Bad Boys: Ride or Die and Seeing a Previous Boss

My wife and I watched the fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise – Bad Boys: Ride or Die. While I am hesitant of the constant remakes and sequels that we have been seeing in movies lately, this one was a fun and entertaining movie. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have a great chemistry and know their roles and dynamics pretty well. Martin Lawrence’s character, Marcus Burnett, was very strange and enigmatic in this movie that was really hit or miss. One of the standouts of this movie though was Reggie, played by Dennis McDonald, who had the best action scene in the movie. It was overall just a fun action movie with stars that most people will recognize in a franchise that still carries a level of goodwill.

Besides watching the movie, a saw one of my previous bosses. I used to work for a family-owned real estate company in Irvine a little over ten years ago. It was as an assistant, and it was a full-time position when I really needed to get out of part-time work. My wife and I were driving to a chicken restaurant in Irvine, and it just so happened that we saw an Open House sign from the company that I used to work for on the way. We stopped by the Open House, and it was indeed my old boss hosting it. I introduced him to my wife, and we exchanged pleasantries along with talking about real estate and mortgage as we were the only people there at the time. It was a really good meeting and am glad to have caught up with a previous employer who I had a good relationship with.

The past can be very good sometimes whether it is a previous employer or an older movie Intellectual Property (IP). Some things just stay strong and remain over the years and still provide what you need. Sometimes, we do not have to reinvent the wheel, but look to what worked in the past, learn from it, and make it better.

Tragedy and Life

It was not a great week for us as my wife’s grandfather passed away in the Philippines. We bought tickets a while back to fly to the Philippines this September to celebrate his birthday. It would also be the first time that my wife would be back in the Philippines after we got married, and she got her Green Card. While we will still go to the Philippines this September, it will unfortunately not be for the original reason. Emotions ran high in the last few days, and it is a reminder that tragedy can and will strike at the most unexpected moments.

There is a lot to take in and reflect upon when something like this happens. The significance of life, the inescapability of death, the importance of family, the passage of time, and so many other concepts are brought to bear. It is like a wave that we get swept into with so little actually in our control. However, we continue onward or uselessly despair in the face of the inevitable, and that really is our only options. Despite it all, there looks to have a plan in all this. Without her grandfather, my wife would not have gotten a tourist visa in her teens to go to the U.S., and it would be years later where she would have to renew that tourist visa in order to travel here to the U.S. with me after we got married. It is crazy sometimes thinking how things turn out a certain way.

Memorial Day Weekend 2024 and the Final Edit

My wife and I went to the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana for a date night on Memorial Day weekend. I bought my first place, a condo in Santa Ana, and it was not far from the Frida. We first went to eat at my favorite pizza place, Bari Pasta and Pizza, and then went to the Frida to watch Legally Blonde as my wife wanted to see it on the big screen. Going to the Frida is more of an experience than going to normal theaters as the venue has a lot of character, and the Frida audience is more in-tune with classic movies and movies in general. Watching Legally Blonde, a movie that I was indifferent to when it come out over twenty years ago, is a lot different now. I feel that they just seem to put more care into movies back then with tighter scripts and writing, and a focus on characters without the socio-political messaging that we see today. It was just a fun movie.

Otherwise, I have been champing at the bit in getting The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom out there. Editing has been going slower than I would have liked, but it is necessary to be meticulous about this in order to clean up any spelling, grammar or blatant mistakes. Because of this last edit, I was able to catch something that did not make sense and was able to fix it before the book gets self-published. I suppose that patience is key here to get the best product out.

It was a good three-day weekend, and we had fun. Watching movies, going out to eat and whatnot will always be fun, especially with a spouse. The book is going slower than expected, but it is a needed thing.

Back to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and My Old High School

I finally came back to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) classes last week, and it felt good to be back. I honestly had my reservations going back to class after being gone for two months due to getting a ringworm outbreak. During that time away, my wife and I got a gym membership at LA Fitness, and it is walking distance from our place. We were regularly getting exercise and able to do it on our own time, whereas with BJJ, it is on a specific schedule. I really wondered if I still wanted to practice BJJ with all the other stuff going on in my life, and that I was getting exercise of a different variety elsewhere. Thankfully, once I got back to class, any hesitation or doubts about continuing BJJ went by the wayside. The cardio that I was doing at LA Fitness plus losing a few pounds probably just helped my BJJ even more.

Otherwise, my wife and I were busy the last few weeks and weekends, so we decided not to make plans on the weekend. We just needed a free day to do whatever we wanted and to unwind, resting whenever we wanted to and whatnot, or going out whenever we wanted. It was nice being able to eat brunch or go to the store without any time constraints. We actually passed by my old high school, Aliso Niguel High School, and my wife was pretty amazed at its size, its facilities and amenities. According to her, the outdoor stadium of my high school could fit her whole high school in the Philippines. Admittedly, it was fun and nostalgic walking through the proverbial “memory lane” with my wife.

It was a good week in returning to BJJ and making free time for ourselves. Things we did were very much needed to be done. We definitely learned the importance of having free time, and for me, the importance of getting back into something that I have dedicated years into.

Comedians and Busy Weeks

My wife and I along with a couple that we are friends with went to see the comedian brothers, Cory and Chad last week. We got free tickets, so we decided to go. We have been seeing comedians lately, and there is just some subject matter that just is not funny to us such as comedy that is just too raunchy. Cory and Chad were a mixed bag where the jokes that really did land were legitimately funny, but they also stuck to a certain joke and gag for far too long. I did like that they paid it forward in taking some local comedians under their wing and letting them tour with them. Quite honestly, I thought some of the opening acts were better than the headliners.

It has also just been a busy week for us. It seems that we have something to do every night of the week with our weekends busy as well. We would actually like to have some days that we just have nothing planned and time to just idle about. However, I suppose that is just an aspect of being married adults in that there are just many obligations and whatnot out there for us. It is also a case where my wife and I are catching up on lost time, in a sense, as we had a long-distance relationship before getting married.

Despite being busy, things have been eventful and fulfilling. It used to be where I would spend weekends with friends watching fights or anime, and it was rinse and repeat the next weeks after that when I was still a bachelor. That is fun in the moment, but it does get a bit redundant, but that is definitely not the case now that I’m married.

Communication and Double Dating

My wife and I watch the reality television series, 90 Day Fiancé, where people from the U.S. find their spouse from another country. One thing that is noticeable about the crazier or more toxic couples is that there tends to have a strong lack of communication. It makes for some dramatic television, for sure, but it also is frustrating to see that these couple’s issues could be dealt with had they used better communication with each other. They do not listen to each other, talk over each other, make a sudden and rash action, or just up and leave when things get uncomfortable, among other reactions. Assuming that these scenes are not scripted (and I am sure that there is, at the very least, some careful editing), this lack of or breakdown of communication is very understandable especially with newlywed couples.

We also had dinner and coffee dessert with our friends, a married couple, the other day. Double dating is fun, especially with people who are well-travelled, mature and knowledgeable. There are certain things from politics to real estate to artificial intelligence that we can talk about, and the number of things to chat about seemed endless. This is not the same as double dating with non-married couples, for example, or even with family, so it is a much different and fun type of company to be around.

Marriage involves two people who need to communicate with each other, and some do not have the skills or temperament to do so in a healthy manner. It is something that is learned over time. It’s also good to communicate with other couples every once in a while, to just hang out and vent a bit.

Jiaoying Summers and Working on The Mustard Prince

My wife and I went to the Brea Improv to see comedian, Jiaoying Summers. We bought VIP tickets and managed to get seats right in the very front. We have been to comedy shows before and do not mind getting called out by the comedians, and it is actually a lot of fun. Most of the comedians said something to us, including Jiaoying Summers, which was a lot of fun. Summers’ act entails a lot of Asian culture and personal experiences with her mother. Afterwards, we did a meet and greet with her where she remembered us and took a picture together. Also, one of the opening acts, a Chinese woman named Bernice, was there, and we took a picture with her as well. She also remembered us. It was overall just a really good, fun night.

Eileen and I also worked a good amount on The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom. Thankfully, my wife is good with using Canva, and we were able to complete a new front cover, and a back cover.

It looks really good, and I am hoping to release this in June. It is definitely a long time coming, as I brought out this book self-published well before it was ready. Now, hopefully, this could find some level of success via momentum or traction as far as gaining an audience.

Overall, it was a fun week. I am glad it cumulated in the comedy show at the Brea Improv to just cap off the week on a good note.

New Car and Clean Pipes

It has been a very interesting week as my wife and I bought a used car. The story behind that day we bought it was serendipitous as we were scheduled that night for a plumbing appointment, as there was a clog in our kitchen sink. The plumber could not make it, and we rescheduled, freeing up time to check out places to buy a car. My wife contacted a small dealership in Santa Ana that was a thirty-minute drive from our place, but the car we were interested in had issues such as not having the full door handles. My wife was in contact with a dealer in Corona, CA, which is an hour drive from our place. He usually closes at night but made an exception for us. A car that we had our eye on for the last week just so happened to still be for sale. Being in Santa Ana and having the time to do so, we drove to Corona. We test drove the car but still had the issue of what to do with our current car during the time. Thankfully, we negotiated a trade-in at a price that we all agreed on, and we are now driving a newer car in very good condition.

The next day, we saw the plumber. I have used services from this particular plumbing company, Olson Superior Plumbing, and knew that they were of high quality. Usually when hiring handymen, plumbers and the like, I get workers who are generally unkempt and just not professional-looking. Our plumber and his apprentice were just the opposite, wearing a uniform, extremely friendly, knowledgeable and actually looked to enjoy the work. They gave us options to just snake the kitchen pipe or to deep clean it with a chain knocking method, and also told us we needed a new garbage disposal as I have never used the one we had, and it was actually blocking one of our pipes. We decided to get the deep clean and got a new garbage disposal.

Admittedly, it has really helped our quality of life having new items like a new car, new garbage disposal, a new vacuum and whatnot. We also bought a new couch as well. It is just material things, but it shows a transition from the stuff that I owned living as a bachelor to this being “our” items, me and my wife. Living as a single guy, I just used things until they were completely unusable even if I were inconvenienced. Now, being married, it is having things to increase our quality of life, an upgrade for sure.

UFC 300 and Vacuum Cleaners

I watched UFC 300 with friends this past weekend, and it was one of the best UFC pay-per-view events that I have seen in years. Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje was better than advertised with one of the best last ten sequences and subsequent KO that I have seen in years. The main event was short but sweet with Alex Pereira brushing aside the ref after a low blow and subsequently knocking out Jamahal Hill. On paper, this was the deepest and best card that I’ve seen, and all in all, it delivered. Sports, combat or otherwise, are all about those moments and being able to experience them as they happen.

My wife and I also bought a new vacuum cleaner, a Shark. It is an upgraded version of the one that I bought when I first moved to Lake Forest, and it specifically gets dog hair. I was actually pretty hyped buying that, and my then girlfriend (now wife) seemed incredulous when I told her about it. Ironically, it really showed our age when we both got excited about buying one, opening it, and testing it out. As adults with a home, mortgage payments, bills and the like, something like a new vacuum cleaner is actually a neat thing for us. When we were younger, it was just another appliance, now, it is something to be excited about.

It is a funny thing what we get excited about as adults whether it is the UFC or vacuum cleaners. Our interests change over time, as I was not always into mixed martial arts, but now, I have trained in boxing and kickboxing and currently practice Brazilian jiu jitsu. I could care less about buying vacuum cleaners in the past, but now, it is a neat thing to purchase.

WWE WrestleMania 40 and Tough Decisions

My friends and I watched WrestleMania 40 at my place, and the ending to Night 2 was fantastic. Cody Rhodes finally “Finished The Story” in beating Roman Reigns to win the WWE Universal Championship. It was a story that culminated for over a year, where Cody failed last year but won it this year. There were callbacks to previous storylines, the use of legends, cliffhangers, a fun yet overbooked mess of a main event, and so much more. This is definitely the start of a new era with WWE with new faces and veterans on the scene. As someone who writes stories, the storytelling has been utilized with a more long-term focus, which I prefer. I am very much interested in seeing where the WWE product goes from here.

WrestleMania was the culmination of an interesting week. There was a tough decision to make in regard to our car, and it really came down to whether or not we should try and tackle this on our own, or ask my parents for help. Ultimately, we decided to ask my parents for help, but it admittedly left me conflicted. As an adult, there is a sense with me that I should handle my problems on my own as long as these problems are within my capability to handle, and only when it became untenable would I ask my parents for help. That principle came to a head when my wife and I were in a situation that we could handle but not without a level of hardship. We went to my parents for help, and now, we are in a much better place. Pride though was a reason for my hesitancy to ask my parents for help. It really goes to should that parents just do not stop being parents even at a senior age.

Things come in highs and lows, whether it is Cody Rhodes’s story or your own personal issues and problems. Asking for some sort of help or assistance is fine in certain situations. Things could turn out for the better in the long run.

WonderCon 2024 and the Continuation of a Tough Week

My wife and I attended WonderCon 2024 in Anaheim, California. We both cosplayed as Pokemon characters – me as Ash Ketchum and my wife as Pikachu, who spent a good amount of time creating the costume. It was fun doing dorky things like that together, and we did get attendees asking for our pictures and wanting to talk to us. I found out a while ago that these conventions tend to be more fun cosplaying than not, no matter how self-conscious one might feel, and I think that my wife and I had a better time because of it.

My tough week continued as far as my health is concerned. I developed this cough and phlegm that is slow to go away along with the ringworm outbreak that has unfortunately went up to my face. My face has this line along my cheek and chin that looks like a big scar or something, so appearance-wise, this thing has not helped me. Thankfully, I have an appointment with a dermatologist next week, but sleep can get difficult with either the itchiness or the cough keeping me up. I definitely cannot wait until these are gone from my body.

The week definitely had some highs and some lows. I am of the belief that some level of suffering is needed to build character and to learn to go through challenges and obstacles, but admittedly, I would like to get on the other side of these health things sooner rather than later.

A Tough Week and Upgrading

I had a particularly tough week last week. I got a bad cough, had a skin rash, and the engine light on my car came up, among other things. We then had a big Church event that weekend, so I definitely felt tested. The sickness and ailments were just something to fight through, as they were more bothersome than anything else. My car was still running, but we are planning to buy a car as my current one is seeing the proverbial tires fall out. I suppose that this is a lesson that bad things will happen, but they are only temporary. Of course, in the moment, it is difficult to have that type of foresight.

My wife and I are buying a new car, as I have had the same car for over ten years. It was the first car that I bought with my own money, so it has sentimental value. However, it has been well past time to get an upgrade. Funnily enough, I upgraded my condos starting from Santa Ana and moving to Lake Forest before I upgraded my car. However, dealing with constant graffiti, a lack of guest parking, noise, and whatnot took precedence over what car I’m driving. Eventually though, we do have ambitions to move out of our current place and get something even better, but that can wait.

Bad things happen, but things can get better. I can look back at my life and see evidence of that. The advice that you cannot control the outcome, but how you react to things is definitely true.

Envy and Perspective

The subject of envy was brought up to me the other day. My wife and I live in Orange County, California, and it is very affluent where I live. We would be firmly in the middle class, but we live around people with money with all the designer brands, nicest cars and whatnot. We own a condo, but it is worth the price of nice houses in other states and other parts of California. I, of course, want more, but do not feel some sort of loss or need to have what other people have. When I was younger, I have felt that way at times, but now, it seems ridiculous to lament what I do not have. I will strive to obtain more, but that is more for personal goals that I have for me and my family, but not out of obligation to prove something to others.

Looking at things from a different perspective really helped me change my mindset. It did not happen overnight, but with age, maturity and life experience, it widened my worldview and allowed me to see where I stand and what actually matters. I see material things in a different way and realize their importance. For example, owning property is nice, but knowing that it was something earned over a long period of time and brought about by good decision-making is really valuable. It is not necessarily the object, but the work done to obtain that object. That, of course, is not to say that I do not want material things, but something earned is better than something given.

Akira Toriyama and Ordinary Angels

It was a tragic week in the world of anime/video games as acclaimed creator, Akira Toriyama, most known for creating the Dragon Ball series, passed away. Toriyama was the main character and monster designer for the Dragon Quest video games series, along with being the creator of its manga series. The Dragon Quest video game, which was originally called Dragon Warrior in the U.S., was what pretty much got me into the swords and sorcery fantasy genre. Akira Toriyama played no small part in my fascination with the fantasy genre, which now is a huge part of my adult life as I am trying to become a successful fantasy author. Outside of that, Dragon Ball Z was one of the earliest anime that I watched. Along with everything else, he designed the characters for one of the best JRPG video games ever created in Chrono Trigger. The outpouring of sadness from fans and some of their stories in how his works affected their lives was quite something. Akira Toriyama will surely be missed.

My wife and I also watched a really inspirational movie class “Ordinary Angels.” It was based on a true story of a struggling hairdresser in Louisville, Kentucky, who meets a widowed father working hard to care for his two daughters. With his youngest critically ill and waiting for a liver transplant, she rallies the entire community to help. It was a tear-jerker for sure seeing the struggles that the family goes through, but then seeing so many in the community helping. Hilary Swank was fantastic as the lead and really commanded the screen. The story itself though shows how regular people can create miracles, and it was great to see.

The story of Ordinary Angels and the works of Akira Toriyama show that individuals who are complete strangers can reach and connect with others in mysterious and beneficial ways. In Ordinary Angels, one person who helped clear snow said that he never met the little girl who needed the liver transplant, but it was a great thing to help her. I have never met Akira Toriyama, but his works have helped shaped me in ways that he most likely never knew.

Things to Get Done and Demon Slayer: To The Hashira Training Movie

This month, my wife and I are planning to get some things done in this month of March. We want to get gym memberships at a local LA Fitness that is just down the street from us. Exercising regularly has been a goal of ours, and we figure that now is a better time than any to do so. I also want to get a language program to learn to speak and understand Tagalog. It was something that eluded me, and considering how many times that I travel to the Philippines, it would have been very helpful to know the language. Other things like teaching my wife to drive, doctor’s appointments and whatnot need to be done, and it is just getting around to doing them.

Also, my wife, my first cousin once removed and I watched the Demon Slayer: To The Hashira Training movie. It is not really much of a movie, as it is a recap of the previous story arcs, and the first episode of the upcoming Hashira Training story arc. However, it was really nice seeing Demon Slayer on the big screen along with being able to revisit these characters. The animation from Ufotable was top-notch, as they always are, and the few fights scenes that they had were also nicely animated. I own and have read the whole Demon Slayer manga series, so I know what to expect, but it is still good to see this series in anime form.

Hopefully, we can get a long of things done and out of the way this month. Even with the movie, we have been meaning to spend time with my cousin, and we finally did it. Now, we have got to keep going to get things done.

Chance Encounters and Celebrations

This weekend, my wife and I encountered two chance encounters. For a while in our condo complex, we have always passed by an older gentleman that would hang out around the parking lot. He obviously lived there, but I just so happened to be taking out the trash at the same time he was. My wife was with me, and we talked for the first time, and it turned out that he had Filipino relatives. The next day at brunch, my wife and I wanted to try out this café that we always passed by. At the parking lot, we ran into an acquaintance of mine that used to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with me, and he was with his mother. The host thought that we were all together, so we ended up eating brunch together. It was neat as we are Filipino, and they are Brazilian. It was also entirely unexpected, as they only went there after church and just googled brunch places nearby.

My aunt turned ninety the other day, and we celebrated the event. It was nice seeing my whole family as we have our own lives and do not always get to see each other. It is also good that my aunt turned ninety but is still going strong. There was a time when I would be one of the only single men in an event like that while everyone else was married and/or had children. It is good not to be in that situation anymore.

I am sure that there will have more of this to come. Unexpected things happen, and sometimes, they are good, and sometimes, they are not. I enjoy meeting new people and seeing those that I have not seen in a long time.

WWE Raw and Being Busy

My wife and I attended a WWE Monday Night Raw event. I am the professional wrestling fan, and I dragged her along. It was a lot of fun, and the venue looked like it sold out. CM Punk made a surprise appearance after the Raw broadcast, which got me to cheer loudly. It was nice seeing fans just so into the product, bringing champion belts, wearing luchador masks and wearing other WWE merchandise. Many families went as well with a good amount of children in attendance. Everything from the in-ring action to the production looked top-notch, and it is no wonder that the WWE product is at a high right now.

Otherwise, we have been very busy as of late, always having something to do on the weekends. Even with this three-day weekend, I was hosting a UFC event on Saturday, my wife had an event to go to on Sunday, and we went to WWE Raw on Monday. Some time off would be welcome, but busy times like these are just a thing that will occur being adults and married. We have not attended any open houses lately, but now have certain financial goals. We also have some health and exercise goals that we are going to implement soon. It has been busy, but a good busy, yet we could use some downtime sooner rather than later.

Being married adults have obligations to go with it. It is not uncommon to sacrifice time and convenience. However, it is better than being idle.

Super Bowl LVIII and House Hunting

My wife and I watched the latest Super Bowl with family, and it was a fun experience. The Kansas City Chiefs ended up winning in a very close game that went into overtime. It is crazy how on the highest level of any sporting competition that the outcome can be dictated by a game of inches, as one blocked one-point conversion was the difference-maker in the 49ers losing. Resiliency also played a factor, as the Chiefs were committing to runs and short passes during overtime to win the whole thing. It is unfortunate seeing one time being able to taste victory in that way, only to have it taken away in the last minute, but that is how life can work sometimes.

We also looked at a two open houses, one single family home and one townhome. We fell in love with the townhome and were strongly considering making an offer on it, getting the down payment by selling our current home. After crunching the numbers, it was a case where even if we got approved for a mortgage, the costs of everything would leave us with very little left monetarily. We could get roommates, but it would be a situation where we would be strongly relying on their rent, which we just were not comfortable with. We had to make the decision to hold off on making an offer. It is refreshing to see that we are on the cusp of being able to upgrade to an even bigger place, and getting one within the next year or two looks like a very real possibility.

Sometimes opportunities come before us, but certain circumstances make it where we are not always allowed to capitalize on these opportunities. That is fine though as there is always “next time,” and we can learn from the missed opportunities and plan for the future.

Single For a Few Days and a Lack of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

My wife went on a girl’s trip for a few days, and it was the first time in a while where I was living the bachelor life. While it was fun, it also confirmed that being with someone is better than being a bachelor. I woke up when I wanted, watched whatever I wanted, hung out with friends and whatnot, but it was really mundane to me. Things just feel different in a better way just having someone there, and it is difficult to explain what that is. While I think it is fun every once in a while, to live the single life again, it does show its limitations and how quickly routine it gets.

Something that is generally routine for me but has not been lately is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Different situations have arisen where I just could not go. On some days, the roof of the gym collapsed due to heavy rains. My wife was sick, so I did not want to go so as not to spread anything as a precautionary measure. However, I do miss it. My coach said that life gets in the way of jiu jitsu, and getting older and now married, that is most definitely true. My goal of receiving my black belt has not changed, but it is admittedly getting more difficult getting to the gym for one reason or another. I suppose that is just how life is, and I can only control what I can.

Things in life change, and once something changes, it is hard to go back to way things were before. Sometimes though, that is a good thing and shows a level of progress, and sometimes, it can be a detriment. In the end though, we can only do what we can.

Future Housing Decisions and WWE Royal Rumble 2024

I have worked in real estate in the past and currently work in mortgage, so I feel that I am very in-tune with housing. My wife and I have been putting some thought into buying a bigger home. Everything is in the very early stages right now, but one thing that has been discussed was whether or not to sell our current condo in order to get the down payment for a bigger place, which is what I did for my last property. However, my wife and I came to a consensus that we should try to keep our current condo as an investment property and find other avenues to get a down payment for a bigger place. Personally, besides the fact that our current place is worth much more than what I purchased it for, it does have sentimental value to me. Also, I can see long-term uses for it.

Otherwise, I invited friends over to watch the WWE Royal Rumble 2024, and it was fun. I barbecued some steaks and had other food prepared, and we just had a good time. We will most likely do it again for one of the nights of WrestleMania. The Women’s Royal Rumble, in my opinion, was much better than the Men’s Royal Rumble. With surprise entrants like TNA Wrestling’s Women’s Champion Jordynne Grace and the debut of Jade Cargill, the Women’s Rumble just had more to it. The Men’s Rumble was fine, if predictable, and the right choice won in Cody Rhodes. Bayley winning the Women’s Rumble was also the right choice, especially for the story that they have going with her and Damage Control.

There are some serious things to look forward to in the far future, and some just fun things to look forward to in the near future. It is also good to look forward to something, and it is always good to have certain goals to strive for.