99 Reasons to Anticipate 2007

So here's the deal:

In 2005, I posted 99 times (although I started in August, so that's a pretty big accomplishment, I think). So far, in 2006, I have posted 98 times. I find it funny that after an entire calendar year, I am only one post behind my total from the previous year. Either way, that leads me to do only one thing: Post for a 99th, and final time for 2006. I will begin fresh in 2007 and see if I can pull out 99 more posts before (gasp) 2008.

So do I really have 99 reasons to anticipate 2007? Well you're just gonna have to find out!

Enjoy!!!

99. New Year's Eve this year is going to be fun. I guess this still is in 2006, but it's going to be an unofficial 2007 date. The plan is to go to Manny and Jenn's friends' Jeff and Jules' house for a, get this, party! I have never rung in the New Year in a party setting (where I'm actually partying, that is) so I'm excited! I'm sure there will be drinking (only by the legal ones though) by others, but I'm still gonna enjoy it because I'll be there with Heather and some friends (Cy, Justin, Emily, Mallory, Manny) and you can't not have fun with that right? Right!?!?!?

98. I have some new sweatshirts (a SUNS one I got for Christmas and two NIKE fleeces I bought on sale at work) to wear during the cold first couple months.

97. The NFL season of 2006, an absolutely mediocre season for prognosticators everywhere, will be completed. I officially have no shot of getting in the top 3 in my pool and I resorted to have Heather, a person with no knowledge of the NFL's teams, do my Week 17 picks just to see how she could do. She did win Saturday night's game (NYG over Redskins) and I would have picked the Redskins. Huh. . .

96. This is the SUNS' year! It has to be!

95. I'm enjoying my job at the FL. Even the worst day is better than the best day at JC. The only thing that I'm worried about is the amount of money I want to spend with my 30% employee discount! Either way, I'm excited for the possibilities that this job is going to bring me. Get this: a barely-18-year-old girl who has worked there for a year has just finished her assistant manager training. I'm almost 20 (which is old for the employees there - - a lot of my coworkers are 16-18 years old) so I feel like if I can learn a whole bunch of crap really fast that I have some potential here. We'll see. . .

94. In January, Heather and I will be celebrating our 3rd Anniversary

93. In May, I'll be 20!

92. In December, Heather will be 21!

91. My numerous gift cards that I received at Christmas will be used (among the places I will be spending money: American Eagle, Best Buy, Cinemark, Jamba Juice, and Baja Fresh).

90. My Guitar Hero skills will improve! Aimee and I got both GH1 and GH2 for Christmas (a combo gift for the siblings) and played most of Christmas morning. Look out! The Gotts are coming for ya!

89. Heather is moving to Pomona tomorrow (that's not happy for me, but it is for her) to begin the schooling that she really wants. Among her classes are large animal handling and companion animal care. She's excited! She's also nervous, but who wouldn't be? I know she is going to do great and I can't wait to hear all about her new knowledge.

88. Basketball season (high school, that is) will be kicking into high gear here in a couple weeks and I'm excited to see how league turns out.

87 -37. Movies. I saw 49 movies that were released in 2006 during 2006. That's almost one a week! I might watch one more before the day ends (who knows!) so that would give me 50 for 2006. I'm hoping that 2007 will be another good year for movies (it should, since the Spring alone has me excited about quite a few films - by the way: the FIRST THIRD MOVIE PREVIEW will be posted sometime during the first week of the new year - sorry for the postponement)

36. I got some bowling shoes for Christmas (from Heather, Chels, and Barbara) and that will only further my interest in the sport. I got a new high last week when I went (219!!!) and my average that night was 167! I'm getting better and since I'll be taking Intermediate Bowling during my last semester at AVC, I'm only gonna get better! Look for updates throughout 2007.

35. A year without Saddam Hussein! (Well actually, did anyone really feel safer after he got hung the other day? I didn't. Nothing has changed for me. I'm not sure if that old fart was worth all of this. . .)

34. A year without Britney Spears' panties! (Probably. I'm just assuming, seeing that the now-grossest woman in the entertainment world - beating out Paris Hilton just barely - can't seem to find her undergarments anywhere.)

33. A year without Charlie German! (That was my JC General Manager)

32. I will be defending my 3-point championship at the Men's March Madness Breakfast. And I'll be defending it well.

31. The possibility of winning $250,000 at the World Series of Pop Culture!

30. I will be learning more about the production of a newspaper this coming semester and I'll assuredly be published many more times. It's very exciting stuff!

29-06. Another year with Heather!

And now, the top 5 (I guess - it just ended up that way!)

05. A family trip to Lake Powell over Spring Break. It will be for Mom-Mom and Pop's 50th Anniversary. My aunt and uncle from Maryland (my dad's sister) as well as their two boys (Travis and Josh, both in their 20's) will be there. It should be fun, but it will ultimately be a great source for stories for the future. Looking forward to it!

04. Aimee will be 15 and Caleb will be, get this, 6! Aaahhh!!!!!! My siblings are growing up so fast and it's really scary. Why can't they stay at an age?!?!?! (And yes, I realize that I'm getting older too and that my parents would say the same about me, but this is my perspective!)

03. Throughout 2006, I met (or saw up close) many famous people: Bill Simmons, Kevin Smith, Jack Nicholson, among others. What will 2007 bring????

02. 2007 ultimately leads to 2008, which is the year that I get to finally go to Viva Las Vegas and play some real live poker! I can't wait for our road trip in May of 2008!!!

01. The beginning of my future. This year is going to be the most changing year of all. If all goes according to plan (and you really never know), at this time next year, I will be blogging from either a house or an apartment in the Los Angeles area (probably Valencia, but maybe Northridge). I will have completed my first semester at Cal State Northridge. I will have been moved out of my parents' house for a half a year (the tentative moving out period is June). I will be living with some friends (among them will be Chels, the future sister-in-law) and enjoying every minute of it (even if there are feuds!). I will be closer to Heather (only 50 miles between CSUN and CPP). I will be closer to marrying Heather (every year that passes is another year closer to us getting married)! All in all, I will be beginning to move towards my life and what I will become.

I really can't wait to see how this year goes. And just know that I'll be letting you know what is going on every step of the way. Thanks to all my readers and I hope you all stick around (and maybe even let someone else know about this site - - they don't have to know me to read about what's going on to me!) until New Years Eve 2007.

Have a great, fun, and ultimately very safe night everyone!

Happy 2007!

Yours through blogging,

Justin (The Rambler)