Moments of 2013 That will Stick with me:
1. My father-in-law's surgery
This man is a hero to me. He's treated me like his own son. He built our home from scratch. He raised my wife to be the awesome girl I fell in love with and married. He fought in Vietnam. Most importantly, he's a genuine human being who always wants to help others around him. Seeing Jimmy on the brink, during a life-threatening surgery, really hit home and furthered my understanding of my own mortality. He's healthy again, and has his vibrancy back. I'm thankful for that every day.
2. Seeing my nephew growing up
Everett is getting so big, and I can see him "growing" his own personality as well. It's amazing to watch. Because he's in Cleveland, I only get to see him once or twice a month. But I cherish those moments, and I want him to realize how important he is to his family as he grows older. I'm proud of my brother and sister-in-law for the parents that they are--and I want to help with this unforgettable process, because it is the most important thing we do.
3. 49ers losing a Super Bowl
Ah. That sucked a lot. Me not happy. Me want to kick Ray Lewis in face. That was holding, by the way.
4. My job changing
Several of the changes in the educational system are killing the joy of what I do. That's a big deal. I know there's nothing I can do to stop the paradigm shift. I just have to figure out how to adapt, and how to cope. But, the joy had better return soon. Very soon. I've never been afraid to take risks in my life, once the joy of my current situation is gone.
5. Erin's "creative" tasks
Erin D. has always been super crafty. If you throw her in a room with 100 people, she'll be one of the three craftiest people in the joint. But, seeing the jewelry/bracelets/pendants that she's making is ASTOUNDING. She makes the things that people WANT to wear and show-off. I am floored by her skill. She's using blow torches and silver clay alloys and shit. It's something to see.
6. Blizzard dying
Yeah, finding your pet dead is an experience. I literally just stood there for a few moments looking into his cage, just trying to process it. Like, he's never laid down like that before. That can't be good. Honestly, bunnies aren't great pets. They don't show much affection and they always think they're food for you, because you're a huge creature. But Blizzard was a gentle animal, and we had him for about seven years. It impacted me a lot more than I anticipated. I wrote a damn song about it, for crying out loud. A song. For a rabbit.
7. Listening to good people
Several things throughout the year made me realize how easy it is to pick out bad people. You know, everyone has faults. But some people are so caught up in "being who they are"--that you just realize they're not very nice people. So, I want to be around nice people. And I want to listen to them. Intently. All of the time. It just feels great to hear what kind people have to say--about anything and everything. It fills me up with positivity and happiness. I will still pretend to listen to people that I know ARE NOT nice people. But I won't really be listening. And they won't be able to tell. Because they're not nice people. They don't care if I'm really listening.
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Here were my goals for 2013, as set forth at the end of 2012:
Goals for 2013
1. Finish a solo album.
I'm giving myself a point for this because I know what songs I'm going to USE for aforementioned solo album. I'm going to be mixing all of my stuff from this year with my dude Josh Roman, so he'll help me make them "pro" So, 1 point.
2. Clean my garage, and organize it.
Oh my God, it's gotten worse this year, not better. I think a family of baby chimps may be living and procreating under my car in the evenings. Zero points.
3. Finish seven video games, in their entirety.
I did this, including GTA 5 and The Last of Us. A few sports games thrown in as well. 1 point.
4. Learn guitar--the basic chords, at least. This will help me in my songwriting SO much.
Nope, I can't lie. I still only know a handful of chords. But, as you'll see reading on, this goal isn't lost forever. Zero.
5. Release KKC's "Seven Deadly Sins"--there's no WAY I'm not getting this point at the end of the year.
Gad, don't I have egg on my face? Still unrecorded (though fully written). Shit. Zero points.
6. Release one new song every week (or cover tune) on Soundcloud--it must be posted by the end of Friday night--except if I'm on, like, vacation or something.
I'm gonna take a second here. I just typed this goal that night in 2012 so nonchalantly. I had NO clue what was involved. You're looking at 5-10 hours, every week. It's like an extra day of work, each and every week. And I did it. I never missed a Friday. When I had a sore throat, I wrote instrumentals. Once, I stayed up until 3 am on a work night. But I did it. I'm so proud of this accomplishment, and I'll tell everyone how proud I am. What an experience! 1 huge-ass point.
7. Get Erin an online jewelry store. The stuff she's making is AWESOME, so I MUST get her stuff up for sale.
Half a point. I listed a ton of items, then I realized that I didn't know what the hell I was talking about in the item descriptions. Like, what stones are these? What is an opal? We also realized an Etsy store is the way to go. I'm getting this done. Soon. 1/2 pt.
8. Keep this home consistently clean.
I have to say, it slipped once or twice. But, for the most part, success! In fact, I'm typing this entry with fresh dish-pan hands. 1 point.
9. Become a better golfer. No "set score" this year.
No question, I got better. More consistent. I started around 100 for 18, and by the middle of July, I was around 90-92 per round. Hitting the ball better. And I'm calmer. I own my temper now. One point.
10. Read six books--for fun. Not because I have to.
I failed miserably. I read TWO books for fun by the end of March. Then, I never got around to reading another. Sucks to suck so suckily. Zero points.
So, this year, I get 5.5 of 10. Last year, I got 4.5--so, improvement.
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Now, I change this tradition of mine. This year, I'm setting three goals. Just three.
Goals for 2014:
1. Write (literature and/or music--but MOSTLY, literature)
2. Publish (literature and/or music--but MOSTLY music)
3. Get better at playing piano and guitar
That's it. If I do those three things, that would be a HUGE accomplishment. Setting my sights on menial tasks like "garage cleaning" and "basement overhauls"--well, it doesn't get shit done. I hardly ever accomplish it. So why plan to do so? I'm gunning for these three goals. I want to keep creating things. So happy to be done with my FNT adventures. But, I will keep pushing myself. I swear.
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My Favorite Albums of 2013:
11. Real to Reel (Movie Soundtrack)
10. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (Alice In Chains)
9. The Invisible Way (Low)
8. 13 (Black Sabbath)
7. The Next Day (David Bowie)
6. Earth Rocker (Clutch)
5. The Diving Board (Elton John)
4. Infestissumam (Ghost B.C.)
3. The Raven That Refused to Sing and Other Stories (Steven Wilson)
2. Surgical Steel (Carcass)
1. Opposites (Biffy Clyro)
(Some of) My Favorite Songs of 2013:
"Sirens" by Pearl Jam
"White Hats/Black Hats" by Tomahawk
"I Appear Missing" by Queens of the Stone Age
"Ghuleh/Zombie Queen" by Ghost B.C.
"Royals" by Lorde
"The Raven That Refused to Sing" by Steven Wilson
"Holy Ghost" by Low
"Young at Heart" by Michael Buble
"Only Love" by Alkaline Trio
"Home Again" by Elton John
"Applause" by Lady Gaga
"Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System" by Carcass
"Ruthless" by Devildriver
"It's My Time" by Filter
"Biblical" by Biffy Clyro
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Thanks for reading about my year. I hope the next 12 months find you all healthy and happy. I want to give high fives to all of you. Remind me of that next time I see you. And I'll give you one.
