Party like it's 2008

It's hard to slack off at work when douche bags from Pennsylvania are blowing the phone off the hook with constant tech support calls. You think you're not happy now...wait until you get my support bill.. That'll teach you to work on the holidays!

Which brings me to the subject of this blog...2008. 2007 was kind of a shitty year now that I think about it. I didn't really accomplish anything exciting except for buying a home. My best friends spent the better portion of the year on house arrest. My job sucked. I didn't really do anything exciting other than a couple fishing trips. I really can't pick out a truly awesome day throughout the whole year. 2007 was the year of the Blah. I want 2008 to be better. Here are some goals (not resolutions) for the new year.

200,000 Hands of Poker

This is a lot of poker for me, however it's also a lot of money for me if I can suck it up and just grind it out. I want to make poker a "part time job" in 2008. Instead of just playing for the fun of it. I want to play for the income. I want to make as much as possible playing poker. I want to meet or exceed my current salary with poker winnings. At the stakes I'm playing now, that's virtually impossible. However, if I dont' go overboard on the cashouts, I can move up in limits and my hourly rate will go up. I want to play for 12-15 hours per week. This means I can play 3 days a week for 4-5 hours per day and still make a good wage. This will help out other 2008 goals I have set.

Be debt free (with exception of the house)

This one speaks for itself. Now that. My vehicles are paid for... I don't really owe for anything else. So I'm in good shape, but I want to be in better shape here. I only owe on a single credit card (nothing major) and my kitchen appliances are on a 1 year same as cash plan. I still have about 6 months left on that thing. However, the appliances should be getting close to being paid off.

This will help me with building wealth and generating more income as a result as well.

Become healthier and at least 50 lbs lighter by 2009

I'm not the posterboard for health. I eat too much. I don't exercise. I'm lazy. That used to not be a problem. Now that I'm 30, I feel the effects and they suck. I've always got something wrong with me. Right now, I have tendonitis or something like that going on with my elbow. My back also hurts on occasion. I'm just a soft, out of shape bastard. This is the cliche New Years resolution that everyone makes and never follows through on it. I hope to buck that trend.

I think this will be easier than it sounds. I have plenty of outside chores to do during the warm months. If I cut out fast food all together, then it should be a breeze. I've gotten into this cooking thing and it's a fun hobby. I haven't had fast food in probably 2 weeks. This is coming from someone that usually has some sort of fast food every day.

Become Nicotine free

This is more of a financial decision than a health decision. I dip snuff and have since I was 16. It's never really bothered me health wise. However, it's starting to add up in my wallet. Snuff has risen to almost $5/can in my area. I'm too spoiled to dip the cheap shit though. I honestly believe the cheap stuff is the kind that causes cancer (not really). Anyway, I dip over a can a day. Let's assume a can a day. That's 365 $5 cans a year. That's almost $2000/year and if you count my fishing trips, it's probably well over $2000/year.

Another reason for this one is that I hate the fact that nicotine controls me. I don't like anything controlling me. I have to have my dip of snuff in the morning, at lunch time, and any time I'm in a vehicle. It's crazy. It's not like it's even that enjoyable. Once I get past the physical withdrawl symptoms (week or 2), I should be OK here. In the past when trying to quit, I'd do good for a few weeks and then fall back. This was because I loved it back then. It tasted good and all that jazz. Now that it's not really enjoyable to me, then I will hopefully have an easier time with the mental addiction.

Develop and Exit Strategy for my job

I want 2009 to be the year I go self employed. I'm tired of lying bosses, his retarded ex-wife, the prudes in this office who have zero clue about a good time, and just the IT job market in general.

So, in 2008, I want to generate some revenue streams to replace my salary. I don't fully expect to do meet or surpass my salary in 2008, but I'd like it to be close. Some plans I have for accomplishing this goal is to 1.) Play poker obviously 2.) Use the Internet to my advantage and work on some money making ideas with that medium (don't want to give too much detail here) 3.) Real Estate... I would like to pick up at least 1 piece of rental property that cash flows. I have some other ideas too.

I want to make it so that it costs me money to go to work. When that happens, then I'm free!

Have fun

I just didn't have fun in 2007. I took 2 nice vacations, but that was about it. For the most part, I stuck around the house and scratched my balls. I get in a rut where I have 2 phases in the day 1.) work phase 2.) dreading going to work tomorrow phase. So I spend as much time as possible by myself in my house because heaven forbid I go out and have fun and make the time pass by quicker. Yes, I'm fucked up in the head.

I want to go out on the weekends more. I want to entertain guests more at my new house. I just want to be more social. I'm not going to sit around waiting for "something to do" to just pop up. I want to create that "something to do". I want to fish more, golf more, go on more trips, etc. I always use work as an excuse not to do these things. Not anymore. Who cares if I'm sleepy the next day at work. It's not like I do anything productive half the time anyway.

Be a good son/friend

This is the most important to me. I have wonderful parents. I don't show them enough love either. They do anything in the world for me and I do realize that and appreciate it. I, however, feel as though I take that for granted at times. I want to spend more time with my parents. They are good people. I had a couple friends lose parents this year and I don't want that to happen to me while I know that I could spend more time with them, yet don't.

My friends are also important. I am lucky to have founds some great friends over the past years. I don't take the friendships for granted. However, I do have spurts where I don't hang out with my friends as much as I should. This is usually when I'm in that "waiting for work" stage. I sacrifice going out, because I'd rather stay home and just veg out because work is coming up soon. I'm sick.. I know. I just want to be a good friend.

All in all, I'm optimistic for 2008 being a good year. Although 2007 was a blah year, I did learn a lot about myself and what I want in life during the course of the year. That should trickle through to 2008 and them make 2009 the best year ever.