January 1, 2023

The Countdown…

of Monte Cristo.

Happy New Year. We’ve successfully made it to ’23. Although I have to say the ’22 finale was a bit anticlimactic. Kinda like when you binge-watch a show and halfway through an episode you suddenly realize you’ve started a new season, like “Wait… that last episode was the season finale?!”

It’s been a minute. There’s a lot to cover, so stay with me.

I’m loving my new telescope. I finally figured out how to take decent pictures with my phone, so now I’ll be bombarding the internet with my amateur moon shots. My goal for ’23 is to take a photo of every full moon (weather permitting). I’ve always been a science nerd, but this has renewed my love for Astronomy and space in general. I’ve become a full fledged member of The Planetary Society. I even got a nifty badge.

I finally received my Kickstarter edition of Heroes of Barcadia. It arrived a bit too late to use for Christmas, so I’ll have to find another time to subject my family and friends to a night of Dungeons and Drinking.

In the meantime, I’ll just subject them to Dungeons and Dragons. Another goal for this year is to learn to DM and start running my own games. I purchased a starter set with a one-shot campaign already designed, complete with pre-made characters. And I just bought the Dungeon Master set with the DM guide, monsters guide, and player handbook. I have everything I need. Now I just have to figure out what the hell I’m doing.

You know what goes great with a night of D&D? Popcorn… which I can now make with my new R2D2 popcorn maker, or Popcorn-D2 as I now call him (cue the gameshow crowd cheering). 

Looking onward to ’23, I’ve decided to try to simplify my goal setting. I mention that because I like to do things, and when it comes to goals, I often don’t make progress because I want to do ALL the things. That inevitably leads to doing nothing. It’s a vicious cycle. So my plan moving forward is to only pursue a certain number of goals. Once I achieve one, I’ll replace it with a new one. We’ll see how it goes.

Until next time, ‘ver heil ok sæl’.
ᚢᛖᚱ ᚺᛖᛁᛚ ᛟᚲ ᛊᛇᛚ

The Warrior

Warrior goals are about expressing the fighter/protector side of myself.


  1. Drop 30lbs by my 44th birthday
  2. Get my Concealed Carry permit
  3. Get the new tattoo I designed that speaks to my personal philosophy
  4. Become proficient in hand-to-hand combat

The Scholar

Scholar goals are about working my mind, gaining knowledge and converting it to wisdom.


 

  1. Write a book (I’ve already started, and it’s a helluva story)
  2. Become fluent in Spanish
  3. Finally learn to really play the guitar
  4. Photograph every full moon for 2023

The Craftsman

Craftsman goals are about building, whether it’s my career or just creative expression.


 

  1. Remodel my home office
  2. Become proficient in e-commerce website development
  3. Build an axe throwing / archery target
  4. Convert the front porch to a screened-in deck

The King

King goals are about what’s most important to me… my family. These goals are about taking care of my home and building a better life for my family.


 

  1. Teach Nekoda how to drive
  2. Pay off a HUGE chunk of our debt
  3. Take more camping/hiking trips
  4. Learn to DM and start a regular family D&D gaming night