Gooooooaaals!

The 2012 London Olympics have just concluded and I'm most thrilled to report that the U.S. Womens National Soccer team has won gold. This is a team that I've followed since 1999, when Brandi Chastain celebrated her game and World Cup winning penalty kick over China by tearing her jersey off and swinging around her head in a show of pure passion for the game. Last year at the Womens World Cup, Jenn and I watched as our team played an incredible tournament only to lose to Japan in a hard-fought final. Since that defeat, we've been closely following the team as it prepared for this Olympics. What a thrill to be there when the team made it to the final in London against, who else, but Japan. As a side note, although I'm glad Carli frickin' Lloyd stepped up big and scored two goals, it sure was disappointing to hear her be the only player who, in post-tournament interviews, did nothing but praise her own effort. The rest of the team was just that, a team, and it showed in every comment they made about their progress towards taking home gold. Speaking of goals, I've been talking with Jenn lately about my lack of any. We've discussed setting financial goals (ie, earning and saving more, getting employment that provides benefits, etc.), but frankly I am bored by those kind of goals. I have a hard time being motivated simply by the desire to make more money, which would explain why I've hardly ever made any and yet have usually held down jobs that I find satisfying for other reasons. So here's some goals I'd like to work towards in the near-ish future, with hopes that accomplishing them will provide me more satisfaction once they're actually achieved: -Live Sans Vehicle. I've got a truck that I use a few times per month, but I really think I can get by just fine without it. I've got my beloved bicycle named Flash to get me to/from work and around town, as well as fun rides around the peninsula. Jenn has her never-fail car Gruish (because, she says, it is "greenish blueish" colored) that we can share. And, if I need a vehicle to get out of town, I'd rather rent one than take my own. I'm attracted to the simplicity of this plan, the decreased environmental impact, the ability to see the world at 10-15mph max rather than 75-80, and the ability to save money that can be spent on things that I value more such as travelling with Jenn and maybe someday investing in a more permanent lifestyle. -Learn Spanish by immersion in a latin country. Jenn and I talk about taking 6 months or more to lose ourselves in some south American country where we'll have no excuse for not exercising the parts of our brains that process language. It's always been a great disappointment of mine that I have not had the discipline to learn a second language in any great detail, though I've studied French, American Sign Language, and Spanish in small portions over the years. -Become a Better Person. This one has a lot of sub-points to it, as there are many things about me that I'm not proud of. I swear far to often, for example. I hear myself using language that, frankly, sounds vulgar and crude even as I'm uttering them. I have to knock that off. Also, I have an awful time keeping mental track of what is going on in the lives of friends and family. A large part of that is due to a TERRIBLE memory capacity on my part, but that just means I should be using creative techniques to keep tabs on what's important to others. Nothing says, "I care about you" more than showing an unprompted interest in the things that matter to friends and family. Also, I make it a priority to support and encourage Jenn. Although I feel I do a decent job of this overall, there is always room for improvement. Our relationship is, by far, the most rewarding experience of my life and is a culmination of all the experiences, choices, and guidance I've received over the years. The last thing I want to do is give her the impression that I take what we have for granted. That's enough goals for now. Hopefully, sometime in the not-so-distant future, I'll be able to move them over into the "Accomplished" category.