2018 was...interesting. Started off OK, but declined quickly as the days passed. I fell and injured myself in March while mowing the lawn. Stupid me. Who falls over a fake rock while mowing the lawn? [crickets] Well, I'd guess...me. Want to relive the excitement? Click here.
I figured that my fall in March was just a fluke. However, for a sensational encore performance, I managed to fall again in November, only two days before Thanksgiving. That fall came with a visit to the ER, which makes two or three times I've had to go there during my lifetime. If you need a refresher to that story—or a good laugh—read here.
In December, I lost a dear, special uncle. At some point I plan to write something about my Uncle Paul. Before doing so, I need to consult my cousin Daniel, Paul's eldest son. He wrote a very interesting history of his dad's life and read it at the memorial service as a beautiful and loving tribute to Paul. Using Daniel's notes for that tribute will be very helpful.
On Facebook, a few of my friends ran to the exit, so to speak, leaving me in the unfriend zone. Did I offend them? Well, you know how profanity and other offensive things flow from me like water when a dam breaks. When movie producers look for material to make yet another R-rated movie, they come knocking on my door for dialogue and ideas. [falls down yet again, only this time laughing] To those who felt that being my friend was such a hardship, have a nice life.
Believe it or not, I accidentally did some positive things. I managed to ride a couple of brand new roller coasters. Read here for that story. I also rode a new, crazy, spin-and-barfy kind of ride, the likes of which I usually avoid. But I actually did like this one. For a quick review (and a video!) click here. And, continuing the trend to break out of my shell, on one fine February afternoon, my friend Jim Kula at work suggested going to watch a foreign movie presented by the Oxnard Film Society. These movies are shown at a multiplex in beautiful downtown Oxnard on Monday nights. We started going regularly. During 2018, I've probably watched more movies than in the 20 previous years combined.
So that was the Reader's Digest version of my 2018. It's 2019 now. Time to look ahead and try to figure out what's going on.
As of yet, I don't have much going on. Jim Kula and I will likely continue going to the foreign films. I may visit Sea World in San Diego again; they're getting a new "coasterlike ride" this summer called Tidal Twister, though I'm not sure whether I would consider it a coaster. More on that after I ride the thing. In 2020, however, Sea World is getting a huge dive coaster called Mako, but I'll tackle that one in writing after I tackle it in riding.
Six Flags Magic Mountain is adding West Coast Racers, a multiple-launched racing coaster this summer. Chances are, the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) will get a sneak preview of it on media day. Since I'm a member of that organization, I'll probably be there.
In August, I reach the big 6-0 agewise. How will I celebrate that millstone? Good question. We'll know when I get there.
Last but not least, Welcome to Eric's Planet will reach the ten-year mark. Ten years of this madness, can you believe that? I have some time to think of a way to mark that occasion. Maybe I can convince a dog to lift his leg and...
One thing to note: during 2018 I wrote 21 blog posts. That total is only topped by my 37 posts in 2015—and that was because of the 30-day writing challenge that I took on during November of that year. Let's see if I can do better in 2019.
