My Take on the Seahawks/Chargers Game

My take on the Seahawks-Chargers game (9/26/10):

Offense:
- Matt Hasselbeck is still struggling. He only had an ok game today. He overthrew and underthrew MANY receivers today.
- Forsett is solid. Not great, but solid. If he has a few good games, he could be a 1,000 yard rusher, our first since Shaun Alexander.
- Golden Tate, Deion Branch, and Mike Williams may be our best top three receivers we’ve had in a long time.
- Where was Julius Jones? The announcers even commented on that.
- When John Carlson gets involved, this offense does well. Every time. He needs to get the ball as much as possible.
- HORRIBLE decision at the end of the 2^nd half. First, we waste our timeout right after the two minute warning. Then, when we’re near the goal line, we spike the ball, even though we had plenty of time to run a play. Then, with NO TIMEOUTS, Hasselbeck tries a quarterback draw and gets stuffed. We ended with zero points when we should have gotten three. Poor time management there. VERY POOR. I don’t know who is to blame: Hasselbeck, Carroll, or Bates? One of them could have cost us the game.
- It was the third straight week where the offense has started slowly. The Seahawks have ABSOLUTELY ZERO FIRST QUARTER POINTS SO FAR THIS SEASON. This offense is TERRIBLE at the start of games.
- However, for the first time this season, we did manage to score first. We got a field goal in the 2^nd.

Defense:
- When we rushed Rivers, we forced him to get off a bad throw. When we didn’t rush him, he almost always found a LONG completion to either Gates, Floyd, or Naanee.
- Which leads to me saying that there’s something wrong with our zone defense. There were GAPING holes in it.
- The Chargers had technically FOUR tries to tie the game. The first TD pass to Gates was taken back (holding), but he still ended up getting the TD on the next play. Then, on the two point conversion, Legedu Naanee got a conversion but it was taken back (illegal touching—he went out of bounds), but he still managed to get the conversion on the next play. We did not take advantage after either penalty. If we had just taken advantage once, the game would not have been tied.
- Earl Thomas may become a better defensive player than Aaron Curry. AND, if he keeps it up, he’ll be in the running for defensive rookie of the year.

Special Teams:
- LEON WASHINGTON! What else can I say? Let him return kicks all year long. But it also was a bit the poor special teams coverage of the Chargers.
- Golden Tate also needs to stay as our punt returner. Although he needs to stop catching punts inside the 10 yard line.

Officiating:
- The officiating was generally good for this game. The reviews went a bet overboard in the final two minutes of the first half. Also, they made a terrible mistake which could have cost the Chargers. While they were determining something (I can’t remember what they were trying to figure out), the play clock kept running and the Chargers got penalized with a delay of game on their 2^nd to last drive. That certainly didn’t help. They ended up turning the ball over on downs.

Other:
- Crowd appeared to be ecstatic! Four false starts and three delays of game! Great job by the 12^th man.
- I liked Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts. They are better than most Fox announcers. Especially Dick Stockton and his pronunciation of Olindo Ma-RAY!

All in all, solid win. Next week, at the Rams. The Rams are 1-2 and just beat Washington. This is a game we probably should win. We’ve had success their recently, so I don’t see why that would change.

Top 20 Survivor Players Ever

Top 20 Survivor Players Ever

Well, since my girlfriend made this list and pressured me to do one too, here it is. My top 20 Survivor players ever. Following this list is a list of players who just barely missed the list.


20. Nick Brown – The Australian Outback

The Australian Outback was the first season of Survivor that I saw, and one of the players I immediately became a fan of was Nick Brown, as he is from Steilacoom, Washington. He made the merge and the jury, but didn’t come close to winning. But I still liked his game. He was quiet, played fair, and did his best.

19. Brianna Varela – Guatemala

You’re probably thinking to yourself, who? She was the third person voted out of one of the least memorable Survivor seasons, yet she makes my list. Why? Well one, she’s from Edmonds, Washington, and two, I had a major crush on her. I was rooting for her to go far, but sadly she did not.

18. Brian Corridan – Guatemala

Another one you probably haven’t heard of. Brian Corridan was on the same season as the aforementioned Brianna Varela, and he got a little farther, finishing in 12^th place. He had the strategy to go far, and I envisioned him as the next, even better, Rob Cesternino, but unfortunately it never panned out. Also, he was one of two Brian’s ever on Survivor.

17. Amanda Kimmel – China, Micronesia, Heroes vs. Villains

Amanda is one that I kind of liked, but not too much. I never was a huge fan of hers, I have to admit, but I do think she deserved to win (she gave three good shots at it). She’s also not bad on the eyes, either, which you’ll see common amongst the woman on my list here. Her downfall was always the final tribal council where she always come off pretty badly.

16. Stephenie LaGrossa – Palau, Guatemala, Heroes vs. Villains

Stephanie is one of the true fighters I’ve seen on the show. What I mean by that is someone who never gives up and always strives to win. She is the complete opposite of Osten and Janu, notable quitters of Survivor. She deserved to win once, that’s for sure. And she’s the only person in Survivor history to be the last remaining member of her tribe before the merge.

15. Erik Reichenbach – Micronesia

Oh, Eric. You fool. “I would like to give my Immunity necklace to Natalie.” DOH! Oh well. I was so rooting for Erik that season, but he made one of the biggest bonehead moves in Survivor history. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn’t done that. Probably would have finished 2^nd to someone. But I loved his enthusiasm and knowledge of the game… and his profession: Ice cream scooper, haha.

14. Danielle DiLorenzo – Exile Island, Heroes vs. Villians

Ok, I gotta admit. If it wasn’t for her amazing body, she wouldn’t be on this list. She’d be close, but she wouldn’t be on here. That aside, she still managed to make the final two in one game and prove to be a force in an “All-Stars” type game. I did like how she played the game, and she was probably the one person who I didn’t think belonged on the villains.

13. Russell Hantz – Samoa, Heroes vs. Villains

Let me get this cleared up. I do not like Russell. I don’t think he’s a great guy. I do, however, respect how he played the game. He made getting to the finals look EASY. Sure, he did some scumbag things, but he also managed to fool people even older than him (Shambo for one). I wish that if I were to somehow get on Survivor myself, I could play the game as… cunningly… as he did.

12 and 11. Jenna Morasca and Heidi Strobel (tie) – The Amazon (Heidi and Jenna), All-Stars (Jenna)

Jenna and Heidi are two of the hottest women to ever be on Survivor. Jenna won her season and Heidi ended up marrying a star baseball pitcher (Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies). Of course, their most memorable moment was when they stripped for chocolate cookies and peanut butter. That’s the first, and still only, time in Survivor that a woman has gotten naked deliberately in front of a man on camera.

10. Tyson Apostol – Tocantins and Heroes vs. Villains

Tyson didn’t play the game particularly well either time he played. But he makes my list because he is without a doubt the funniest guy to ever be on Survivor. His jokes, albeit sometimes crude, are the funniest things the show has had. I wish they would bring him back for a third season just to hear what he would say. He loved giving Coach a hard time.

9. Chris Daugherty – Vanuatu

Not to be confused with the former American Idol contestant and frontman for the band Daughtry, Chris Daugherty did something so amazing in Survivor that I’m not at all surprised it hasn’t been repeated since. Chris made it to the final seven… as the ONLY MAN. The other six in the final seven were women. So obviously, he had a target on his back. But he somehow, miraculously, won. How, I’ll never know. Jeff Probst even considers him one of the most unlikely Survivor winners.

8. Yul Kwon – Cook Islands

Yul played the game probably better than anyone in history. He always analyzed things, thinking of “what if” scenarios, and he did it absolutely right. Besides those things, there’s also no reason to dislike Yul, unless you happen to be racist towards Asians. He has got to be one of the least hated Survivors ever, and for good reason.

7. Sandra Diaz-Twine – Pearl Islands, Heroes vs. Villains

Sandra is the only player to ever win the game twice, so she’s got to be on this list. I like how she tells things how they are and is up straight with people. She also lived in Fort Lewis, Washington, while her husband was stationed there. I was happy when she won Survivor. Both times.

6. Brian Heidik – Thailand

The only other Brian (besides Brian Corridan) to play survivor is Brian Heidik. Brian dominated his game. He was easily the best and only interesting Survivor that season. Unfortunately, he got into a bit of trouble with the law after the game, so he drops down a few notches. He was charged with shooting a dog with an arrow, which he thought was a coyote. And he used to do soft-core porn. So yeah…

5. Colby Donaldson – Australian Outback, All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains

Colby is one of the most well-liked players to ever play Survivor. In his first season, he dominated challenges. Unfortunately, he made the wrong move taking Tina Wesson instead of Keith Famie to the final 2. He had two “all-star” appearances after that, but failed to win both times. However, he has always played with integrity and loyalty.

4. Rupert Boneham – Pearl Islands, All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains

Rupert is probably the most well-liked Survivor ever and probably will always be. He never backstabs anyone and he plays 100% all the way through the game. He never actually won Survivor, but he got to the jury in each of his seasons. Probably the reason he hasn’t been to the finals is because if he did, he would most surely get all the jury’s votes. But since he never won, he settles for fourth on my list.

3. Ethan Zohn – Africa, All-Stars

What a guy. The way he played Africa has to be one of the best Survivor “performances”, if you will, of all time. He is one of the most well-liked Survivor winners and, if it wasn’t for his battle with cancer, probably would have been on Heroes vs. Villains. He truly is a warrior, a fighter, and a great man, and I wish he could have played one more time.

2. Aras Baskauskas – Exile Island

Ok, so he only played once, yet he won, but he’s 2^nd on my list. I don’t know what to say. Aras is the survivor who I connected to the most. He’s the survivor I’d most model my game after, if I were to go on the show. I love how he mocked Terry in one of the final challenges of the season, and he totally bested Danielle in a battle of words at the final tribal council. It’s a shame he never played again, because he could have gone far again.

1. Parvati Shallow – Cook Islands, Micronesia, Heroes vs. Villains

She’s made the finals twice, made the jury three times, and has probably the cutest smile on Survivor. Parvati is without a doubt my favorite survivor ever. She could write a book on how to play Survivor. She uses her charm and bubbly personality to woo over other players. She’s the perfect Survivor player because she’s not a huge threat, yet she’s just manipulative enough to get to the finals and win. Yet, no one really considers her a threat. That’s why Parvati Shallow is my favorite Survivor ever.


Just missed the cut: JT Thomas, Stephen Fischbach, Coach Ben Wade, Spencer Duhm, Michael “Frosti” Zernow, Taj George, Neleh Dennis, Tom Westman, Danni Boatwright, Bobby Jon Drinkard

My Top Ten Favorite TV Shows Ever

Top Ten TV Shows Ever

I’ve been meaning to do a blog on this, so here is my Top Ten Favorite TV Shows ever. This includes every TV show that had a plotline, from cartoons to comedies to dramas. Before I announce the top ten, here are the runners up:

That 70s Show
The Drew Carey Show
Doug
Pokemon (Anime series)
The Big Bang Theory
Hey Arnold
Two and a Half Men
Glee

And here are the Top 10:

10. Whose Line Is It Anyway

Whose Line Is It Anyway is a rare type of show that relies on improvisation and unwritten and unscripted performances and routines done by four talented comedic actors, usually comprising of Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, and Wayne Brady, and one other. This show has made me laugh more than any other. It is a total shame it’s not on anymore, or at least another version of it. Perhaps someday some people will bring it back with a new cast.

9. Rugrats

My favorite childhood show, I grew up with Rugrats. I grew up with Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil, and Angelica. The show had a great run. I’ve some episodes at least 10 times. I don’t watch it anymore, but I sure learned a lot from this show on what it means to be a friend and doing the right thing. I also watched two of the movies they came out with. The show went downhill after introducing Kimy unfortunately, then completely jumped the shark when they abandoned the “babies” concept and went with “All Grown Up”, which didn’t last long.

8. Heroes

I have to admit losing interest in this show in its final year before cancellation, but that was a lot later than most Heroes fans lost interest. I just thought they had well-written characters that you could root for, like Claire, Hiro, and Noah Bennett. The show kind of veered off course from what it was successful at in its first season, which was developing characters and giving them goals and sticking to them. It’s a shame Heroes ended the way it did, but it is still one of my favorite dramas of all time.

7. Family Guy

I got into the show after watching clips of it on Youtube, laughing my you-know-what off. I then started watching the show on FOX and immediately go into it. It’s not realistic, but they go places almost no other show will go (except maybe South Park). The characters never really progress or age, but what do you expect of a cartoon? Bart and Lisa have been the same age for twenty years!

6. The Office

I admit, I actually did not get into this show until less than a year ago. A year ago today I had never seen an episode of The Office, and now it’s my number 6 favorite TV show ever. One day, I was sort of bored and noticed Netflix had all the episodes of seasons 1-5 available to watch online, so I did. And I got hooked. I finished five seasons in just a couple months. I can’t wait to see further seasons.

5. American Idol

Probably the most successful reality show of all time, American Idol is in my top ten because since 2004, I have followed this show every year. I have also dreamed of one day trying out and competing on the show. Yes, the show is starting to slide and may be on its way towards much lower ratings, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a show I’ve followed more closely than American Idol for the past 6 years.

4. Survivor

Survivor is without a doubt the best reality show I’ve ever seen. They’ve come out with twenty seasons, and I’ve seen all but the very first season (I plan on watching it someday). They’ve had hundreds of contestants on the show. And since 2002, I have been an avid fan of the show. It is just a great hour of television. And no one could do a better job of hosting it than Jeff Probst.

3. How I Met Your Mother

Interestingly, I got into HIMYM after hearing that Britney Spears was going to be on the show. Intrigued, I decided to watch the show, and I was hooked. HIMYM is one of the best comedies I’ve ever seen. I absolutely love the mystery element in the show where you have to try to wonder and guess who the mother is future Ted is talking about. And it is, as of 2010, my favorite TV show still on air.

2. Friends

My favorite comedy of all time. I got into the show in high school and I have now seen each episode at least five times, something I cannot say for any other show. I have learned so much about dating, relationships, and friendship, all from this one show. Friends is without a doubt in my mind, the best comedy of its generation.

1. LOST

I’ve already made a blog post entirely to this one show. LOST is the greatest television show I have ever seen. It has drama, action, comedy, romance, thriller moments, mystery, and suspense. I got into the show right before season two started. Oddly enough, during the fall of 2004, I had a choice between two shows to watch on Wednesday night at 8pm. One was LOST on ABC. The other was this show called “North Shore” on FOX, a drama about surfers in Hawaii, which intrigued me. I chose North Shore, and chose wrong, as it was cancelled after one season. Fortunately, after missing the first season of LOST, I was able to catch up and fall in love with it. LOST is without a doubt my favorite TV show ever.

2010 NFL Season Predictions

2010 NFL Season Predictions (Along with extensive Seahawks predictions)

Italics indicate changes made since this was first posted. So far, I've just changed the NFC West and primarily, how the Seahawks will do this year.

Well, the 2010 NFL Season is almost upon us and so it is time for me to pick how I think each team will do. I will go team-by-team, giving them what I predict their record to be and a short one or two sentence reasoning for it. I will also go more in depth for my favorite team, the Seahawks, and predict each of their games as well as my three areas of concerns and three areas of confidence with the team. And last but not least, I predict the NFL postseason and the winners of the NFL awards. Enjoy!

AFC East
Jets: 11-5 – Sure, Revis is still holding out, but I think Sanchez only gets better and the addition of L.T. will help.
Patriots 10-6 (Wild Card) – Not a thrilling year for the Pats, who are aging. Randy Moss is 33.
Dolphins: 7-9 – Very average and slightly boring team will fall out of the playoffs in the last few weeks. Brandon Marshall won’t be much help, I’m afraid.
Bills: 4-12 – A team that will show it is in rebuilding mode, maybe looking to grab Jake Locker in next year’s draft.

AFC North
Ravens: 12-4 – I see a stellar year for the Ravens. Sure, some of their players are aging, like Ray Lewis, but they have a lot of young talent like Flacco, Rice, Oher, and Ngata to power this team.
Bengals: 9-7 – Decent team will just barely miss the playoffs. T.O. will prove to be a distraction.
Steelers: 8-8 – They will struggle without Big Ben and he will only be so-so when he gets back.
Browns: 5-11 – Seneca sees some snaps in the Holmgren era, but they can’t avoid last place.

AFC South
Colts: 11-5 – Another good season for Manning and co. on their way to another playoff berth.
Texans: 9-7 (Wild card) – This young team will barely squeak into the playoffs for the first time.
Jaguars: 8-8 – I see a surprising year out of these young cats. They aren’t getting much respect anymore.
Titans: 7-9 – I see Vince Young having his issues again and/or a Chris Johnson injury.

AFC West
Chargers: 9-7 – The AFC’s worst division will be won again by the slowly declining Chargers.
Broncos: 7-9 – It will be a while before McDaniels and co. turn this team into a consistent contender again.
Raiders: 7-9 – The Raiders will have their best season in a while, but nothing to jump up and down for.
Chiefs: 6-10 – Cassel and co. will show some signs of greatness, but this team is still young and rebuilding.

NFC East
Cowboys: 11-5 – Romo and his ‘Boys will have a great regular season, but again will struggle in the playoffs.
Giants: 10-6 (Wild Card) – The Giants are still a good team and since they are they will continue to make the playoffs.
Redskins: 8-8 – The Redskins will have an up and down year, that’s for sure.
Eagles: 7-9 – I can’t see the Eagles having too much success with a new QB and RB, especially with an inexperienced Kolb at QB.

NFC North
Packers: 12-4 – Rodgers will have a great year, but their defense will be the shining spot.
Vikings: 10-6 (Wild Card) – Favre will lead the Vikes to the playoffs again.
Bears: 7-9 – They will be inconsistent and neither their offense nor their defense will be spectacular.
Lions: 5-11 – A young team on the rebound will make a slight improvement.

NFC South
Saints: 10-6 – Brees and the offense will shine, but the defense will falter at times.
Falcons: 9-7 – Yet another near miss from the playoffs. But Matt Ryan’s time will come some day.
Panthers: 7-9 – Matt Moore proves to be only ok, perhaps not good enough to lead them to the playoffs.
Buccaneers: 4-12 – The Bucs will have a hard time winning games with such a young core of players.

NFC West
49ers: 8-8 - The 49ers will win the weakest division. They will, however, not win a playoff game.
Cardinals: 7-9 – The Cardinals are in transition mode, and Derek Anderson might not start every game.
Rams: 5-11 – Sam Bradford will prove to be the quarterback of the future for the Rams, as they make some progress this season.
Seahawks: 4-12 - The Seahawks have made too many moves of late to really compete. They will have too many players that aren't used to our team yet.

SEAHAWKS
2010 Schedule:
vs. San Francisco (Loss, 0-1), @ Denver (Loss, 0-2), vs. San Diego (Loss, 0-3), @ St. Louis (Loss, 0-4), @ Chicago (Loss, 0-5), vs. Arizona (Win, 1-5), @ Oakland (Win, 2-5), vs. New York Giants (Loss, 2-6), @ Arizona (Loss, 2-7), @ New Orleans (Loss, 2-8), vs. Kansas City (Loss, 2-9), vs. Carolina (Win, 3-9), @ San Francisco (Loss, 3-10), vs. Atlanta (Loss, 3-11), @ Tampa Bay (Loss 3-12), vs. St. Louis (Win, 4-12).
Home record: 3-5
Away record: 1-7

The Seahawks will struggle mightily this year, starting out 0-5 and three different losing streaks of 5, 4, and 3 in the season and finish 4-12. I have realized that we are definitely in rebuilding mode, and I can't expect much from a team that is changing so many players. Pete Carroll will remain coach, but of course, there will be a few fans who will want him fired. The Seahawks will be eligible for one of the top picks in the draft, and I think a quarterback might be what they'd take (Jake Locker, anyone?)

Three areas of concern:
1) Running game – This team needs a running game to win. They cannot be one dimensional. They showed nothing in the preseason, and Forsett will show his lack of experience this year.
2) Big plays allowed – I’m worried with an aging Lawyer Milloy and an inexperienced Earl Thomas that they might allow a lot of big plays. And they probably will with that bad combination. The loss of Josh Wilson will hurt them, as Kelly Jennings would not start on most teams.
3) Scoring early – The Seahawks have been plagued the past two years by not being able to score early in ball games, especially on their first few possessions. The offensive line being shaken up (Losing Gibbs, Okung being hurt) will hurt the offense mightily. Hasselbeck will have just as much pressure as the past two years, and the running game won't be any better, either.

Three areas of confidence:
1) Passing game/Wide receivers – I really think the passing game will do not too badly this year. Mike Williams will have a solid, but not great year, and will be in the running for comeback player of the year. Tate and Butler will make strides.
2) Stopping the run – I’m still fully confident in our ability to stop the run. I don’t see us allowing many 100 yard rushers this year.
3) Special teams – Mare and Ryan are an excellent pair of kickers. We’ll have a good return game, too, I expect.

NFL Playoffs

AFC Wild Card
Patriots (5) at Chargers (4) – Patriots
Texans (6) at Jets (3) – Jets

AFC Divisional
Patriots (5) at Ravens (1) – Ravens
Jets (3) at Colts (2) – Colts

AFC Championship
Colts (2) at Ravens (1) – Ravens

NFC Wild Card
Vikings (5) at Cardinals (4) – Vikings
Giants (6) at Saints (3) – Saints

NFC Divisional
Vikings (5) at Packers (1) – Vikings
Saints (3) at Cowboys (2) – Cowboys

NFC Championship
Vikings (5) at Cowboys (2) – Vikings

Super Bowl XLV
Ravens at Vikings – Vikings

So, there you have it. The All Purple Super Bowl goes to The Minnesota Brett Favres. After his 2^nd Super Bowl win, Favre finally decides to retire for good.

Awards:
Coach of the Year: John Harbaugh
MVP: Peyton Manning
Offensive Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers
Defensive Player of the Year: DeMarcus Ware
Offensive ROY: Ryan Mathews
Defensive ROY: Ndamukong Suh
Comeback player of the Year: Mike Williams

Top 10 Things I Am Looking Forward To Most in My Future

Top 10 Things I am Most Looking Forward to in My Future

For this blog post, I wanted to make another Top 10. This Top 10 is about things I am most looking forward to in the future. I must preface the list by saying that some of these events may not happen. There’s no guarantee for any of them. Some don’t involve me too much, but I want to see them happen. Anyway, here they are, in order, the Top 10 Things I am Most Looking Forward to in My Future:

Honorable mention: Getting my own car

Yes, I am desperate need of my own car. This is the one on this list that might happen soonest. I am tired of having to borrow one of my parents’ cars. Sure, there will be car insurance bills, paying for gas, maintenance and care for it, but it will so be worth it, since I will be able to drive anywhere whenever I want.

10. The end of How I Met Your Mother

I know, it’s just a TV show, but I am so looking forward to the end of the show and finding out who the mother is, who is the woman Ted ends up marrying. This and LOST are the two shows I have most anticipated the end of. I cannot wait to see who the Mother is. And when it’s all said and done, How I Met Your Mother will go down as one of the best comedies of its generation.

9. Getting my own pet (probably a cat)

I’m really looking forward to having my own pet. Perhaps this won’t be until I’m married and settled down, but I can wait. It will probably be a cat, since I am more of a cat person than a dog person, but along with having kids, I’ve always wanted to have at least one pet. Pets are like people that can’t talk or understand anything. They are great companions.

8. Mariners winning the World Series/Seahawks winning the Super Bowl

For my entire life I have rooted for the Mariners and Seahawks and for my entire life they have both not won a championship. All I want to have happen is at least one of them winning just one championship, just one. The city of Seattle would be in a state of euphoria. We have long waited for a national champion in a major sport. And it would be one of the greatest days of my life if it were to happen. With how much money the Seahawks and Mariners are willing to spend on players, there just has to be a championship from at least one of them in my lifetime.

7. Moving Out

Yes, I’m 21 and still living with my parents, but I’m waiting until I’m financially ready to move out, but I will also say that I can’t wait to move out. It will be so nice to either have a place to myself or to live with someone new. It’s gonna be a bit sad for me, because I have so many memories in my current house, but I will have a new home to look forward to.

6. Living Near Amanda

Like I said, the future is not set in stone, but I cannot wait until the day that one of us moves to the other. It’s going to be such an amazing change from having to fly to see each other every couple months. It’ll be so nice to do stuff with her that I haven’t had the chance to yet. Plus, she’ll be another person I could rely on in case of an emergency.

5. Travelling to Places I’ve Never Been

For my entire life I have been contained to the Pacific Time Zone. I just recently expanded past the Pacific Northwest and went to California, but now I want to visit other places. I want to visit the east coast of the US, most notably New York City. I want to visit Europe, most notably England and/or Germany. I want to visit Hawaii. I know it may be a long time before I go to those places, but I can wait. I waited 20 years to go to California. I can wait another 20 years to leave the West Coast.

4. Buying my first house

From what I’ve heard and seen, there’s some satisfaction you get from purchasing your first home that you can’t get from anything else. Finally, once you buy your own house, you have a place you worked hard for, saved up for, and a nice place you can call “home”. A place to start a family in. That’s what I want some day, and I am so looking forward to it.

3. Landing my Dream Job

I am currently a checker at Safeway and I’ll definitely admit it is not my dream job. But my problem is that I do not know what is. I have many aspirations, but settling on one is hard for me to do. Someday I will figure out what my dream job is, then I will do whatever it takes to obtain it.

2. Getting Married

I have always wanted to get married. I never wanted to end up alone. I want to be the head of the household, the man of the house, and somebody’s husband. This is way off into the future for me, but it’s something I have looked forward to for a long time, ever since I got interested in girls. Spending the rest of my life with someone I love more than anything would be a dream come true for me.

1. Having Kids

I love kids. Love them to death. Well, not actually to death—that’s just a figure of speech. I love kids the appropriate amount… as allowed by law. Haha I had to take that quote from Friends. But yes, I do love kids. I get along great with them. I am really looking forward to having kids of my own and being the one to take care of them. I’ve wanted to be a dad for as long as I can remember. I definitely want to wait until I’m ready, both financially and mentally. But when I do have kids, the day they’re born will be the best days of my life.