Twenty-One Years in the Making

 The 2022 Mariners, barring the most miraculous finish by Baltimore and the most epic of collapses by them, will make the playoffs for the first time in twenty-one years.  The playoff drought for this team will not see its 21st birthday if you count from the last playoff game in Mariner's history, which was October 22, 2001.  Just one more win by the Mariners and one more loss from the Baltimore Orioles will make it so it is impossible for Baltimore (or any team behind them, for that matter) can supplant the Mariners from a Wild Card playoff spot.

I have waited twenty-one long and painful years for this.  As a Mariner fan, I have endured ineptitude, horrible trades and free agent acquisitions and have always been disappointed by September at the latest.  It's going to be weird.  The Mariners in the playoffs seems so abnormal in today's world, like seeing someone still using an iPod shuffle or a Microsoft Zune.  But the Mariners making the playoffs has to become a new fad or trend, and one that will hopefully stick around longer than the Zune did.

It's hard to express my emotions right now.  To be honest, part of me is half-expecting to wake up and realize this was a dream and see the 2022 Mariners with a losing record.  So it might take a while for it to sink in with me.  

What would also help is having a home playoff game.  Playoff baseball in Seattle is like no other.  Unfortunately, there hasn't been enough of it in MLB history.  But playoff baseball in Seattle is, for lack of a better term, electric.  The Kingdome rocked in the 1990s with pennant fever.  T-Mobile park has shown signs of what the players have dubbed "The electric factory."  But imagine if the Mariners did damage and won a playoff series at home.  

Unfortunately, with the way the playoffs are currently designed, the Mariners would have to get the top wild card spot in order to guarantee themselves home playoff games.  Otherwise, they'd have to win their wild card series on the road, likely against Cleveland or Toronto.  Neither is an easy task.  So while the Mariners may end their playoff drought, they still might not get to host a playoff game, and that streak could continue.  

But I'm sure many Mariners fans, myself included, would take this situation in a heartbeat.  After twenty-one years, you'll just take any modicum of success your team can achieve.  To have the Mariners in a playoff series, even if it's entirely on the road, is something I've dreamed about for twenty-one years.  When I watch them play in the playoffs, it's going to feel so surreal, on the verge of feeling unreal, almost.  

I'm so stoked these guys are on the verge of ending this drought, and I wish them the absolute best for the rest of the season and in the playoffs.  Regardless of the finish (provided we clinch the playoffs), this 2022 season will always be looked back at fondly.  The playoff drought now is longer than the one this team endured to start its existence.  And you know what?  It's about damn time we made the playoffs.  Go Mariners.

My 7 New Years Resolutions for 2017

As I type this, 2017 is just about 4 hours away, so it's time to make my New Years Resolutions.  Yes, plural.  And in fact, there will be SEVEN of them.  To be totally honest, I'll be happy if I accomplish 4 of these.  I'll aim for all 7, but I feel like the more Resolutions I make the more I'll accomplish.

1. Lose Weight
I've lost count on the number of different ways I've tried losing weight.  But this time, there's no excuses.  I'm cutting out sweets, sugary drinks, and eating anything in excess.  I love to eat, but I'd love myself more if I was in better shape.  As the weather warms up during the year, I also plan to work out more, possibly even get a gym membership. 

2. Answer Phone Calls
Yes, I know, what a silly resolution.  But I have a slight phobia of talking to strangers on the phone.  Which is why I have never answered the phone from an unknown number.  Funny thing is when I work customer service at my job, I answer the phone several times a day from people I don't know.  But from now on I plan to answer it (unless I am driving, working, busy, etc.)  I know, 9 times out of 10 it'll probably be a telemarketer or something else like that, but that one time out of 10 could be an opportunity of something I am missing out on.

3. Make progress in/towards a career
I think I've put this as a goal anytime I've made a list of goals to accomplish, but it bears repeating.  I've been stuck where I am for years and it's time to change.  Or at the very least get started or do something in addition (2nd job?).  At some point this year I will figure out a secondary source of income or a career I want to pursue. 

4. Seize an opportunity if it presents itself
This is pretty vague, but I've never been one to "seize" things.  But I plan to change that about myself.  Every time there is an opportunity for something productive, fun, or something that could better my life in any way, I will seize it. 

5. Buy Less Stuff/Give Stuff Away
I've been accused by my friends of being a "hoarder".  Yeah, I own a lot of crap, but one thing most people don't know about me is that I can get sentimental with certain objects.  A souvenir I got at a gift shop one time I traveled.  It's hard for me to give stuff away.  But I'll do my best.  There's the Buy Nothing project where people are more than happy to see cool things for free.  There's also Goodwill/Value Village.  There's a decent chance I might move this year, so I'll need to part with a lot of objects before moving if I do.  Also, I need to watch my spending and only buy things I need, not what I want.

6. Learn an Instrument
This one I won't be too shocked if I don't end up completing it, but one thing I've always had on my bucket list is learning how to play an instrument.  My top three instruments I'd want to learn to play would be piano, guitar, or ukulele.  Probably guitar.  If you didn't know already, I really enjoy singing and if I learned an instrument I could pair that with my voice and entertain people at get-togethers.

7. BE HAPPY! :)
This one is pretty simple and straightforward, but is definitely important.  I plan to wake up each day with a smile on my face and not let little things bother me.  Too often I get upset at things falling/breaking or my team losing, but being upset over those things that won't matter in 5, 10 years is utterly pointless.  I plan to make 2017 the happiest year of my life. :)

I know that's a lot, especially for me, but like I said earlier if I accomplish more than half of these I'll be happy.  Obviously if I accomplish #7 I'll be happy.... oy... well here's to a fantastic 2017!!!