By The Numbers

Yep, today’s the day.

Forty-eight.

While thinking about this momentous (for moi) occasion (I never spell that word correctly) it dawned on me that this is the last time that the second digit of my two-digit age will be twice the first (you mathematicians out there know that this occurs every twelve years). These sort of thoughts rarely keep me up at night, but occasionally (close, I had to look at the previously-corrected spelling) keep me going.

Today’s Daily Challenge
Get on your hands and knees with arms bent and elbows under your shoulders, then straighten arms.

This modified tricep press calls on the muscles in your arms, chest, and core to help propel you up and back down. (The triceps are the large muscles on the back of the upper arm.) Stronger muscles in the arms and chest can help you avoid injury when stretching or reaching, and strong core muscles aid in everyday activities like twisting, turning, and bending.

You kinky minx.

12
During the year that I was twelve my first major life change occurred, we moved from New York to Florida. My father’s business had faltered and Florida was a natural choice since (then) it was much cheaper than New York and we had family established in the area to which we were moving. I had a lot of friends in the neighborhood in which I was reared in New York and often wonder how different my life would be had we not made this move.

I can’t recall if my second major life change (puberty) occurred while I was twelve, or shortly after I turned thirteen a month after we moved to Florida.

The #1 song on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart on my twelfth birthday was “Da Doo Ron Ron” by Shaun Cassidy. Ugh.

24
During the year that I was twenty-four I was a new college graduate. It may come as a surprise but I was an unmotivated teen. In New York I was enrolled in advanced-placement courses, but upon moving to Florida I had been placed into regular classes and essentially repeated eight grade. Because of this I became a slacker and even more of a smart ass (foundation at work…), and became a less-than-average high school student. Not knowing what to do with my life I made a snap decision to go to junior college where I started out as an average student. However, I eventually became a (junior) college drop out because I was working too much and I attempted (and failed) to join the management team of Toys ‘R’ Us. I returned to junior college and started from scratch. And now you know why I was a “new college graduate” at the advanced age of twenty-four.

By my twenty-fourth summer I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry (did you know that?) from the University of Florida, made a decision to not accept a position in UF’s Graduate Chemistry program, and started my way toward getting a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science from the university.

The #1 song on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart on my twenty-fourth birthday was “Toy Soldiers” by Martika. Ugh. Side Note: I thought Martika was hot back then.

36
Of the years that I am reflecting on thirty-six was the least impactful; I turned thirty-six in 2001. By 2001 I had been in Atlanta for six years, had run my one and only road marathon (and ruined my right IT band, thus sunsetting my “good” running days), and was two years into being the owner of the ITP-Estate (hey, at least back then I had fully-functional plumbing and I had neither been robbed at gunpoint nor burgled. Though I still had no luck convincing women to date me more than twice, in hindsight life was good!)

During my thirty-sixth year I made my second, and final, attempt at running a 50k (to my credit I finished each that I started, but never finishing any in the fashion I had desired.) Little did I realize that when I turned thirty-six that I was going to get “new car fever” as soon as I paid off the balance of what I owed on my 1996 Nissan 240sx that started otr as a lease and that I would be buying a new car a month prior to my thirty-seventh birthday; through many ups and downs that car, The Jackmobile, remains my mode of transportation.

The #1 song on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart on my thirty-sixth birthday was “U Remind Me” by Usher. Ugh.

ITP Flickr Pic
“I’m Here For The Free Breakfast On My Birthday”

Two eggs.
Two sausage links.
Two bacon strips.
Two fluffy pancakes smothered with “blueberries” (like those found in most muffins)
One carafe of coffee.
Zero cost (though I dropped a few bucks onto the table for a tip).

Let the festivities begin!

48
Yesterday I laid the foundation for one of this year’s potential changes by signing up for the Advanced iOS Programming course at Big Nerd Ranch.

As you have seen above, I started the day off skipping my scheduled workout and eating a free breakfast at IHOP. My breakfast was hearty (read “not healthy”), I unfortunately ate alone, and I miss the vaulted ceilings of the International House of Pancakes of my youth, but I declared the outing a success.

My day almost got a lot better as I held the elevator door open for a women, who works in the building, that I find rather attractive. Sadly we were not the only ones in the car so I couldn’t try and chat her up. I’m trying…

After work I am heading over to the westside to take a “tour” of Monday Night Brewing. The tour and four, eight-ounce samples, costs $10 (or $8 if you bring in a necktie that will be donated this month to Ties That Matter).

If I find myself alone after the brewery tour I might treat myself to a nice dinner somewhere (The Spence if I can get in) before heading home to collapse into bed as I remember that today is but the first day of a five-day work week,

The #1 song on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart on my forty-eigth birthday is “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell. Ugh. Side Note: I rarely like any song “featuring” another “artist.”

What will change during the year that starts today?

6.19
That is the cost of one pint of High Road ice cream at the Candler Park Market, where I went after eating dinner at Fellini’s on Friday evening.

The ice cream flavor selection at Candler Park Market was severely limited and I walked away with a pint of “Peach Fried Pie.” I can’t say that eating this ice cream provided the orgasmic experience that I was hoping to have, but it was good. I’ll have to seek out another flavor before concluding whether or not I’ll continue purchasing this product (in limited quantities of course given my desire to shed weight).

Happy Birthday To The Following (Most Likely) Non-ITP-Readers

• My Uncle John.
• Actor Orson Bean is 85.
• Actress Louise Fletcher is 79.
• Singer Chuck Jackson is 76.
• Actor Terence Stamp is 75.
• Game show host Alex Trebek is 73.
• Singer George Clinton is 72.
• Singer-actor Bobby Sherman is 70.
• Actor Danny Glover is 67.
• Writer-director Paul Schrader is 67.
• Singer Don Henley is 66.
• Actor-comedian-director Albert Brooks is 66.
• Composer Alan Menken is 64.
• Musician Al Di Meola is 59.
• Actor Willem Dafoe is 58.
• Singer Keith Sweat is 52.
• Singer Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls is 50.
• Actor-comedian David Spade is 49.
• Actor John Leguizamo is 49.
• Bassist Pat Badger of Extreme is 46.
• Actor Rhys Ifans (“Notting Hill”) is 46.
• Musician Daniel Jones (Savage Garden) is 40.
• Singer Rufus Wainwright is 40.
• Actress Franka Potente is 39.
• Actor Keegan Allen is 26.
• Actress Selena Gomez is 21.

With the exception of my Uncle John this list was lifted from USA Today

Today’s Personal Project
Not give a fuck about anything.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – happy ’cause it’s my birthday, a little bummed that the Tour de France has ended.
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – Ever wonder what the #1 song was on the day that you were born? Use This Day In Music to find out. btw – for me it was “Mr Tambourine Man” by The Byrds. Cool.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – Saturday = weight training
Morning Weigh-In – 218-219 pounds, hard to tell accurately because the scale at the LA Fitness I visited on Saturday morning was clearly screwed up.

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 6 (0 cardio)

Days Of Bed-Making – 2

Vegetarian Meals – 19
Carnivorous Meals – 33

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

July Goals
– get my foot to stop hurting
– return ITP-Reader Martha’s coffee percolator to her

- return ITP-Terri’s crutches to her

- not get sick

- finish at least two of the books I am reading

- take at least one box of things to Goodwill

- post at least ten photos in the blog

- drink a lot less alcohol

- prepare a house repair plan and budget

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 one 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

1. Pages 1.7 for iPad (Timestompers Guide) — by Sean Wells
2. 60 Mountain Lion Tips — by David Sparks and Brett Terpstra
3. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business — by Charles Duhigg
4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy — by Douglas Adams
5. Amazing Things Will Happen: A Real-World Guide on Achieving Success and Happiness — by CC Chapman
6. So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love — by Cal Newport

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]