Bold Predictions for 2024

On By Jeremy BaileyIn Random GoalsLeave a comment

Another year, another set of extra bold proclamations to get after in the coming year. This is the 15th Annual version, so obviously it must include amazing content each year, or why would it keep happening? WHY?!?

Don’t answer that. Simply embrace the boldness until it melts and creates a hot mess. Ick.

Wipe that nonsense off, and proceed to witness the shenanigans that will probably happen in 2024. LFG!

…read/listen to 60 books/audiobooks. The last couple years I’ve slowed down on reading, mostly due to other bold predications I made (watch 150 new movies in 2022 and watch new TV shows in 2023). So I need to re-focus on books! Reading is fundamental.

…cook 10 new dishes. I’m not much of a home chef, I like to eat out and often I just want something easy like a frozen meal. This is my chance to try some cooking for a change. If you have a dinner recipe you can’t wait to share with someone, share it with me.

…visit five (new to me) museums or gardens in the DC area. I’ll repeat this one from last year, as there are still plenty to visit!

…start a Threads account. I suppose Twitter is going to die (though not planning on quitting before that), so I’ll take a chance on this new Meta tool connected to Instagram and see how it works.

…eat/drink at 10 (new to me) restaurants/bars on H Street NE. There’s a trend in local media to say that H Street is dying. It’s not, and I’ll be there to support the local businesses. And there are still plenty I haven’t visited yet.

…visit a (new to me) National Park. Adding this one every year.

…walk 10,000 steps for at least 275 days in 2024. This is 41 more days than I reached 10,000 steps in 2023!

…reach 15,000 points in Capital Bikeshare’s Bike Angels program this year. Bike Angels is a program for users to get points moving the bikes in a way that helps re-distribute them more effectively per the Bike Angels’ algorithm. Last year I got about 12,500 points, so this is cake! Right?

…write more. I’ve let my personal blog languish, and I’ve done less posting on my blog about DC (A DC Journey), so let’s get back to business. It’s business time.

…visit a new (to me) country. It’s been so long since I went to a new country, I was probably still in diapers! Let’s crush some travel.

Have a wondrous 2024, if you dare!

Let’s see how I fared from last year!

Bold Predictions for 2023

Success rate: 6/10

…hike 200 miles. Hmmm, you say, that’s not so bold, certainly not so many miles as to get all worked up about! I say, Lo! Look here! I didn’t hike hardly at all in 2022, so I need to get back into the flow, yo. You say, Not buying it, you can do more. I say, Maybe I will! But I’m still not changing the number. Result: Whoops! I didn’t quite get there. I did a few hikes, but not like I wanted.

…run a 5K race. Does that help? If I promise to hike AND run? There’s just no pleasing you, is there? Result: No dice!

…travel to Costa Rica. I have my ticket, so it’s a go! Result: So much success, I’m going back in January 2025!

…eat at 25 (new to me) restaurants in DC. Support local businesses. Eat food. Two good things. Result: Yes, I did this in spades. Made it to 32 new restaurants.

…start 10 new TV shows and finish 10 TV shows already started. I’ve gained a solid list of shows I’d like to watch, but haven’t had time for. And there are a few shows that I only have one season left to watch. I did movies in 2022, so 2023 is TV! Result: Completed. Although, I probably watched more new TV shows than I needed to!

…visit a (new to me) National Park .Seems like a good goal to have every year! Result: Great success! I went to Pinnacles National Park in California. It’s newer and not that big, but I recommend it.

…visit five (new to me) museums or gardens in DC. Hard to believe, but I haven’t been to every museum or publicly accessible garden in the city.  Result: I’m giving this to myself! I went to Brookside Gardens, Fort Reno for a concert, Riverbend Regional Park, Hillwood Estate, and Fort Belvoir to play softball.

…read 11 (new to me) Hugo Winning books for Best Science Fiction Novel. I did 10 last year, obviously I can do 11 this year! And fun fact, I bought a robust stack of Hugo winning books in late 2021 and never once cracked them open in 2022, so I need to read those anyway. Result: Ah, so close, yet so far. I only got to 8-1/2 this year. Sad.

…reach 1,000 Instagram followers. Only 180+ to go! If I’m all about that clout, help me out. I post more to Instagram than other social media platforms, and a majority are photos of exploring the city of Washington, DC. Follow @adcjourney. Result: I added about 130, but didn’t manage to reach 1,000! That’s what 2024 if for.

…attend two road games of any combination of Seattle sports teams. Thinking about mini road trips to catch the Kraken or the Mariners. Road games in Baltimore or DC don’t count. Also, I definitely need to attend a University of Washington Huskies football game! At Stanford anyone? Do it! Result: Win! I lied, I will count road games in Baltimore and DC. I went to a Seahawks @ Ravens game, a Mariners @ Orioles game, and flew out to California for the UW @ Stanford game.

Bold Predictions for 2023

On By Jeremy BaileyIn Random GoalsLeave a comment

Another year, another round of bold predictions. Behold my 14th annual list! What shenanigans will I get into in 2023? Who knows, but you can bet it will be lackluster and uninspiring. Just the sort of thing I excel at. Read on for the gory details.


I’ve also shared the results of 2022’s list at the bottom. 

…hike 200 miles. Hmmm, you say, “That’s not so bold, certainly not so many miles as to get all worked up about!” I say, “Lo! Look here! I didn’t hike hardly at all in 2022, so I need to get back into the flow, yo.” You say, “Not buying it, you can do more.” I say, “Maybe I will! But I’m still not changing the number.”

…run a 5K race. Does that help? If I promise to hike AND run? There’s just no pleasing you, is there?

…travel to Costa Rica. I have my ticket, so it’s a go!

…eat at 30 (new to me) restaurants/bars in DC. Support local businesses. Eat food. Two good things.

…start 10 new TV shows and finish 10 TV shows already started. I’ve gained a solid list of shows I’d like to watch, but haven’t had time for. And there are a few shows that I only have one season left to watch. I did movies in 2022, so 2023 is TV!

…visit a (new to me) National Park. Seems like a good goal to have every year!

…visit five (new to me) museums or gardens in DC. Hard to believe, but I haven’t been to every museum or publicly accessible garden in the city. 

…read 11 (new to me) Hugo Winning books for Best Science Fiction Novel. I did 10 last year, obviously I can do 11 this year! And fun fact, I bought a robust stack of Hugo winning books in late 2021 and never once cracked them open in 2022, so I need to read those anyway.

…reach 1,000 Instagram followers. Only 180+ to go! If I’m all about that clout, help me out. I post more to Instagram than other social media platforms, and a majority are photos of exploring the city of Washington, DC. Follow @adcjourney.

…attend two road games of any combination of Seattle sports teams. Thinking about mini road trips to catch the Kraken or the Mariners. Road games in Baltimore or DC don’t count. Also, I definitely need to attend a University of Washington Huskies football game! At Stanford anyone? Do it!

Hope you have a great 2023!

Let’s look at how I fared from my 2022 list:

Success rate: 5.51/10

…watch 150 (new to me) movies. I usually try to watch at least a 100 movies a year, but not all have to be new to me. I re-watch a fair number of movies, but this time, that won’t count. This works out to 3 movies a week. Check out and contribute to the burgeoning list of movies. 

Result: Done did it! I watched 161 new to me movies. I’ll drop a separate post to get into the weeds. I know you can barely contain yourself with anticipation, but hold on tight, it will be so worth it! (Probably not)

…read 10 (new to me) Hugo Winning books for Best Science Fiction Novel. In recent years I’ve made the goal to read more science fiction. So naturally (right?!?!), I decided earlier this year to read ALL the Hugo Winners for Best Novel. This is merely a list of 71 novels since 1953, of which I had read a few over the years. The number now sits at 25 read, so only 46 to go! But I only need to read 10 this year, call me an underachiever. 

Result: Look Ma, I did it!! Between audio and physical books, I made it exactly to 10!

…do something I’ve never done. I have no idea what this thing might be, but going to a new place doesn’t count. Could be terrifying. 

Result: If I say I white water rafted down the Savage River in the short window when they release water from the dam, you’ll probably say “That doesn’t cut it”, and who can blame you. I wrote no new places, and I’ve been river rafting many times, just not on this river. If I say I witnessed a 3-Tweezer show by Phish, you’ll probably spit out your cocoa, and ask, “What’s a tweezer?!?” If I say I attended the annual Washington State Society Potlatch for the first time, you’ll probably congratulate me, but with that frown that means: do better. If I say I helped organize my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary, you’ll probably say, “Okay! Okay!! We’ll give you this one, calm down.”

…clean, organize, and discard. My apartment will thank me. 

Result: I don’t even know what these words mean.

…dock a Capital Bikeshare bike in 50 new stations. This is less about the stations actually, and just a way to ride bikes more and cruise around other parts of the Capital Bikeshare system that is outside of the DC city limits. There are around 646 bike stations in the Capital Bikeshare system, I’ve been to just under half (316). This is about exploring, which you know I like to do! 

Result: Didn’t quite make it to 50 new to me stations (32), but I did explore and ride around DC a lot. So in the tradition of cheating, and helping myself to a dose of positive reinforcement, I’m giving a DC-themed .51 for this. (Again, DC WILL be the 51st State! Bank on it.) 

…homebrew some beer. Why not? I did it a few times over 20 years ago. One of those batches turned out decently, the others…well, the less said the better. 

Result: No porters, no lagers, no IPAs, and no other kind of tasty suds were lovingly crafted by my hand in the comfort of my home. Sad.

…visit 10 (new to me) breweries. And to get the bad brew taste out of my mouth from my concoctions, let’s seek it out from professionals! 

Result: Booyah!! I went to 20 new to me breweries, including a nice little trip to Richmond, and a few in Maryland, Nashville, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon! Stay thirsty.

…run 10 total miles. Okay, okay I get it. That’s a very low number for a whole year. But here’s the reality, I’m either going to start running, or I’m not. 

Result: Umm, nope. Nope. Nope. I did run the bases for softball, maybe if I calculate the distance between bases + how many hits I got + how many runs I scored, maybe that will all work out to 10 miles?!? Oh, so you’re not buying it? Okay, fail.

…visit a (new to me) National Park. Would love to get to any or all of the Utah NPs or maybe the brand new NP in West Virginia. 

Result: All good intentions eventually fail. Will put this on 2023’s list in hopes of redemption.

…eat three things I’ve never eaten before. I have no idea what these foodstuffs might be, but frozen White Castle sliders won’t count. Send me some ideas. Could be terrifying. 

Result: I had a Jamaican stew dish (Brown Stew Chicken at Bammy’s in DC), a different type of Caribbean stew at Sweet Sweet Kitchen in DC, some purple sweet potato fries at The Runaway in DC, and probably a few more things I can’t think of. After the weak effort I put in this year, I have to win this last one!

UPDATE! 2022 New Movie Goal

On By Jeremy BaileyIn MoviesLeave a comment

One of my Bold Predications in 2022 is to watch 150 new to me movies.

I’m on track to succeed, so far having watched 98/150 movies through July. Only five months left!

See the list of movies I watched so far, along with a progress report based on the list I started with at the bottom.

Also, please feel free to recommend MORE movies for me to watch!

Movies Watched

Red = Saw in theatres

Green = Recommended by someone

Fun Facts

I went a little crazy the first month. I had to pause the last week of January, so I wouldn’t ‘seem’ crazy. Don’t think it worked.

I watched 11 (of 22) movies that people recommended to me! 50% success, unless someone wants to add to the list!

I saw five Marvel movies, and three DC Comics movies.

I watched 8 (of 10) of the 2022 Best Picture Nominees this year. I saw Dune last year, and the only one left is the actual winner, CODA.

Original List

In the Theater 2022

  1. Spider-man: No Way Home (released 2021)
  2. Matrix 4 (released 2021)
  3. Scream
  4. Jackass Forever
  5. Moonfall
  6. The Batman
  7. The Lost City
  8. The Northman
  9. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
  10. John Wick 4
  11. Top Gun: Maverick 
  12. Jurassic World: Dominion
  13. Lightyear
  14. Thor: Love and Thunder
  15. Black Adam
  16. Mission Impossible 7
  17. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2
  18. The Flash
  19. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
  20. Avatar 2
  21. Sherlock Holmes 3
  22. 65
  23. Distant
  24. Three Thousand Years of Longing

Streaming

  1. The Eternals 
  2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Disney+)
  3. Last Night in Soho
  4. The Power of the Dog (Netflix)
  5. Oxygen (Netflix)
  6. Don’t Look Up (Netflix)
  7. The Forgotten Battle (Netflix)
  8. The Outpost (Netflix)
  9. Concrete Cowboy (Netflix)
  10. Mortal Combat (HBO Max)
  11. Godzilla vs. Kong (HBO Max)
  12. Many Saints of Newark (HBO Max)
  13. Zack Synder’s Justice League (HBO Max)
  14. Without Remorse (Amazon)
  15. The French Dispatch

Music Films

  1. Let There Be Rock
  2. The Song Remains the Same
  3. A Hard Day’s Night
  4. Pearl Jam Twenty

Best Picture Nominees

2022

  1. Belfast
  2. CODA
  3. Drive My Car
  4. King Richard
  5. Licorice Pizza
  6. West Side Story

2010’s

  1. Phantom Thread
  2. War Horse
  3. Amour

2000’s

  1. Atonement

1990’s

  1. Secrets & Lies

1980’s

  1. The Mission

1970’s

  1. Barry Lyndon
  2. All That Jazz

Old School Science Fiction

  1. The Man Who Fell To Earth
  2. THX 1138
  3. Alphaville
  4. Solaris (1972)
  5. Phase IV
  6. Coherence
  7. Quintet
  8. Outland
  9. The Dead Zone
  10. Krull
  11. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
  12. The Last Man on Earth

Others

  1. Backcountry
  2. Farewell, My Lovely
  3. Being There
  4. Come and See
  5. Wake in Fright
  6. Fitzcarraldo
  7. The Love Witch (Reid)
  8. Hud (Ryan) 
  9. Le Diner des Cons (The Dinner Game) (Annie)
  10. La Grande Seduction (Seducing Dr Lewis) (Annie)
  11. If Beale Street Could Talk (Itzbeth)
  12. I Am Not Your Negro (Itzbeth)
  13. Poetic Justice (Itzbeth)
  14. Higher Learning (Itzbeth)
  15. Love Jones (Itzbeth)
  16. American Revolutionary: the Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs (Itzbeth)
  17. Land of Mine (Napoleon)
  18. Elle (Napoleon)
  19. Ordinary People (Filipino) (Napoleon)
  20. Uncle Frank (Napoleon)
  21. The Counselor (Napoleon)
  22. Captain Hagen’s Bed & Breakfast (Napoleon)
  23. The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (Mary) (YouTube)
  24. In America (Mary)
  25. Forks Over Knives (Mary)
  26. The Power of One (Mary)
  27. Big Night
  28. Encanto
  29. Fisherman’s Friends (Mike)
  30. Hard to Be a God (Ryan)
  31. Attack the Block
  32. The Endless
  33. Colossal
  34. Turning Red
  35. Eden Lake

2022 Movie Watch List

On By Jeremy BaileyIn Movies1 Comment

One of my ‘Bold Predictions’ in 2022 will be to watch 150 (new to me) movies. About three per week.

Give your movie suggestions, and if I haven’t seen it yet, I’ll add it to the list!

Here is a start!

(Last updated 2/20/22)

In Theaters

  1. Spider-man: No Way Home (released 2021)
  2. Matrix Resurrections (released 2021)
  3. Nightmare Alley (released 2021)
  4. Scream (2022)
  5. Jackass Forever
  6. Death on the Nile
  7. Moonfall
  8. The Batman
  9. Lost City of D
  10. The Northman
  11. Studio 666
  12. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
  13. John Wick 4
  14. Top Gun: Maverick 
  15. Jurassic World: Dominion
  16. Lightyear
  17. Thor: Love and Thunder
  18. Nope
  19. Black Adam
  20. Mission Impossible 7
  21. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Part One
  22. The Flash
  23. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
  24. Avatar 2
  25. Sherlock Holmes 3
  26. 65
  27. Distant
  28. Three Thousand Years of Longing
  29. Avatar 2

Streaming

  1. Free Guy
  2. The Eternals (Disney+)
  3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Disney+)
  4. Last Night in Soho
  5. The Power of the Dog (Netflix)
  6. Oxygen (Netflix)
  7. Don’t Look Up (Netflix)
  8. The Forgotten Battle (Netflix)
  9. The Outpost (Netflix)
  10. Concrete Cowboy (Netflix)
  11. Mortal Combat (HBO Max)
  12. Godzilla vs. Kong (HBO Max)
  13. Many Saints of Newark (HBO Max)
  14. Zack Synder’s Justice League (HBO Max)
  15. Without Remorse (Amazon)

Music Films

  1. Let There Be Rock
  2. The Song Remains the Same
  3. A Hard Day’s Night

Best Picture Nominees

2022

  1. Belfast
  2. CODA
  3. Drive My Car
  4. King Richard
  5. Licorice Pizza
  6. West Side Story

2010’s

  1. Phantom Thread
  2. War Horse
  3. Amour

2000’s

  1. Atonement

1990’s

  1. Secrets & Lies

1980’s

  1. The Mission

1970’s

  1. Barry Lyndon
  2. All That Jazz

Old School Science Fiction

  1. The Man Who Fell To Earth
  2. THX 1138
  3. Alphaville
  4. Solaris (1972)
  5. Phase IV
  6. Coherence
  7. Quintet
  8. Outland
  9. The Dead Zone
  10. Krull
  11. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
  12. The Last Man on Earth

Others

  1. Backcountry
  2. Farewell, My Lovely
  3. Being There
  4. Come and See
  5. Wake in Fright
  6. Fitzcarraldo
  7. Love Witch (Reid)
  8. Hud (Ryan)
  9. Le Diner des Cons (The Dinner Game) (French original) (Annie)
  10. La Grande Seduction (Seducing Dr Lewis) (Annie)
  11. If Beale Street Could Talk (Itzbeth)
  12. I Am Not Your Negro (Itzbeth)
  13. Poetic Justice (Itzbeth)
  14. Higher Learning (Itzbeth)
  15. Love Jones (Itzbeth)
  16. American Revolutionary: the Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs (Itzbeth)
  17. Land of Mine (Napoleon)
  18. Elle (Napoleon)
  19. Ordinary People (Filipino) (Napoleon)
  20. Uncle Frank (Napoleon)
  21. The Counselor (Napoleon)
  22. Captain Hagen’s Bed & Breakfast (Napoleon)
  23. Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (Mary)
  24. In America (Mary)
  25. Forks Over Knives (Mary)
  26. The Power of One (Mary)
  27. Big Night
  28. Encanto
  29. The French Dispatch
  30. Fisherman’s Friends (Mike)
  31. Hard to Be a God (Ryan)

Working from Home in DC Weeks 11, 12 and 13

On By Jeremy BaileyIn Lame humor, WritingLeave a comment
My observations from having to work at home because of the coronavirus starting on March 16, 2020.

(re-posting my Facebook posts here)

Continue reading “Working from Home in DC Weeks 11, 12 and 13” →

Bold Predictions for 2020

On By Jeremy BaileyIn Outdoors, Random Goals, Travel2 Comments

Well, 2019 was a some sort of year. 2020 has to be better, right? A new decade should signal good things.

My 11th incredibly sought after, absolutely viral, never repeated set of bold predictions is here! You may feel dirty after reading this, but who doesn’t these days?

What might I try to achieve in the upcoming year?

Continue reading “Bold Predictions for 2020” →

50 Random Albums: A 2019 Music Retrospective

On By Jeremy BaileyIn MusicLeave a comment

Welcome to the Roaring 20’s!!

Now is the time to find out how I spent 2019, music-wise.

In 2019 I added 50 new albums to my library. I witnessed 47 concerts (or the greater number of 91 music sets). I also wrote reviews for 36 concerts for the blog about DC! Check out the reviews here.

Continue reading “50 Random Albums: A 2019 Music Retrospective” →

Concertgoing, and Other Microtonal Fingerings

On By Jeremy BaileyIn MusicLeave a comment

Sara Bareilles @ The Anthem on Nov. 20, 2019

Let’s do some exploring and answer the timeless question: What bands/artists have I seen live in concert five or more times?

Continue reading “Concertgoing, and Other Microtonal Fingerings” →

12 for December 2019: To Do List

On By Jeremy BaileyIn Random GoalsLeave a comment
2019 To Do

My seventh annual December To Do List! What a time to be alive!

If ONLY you had clicked on anything else, you might have found yourself with a few productive minutes. Instead of ogling puppies or Baby Yodas, all you get are a few ill-placed words. As long as your eyes are glued to the screen anyway, go right ahead and scan down to greet this legendary listicle.

As I will spend about half of December in Washington State and half in DC, what will I do?

Continue reading “12 for December 2019: To Do List” →

Bold Predictions for 2019

On By Jeremy BaileyIn Outdoors, Random Goals, TravelLeave a comment

So…2019, eh? Well, let’s get after it.

My 10th annual, and fantastically original, set of bold predictions is dropping on your lap today like a hot splash of spilled coffee. Enjoy, but do go towel off after.

What might I try to achieve in the upcoming year?

 

Continue reading “Bold Predictions for 2019” →