I’m Not Normal, And Perhaps I Never Have Been

Things are a little better in the back world. The doctor told me that it appeared that I was healing well and that the swelling was blood pooling up. He pushed a lot of blood and no additional material, from the area yesterday, though it’s swelled some again since. I’m not sure why I’m swelling with blood but I hope this trend ends soon and the swelling subsides. There is a slight bit of bleeding back on my back now (I’m wearing a black undershirt so no one but you gentle readers will ever know), but I’m trying to allow the affected regions to get some air to aid in healing. I’m now scheduled to go back to this doctor next Tuesday to have my stitches removed.

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Sit in a chair and alternately raise your left and right knee toward your chest, five times each.

It might be hard to believe that an exercise you can do slowly and while seated could offer health benefits, but it’s true! “Seated marching” strengthens the muscles of your hips, thighs, and lower abdominal core, which improves balance and increases hip flexibility. Also, even though you’re sitting down, your heart rate will increase, giving you a nice aerobic workout.

This reminds me that I need to exercise more…

Twelve Before Nine
Who doesn’t like a movement with a catchy title?

I’ve come to realize that I am not drinking enough water each day so I’ve started a movement called “Twelve Before Nine” for which I will attempt to drink twelve ounces of water before nine o’clock in the morning each day.

Who knows, the extra trips to the bathroom that my increased water intake will create might also help me lose a little weight. 😉

All Work, No Draper
I am in the throngs of coding. I have a one-track mind (well, I am a man so improper thoughts manage to wedge their way in occasionally) and that track these days is an expressway to coding for iOS devices. After a brief stint for some free nachos and Coke (for which I was not charged so I tipped the waitress $5) at Chuy’s I came back to the office to code. While at Chuy’s I’d sketched up a few screens as well as made notes about some algorithms I needed to implement.

I could only manage to stay at work until 8:30pm before the lack of air conditioning and a need to leave convinced me to do so. I worked for about ninety minutes at home prior to falling asleep.

I guarantee you that this app won’t be the best iOS ever written (it’s not like it’s Angry Birds or anything), but it may wind up being the best app (iOS or otherwise) that I’ve written to date.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – meh, though I’m hoping to improve soon
Current Music – listening to this week’s “Sound Opinions” podcast
Website Of The Day – Major League Baseball is back (see what I did there, I made another “back” reference). I’ve once-again ponied up for the iOS app which allows me to listen to games. I hope that I use this capability more than I have in past years.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing (waiting for the stitches to come out)
Morning Weigh-In – I’ll find out again later

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~7.5 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 0

Vegetarian Days – 3
Carnivorous Days – 7
Pancakes Eaten – 3

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

Books I’ve Read/Heard In 2012

1. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me — Mindy Kahling
2. Flotsametrics and the Floating World: How One Man’s Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science — Curtis Ebbesmeyer

April Goals
– Lose at least three pounds (net weight loss)
– Completely recover from my sebaceous cyst surgery
– Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
– Not to get sick for the entire month (may be a moot point as of today)
– Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
– Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
– Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
– Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
– Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
– Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
– Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
– Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop
– Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
– Run in no fewer than one one 10K
– Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
– Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
– Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
– Eat smaller portions
– Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
– Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
– See more live concerts than I did in 2011
– Eat more pancakes
– Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]