You Got to Stay Positive

Wow, the past month i've been looking at all the blog updates by friends and have been saying to myself "I should post". I didn't realize that the last time I did was in Febraury and on top of that it was a very angry post. It always seems to be that way. Be it myspace blogs or My Infinite Abyss, I tend to just vent and then leave it until the next time I vent. This i've noticed tends to make me look like an angry winey-boy. Well to counter this I'd like to post a happy progress update.
First off I got a new job, I'm two thirds through my probation period and things are going well. I am an off-loader at a local grocery distribution warehouse, I work M-F 6:30pm to 3:00am which is kind of rough cause I miss Marcella all the time. I'm lucky enough to have a great girlfriend who stays up until my lunch to talk with me and we usually get to spend the weekends together so it's not too bad.
Second, i'm starting my second semester at CSUSB in mid Sept and I can't wait. It'll give me more things to do during the day (right now I just watch shows on tivo, play xBox 360 or listen to Rhapsody).
Along with my new job, I finally was able to buy a new car, a '95 Nissan Frontier which means i'm also trying to sell the GOLF right now and having some pretty decent feed back on it. My new job also comes with amazing benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, 401 (K), the whole 10 yards!
The best part is a just looked back at my Goal Post (get it?) back in Sept of '08, and i've completed two personal goals, and one school goal on the list! I've got to say GOD is good. Well that's it, i hope this has redeemed me from the cry baby status.

Instead of telling our young people to plan ahead, we should tell them to plan to be surprised.

Well since my birthday a week ago, i've been doing a lot of thinking. I had a great birthday week and when I was out to a dinner with my parents I got to talking about how my life has not been what I had planned. Don't get me wrong, i've done a lot of things I never thought I would have done by the age 23.

Since the time I graduated, I've traveled to: Texas (twice), a couple of places in Costa Rica (including their beaches and Cloud Forrest), I've seen/driven over the Rio De Janeiro, Scootered across Hawaii (and got tattooed there), saw the Sydney Opera House and several other parts of Australia, and went to Louisiana where the people are amazing (and all talented musicians).

Now the goals I had planned weren't ones of graduating school by a certain time or being a well off in a career. To be honest the only things I can really remember were that I planned to be married by twenty-three and to have a kid (a boy) by the age of twenty-five. I understand that this is very odd for such a young person to have as his only goals in life, but lets be honest, nothing about me is really normal.

So in response to all the thinking I've been doing since last Thursday, i've made a list of rough goals and projected times that I hope those of you who are close to me can hold me acountable to. I am still in the process of narrowing things down so outside input is welcome.

School Goals
1 Transfer to CSUSB Spring '2009/Fall 2009
- Major: Sociology Minor: TBD
- Specialization: Culture/Education/Politics/Economics/Gender/Religion
2 Masters at UCR/CSULB 2011
- Specialization: Family and Social Psychology/Race & Class Inequality/Political Economics
& Global Social Change
* All to be done hopefully with as little money taken out in Loans as possible.
Career Goals
1 Sociology Teacher
-University/Community College/High School
2 Youth Counselor
3 Youth Program Director/Organizer
Personal Goals (mostly material and vain desires)
1 Married by 2010

-I need to check with the misses on this one
2 A child of my own (still a boy [the name must go on] but i'll settle for a girl) by 2012
3 Adobt a child (personally one of color (from U.S. or International) by 2015
4 A Beagle or Bulldog Puppy

- It's name will be Pavlov
5 Move out before I get married
- This is debatable for several reasons... mainly it cost to get married.
6 Better job by Summer of 2009
- More than minimum wage and benefits would be wonderful.
7 New car
- I understand that this can only come after I get a new job.

Well, that's it. Nothing probably too interesting, but I wanted some documented evidence that i'm not wasting my life away. Until next time, good luck exploring the infinite abyss.