Normally I try to restrict myself from eating the entire package of nuts and dried fruit because the package is said to contain 2.5 servings. Fuck it, it’s the Friday before a long Labor Day weekend and I’m living large today!
No Sweetwater For Me — Bed Bath & Beyond, REI, And Taco Mac Instead
I worked until nearly 6:00pm yesterday and didn’t even consider fighting the Falcons and Yellow Jackets traffic into midtown to celebrate a happy hour at Sweetwater Brewery with the hashers. Instead I drove the short distance to the Bed, Bath & Beyond near my office, from there walked to REI, and from there drove over to Taco Mac to secure a seat for some iPad reading and television viewing.
I’ll hold off on revealing my BB&B purchase until I actually use it. At REI my needs were simple, two new water bottles for the BlackJack (ooooh, look at me tossing around the money!) and a couple of packets of Clif Shot Bloks for tomorrow’s ride, all the while looking for that perfect camping companion. [Actually, there was a “Camping on Motorcycles” class(?) at that REI last night that I almost considered sitting in for.]
At Taco Mac I passed on the keep-the-stein liter of Sierra Nevada for $16 and instead had two mugs, one of Monday Night Brewing‘s Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale, and one of New Belgium Brewery’s Hoptober (?); with those I noshed on some chicken nachos (how in the hell did I used to be able to eat that entire mound of food?).
The iPad Still Draws Attention
I’ve had an iPad(1) 3G since the first day of its availability last year. I expected the new and unusual device to turn heads and create inquires for a little while, but it’s been nearly seventeen months and people still ask me about it. Of course these days I almost apologetically tell them that it’s not an iPad2 but they never seem to mind. They look at me with some wonderment, ask my opinion of the device (the only device for which I answer “I love this, and can honestly say that I use it every day.”), and smile.
While I was reading Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking last night’s waitress was one of those inquirers, and then went on to tell me about her boyfriend’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) company. Ha!
Think what you will about Apple and Steve Jobs’ smugness, I love my iPad, not because I am (still) an Apple shareholder, but because I think it’s a transformative device.
Speaking Of Kindle Books
I finished Shopgirl the other day, and realized one deficiency of eBooks. While there is a silent indicator of your progress within a book you really have little clue how far along you are. As I read what turned out to be the final paragraph I was somewhat stunned and disappointed. “Acknowledgements?” “Wait, that’s the end?” “Really?” “Huh!” where all audibly spoken though I was in my house alone.
I’ll Let You In On A Wee Little Secret
I am as damaged as a second-hand piece of IKEA furniture, and oftentimes look into the mirror and exclaim that I am not nearly good looking enough to be as stupid as I am.
Case and Point:
There have been inquiries about my participation in this year’s Black Sheep Hash Lake Hartwell Campout. “Of course I’m going to be there, I’m making the grits cakes again!” I’d think. And then today it dawned on me…. People are inquiring about my attendance because, with the campout four weekends away I have yet to register for the event. DUH!
So from here on out I just might ask myself “What would Don Draper do?” And then pour myself a drink, light a cigarette, and sit back and wait for the ladies to flock.
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fair
Current Music – listening to the “Coverville — Elvis Costello Cover Story” podcast
Website Of The Day – Who knew that Labor Day Weekend had its own website? I didn’t, at least not until today.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – next week
Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)
Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 1
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
September 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 twice
– Eat vegetarian no fewer than five days
– Lose three 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]
Wait a minute, you blew off happy hour at Sweetwater to go to Bed Bath and Beyond? Who are you? 🙂
Secondly, motorcycle camping class at REI? I always thought REI hated motorcyclists because we “disturb” nature.
Well, I “needed” the water bottles so I justified going to REI by including the trip to Bed Bath and Beyond. 😉 At least I went to Taco Mac, right? 🙂
I didn’t know that REI felt that way about motorcyclists. Interesting. I do believe the gist of this class was road motorcycling to campgrounds and then camping.
Cliff Shots? How far do you think we’re riding?? 🙂 Hopefully, you went to BBnB first, then got your shakra realigned at REI before you went to TM, otherwise no telling what you might have picked up…
Looking forward to having y’all down tomorrow.
-FP
I am well out of shape, I need the Clif Shots “just in case.”
The order was BB&B, REI, Taco Mac. If Taco Mac came before either of those I’m sure that I’d be the proud owner of something I absolutely didn’t need.
What time are you guys riding tomorrow? How far? I wonder if I can keep you (only been on the bike, like once this year)? I’m just full of questions today.
Anywho, yesterday was nice, I’m totally overwhelmed by the number of Bday wishes I got just on Facebook alone. I’ll never be able to say thank you to everyone. Heck even my Dad’s prom date sent me a note. I left the office a little early yesterday and I was in no mood to fight traffic back up to SW. Instead, a quiet sushi dinner with Jerry and in bed by 10.
I can down a bag of dried fruit in no time, I have to be very careful when I hit YDFM.
I’m debating Lake Hartwell, I’d love to go and see everyone but I don’t want to sit around all weekend drinking and I need to really get back on my running schedule, Soliders is in a couple of months and I really haven’t started to train…it’s going to be ugly.
We were planning on riding at 11. If that works for you, we’d certainly love to have you. Speaking for myself, I could go earlier as well.
The plan is to ride at 11am tomorrow (we’ll probably push off around 11:15am). I don’t know the distance.
Glad you had a nice birthday. Sushi in EAV? Was it good?
Lake Hartwell will be fun, though I understand not wanting to sit around drinking all weekend, especially since the price of official hash camping has gone up. Talk about ugly, I’m *considering* “running” the hash — most likely to be the first hash I’ve attempted since Jan/Feb thanks to the bicycle accident. If the weather is agreeable I will be bringing BlackJack with me in order to get a ride in that weekend.
La Vuelta broadcast just started. They are on their fourth climb of the day, this one is about 8 miles long, and it’s currently a 11% climb. Damn, they are killing those men in Spain!
I wish I could go riding with y’all tomorrow, but I’m heading north to SC instead.
SW was fun, they start at about 5:30 & kick you out at 7:30. You really get a good amount of beer for the $10 (and you get to keep the pint glass). I didn’t even use up all my tickets.
Then we ended up over at Pancho’s – needed some food to go with all the beer.
Trivia was already almost half thru, but we played anyway, & we ended up winning 2nd place (a whole $10) becaase Kat knew the 8 countries that start with an E.
So – next week – Pancho’s – starts @ 7:30pm – if anyone wants to join us to spend that $10 & play. (so far it is me, Who Flung Doo & Kat & Mango that said they’d be back).
Paulie, we must have passed each other at Bed Bath and Beyond yesterday! I was stupid enough to enter the traffic at 5pm (I was doing a commute test run) and it took me almost an hour and twenty minutes to get home. If I do get the contract up at Ravinia, my life is going to suck Monday – Friday and I think I will be riding MARTA quite a bit.
Drew and I will see you down at the MDS tomorrow.
Barb: Wish you were going as well, but have fun in SC.
Huh, that’s funny.
If you do wind up working up this way please let me know. Unless something has changed Cooter Scooter works in these parts as well, perhaps we can get together for lunch.
Looking forward to seeing you kids tomorrow.
hey Michelle- you can meet us for trivia next Thursday if you start working.
Or – bring a bike someday(s) – we could go up to Big Creek or ride the road bikes in Roswell. I know it is the wrong direction to get home, but depending on the day & traffic, it might work.