Starting My New Year With Ups And Downs

And they are all for the better.

In previous years I started the new year eating made-from-scratch biscuits, eggs, and bacon. It must have been because Kroger in Decatur was so crazy-busy on Monday night that I failed to think about buying bacon, and failed to look up the ingredients for the biscuits (subsequently I had old baking powder as well as no baking soda). My new year breakfast consisted of frozen biscuits and two eggs.

After breakfast I started knocking out other tasks on the “to do” list — emptying the cup of water which drips from the water heater, flushing the rarely-used basement toilet, replacing the air filter for the HVAC, and replacing the batteries in the smoke detectors.

The last of these tasks proved to be interesting. I pulled new batteries out of a package and went to the first smoke detector. I saw that the battery in the smoke detector had a “use by” date of 2015, and the replacement battery had one of 2013. So, it appears that I replaced the batteries with older, new batteries. I’ve added “batteries” to the shopping list along with bacon, baking powder, and baking soda.

Cheddarhead, at least the portion I did, was a lot of fun yesterday. I bowled horribly, probably because the last time I bowled may have been Cheddarhead 2012 and probably because I had consumed too much alcohol. Today I am feeling the ramifications of yesterday and hope that my tiredness and slightly sore throat are from being hungover and talking loudly for hours instead of the harbingers of illness.

Today’s Personal Project
Either go for a walk this afternoon or head to LA Fitness for a workout. Of course both of these are dependent on me not actually getting ill today.

Today’s Daily Challenge
Share three things you feel grateful for today.

Taking time for thankfulness can boost your happiness! Gratitude helps us focus on the positive aspects of our lives, and lessens feelings about what we might wish we had. Not only that, research shows that conscientiously expressing gratitude also may improve physical health, raise energy levels, and relieve pain and fatigue in some people.

1. For their entire lives my parents provided (and my mother still provides) love and support.
2. I chose a profession that I love (though at times I don’t love the hours), and that profession has paid well my entire career, even though that might not always be the case.
3. I call a lot of quality people “friend”

“Operation: Slim Down” Begins Today
For more than a handful of years I have been claiming that I’ve wanted to lose weight (any ITP-Reader remember my “20 by 40” plan?). This is the year that I beat the stomach (Meatballs reference anyone?).

My goal this year is to see more of you, but for you to see less of me when we meet. Ideally I’d like to slim down to 190 pounds, of muscle, but I will be satisfied if I can wear 36″ waistband jeans comfortably again.

I don’t plan on accomplishing my goal through radical dietary means (paleo, veganism, Atkins, etc.) but rather taking the approach that if I expend more calories than I consume, my body will have no choice but to lose weight. This was a successful plan for me years ago (true, it was easier to lose weight in my late-twenties, early-thirties) but I think it’s still a valid plan as I start my two-and-a-half year march toward fifty.

ITP Flickr Pic
I took no photos yesterday, in part because the weather was so nasty that I didn’t want to take my camera out of the care, and in part because I didn’t feel like taking photos.

“Operation: Sober Up” Begins Today
Sure, it’s impressive that I have over 460 beers to my name at Taco Mac. What woman can resist a man with that sort of credential?

Apparently all of them.

I drink too much alcohol. Don’t expect me to give up drinking, because for me that’s an obtainable (I was actually a non-drinker in college — at the University of Florida no less!), yet undesired goal.

I do plan on making far fewer trips to establishments which specialize in alcohol sales, by replacing those trips with activities which will benefit my physique. In the process I expect to help “Operation: Slim Down” by consuming far fewer calories, as well as saving tons of money (which I will turn around and “invest” into the ITP Estate).

What’s On Your 2013 List Of Desires?
I’d like to know.

And thanks to those of you who commented yesterday. If you haven’t ready yesterday’s blog, I’m interested in hearing suggestions from you ITP-Readers via comments.

I tried to look into the email notification problem yesterday. This is still a work in progress.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – tired, but ready to make 2013 wonderful
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – I may have previously picked The Bacon Method in 2012, but it’s a good way to start the year, that is if you eat bacon…
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing really
Morning Weigh-In – start again tomorrow with “Weigh-In Wednesday”

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

Days Of Bed-Making – 0

Vegetarian Meals – 0
Carnivorous Meals – 0

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

January Goals
– lose five pounds
– walk/run no fewer that 100 miles
– read at least one book
– dissolve Sharpened Stone, LLC
– take at least one box of things to Goodwill
– post at least ten photos in the blog

2013 Goals: Measurable
– Get my weight down to 190 pounds so that I can wear a 36″ waist pants comfortably
– Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
– Dissolve Sharpened Stone
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Completely run at least on 10k
– Fix all (or at least most) of the things which are wrong with the ITP Estate

2013 Goals: Unmeasurable
– Simplify, simplify, simplify
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– 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)
– Take two real vacations, perhaps one abroad
– Take a more proactive approach to meeting women (read “stop being such a pussy”)

Books I’ve Read/Heard In 2013

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]