What A Long Strange Week It’s Been

As weeks go this one doesn’t get much stranger for me. Sure it’s been trying at times and I’ve been reminded of some things to which I need to attend, but all and all it’s been a positive experience.

Oh Holy Taco
Yes, I wussed out and decided not to make my way into the office yesterday. Instead I tried that whole “work from home “thing again with little success. However I was fortunate to meet up with ITP-Reader “Martha” at Holy Taco (honestly, it’s a smoke-free thing, though I do love their food and I wanted to make ITP-Reader Betsy jealous as she had to fly to New Jersey yesterday to visit with relatives).

Maybe it was the beer talking, or perhaps it was just the way the light kept striking this piggy bank while Martha and I sat at the bar, but I just couldn’t stop taking iPhone photos of it.

Too funny, well at least to me.

ITP Flickr Pics
Yeah, you get two (not my best unfortunately) for being so nice to me this week.

First we start with the appetizer I ate at Holy Taco.

It’s a roasted beet “salad.” If you like beets (and I happen to love them) you must try this if it is on the menu.

Next up is the side dish I ate with my brisket taco

This is roasted cauliflower. What you can’t tell from my photo is that it also included dates and green olives. If you like cauliflower (and I happen to love it) you must try this if it is on the menu.

Now, if only I’d learn to position things so that they’d be perfectly lit…

A Stopped Watch Is Right Twice A Day
At one point in the drinking at the Taco I looked down at my watch to see what time it was. To my surprise it was 9:15! No, not really since Martha met up with me around 12:30 and it was still very light outside.

Dangen! My watch’s battery was dying (and completely gave up the ghost last night). In reading Amazon reviews as I tried to see if Amazon sold replacement batteries I saw that the battery dying is the one complaint people have about this watch. Not only is the death of the battery inconvenient, apparently replacing it can mess up the watch’s water resistance. Oh well, I’ll give it a shot this weekend and see how it goes.

While I’m at it I might as well round up the other couple watches that have dead batteries and replace those too.

Since I’m Not In The Smokeys I Guess I Can Be In East Point
This weekend is Little Easy’s annual birthday party (makes sense that it would be annual, right?) Initially I had to decline attendance because I was supposed to be up in the Smokey Mountains freezing my ass off taking beautiful photos of sunrises and sunsets. Buuuuuut, since I am obviously not in Tennessee I guess that I’ll be headed to East Point for the celebration tomorrow. I wonder what sort of Cajun-inspired food I can whip up and bring..

A Rest Day? Look At That I’m Back On Schedule!
Okay, okay, I admit it. I did a shitty job of trying to remain on schedule this week. I blame the cold, and the ice, and the sore muscles from shoveling, and the beer — mostly the beer. Today really is a rest day (as is every Friday) and I’m going to take it (my lower back and mid-back still pain me). Tomorrow I will get out and do a slow run to restart my Twisted Ankle training efforts.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – honestly? a bit scared
Current Music – silence as I allow iTunes to download nearly a week’s worth of missed podcasts
Website Of The Day – I forget who tipped me off to Thought Catalog, but I’m glad that they did. There is some really funny shit written up there.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing, absolutely nothing
Morning Weigh-In – Feb 1

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~6.3 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 6 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 1 (9)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 13

Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0

January Goals
– Not to get sick for the entire month
– Not get fired from my job
– Run no fewer than 75 miles
– Prepare Sharpened Stone, LLC for 2011 so that I get no more penalties
– Lose two pounds
– Eat vegetarian at least one day a week
– A couple of goals which I will not divulge
– Eat lunch out no more than twice a week
– Limit myself to eating dinner out on laundry nights, meeting nights, and dates

2011 Goals [will be a little more fluid than in past years]
– Reduce my weight by 25 pounds based on the my weight as measured on February 1st
– Completely read the book Daily Negations which I received as a Christmas gift.
– Run Sharpened Stone as a real business — one which does not get penalized.
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop
– Enter no fewer than three photographic competitions / gallery showings
– Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
– Run in no fewer than two half-marathons
– Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store

The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
– Eat smaller portions

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]