Plan for Buying My First Home

The last time I blogged about my living arrangement, it had been a month or two after we moved and I listed the pros and cons of our current place.  We are still living there and really enjoying it.  However, the next time we move, it will be because we are purchasing a new place.  However, that won't be until 2023, for a few reasons which I will get into.  I've never bought a home myself, and now that I work for a mortgage broker, I know about the industry and I would easily be able to finance a loan for a mortgage.  

My sister bought her first home (which she still lives in currently) in 2017.  Soon it will be time for me to buy my first home.  But like I said, it won't be until 2023, and here's why:
- Save up for down payment
I know, I know, if you can make the minimum down payment, it's better to buy earlier rather than later.  But my savings took a hit recently because of a purchase, which leads me to...
- Paying off my car loan
I know that my car loan on my credit will affect my ability to purchase a home.  For lenders, I won't be able to qualify for as much.  My goal by the time we plan to purchase is to pay off my car, which I bought six months ago (as of the time of writing this).  I am making larger than necessary payments in order to do so.  I would much rather have bought a place first, but my car before this one was falling apart and was becoming unreliable.  I had it for a decade, and it was time to move on.
- Insurance record
I'd have to ask my girlfriend again, who works in insurance, but we have a... record of an incident on our insurance.  In July 2020, I accidentally set off a sprinkler in our apartment which caused damage (long story).  My girlfriend told me it would be on our record if we were to try to get homeowner's insurance for about 3 years.  So if we were to try to get homeowner's insurance now, it would be a bit more expensive because of that claim we had to file.  
- Not wanting to move again so soon
My girlfriend and I have moved so much in the decade plus that we've been together, at least once every three years.  Her nor I want to move again so soon.  

One reason why I'd like to just buy now and not wait is because our rent is likely to jump up, and I'd rather not be paying that.  But as long as we watch what we spend and cut back on a few things, we should be able to still save up. 

The location of our new home is up in the air.  My employer is moving offices for us in the next month or so, and we will be going from Woodinville to Bellevue.  Fortunately, I'll be able to carpool with my girlfriend, who works minutes away from where I will be.  But that means I'd like try to find a place a bit closer to there to ease both of our commutes.

We'll be looking for a condo or a townhouse.  I'd really like to find a place with an attached or assigned garage so that I can install an EV charging station.  I would then trade in my current car for an electric one.  Granted, I've only had it for six months now, but by the time we buy a place over a year from now and I take another few months to find the right electric car for me, I'll have had the car for close to two years.  I do like my car, but I'm not in love with it to the point that I'd hate to ever part with it.  

I want to be a homeowner so badly.  My boss is in the process of buying a place currently, and my two co-workers are each in the market to buy a place of their own as well.  It's definitely a seller's market right now, and I would much rather buy a place in a buyer's market.  I may update when the time comes if anything changes.  

My Ideal 2022 Seahawks Draft

With the trade of Russell Wilson (😢), the Seahawks acquired some draft capital this year and beyond.  I thought I'd put together my own mock draft for the Hawks.  This is assuming there will be no trades, which, knowing general manager John Schneider, is nowhere near realistic, but I am not going to try to predict any draft trades, either.  

Here's a list of guys I would take with the draft picks the Hawks have based on their needs, assuming each guy will be available.  I'll try to be realistic as to when each player will be available (for example, I won't have the Hawks take a guy in the 3rd round that is expected to be a 1st round pick).  I'll be stoked if the Hawks take just one of these guys.  It'll be interesting to see if any of these guys I select end up being diamonds in the rough.

Rd 1 Pick 9 overall: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
I'm not sure if he'll go this high, but if not, the Hawks could trade down a bit, acquire another pick, and take Penning later than #9.  He's a stud, and I'll bet he'll be a Pro Bowler someday.

The Seahawks actually took Charles Cross, who was a higher-graded tackle.  Penning ended up being drafted at #19 to the Saints.  I'd call this a win.  We'll see how each of their careers pan out.

Rd 2 Pick 40 overall: Logan Hall, DE, Houston
I was torn between Hall and Arnold Ebiketie, but I went with Hall because he's more like the Michael Bennett type D-lineman that can line up at end for running downs or at d-tackle for passing downs, whereas Ebiketie is lighter and is more like Darrell Taylor, who we already have of course.  I'd be happy with Logan Hall, who could learn from Shelby Harris and fill in for him.  

Logan Hall went #33 Tampa Bay, so the Hawks had no shot.  They ended up taking Boye Mafe at #40, so again I picked the right position, but not the right player.  We'll have to compare their careers and see who came out on top.

Rd 2 Pick 41 overall: Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
I do not expect the Hawks to take a QB in the first round.  I think they'll want to try to find another diamond in the rough, and I think it could be Desmond Ridder.  I like what I've seen from him.  Draft him, have him compete with Locke just like Russ competed with Matt Flynn.  The Hawks will likely draft a quarterback, and I'd put money on it being in the 2nd, maybe the 3rd round.

Well the entire media and I were thinking the Hawks would want to add another QB, but they did not.  Instead, they drafted Kenneth Walker, which shows they want to be a run-first offense.  If Walker has a solid career and guys like Ridder and Malik Willis don't pan out, I'd call this a win.  Ridder went to the Falcons at pick 74.

Rd 3 Pick 72 overall: Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan
Luke Goedeke has got good measurables and some scouts even like him better than his teammate who is likely a first round pick.  He's played tackle and guard, so he's versatile, and the Hawks could plug him anywhere.

Again, the Hawks went with an offensive lineman when I predicted them to, but instead of a guard, they snared another tackle in Abraham Lucas.  I like that pick.  Again, we'll have to compare Lucas to Goedeke.  Goedeke went #57 to Tampa (hey did the Tampa GM see this?), so the Hawks had no shot at him.
 
Rd 4 Pick 109 overall: Tariq Woolen, CB, Texas-San Antonio
This is a bit wishful thinking, but he's got the size (6'3") that Carroll likes, and he's athletic for his size, too.  The reason he's not graded higher is because he has some background and medical concerns, but I think Carroll and Schneider can work past that with him.

The Seahawks took CB Coby Bryant here, but the craziest thing is, they did end up taking Tariq Woolen, but later at pick 153.  He's the only pick I called; I just knew Carroll would love his size and speed.  

Rd 5 Pick 145 overall: Jesse Luketa, ILB, Penn State
The Hawks will very likely draft a linebacker who could play the mike position.  With Brooks and Barton stepping up after Wagner's departure, that means the Hawks will need to fill in the backup spots.  Jesse Luketa has great size but isn't outstanding athletically, but could definitely learn and develop in the Hawks' system.

The Seahawks traded this pick down and ended up taking DE Tyreke Smith.  Luketa went at #256 to Arizona.  Yikes.  At least I was right about taking a defensive player.

Rd 5 Pick 153 overall: Marquan McCall, DT, Kentucky
It wouldn't hurt the Hawks to get some depth at defensive tackle, because honestly, I can't remember anyone after Poona Ford and Al Woods.  McCall is a beast, almost 350 pounds.

This is where the Hawks drafted Woolen, and hopefully it will be a steal.  Marquan McCall went undrafted but signed with Carolina.

Rd 7 Pick 229 overall: Jordan Mason, RB, Georgia Tech
I got to this pick and realized that I didn't have the Hawks taking any offensive skill players; that would be so unlike them.  I could perhaps see a late pick on a running back, as I'm not sure what Chris Carson's future is.  Jordan Mason was overshadowed in college (wasn't a starter), so the Hawks may take a chance on him.

The Hawks did take a RB, but in the 2nd round.  They did, however, take an offensive skill position player here in WR Bo Melton.  Jordan Mason went undrafted but signed with San Francisco.

I think this is a fairly realistic draft for the Hawks.  The front of it is slightly stacked towards the offense, but the Hawks need offensive linemen and a quarterback they could develop.  I don't have the Hawks taking any offensive skill players until their final pick because they really shouldn't be wasting a pick on those positions.  Remember Dee Eskridge?  Sure could've used Creed Humphrey instead.  Let's hope Pete and John draft well this coming draft and hey, maybe they'll take one of my guys.  We'll see.

And just for the heck of it, why not take a look at what the roster might look like?  

QB: Drew Lock, Desmond Ridder
RB: Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, Deejay Dallas, Jordan Mason, Travis Homer
WR: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, D'Wayne Eskridge, Penny Hart, Freddie Swain
TE: Noah Fant, Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson
T: Trevor Penning, Jake Curhan, Stone Forsythe
G: Luke Goedeke, Gabe Jackson, Damien Lewis
C: Austin Blythe, Kyle Fuller
DE: LJ Collier, Logan Hall, Shelby Harris, Alton Robinson, Darrell Taylor
DT: Poona Ford, Quinton Jefferson, Al Woods, Marquan McCall/Bryan Mone
OLB: Jordyn Brooks, Uchenna Nwosu, Ben Burr-Kirven/Jon Rhattigan 
ILB: Cody Barton, Jesse Luketa, Joel Iyiegbuniwe
CB: Tre Brown, Sidney Jones, John Reid, Justin Coleman, Artie Burns
FS: Quandre Diggs, Ugo Amadi
SS: Jamal Adams, Ryan Neal/Marquise Blair
And we know who the special teamers are. Honestly, that's not a bad roster, and one I could see winning at least 6 games.  

Resetting my Expectations for the Seattle Mariners

 Boy, I've talked about the Mariners a lot on here, haven't I?  Just do a search for "Mariners" on this blog, and you'll see what I'm talking about.  I care a lot about them; they're one of my top two favorite sports teams.  I've followed them passionately for almost 25 years, and boy has my loyalty been tested.  The 2022 season is about to begin and there's something this team has that they haven't had too often the last 20 years: Expectations.  This team is expected to improve, succeed, and finally end that now 21-year postseason drought.  But I've learned from past experiences to not get my hopes up too high with the Mariners, because I always seem to be let down.

Honestly, I'm torn.  Part of me wants to be super excited, get behind this team, and stay as optimistic as I can.  However, the other part of me knows if I get too excited and optimistic that I will be let down again, and to be let down after being that optimistic is just heartbreaking.  

One thing that makes me not want to be optimistic is the fact that the Mariners outperformed last season.  They relied upon winning a lot of close games, and when they lost, they lost bad.  They ended up with a -51 run differential, meaning they should have won closer to 76 games than the 90 they ended up with.  I fully expect that run differential to improve, but that doesn't mean their win total will.  Many times in sports, teams regress the year following a season they were "lucky".  It happens in the NFL and it happens in Major League Baseball.  

We will learn a lot from this season.  We will learn if this team will continue to be on the rise or if they take a step back.  We'll learn about Jarred Kelenic, and if he is going to make something of himself or not.  We'll get to see Julio Rodriguez and see what he can do.  If anything, I'm just excited to see new faces and see what this team can do with expectations.  

I'll likely write another blog on the Mariners around the mid-way point of the season, giving my thoughts on the team.  I hope to be writing about the amazing start the Mariners have, how they're leading the AL West, and start envisioning a playoff berth for the first time in 21 years.  Should be fun!

2022 MLB Predictions

 I'm not going to lie, there was a part of me that thought the 2022 MLB season might not happen.  The lockout seemed to go on forever, but fortunately the two sides came together and reached an agreement.  

I'm going to quickly predict the order of each division, knowing in all likelihood I will be wrong about most.  But hey, it's still fun to do.  But I'm not going to pick Wins and Losses like I've done in the past, because all that matters is the order and who makes the playoffs.  Wild card teams will have an * by their name.

NL East
1. Atlanta Braves
2. New York Mets
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Washington Nationals
5. Miami Marlins
Comment: No wild card teams here as this remains the weakest division in the NL.  

NL Central
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. St. Louis Cardinals*
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Cincinnati Reds
Comment: The poor Reds are clearly selling farm and rebuilding.

NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants*
3. San Diego Padres*
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Colorado Rockies
Comment: It's an even year, so the Giants will have some success.

AL East
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. New York Yankees*
3. Toronto Blue Jays*
4. Boston Red Sox
5. Baltimore Orioles
Comment: This is going to be a crazy division, any of the top 4 could win the division,

AL Central
1. Chicago White Sox
2. Cleveland Guardians
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Detroit Tigers
5. Kansas City Royals
Comment: This division isn't ripe with talent but I could see the non-division winners making a run at the wild card, at the very least.

AL West
1. Houston Astros
2. Seattle Mariners*
3. Los Angeles Angels
4. Texas Rangers
5. Oakland Athletics
Comment: This should be a fun division, as any team could surprise.  I feel hesitant putting the Athletics so low, because when I underestimate them, they surprise.  They did trade away Chapman and Olson, however.

Yep, that's right, I have my Seattle Mariners ending their 21 year postseason drought!  Thanks to the expanded playoffs, although I don't think they'd be the 6 seed in the AL.  Maybe 5.  Let's go through the playoffs:

NL Wild Card
(6) Padres vs. (3) Brewers: Padres win
(5) Cardinals vs. (4) Giants: Giants win

AL Wild Card
(6) Blue Jays vs. (3) White Sox: Blue Jays win
(5) Mariners vs. (4) Yankees: Mariners win

NL Divisional
(6) Padres vs. (2) Braves: Braves win
(4) Giants vs. (1) Dodgers: Dodgers win

AL Divisional
(6) Blue Jays vs. (2) Rays: Rays win
(5) Mariners vs. (1) Astros: Mariners win

League Championship Series
(2) Braves vs. (1) Dodgers: Dodgers win
(5) Mariners vs. (2) Rays: Rays win

World Series: Dodgers in 5

Well, my Mariners made the playoffs and made it to the league championship series!  Where yet again, they were denied their first ever trip to the World Series.  Oh well.  Here's who I predict will lead certain categories for the Mariners:

Average: Adam Frazier
Home Runs: Mitch Haniger
RBI: Mitch Haniger
Stolen Bases: JP Crawford
Wins: Marco Gonzales
Strikeouts: Robbie Ray
ERA: Robbie Ray
Saves: Paul Sewald
All-Stars: Jessie Winker, Mitch Haniger, Robbie Ray

Organized Thoughts about the Russell Wilson Trade

I'm still in shock from the trade that was announced earlier today: Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos.  It seems like today's a dream that I need to wake up from.  I thought of all the ways I could have put my thoughts into words, and I decided the best way would be to ask myself (and answer) questions regarding this trade and the impact it will have on the future.

Hey there, future Brian here (Nov. 2023).  I thought I'd comment on my takes about this trade now that we've seen 1.5 seasons out of Russ and seen the Seahawks without him.

Who do you think will win this trade in the long run?

Honestly, the Broncos.  Usually, the team that acquires the star player wins the trade.  The times that they don't win the trade are because the star player completely flops on his new team or has off the field issues.  That will not happen with Russell Wilson.  

And given the Seahawks track record for drafting, it's unlikely they'll draft anyone in the next few years that has near the impact that Russ had in Seattle.  And it's unlikely any of the players the Seahawks acquired (Lock, Fant, Harris) will improve their game enough to give the Seahawks an edge.

Yikes!  Well Russ for the most part has "flopped".  And the Seahawks drafting has gotten a lot better in the last couple of years.  We got Charles Cross, Boye Mafe, and Devon Witherspoon out of the draft from those draft picks, among others.  I think the Hawks win this trade now.

How well do you think Russell will do in Denver?

It's hard to say.  I've only ever seen Russell in Seattle.  I don't think he's going to have a crazy amount of success, especially given the division and conference he will play in.  I see him having one, maybe two seasons where he and the Broncos make a legitimate run at a Super Bowl.  But seeing as he will likely command a new contract in a year or two, I don't see the Broncos being able to keep a bunch of talent around him (the problem the Seahawks would have ended up facing).

First off, Russ re-signed with the Broncos before even playing a snap.  Anyway, it's getting harder to see a Super Bowl run from him and the Broncos, especially considering their stiff competition in the AFC.  

What will the Seahawks do at quarterback?

The Seahawks did acquire Drew Lock from the Broncos, but he has been lackluster so far.  He will be given a shot in training camp, but the Hawks will very likely bring another (or two) quarterback in to compete with him.  The Hawks do now have the 9th overall pick, and they could take Kenny Pickett with that selection, or they could wait until next year's draft, when the QB class is supposed to be even better.  

I think the Hawks will acquire a veteran free agent to compete with Lock and try to rely upon the running game in 2022.  

I'm laughing at the idea of the Hawks taking Kenny Pickett with the 9th overall pick last year.  So glad we didn't.  I didn't even mention Geno Smith, who I assumed was leaving and had not re-signed at that point yet.  YIKES again.

Are the players the Seahawks got any good?

Kind of.  As I mentioned, Drew Lock has been lackluster, but was a first round pick who could benefit from a change of scenery.  He's a solid backup at the very least.

Noah Fant is an above average tight end who does a bit of everything pretty well.  He is still young and could develop into one of the better tight ends in the NFC.

Shelby Harris isn't young for an NFL player (30), but he's a borderline pro-bowl defensive lineman who will instantly become a starter and could start for a few seasons.

They've been solid.  Lock hasn't really had much opportunity, but Fant has done well with limited targets.  I wish we'd target him more.  Harris only played one year for us.  

Why did the Hawks trade Wilson?

Was Russ unhappy?  Not really.  But he wasn't the happiest he could be.  Slowly over the past 7-8 years, the Hawks have regressed, particularly on defense and the offensive line.  Russ knew if he had more talent around him, he'd have multiple Super Bowls instead of just the one.  The Hawks front office failed to surround him with even an average offensive line in the last 5-7 seasons and the defense has regressed every year in the past five.  

But the reason the Hawks traded Wilson largely comes down to money.  He had two more years left on his contract, and the rate for a top-flight quarterback was getting extremely steep.  We saw Aaron Rodgers just re-sign with the Packers for $50 million a year.  Russell would have commanded just as much if not more.  I'm not sure if the Hawks currently have the room for that, but they certainly don't have room to keep all of their stars AND Russ.  

Unfortunately, the NFL is a business.  The Hawks, realizing that they were sinking millions into Wilson and not getting championships, decided to cut their losses.  Wilson, essentially, was a sunk cost.  He was a part of a business that was requiring too much money, and the Seahawks decided to trade or "sell" their asset and start over.  I understand the move from a business perspective, but the problem I also see is that Wilson is more than an "asset".  12s everywhere had emotional ties to him, and trading him is more than selling an asset.

I also want to say that I bet Pete, John, Shane, and the rest probably saw the start of Russ regressing.  I think they figured he would not be able to retain his level of play into his mid to late 30's.  They really traded him at the perfect time, because I bet his 2022 season in Seattle, had he not been traded, would not have gone well.

Do the Hawks even have a chance of winning in the near future?

I mean, any team theoretically does.  But the Hawks chances did get slimmer.  The offseason is still very young, and we will have to wait and see what Pete and John do the rest of this offseason, particularly at the quarterback spot.  If they can get a quick fix at the quarterback position, there's hope.  

I'm leaning towards the Hawks not trying too hard to win in 2022 (also known as "tanking") and try to get a high draft pick in 2023 to use on a quarterback.  If Schneider wheels and deals effectively enough, the Hawks could go through a re-build in just a couple years.  They have a lot of trade-able assets that they could get even more draft capital from.  

YIKES again.  Actually, our chances got better in 2022 and we made the playoffs.  We might make it again in 2023.  I keep thinking the Hawks are going to draft a quarterback, when they really don't need to.  Even if Geno gets hurt or struggles, we have Lock, who is at least capable.

What will happen to Pete Carroll?  Is he going to stick it out much longer?

Hard to say as I can't read his mind, but given that he's the oldest coach in the league, he has to be thinking of retirement as a possibility after every season.  He does have the most youthful energy of any coach in their 60s or older, to say the least.

Pete had to have been in on the discussions with Schneider on the trade of Wilson.  And he's likely already thought of how trading Wilson affects his future.  

Don't forget that 2021 was the hardest of Carroll's Seahawks career, and it might depend on how 2022 goes to see if he will even coach one more season after that.  

Pete obviously knew he had a good chunk of years left.  He's found the fountain of youth, at least concerning his energy.  I think he'll coach until he feels he can't summon the energy anymore, which could be into his mid-70s if not late 70s.  

How can John Schneider save his reputation now?  Is there any way his tenure with the Hawks has a happy ending?

If Schneider is in this for the long run, there's definitely a chance.  And if he's in it for the long run, he will likely be tasked with finding Carroll's successor and using this draft capital he just acquired effectively.  

If he can never recover and build the Seahawks into a perennial playoff team like they were with Wilson, he will not have a happy ending.  He would then likely leave the team with many Hawks fans holding resentment towards him stemming back to this trade.  

We can't also forget the Jimmy Graham and Jamal Adams trades, two trades he made that at this point we can safely call failures.  He risked draft capital for star players, and it hurt the Hawks. 

Now he's done the opposite, trading a star player for draft capital.  If he can use that draft capital successfully, that will help the Hawks immensely in the coming years and he could save face and leave with his head held high.  It's all on him.

I think I can say the Wilson trade makes up for the lackluster trades of the past like Harvin, Graham, and Adams.  Schneider's reputation is fine, and whenever he leaves, he'll likely leave having been the most successful front office executive in team history.

What about the rest of the players on the Hawks?  One, are they at risk of being traded, and two, are their morales hurt after this trade?

To answer the first question, it depends on if the Hawks are fully rebuilding or not.  If they are, then one could argue any of them are at risk of being traded.  If Russ can be traded, anyone can.  

To answer the second question, they likely will feel a sting from this, but if Schneider brings in a respectable leader at the quarterback position, morale may not take too big of a hit.  But the ones that have been with Russ the longest (Bobby, Tyler) will certainly not feel the same anymore.

Turns out, Geno's leadership abilities are more than enough.  No one else was really at risk of being traded since they weren't tanking.  

How will we look back on this trade?

It will depend on the outcome for the two teams in the coming years.  I'll go through all four scenarios:

If the Broncos and Hawks both find success in the coming years, it'll be a win-win.  Schneider and the Broncos will both be heralded for the trade, as it will have seemed that Russell Wilson just needed a fresh start, and the Hawks were handicapped by his immense salary.

If the Broncos have success but the Hawks do not, the Broncos will be heavily lauded for the move, and Schneider and the Hawks will be ridiculed.  Everyone will realize that trading star quarterbacks is almost never a wise move, and the Hawks were foolish to do so, even if it saved them money.  Schneider will go down in Seahawks infamy.

If the Seahawks have success but the Broncos do not, Schneider will be considered a genius.  He would have gotten out of an even larger contract with Wilson and would have managed to rebuild the Hawks once again.  Meanwhile, Russ will be looked at the guy that won a Super Bowl while having the Legion of Boom, but couldn't at any point after, definitely lowering his legend status.  

If neither team finds success, the trade will be looked it as a push.  The Broncos will be thought of poorly for mortgaging their future for a QB that couldn't even get back to the NFC championship game after 2014-15, and the Hawks will look bad as well for having traded their star quarterback for a bunch of okay players and draft capital.  

Ultimately, this trade is going to take time.  Time to figure out who won the trade, but first off, time to digest and comprehend what has really happened: that Russell Wilson is no longer a Seahawk.

I think right now the option of the Seahawks having success but the Broncos not is the option we have in reality.  Russ is starting to maybe look like a QB that won a Super Bowl with a legendary defense, but that's it.  Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer also did that.  

Goals for 2022

 I have set forth some goals I would like to accomplish this year.  Last year was fairly productive for me, I stayed in my job (got a raise!), I got a new car, and I was able to build up my savings.  I even lost a few pounds (not as much as I'd like, but eh, it's a start).  What are my goals for 2022?  Hopefully, I can look back on this list at the end of the year and say I accomplished some of these:

- Lose more weight
I'm going to try to make a more concerted effort to lose weight; I've been working out 5-6 times a week, but I need to watch what I eat better.  I also need to cut out coffee and maybe drink tea more.  If I was to get under a particular milestone (*cough cough* 200 lbs *cough*) by the end of the year, I would be stoked.

- Pay off my car (or come close to it)
I know I only bought my car last October, but I put a significant amount down on it, so my loan balance on my car is not that high.  I would love to pay it off or come close to it by year's end.

- Fly again, likely to see Amanda's family
I haven't flown in 3 or 4 years.  It's crazy.  After flying once every 3-5 months when my girlfriend and I were long-distance for four years, I haven't flown at all in the past 3-4 years.  Hopefully, I can get some time off from work to do this.
Well, we're going to Orlando, Florida in August, thanks to her boss!  So I will be flying this year.

- See my grandparents more
My grandparents are in their mid-90s, and I'd love to make more of an effort to see them.  When I saw them on Christmas, they talked about my girlfriend and me coming over to hang out after the holidays.  I have to see them more often while I still can.

- Go on a road trip or a long drive somewhere
I've had my car for three months now, and I have yet to drive anywhere far at all.  My girlfriend and I wanted to go to Leavenworth one weekend before Christmas, but the pass got too bad and we would have needed chains on my tires.  We were thinking of maybe driving there in late spring/early summer.

- Buy a new bed/dresser/desktop computer/desk
There are quite a few purchases I will need to make in the coming years; things I have not replaced in over a decade.  Or in other words, things my parents bought for me that I have yet to get my own of (still).  The above fall under that category.  I would love to start replacing these, at least by replacing one of them this year.  My best bet would be the dresser since my current one's handles are falling off.

- Build up savings even more
My girlfriend and I want to purchase a condo or townhome in 2023, so I need to build up my savings, even more, to be able to put more down.  I certainly don't want my savings to take a hit in 2022 for any reason.

- Cut the cord/cut back on expenses
One way to help build up my savings is to cut back on expenses.  My girlfriend and I have recently discussed getting rid of cable.  We may do that this year; if not, I may cut back on other expenses.  I have had off and on an addition to my Netflix account where they send me DVD's in the mail (that's how they started).  I may cut that out at some point this year.  
I've cancelled my Netflix DVD's, saving me $9/mo.

Well that's all I have, I may check in at the end of the year/start of 2023 to see how I did.

Ten Things that went wrong for the Hawks in 2021

 The 2021 season was not an ideal one for the Seattle Seahawks.  After 17 weeks and just one game left, they sit with a record of 6-10 and no shot at the playoffs.  This is the first losing season of Russell Wilson's career and only the second time the Hawks have missed the playoffs since he became the starting quarterback.  So, what went wrong?  I have compiled a list of ten things that went wrong and, for good measure, I gave them a rating of 1-5 on how worried we should be that this may affect the Hawks going into next year, with 1 being not at all worried and 5 being extremely worried.  

1. Russell Wilson's finger injury
Worry scale: 2
It's safe to say that if not for Russ's finger injury, the season would be a lot different.  Russ came back and his finger was clearly still trying to heal, as we saw in his first two or three games back, causing the offense to be downright anemic.  Before this season, Russ had not missed a single start, so there's not much concern here, although there will be more if he gets hurt again next season (provided he stays in Seattle, of course).

2. Having historically bad time of possession
Worry scale: 5
The Hawks had a nagging problem throughout 2021 that, for too long, they were unable to fix.  That is the time of possession battle.  You generally want to hold onto the ball on offense more than your opponent, and the Hawks were historically bad at doing this.  This stems from the combination of the offense not being able to put together long, sustained drives, and the defense being unable to get off the field when they needed to.  This led to the defense wearing out at the end of the game and, in some games, the offense still showing signs of rust going into the 4th quarter.  This is definitely concerning, as this issue concerns both sides of the ball and the fundamentals regarding them.

3. Adjusting to a first-year offensive coordinator
Worry scale: 2
Shane Waldron was hired in the offseason, and for a team that wants to win now, he may not have been the wisest hire.  He had never been an offensive coordinator before, and that certainly showed at times this season.  The last two OC hires, Darrell Bevell and Brian Schottenheimer, had previously been OC's before coming to Seattle.  Hopefully, Shane has learned a bit from this season and will improve as an OC going into 2022.

4. Injuries to too many notable players
Worry scale: 1
Injuries are a part of NFL football and always will be.  But sometimes you suffer an irregularly high amount of injuries, which hurts your season.  The Hawks not only lost Russ to injury for a few games, but stars and leaders Chris Carson and Jamal Adams suffered season-ending injuries, and the Hawks also had to deal with a number of players missing games due to COVID.  But this shouldn't be any cause for concern for the future as teams generally don't suffer through two consecutive injury-plagued seasons in a row.

5. Jason Myers' off year
Worry scale: 3
Myers made every field goal in 2020, so expectations were high for 2021.  However, he missed a few too many crucial field goals and several PAT's.  He was bound for at least a slightly down year, but his regression to the mean was far too severe.  Hopefully, he'll bounce back next season and look more like 2020 Myers, and hopefully, 2021 wasn't a sign of things to come for him.

6. Ken Norton Jr's schemes aren't working
Worry scale: 3
Sad to say, I think I would need more than two hands to count the number of times the Seahawks put a defensive tackle into coverage this season.  Ken Norton Jr, the Seahawks defensive coordinator, may take pride in the fact his team didn't give up a ton of points, but as of the time of this post, the Hawks had the 2nd worst pass defense in the NFL.  They consistently allow receivers to get open, afraid of possibly allowing the big plays.  As a defense, you need to tighten up and risk allowing big plays, because otherwise teams go up and down the field on you.  Ken Norton Jr. has not realized this, and we can only hope Pete Carroll will swallow his pride and decide to move on from KNJ.  The worry scale is at a 3 because he may or may not get fired, and I worry slightly that we won't move on from him.

7. No clutch factor this season
Worry scale: 2
The Hawks have been one of the luckier teams of the past 5-10 years, largely because their offense and defense were known for making big plays when the game was on the line.  That was not the case this season.  On multiple occasions, the offense was unable to come up with a game-winning drive, and the defense was unable to stop the opposition when it mattered.  This is highly unusual for the Hawks, who in years past thrived in close games.  Yet the Hawks are 0-5 in games decided by 6 points or less.  Just changing two of those five outcomes gives the Hawks a record of 8-8 going into the final week.  Also, two of those five close games were started by Geno Smith, and who knows if Russ would've been able to lead us to victories in those games, but our odds certainly would have been better with him.

8. No established running back until late
Worry scale: 2
The Seahawks are definitely better when they have an established back take the bulk of the carries and stay healthy for at least most of the season.  That was not the case this season.  Chris Carson started the season as the starter, but then a neck injury derailed his season.  Alex Collins took over, but he too got injured after several games.  Fortunately, Rashaad Penny emerged, but it was too little too late.  The Hawks likely won't have a running back even get 700 yards this season.  Although to be fair, the Hawks did not have a running back get 700 yards last year, either.

9. Poor offseason additions
Worry scale: 2
Gerald Everett was easily the best addition the Hawks made in the past offseason.  Gabe Jackson was solid, if unspectacular.  The 2021 draft class, meanwhile, leaves a lot to be desired.  Of course, there were only three draft picks, but Eskridge was hurt and under-utilized, Tre Brown showed signs of promise but got hurt, and Stone Forsythe barely saw the field.  There was not enough added in the past offseason.  The Hawks could have used another cornerback and edge rusher for sure. 

10. Pete Carroll
Worry scale: 3
This reason is simply Pete Carroll.  Is his "rah rah" style of coaching wearing thin?  Possibly.  It certainly isn't the best coaching style for a team that is struggling.  He's the oldest coach in the league, and his schemes and philosophies seem to be a bit dated by now.  I think he could still do well as an NFL executive, but it's time for him to retire from coaching duties.  This was certainly a trying year for him, and one could argue his worst coaching performance in Seattle.  

2021 was definitely a trying year for the Hawks.  I am in the boat that the Hawks do not need to rebuild this coming offseason.  Going into Week 18, they have a +21 point differential despite their 6-10 record.  They are a few close games from quite a different story this season.  If they can focus on the lines, draft smartly, and keep Russ (but maybe make a change at head coach or DC), they can quickly go back to being perennial contenders again in 2022.