My ‘Hood Gets Even More News Time

Some small number of years ago a house a block or two from mine caught fire. While the house was saved, any passerby could easily see that it had been damaged. Since then it has sat, I assume battling the poor economy and insurance claims, until recently when workers had begun showing up on site. Yesterday there was news of a partial roof collapse, injuring at least three of those workers. Here’s to hoping that these people will recover quickly.

Eighty-Eight Minutes
I left work at 5:30pm really wanting to do nothing more then head to Taco Mac to drink some beer and eat some food. I couldn’t, because I really needed to get home in order to start knocking off some of the items on my burgeoning to-do list. I started my commute home by playing a podcast which had a hour, twenty-two minute running time instead.

As a secondary plan I thought about going for a long walk, or perhaps finding a shady park and reading for awhile (with a beer in hand preferably). I couldn’t, because I really needed to get home in order to start knocking off some of the items on my burgeoning to-do list.

Hell, I even nixed the idea of stopping at Target to buy some new fat-man jeans (the ones I was wearing yesterday are starting to become a little thread-bare, and I see no sense buying “good” jeans until I have a frame which can support them) and a new camping chair. I couldn’t stop to shop, because I really needed to get home in order to start knocking off some of the items on my burgeoning to-do list.

The first five minutes of the commute seemed fine and then I made my first alteration upon seeing my first, in what would be many, line of cars.

At one point in my commute I watched the traffic signal hanging above the twelfth car in front of me ignore our collective desire to move forward, never turning green for us during two complete traffic cycles. Fed up, I pulled through a commercial driveway in order to make forward progress via a series of turns.

At the sixty-minute mark I had made my way to Piedmont Park. By that time my circuitous route had taken me about eighteen miles.

These are the commutes which inspire me to move away.

That was the tweet I sent out, while sitting in more traffic.

I thought about stopping into George’s Bar and seeing if any of my hashing friends were out doing a Wednesday night run. I couldn’t, because I really needed to get home in order to start knocking off some of the items on my burgeoning to-do list.

I passed the Wednesday night food truck collection on Highland, briefly contemplated stopping, but figured finding parking would do nothing more than exasperate my frustrations. And besides, I’m not supposed to let myself eat out, even if it’s fast(ish) food.

As I pulled into my driveway the eighty-eight minute long podcast, which I had started playing as I left work, completed.

I was beaten, grabbed my mail, made myself a quick dinner, drank a couple of beers, did one or two of the chores, and then crashed on the bed.

I’ll be headed straight home again tonight, but you can guarantee that I’ll be leaving the office much earlier and stopping for dinner and beer at the first hint of a traffic clusterfuck.

Traffic Lights Are Getting To Me
The traffic light snafu (if it was a snafu) was the second such identical snafu, but at different intersections, that I’ve experienced this week. It’s no wonder why Atlanta’s traffic is one of the worst in the country. Also, while I realize that I’m probably noticing it more because I’ve become aware of it, it seems as if I am sitting at more red lights on main roads for no apparent reason.

Perhaps I need to start riding MARTA again in order to appreciate the luxury of driving myself to and from work.

I’ve Double-Booked Myself — Again!?
Craptastic! One of the chores I needed to do, did last night, and still need to double-check tonight, was update my calendar. In fact, I need to tweak this task so that it can be updated more easily. Why? Because I once again double-booked myself, and if I believe what I saw the months of September and October are going to be monstrously busy for me.

Since first hearing their music in Denver about three years ago I’ve been intrigued to see the band Trampled By Turtles perform. They tour fairly regularly, but for one reason or another (previous commitment, illness, getting to the venue to early and not wanting to wait around) I’ve not managed to do so. This October Trampled By Turtles is playing Variety Playhouse on a Friday night. This was going to be the time that I finally got to see them perform! So I bought a ticket.

While updating my calendar last night I realized (with dismay) that I won’t be in Atlanta on the Friday night that Trampled By Turtles will. Instead I will be in Black Mountain, NC attending LEAF with ITP-Readers Lisa and Randy. Don’t get me wrong, I really want to go back to LEAF I’m just bummed that I’m going to be missing Trampled By Turtles yet again.

There is a possibility that I won’t have to miss Trampled By Turtles on this tour, however. Looking at the band’s tour schedule I see that they will be performing in Asheville, NC on the Wednesday night before LEAF (and oddly traveling to Carrboro, NC on Thursday before coming to Atlanta on Friday). Of course to be in Asheville on Wednesday night and Black Mountain on Friday would mean that I’d have to burn a precious vacation day on that Thursday. Decisions. Priorities. Decisions. Priorities.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – overwhelmed
Current Music – silence as I really need to concentrate today
Website Of The Day – Recently I heard of a site called SkillShare. The premise of SkillShare is that people sign up to take courses, some free, some not, offered by people in their area. Could be an interesting concept.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – reprieve until next Wednesday

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 33.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 48 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)

Vegetarian Days – 1
Carnivorous Days – 16

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

August Goals
– “Completely” recover from the bike crash
– Ride my bike no fewer than 150 miles
– Not to get sick for the entire month
– Not get fired from my job
– Run at least once
– Eat vegetarian no fewer than five days
– Lose two pounds

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 one half-marathon
– 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]