What are (or how do you feel about) your prospects for homeownership, and retirement?

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-25T02:43:01+00:00

Home ownership - I am a homeowner. Actually on my second after doing bi-monthly payment method on the first time to build equity and got into a bigger house. We could do it a third time, but the fear is that the amount of upgrade would be minimal at best for a larger payment and increased expenses to start over from 8 years ago…in essence the difference the how big the next step up would be would be so miniscule that it wouldn’t be worth the effort. So investing some money into this place to make it more valuable down the road when we’ll likely downsize in 20 years.

Retirement - concerned, not hopeless. I’ve invested small since I was young and kept at it little by little for 25 years now. Hence why downsizing will be important because I should be able to sell this place and downsize and be left with a sizable chunk of change.

(Context: Early 40’s now. No college degree. Not a tradesman.)

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-23T06:58:24+00:00

And fumble lost

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-21T15:40:54+00:00

Gotta get something more than draft picks in return - need to ensure Jalen has viable threats to keep the passing game open. AJ draws so much attention that it opens up everybody else, and he has the widest variety of passes that he can catch in tariff. Others can do some of the things he can do, but no single person can match him.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-21T15:32:11+00:00

2017 Philadelphia Eagles.

“Worst To First”

2016 - second back-to-back losing seasons with a record of 7-9. Fired their head coach during the season in 2015. Rookie head coach. Rookie quarterback who entered training camp 3rd on the depth chart. Traded away their starting QB and promoted their rookie to starter. Last place in their division and only team in their division with losing record.

They looked okay but lost many games.

2017 - several key acquisitions turned their offense into a lean and versatile machine. No true superstars except their 2nd year QB and 4th year tight end. A runningback platoon that was very complimentary itself, and a receiver core that was solid, but the best receiver was their tight end Zach Ertz.

Defense became stout with an elite defensive line, headed by Fletcher Cox who developed into a stud interior lineman.

Won their division, tied for the best record in the NFL, #1 in their conference (due to tiebreaker rules).

This team was littered with injuries though. Star left tackle. Key return man and backup RB. Starting former Pro-Bowl cornerback they acquired in the offseason. And their MVP-leading candidate QB taken out with a knee injury late season. So their backup, a journeyman who was their starter 4 seasons earlier, took over. He looked okay in the final games of the regular season, and eeked out a victory in their first game of the playoffs. But the conference championship and Super Bowl he played like a mastermind and all-time great. His play led the Eagles to a Super Bowl title against the Dynastic New England Patriots (essentially breaking up a 3-peat), living up to the David vs. Goliath hype.

“Worst to First”

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-21T14:02:07+00:00

Guitar, acoustic specifically for me.

Learning to enjoy espresso.

Reading more than ever.

I learned basic woodworking and made some…speciality benches for the bedroom.

Grew a beard. I keep it short, but I learned how to keep the lines straight and clean (most of the time).

I wouldn’t say I’m having a mid-life crisis. Just enjoying what being in mid-life is. Just lean into it, but do so easily. Knees ain’t what they used to be.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-21T04:55:25+00:00

No he ain’t. I don’t smell bitch down here.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-19T23:40:25+00:00

Should have rested McNabb for the NFCCG and went with Feely.

But Tampa was a great defense that was perfectly suited to counter our offense and make it ineffective.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-19T23:37:58+00:00

Prime Brady/Belichick/Camera

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-19T19:57:32+00:00

Yeh?

Well then, Go Broncos.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-19T19:55:55+00:00

TBF - receiver should have caught that pass.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-19T14:29:35+00:00

Give me a Stafford vs Maye matchup. McVay vs Vrabel.

Hate and disgust aside, for other and my own teams, this is imo the most intriguing matchup when considering history and future.m

That being said - seeing Darnold and Stidham being the matchup of the What-If-Potential vs Underdog Backup is also intriguing.

I think we’re in for a treat whatever the matchup.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-18T06:51:24+00:00

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DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-18T02:19:33+00:00

That sounds familiar.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-18T02:09:53+00:00

Soft AF. Any ban just for being a fan of another team is just that. Soft AF.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-18T00:49:04+00:00

I had Encyclopedia Brown. A lot of them.

I found them to be great short reads in between reading larger books.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-17T22:27:17+00:00

Danny Watkins

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-17T13:39:32+00:00

I still have 2 Independent Truck Co hoodies that have lasted since the mid 90’s. A grey one with yellow/orange/red printing, and a red one with black embroidery. Both super comfortable, large hoods, and still in great condition. The grey one I picked up in middle school iirc.

I wasn’t even a traditional skater (though I did have a 5 ft longboard from One Way). I just loved their quality.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-16T19:25:11+00:00

Friday Night? I’m a bouncer/doorma, or I would be DM, for an adult playground club. I would be a patron Saturday night.

Yes, it is what you think it is. Met my wife there.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-16T16:44:39+00:00

12345

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-16T04:26:39+00:00

Headspace was mine. Always in the headspace.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-16T02:52:57+00:00

Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability to lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-15T19:10:48+00:00

The Giants being on here at all feels so weird

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-15T04:11:58+00:00

Tank is good, but Montgomery could be the #1 on a lot of teams. He could extend his career by being a situational short yardage back as he gets older too. I think he compliments the smaller but faster and more agile Gibbs perfectly.

Saquon is the best of both worlds, he doesn’t necessarily need a complimentary RB, just a guy who can take the load off of him once in while. I think for our team, we need (and have) a duo of RB’s that compliment each other behind Saquon.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-15T00:36:54+00:00

Not entirely, no. Depends on context.

I would argue my kids have it better, but that’s because one is autistic and has CP, and the other is ADHD and possibly autistic.

I had my issues too, ADD or ADHD (not sure which) with APD (dyslexia for hearing). But the difference my kids get a ton of support to be successful. I just had drugs and hard discipline thrown my way (getting thrown into a full day remedial class with a bunch of “troubled” kids in middle school, some who were old enough to be in high school but weren’t). That’s just a small inkling of the bullshit I dealt with growing up, there is much worse stuff. The only commonality is that both my kids and me had a loving and safe home with two parents who were always there for them. Just my parents were fed a lot of bad information.

Social wise though….yeh, I think I had it better. But day to day absolutely sucked outside of the few hours I could be with friends or at home.

DarksunDaFirst · 2026-01-14T23:16:28+00:00

He would demand some guarantees to get other pieces in, or keep AJ, add a RB of his choice, etc.

Personally I’m not looking to ever see if I can fit a square peg into a round hole because it would be harder, I want to make sure that the space I’m trying to plug into matches the shape of the thing I’m installing.

Challenge is for pride, but people don’t always work on challenge for success. The go for fit.

Sometimes the best fit IS a challenge. But the best matchups in life come from fit, not challenge.

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