Han. 

2. Deaths: General Hux, Leia
For TLJ I think General Hux will die.  I think it will be him being in a ship and it explodes.  As we know, Carrie Fisher passed away after filming TLJ (RIP), so they'll have to write her out somehow.  I think it would be better to give her a non-violent death, somehow.  But please, don't let it be of a broken heart/loss of will to live.

3. Snoke will not be a lightsaber wielder
So we finally will get to see Snoke in something other than a projection (as revealed in the trailer).  I think it will be revealed that he doesn't believe in lightsabers and that he is powerful enough in the force to succeed without one.  Perhaps he will own a weapon of some kind that can stand up to a lightsaber.

4. Finn and Rose Tico will eventually be a couple
Now this may not exactly happen in TLJ, but I've seen a few different stills of them in scenes together, leading me to believe there could be something between the two.  I don't like the idea of Rey and Finn, I feel they have more of a brother/sister bond.  But I could see Finn and Rose together, and we may only get hints of it in TLJ with them hooking up in Ep. 9.

5. There will be a new Dark Side Force Power revealed
So we've gotten new planets, creatures, even types of lightsabers in this new trilogy.  But we haven't really gotten any new force powers yet.  I think either Snoke or Kylo Ren will debut a new force power, something like Force Drain (seen in KOTOR), Force Destroy, Force Pain, or Force Fire.  Obviously if it's something extremely powerful like Force Destroy (which in my mind destroys anything you concentrate hard enough on), it would be only Snoke who can do it.

6. Poe will get to fight outside of an X-Wing
This doesn't seem like a surprise, as it has to happen at some point, right?  The beginning of TFA doesn't really count as he took one shot and was immobilized.  I hope to see some Han Solo type fighting out of him in TLJ. 

7. Luke does not get to reunite with Leia
It's unfortunate, but I think the writers/producers were planning on Luke and Leia reuniting in Ep 9., but because of Carrie Fisher's passing, unless it happens in TLJ, it won't happen at all.  If they have Leia pass away in this one hopefully Luke hears and can grieve.

8. The Porg does something adorable to make everyone go "Awwww!"
Ok, this might be the most predictable item on this list, but can you blame me?  BB-8 had its moments in TFA (The thumbs up to Finn, for one), and the Porg will do something in TLJ to make mostly women swoon and wish they were real creatures.  Perhaps someday a toy manufacturer will make a lifelike and realistic version that is similar to a Furby.

9. Benicio Del Toro's Character DJ will be like Boba Fett and Cad Bane
Hard to say how each of the new characters will fit in and what they'll be like.  But with DJ, I think he will be one of those rogue types that looks out for only himself, and perhaps assists the bad guys (much like Boba Fett and Cad Bane).  He won't be inherently dark sided, however, and may end up redeeming himself in Ep. 9.

10. Cliffhanger?  You betcha
TESB finished with a cliffhanger.  Technically AotC did too.  So to keep the tradition alive of 2nd movie in a trilogy having a cliffhanger, this one will too.  This time, someone's fate will be in the balance: Probably either Rey or Luke. 

So really all I hope is for another solid Star Wars film.  I really hope it doesn't follow the plot of any other Star Wars movie, like many thought TFA did with A New Hope.  I think it will undoubtedly fulfill most of our expectations.  And as you might guess, I'm going to see it multiple times in theaters.  I can't wait! 


Well, I just saw TLJ and while most of my predictions were wrong, some were close and I nailed one in particular.  Let's see how many I got right.  Obviously, spoilers ahead

1. Someone's origin WAS revealed, and it was Rey's.  So I'll give myself a partially correct on this one.
2. Wow, totally wrong.  Leia will more than likely die between 8 and 9, but she did not die on screen.  Hux didn't, either, but he's almost a lock to die in Ep. 9.  Instead we saw Phasma, Snoke, and Luke as the notable deaths.  One wrong.
3. Well, he died before we could see if he did use or own a lightsaber.  I don't recall seeing one on his person.  I have to give myself my first correct answer on this one.  Not a lightsaber user that we know of.
4. Well, I was pretty spot on with this one!  Might see them as a legit couple in Ep. 9, as time will undoubtedly pass in their story between 8 and 9.  Another correct prediction
5. I feel like I saw a hint of a new power when Snoke did an almost lightning bomb at Kylo, I believe it was.  I'll have to watch TLJ again to see but to me it looked like something we hadn't seen before.  However, I'll give myself just a partial on this one.
6. Well he wasn't in any legit battles outside of his X-Wing (or the speeders on Crait), but he did defend the bridge on the rebel ship, as well as get slapped haha.  I'll give myself just a partial.
7. Ok, this is a tricky one.  Luke sort of did, but he wasn't actually there.  So does this count?  Hard to say.  He didn't reunite with her in person.  Again, just partially correct.
8. Well for one I thought there would only be one Porg in the whole movie.  And the most adorable thing was the sad faces on the group of them as Chewie was about to eat one of them.  So again, just partial.
9. Well this wasn't necessarily hard to predict, but he did end up turning on Rose and Finn for a monetary gain.  That's exactly something Boba or Cad would do.  Another one right.
10. There wasn't much of a cliffhanger, certainly not like in TFA.  So I did not get this one right.

In total, I got 3 right, 5 partially correct, and 2 wrong.  Not bad.  This movie definitely surprised me in spots, especially in Snoke's death and Luke not actually being on Crait.

I will probably end up reviewing TLJ in another post (definitely gotta see it again), so stay tuned!