Fall 2023 outlook.

I’m a summer guy at my core, and I'm bound and determined to make the most of the plentiful summer that is remaining -- but of course I also love dark and spooky things. Thus I thoroughly enjoy the first part of fall, basically through Halloween, before the weather gets super gross. September and October. Once November hits, I hate everything. That's basically winter anyway. 

This may be my final full fall in Utah. I expect to leave by November 2024, though I might get cold feet again (all my friends are here). 

Here's the outlook: 

I will be emphasizing rapid improvement in all areas so that I can fully enjoy next summer. I will be recomping (well, likely maingaining since I won't be in a deficit) and lifting, as well as keeping running mileage around 35-40 miles per week. No bulking yet because I basically want to do that from 10% to 13% body fat, which I'm not at yet. I'll maybe do a small cut in March. I will finish my review of CS and CG fundamentals, complete my MS thesis and thus my degree, and gear up to start studying control systems and embedded programming in earnest (basically reviewing a ton of math and physics as a baseline). I'll also work daily on my first app and game, Fortune Quest. I will be gunning to actually get good enough to take art commissions in both 2D and 3D by next summer, and get ready to finally start submitting novels to publishers by 2025. My piano skills will need to improve rapidly due to being called as a ward pianist, and I will be augmenting that with sufficient clarinet and voice practice. I'll continue to work on concepts for my theme park resort. I will do my best to read a book a week, keep catching up on my shows, and play one video game per month. I’ll slowly start writing my Pokémon fanfic again, and maybe screw around in Showdown, plus I may start a VN or webcomic, and if not I will at least start outlining. Finally, I will meditate nightly, get enough sleep, and keep hitting my macros. 

FanX and the Utah State Fair will both be transitional events. I will go to both. I am going to ride Black Out and Speed this year. I kinda want to get an epic Helluva Boss backpack for FanX. 

Indoor water park season starts after Cherry Hill closes for the season, unless we get lucky like last year and a pool stays open longer (such as Lehi). This will likely be Monday, September 11th (oof). I suspect that I will visit an indoor water park weekly, as well as either a theme park, fair, or corn maze. 

Fall fair and corn maze season starts technically on September 2nd, with the Sunflower Festival at Cornbelly's. Realistically, my first fall festival will be Wilkerson Farm on September 9th (Friday) after work, or during lunch. I will also be visiting both Cornbelly's locations as well as Witchfest and Ricochet Canyon. 

For spooky season, I will probably not be attending Frightmares, as my main group for going through the mazes has effectively disbanded due to moving. I'll still be at Lagoon though, so I might experience it inadvertently. We will be visiting the Haunted Forest in Lehi, though. I will also be reading some light horror from James Colton and maybe I'll watch a few creepy movies but we will see. I would love to sit out and watch a scary movie in a cornfield with a giant burrito. That sounds oddly specific, but we did it one year (though the movie was just Signs so not particularly scary) aaaand we left early because it was too cold. 

Gaming season starts after Halloween is over, because at that point it's too depressing to be outside, and all the outdoor parks are closed. 

Drawtober will run through all of October, so I'll be producing some nice art pieces. I doubt I'll post them anywhere, though that depends on how much my skill improves by then. 

Racing season continues with the St. George Half Marathon as well as the Haunted Half. Our runs through Provo Canyon should get us some lovely views of the trees. I’ll take a lot of walks too. Especially on the Lagoon trail. Might do the Battlecreek Falls mini hike.

For theme parks in general, I'll be visiting Lagoon and Wilkerson Farm frequently in Sept-Oct, and I plan on taking a trip with Buzzed Bars to Dollywood in November. 

I forgot about fall swimming as well. I am hoping that my apartment will keep the pool open for a while after Labor Day. It's actually hard to swim there during the summer due to all the kids and it's usually nice enough to swim into the beginning of October. I can handle a bit of cold. 

Thanksgiving may be in Cali this year instead of St. George, but that's TBD. 

NaNoWriMo is in November, but I don't think I'll have Eternisummer drafted fully by then. If I somehow finish ES draft 1 by October and have my thesis done, I'll write up an outline and then vomit-draft in November. Otherwise, this will be my final year of opting out.

Finally, my thesis must be done by December, completely. I will also need to improve my time management so I start studying closer to 7:45 AM and leave for my post-lunch walk at 12:20 PM, not 12:40. My website will also get a major overhaul, but probably not until late winter or early spring. 

And that's it.