The longer we stay in our own apartment, the harder it seems to be. Mind you, the holidays really messed us up with bills and missing days from work and such. It’s been rough getting back into the saddle, having to catch up as fast as we can, scrambling around, hoping to salvage next month and not be behind on our bills. Of course, things never go as planned, but I still hope that next month is better. It’s tax season, and I’ve already got my W-2 from Neptune. I should wait for Disney, and claim them as well, but who knows when that W-2 will get here. Not to mention it will be such a minuscule amount that I really shouldn’t wait for them. Therefore, I probably won’t.

Sadly, most of my taxes are already set aside, to pay to fix the car up, and make sure he stays running in tip-top shape the rest of the year. The other bit is, hopefully, going towards a cafe racer for me to get to and from work, and tinker with and fix up. The rest? Savings. I really want something to fix up, though. Something old, that I can make my own for a small price. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do that. I remember growing up, and spending every weekend I wasn’t with a friend, with my Dad, fixing up things around the house, fixing the cars, or helping him build something my Mom wanted. My Dad was always proud of his woodworking abilities. They were never incredible, but they were always sturdy, and you could always count on it being bigger than it needs to be. His “go-big-or-go-home” way of thinking clearly transitioned into his woodwork. But it’s been so long since I’ve done any of that. Here in California, I’ve never had the money to do it, not to mention the time, or space. I’m promising myself to make time for a small project like that, and really make it my own. That’s why the motorcycle. It would be inexpensive, for the most part, and it would truly be my own when I’m finished.

There’s also the plus-side of things getting back to the way I like them at work. I’ve finally finished the Neptune 2013 Catalog, after months of setbacks and delays, and it came out better than I could have hoped. It looks fantastic. Now, I can set aside time these next few weeks to get things in order for the new website, and for more brand awareness. I’ve grown fond of many of our brands, and would love to push them to the next level, and speed ahead of our competitors, which we are truthfully on the way to doing. It makes me quite proud of my efforts, seeing us bloom into a great, modern company.

We’ve also been really doing a great job of eating better. After getting groceries last night, everything we bought was organic, healthy, or just plain all-natural. It also looks amazing, and we’ve got quite a few good meals lined up. On top of that, we’ve both decided to really push forward with our workouts, and make the best of the new year. This is, without a doubt, going to be the year that we really, truly, make our year. I can feel it.

So, if you’ve been following my tumblr for any period of time, you would know that it’s not exactly what it used to be right now. Yes, there are a few remnant posts. Things I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of, that are just impossibly cool. A couple TRON references, a recipe, and a few GIFs from Attack The Block. Not really the pop culture hub that it used to be, is it? Well, honestly, the same goes for my life. The last several months, since moving into our own apartment and taking on bills and responsibilities, I’ve noticed a huge change in myself. I don’t long for many of the things I used to. I’m still obsessed with all things TRON (always will be), and love to watch the weekly episode of Adventure Time. There’s still a few games I like to play, mostly stuff on my 3DS, and Halo 4. But that’s about it. I, myself, am no longer the pop culture hub that I used to be. I’ve started to rapidly… *gulp* GROW UP.

I’ve found myself maturing so fast, it almost seemed to happen before I could even catch myself. The responsibility of paying the bills and maintaining a home, and eventually a family, has forced me into maturing. Forced me into interests that I knew were always there, but took a backseat. Now, I find myself dressing nicer (Bry just got me my first pair of casual menswear boots), and putting more emphasis into who I am as a man. I don’t spike my hair anymore, instead opting to part it to either side each day. I even wear printed t-shirts less, and am now even more picky than I used to be. I mostly wear printed button downs and flannels. The comfort is incredible. I’ve even reduced myself to getting a new wallet, soon. A classy leather option, to replace my comment-inducing Cheeseburger wallet. Always a conversation starter in times of duress.

This year, I have vowed to push this maturity even further. I’m not fighting it. Not at all. I’ll still indugle in the occasional cartoon, kids movie, or video game. That will always be part of who I am. Some of those things are so engrained into who I am that they won’t be leaving any time soon. Halo, especially, is one of the most adrenaline inducing activities for me, and it even gives me a chance to hang out with Bry’s awesome Dad more. But, I still plan to pick up on healthier, more manly activities this year. We’re going to go camping at Joshua Tree later this year, and I’m hoping to maybe even pick up Paintball again later this year. All of this while Bry and I adopt a healthier lifestyle eating more organic foods, and homemade dinners, getting exercise and working out whenever we can. Really working hard to better ourselves.

I’ve decided to change my tumblr into more of a personal blog, spotlighting and documenting my journey from a culture-knowledge-icon and Mega-Geek, into a Manly Mature adult, and the proud breadwinner of an already amazing young family of my own. I just wanted to start all of this after the New Year. Really start fresh, and move forward. This is the first of many.

The first page, documenting a Self-Made Man.