May I first thank all of you who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. I received phone calls, personal greetings, text messages, ITP blog comments, tweets, and yes, Facebook wall postings (as I’ve been informed). As a whole the weekend was a blast.
Today’s Personal Project
Do laundry.
Today’s Daily Challenge
Do a Pilates-inspired exercise by lying on your back and rolling up to a seated position three times.
This exercise requires that you fully engage your core – in other words, you call on the muscles in your abdomen and back to help you roll up and then back down again. A strong core is important for balance and stability, and it also contributes to good posture.
Burning A Day Off
As you’ve figured out by now I took a “vacation” day last Friday. I played Atlanta tourist, treating myself to pancakes at Java Jive before heading over to the High Museum for a few hours of art viewing and a little photography.
I left the High shortly after noon and meandered (via the Jackmobile) toward Decatur where I decided to kill a little time and a few pints at The Marlay House.
After a good nap I headed over to ITP-Reader Betsy’s house to pick her up for our dinner/concert outing. Letting the wind blow us (read “having no plan”) we ate a really good dinner at Desi Spice in Midtown Promenade (the food was really good, the wine, weeeeeeeel). From dinner we drove up to the Atlanta Botanical Garden for the show.
ITP Flickr Pic
On Friday night I was joined by ITP-Reader Betsy for the Neko Case concert. After procuring a couple of bottles of water (oh, and a bottle of wine) we were stopped by a photographer and asked if we’d pose for a photo.
We were informed that we’d be on ajc.com, so I went by my pseudonym “P.J.”, as I do when encountering paparazzi.
Things To Do On The Day Before Your Birthday
– Sleep late
– Eat lunch at Sun In My Belly (including an unexpected free mocha as I waited for a table)
– Read
– Sleep
Things Not To Do On The Day Before Your Birthday
– Eat a shitty dinner at a Chinese buffet
– Do the above alone
Holy Shit, I’m Forty-Seven
I woke early yesterday to drive up to the Sosebee Cycling Park and head out for a sixty-eight mile ride. Though the temperature was considerably nicer than the last time we rode from there, it was still a humid morning, so we opted to ride one mile for each of my years instead. I actually felt really good when we finished, though I would punish my body later…
After the ride and a relaxing time at the park I headed down to ITP-Reader Barb’s house where I did my best to help clean out their beer refrigerator.
From there a group of five of us went for dinner at Tasty China. I love the spiciness of Tasty China’s food, but holy hell did it do a number on my last night. I might have to take a break from Schezwan (huh, why can’t Apple’s spellchecker recognize either “Schezwan” or “Schezuan”?) food for a while.
I Opened Yesterday’s Fortune Cookie To See If It Came True
Use your abilities at this time to stay focused on your goal. You will succeed.
Gee, I certainly hope so.
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – tired, my body somewhat wrecked from yesterday’s feast
Current Music – now that le Tour de France is over (and it was a bit of a yawner this year) I’m listening to a CBC Radio 3 podcast
Website Of The Day – As I passed another of life’s milestones I realized that I need to once again review my Bucket List. I’ll have to make that a “Personal Project” soon.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – Sunday = cycling, ~47.1 miles
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t feel like knowing today
Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~59.8 miles
Wheel Mileage – ~128.9 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights
Days Of Bed-Making – 0
Vegetarian Days – 3
Carnivorous Days – 19
Pancakes Eaten – 3
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
Books I’ve Read/Heard In 2012
- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me — Mindy Kahling
- Flotsametrics and the Floating World: How One Man’s Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science — Curtis Ebbesmeyer
- God, No! — Penn Jillette
- The Elephant to Hollywood — Michael Caine
- Here Comes Trouble — Michael Moore
- How We Decide — Jonah Lehrer
- Steve Jobs — Walter Isaacson
- Death of a Salesman (Penguin Plays) — Arthur Miller
- Fahrenheit 451 — Ray Bradbury
July Goals
– Take at least one load of stuff from my house to Goodwill
– Post at least ten new photos during the month (let’s try this again)
– Lose at least two pounds (net weight loss)
– Finish two books (audio or otherwise, comic books do not qualify)
– 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
– Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course
– Ride no fewer than 150 miles
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]
Happy belated-birthday!! Sounds like you had a great weekend. I would have sent you a text but it looks like I lost your number when my phone was stolen.
My excitement for the weekend was I finally (after what seems like many years of trying) ran to the top of Jack’s Hill (at Sweetwater Creek) without walking.
We also hit Ziba’s for the first time since becomming Ziba’s (I can’t for the life of me remember what it was called before). It was nice, sangria was a little so-so, but the small bites were good. We didn’t stay long enough for the band and party. We did get to hear the band warm up, sounded like an Erasure cover band? They were flown in from California for some dudes 40th birthday.
Forty? Child! 🙂
Congrats on your fine exercise. I’ll text you my number in a minute.
Happy Birthday Paulie! You’re gonna rock 47, so it is written, so it shall be.
Our unplanned day in Savannah was a culinary bust – Cracker Barrel and Mellow Mushroom, Really?!?! – but we tootled around the sights of Savannah and Tybee and the hood surrounding the Bonaventure Cemetery, which by the way closes at 5 as we discovered when we arrived at 7.
We did have one really good meal at Belford’s at City Market. Great people watching too.
Martha, text sent to you (or who ever possesses the number I have for you).
Debbie, at least the horse transfer and transport went well, right?
Absolutely! And we had fun over all.
Happy belated birthday Paulie!
Sounds like you had a great weekend.
You didn’t mention the Hoop cheese????
Thanks for the email with the address of that “country store” – I do want to go back there in the car someday.
Yesterday was fun, I guess I didn’t eat enough of the Shan City Chicken & Allan’s crazy hot fish to really hurt me today. And – Betsy is the coolest person ever – remember that.
I gotta get finished packing tongiht, we leave bright & early itn eh morning to roadtrip to Iowa. I’ll try to remember to check in here, but I’d suggest you get your FB password back working, I’m sure I’ll post some pictures from RAGBRAI.
I failed to mention hoop cheese and Betsy’s place in the universe because I was a bit in the fog today.
I’d like to return to that store in my car as well. Perhaps I’ll do it as part of a photo shoot.
Oh, and for ll of you Wait! Wait! Fans, tickets for their show at the Fox Theatre on Sept 20 went on sale this morning. I was one click away from buying and then stopped for some reason.
We already have tickets for WWDTM, so you better get on the bandwagon.
I’m somewhat bummed we weren’t able to do more good eating while in Savannah. I was really in the mood for some seafood Friday night, but our local info was limited to a customer at the CVS Debbie chatted with.
The CF that was the horse pickup was a whole other affair. How do you say “I’m leaving Thursday afternoon, only to decide you’re reallk leaving Friday morning?” Do you suppose there was any price break from his delivery fee? Not a bit- even though he was “real sorry about the mixup”. But the pony seemed fine and is falling in line at home nicely.
These summer cold suck. I’m just saying.
Bob, how was the triplet ride?
-FP
Well, seeing that there are $13 in fees AND a $5 order charge (at least printing your ticket at home is free, HA!) on top of a $45 ticket price I’ve decided to pass on WWDM tickets. I like the show a lot, but have seen it live twice so there is no need for me to fork over $68 for ONE TICKET to see it again.
And this isn’t using Ticketbastard.. so I thought it would be a bit better. Oh well.
$68 for that show? that is CRAZY, NPR fanatics are insane. I’m way too cheap I guess.
hey Steve – what happened to that thing called they call the internet to find some seafood? (I know you wouldn’t let Debbie buy a new iPad charger, but what about your phone? You should have just gone down to the Riverfront or City Market, there are plenty of decent seafood places. Or- next time, there is a place not too far from Boneventure Cenetary that I thought was good – called Tubby’s Tank House. Or – plenty of places on the way to Tybee that look good.
We did try that internet thing.. just wasn’t having much luck- we did have a very lovely dinner in City Market on Thursday evening, but was looking for something a little cheaper.
The triplet ride was fun as hell (I’ll have to email Paulie a photo since he is too cool for Facebook now :)) I need to do some minor ergonomic adjustments but we had a great time. I just wish there was a decent place to get breakfast close to the greenway. We ended up at Chick Fila. I can see doing more family rides like this.
What was even better was I took my new Trek Hifi out for a spin afterwards. Man that bike is awesome! It is re-kindling the mtn biking fire in me.
Very cool…