Monthly Archives: December 2016

Fun

Steam Winter Sale 2016

I have been very reserved and only bought the games I ABSOLUTELY needed during the sale. I do miss the flash sales, but I also like how whatever discount you see for a game or bundle, that’s the lowest price it will be for the duration of the sale. So it makes it easier to buy in confidence!

Picked up these gems, they’ve been on my wishlist for a while:

  • Convoy (really cool, Mad-Max style rougue-like)
  • Stardew Valley (a spiritual successor to classic Harvest Moon on SNES)
  • The Mean Greens: Plastic Warfare (Army Men meets TF2!)
  • The African Kingdoms expansion for Age of Empires II. (Yes, they are still expanding a 17-year-old game. It’s the GOAT though, so shut up)
Uncategorized

Changes

2016 has been a rough year for everyone. We’ve witnessed the wholesale humanitarian disaster in Syria and Libya while world powers bicker and back proxy warfare, we’ve lost celebrities left and right, and on a personal note, I grew less satisfied with my personal and career growth as the year pressed on. Yes, that problem is the epitome of privilege. I am fortunate to be worried about ‘growth’ when many in this world don’t have a place to call home.

I spent the majority of 2016 working on myself, and seeking a new job that would afford me the free time to pursue my hobbies and business endeavors. While field biology has been a rich and rewarding experience, I have come to understand how valuable my time truly is. I could justify working 80+ hours a week in 2015, a year where I tried to heal my personal hurt with a full work schedule and no time to worry about the past. That was literally tearing me apart. I set a personal goal in 2016 to change my life; to take leaps of faith and in turn build a better man. I am happy to say that although it was slow going, I am feeling the winds of change and I am letting the sails down to catch them.

I’ve met some incredible new people, started a few incredibly promising businesses, and landed an awesome new job – I am now the IT specialist for three departments in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. It’s a position filled with promise and a little bit of stress (but good stress – I am the go-to IT guy, so the buck stops with me!) and with a full-time position comes some awesome perks – better pay, a 40-hour work week, health insurance, 401k match and the like. I am going to be able to build my IT skills and advance my career with the experience I gain here, all while having the time again to pursue my creative and entrepreneurial endeavors.

Yes, 2016 was a hard year for almost everyone – but if you look long enough, I am sure you had some great times too.

2016 at a glance (Highlights)

  • The Con Bros officially launch – and host a party to rave reviews
  • I start Bluegrass Expeditions with a good friend and fellow outdoor fanatic
  • Gained the courage to actually get to know and put myself back on to the dating scene (results are mixed, but it’s a start, haha)
  • Spent three holiday weekends with family that I don’t get to see that often
  • Cut down on sugars (mostly in drinks) and lost 20lbs, 2 pant sizes, making more conscious food choices (mainly portion control)
  • Moved by myself for the first time, and found a place that saves me so much money that I can save for a down payment to buy a place in Lexington sooner rather than later (my goal is this is my last rented apartment here)

2017 Goals

  • I am going to learn to rock climb
  • I am getting in better shape
  • I am going to start taking more classes (online or in person) to develop programming, IT, and outdoor skills
  • The Con Bros will host more parties and attend more cons
  • I will FINALLY get my video editing backlog cleared out
  • Bluegrass Expeditions will start booking reservations and taking trips in the spring
  • I will make significant headway in saving to purchase a house in Lexington
  • I will find love? Haha, A guy can dream, right?