The Streak Ends At One

Like Friday I had plans to ride MARTA to work. Unlike Friday I have no concrete plans for the evening, and upon realizing that I needed to buy gas for the Jackmobile and how late I slept this morning, I talked myself right out of taking MARTA. In a lot of ways MARTA is just like a gym.

Today’s Daily Challenge
Learn signs and symptoms of shingles.

Although shingles typically affect people over 50 and those with weakened immune systems, anyone who has had chickenpox can develop it. Antiviral medicines can help shorten the length and severity of a case of shingles, but they must be taken at the start of the illness, when the rash appears. By knowing what to look for, you can be better prepared should shingles come your way.

They sit on a roof, keeping water out. Often they are a composite material although sometimes they are clay.

Oh you mean those shingles. That’s very different.

Another One Bites The Dust
Today marks the end of September, three-fourths of 2013 are soon to be completed.

While I didn’t make the big life changes I wanted to make this month September did mark my “Fuck It All” attitude return to walking for exercise.

And I rode MARTA.
Once.

Sadly the little rain we got in September fell on the day of the East Atlanta Strut, putting the kibosh on my attendance.

I have huge plans for October.

Doing My Own Damn Yard Work
I spent some of Saturday knocking back tree/bush growth that could provide pathways for squirrels to get to my roof.

I also attempted to jam steel wool into some of the holes through which I believe said squirrels are getting into my attic; this proved to be much harder than I expected it would be. My second thought was to spray Great Stuff into the holes, but the can I had in the basement had no ummph left in it. Looks like I get to add another thing to my Home Depot shopping list!

ITP Flickr Pic
“Albino Alligator”

I took a few shots in the aquarium with my Nikon and this one with my iPhone.

If you’ve not noticed the large scratch in the photo:
1. C’mon, pay attention!
2. Let me point it out to you.

The scratch is part of the aquarium’s glass, not my iPhone’s.

If A Tree Falls In Martha’s Yard And I’m Not There To Hear It, Does It Make A Sound?
Alternate header “The Percolator Has Landed!”

After spending time at the Georgia Aquarium with my boss, he volunteers and got me in for free, the two of us headed to East Atlanta for a few beverages. My boss had never been to East Atlanta, nor had he ever seen my house (I was secretly hoping to whine more about the plumbing in hopes of getting a better raise), so I killed two birds with one stone.

When we had enough of one another my boss and I our separate ways and I realized that I had just enough time to get down to ITP-Martha’s and mingle whilst the menfolk felled a tree. I was doubly-smart because I put Martha’s percolator into the Jackmobile’s trunk for delivery. My timing couldn’t have been more perfect as I got to watch Allan get the trunk down and I didn’t have to lift a finger until I picked up a beer and started eating all of the delicious food prepared by others. Timing my friends, is everything.

As always it was good to have a few yucks with friends like ITP-Readers Martha, Barb, Debbie, Jenka, and Steve, even if those yucks were at my expense thanks to Dean and Allan. I always wonder how those guys can be so jealous of me. 🙂

It Was Supposed To Be An Early Show
Not ten minutes after getting home I looked at the website for Terminal West to read “Doors open at 7pm, show at 8pm.”

Whaaaaa?

Wanting desperately to hear the opening act, Team Spirit, I hopped into the Jackmobile and made my way to the westside (thankfully all Falcons-game traffic must have already gotten to The Dome).

The show did start at 8pm, but there was a third act on the bill. DANGEN!

And then the bands took for-ever to take the stage. DOUBLE DANGEN!

And then Surfer Blood played until past 11pm. TRIPLE DANGEN!

And then there was a wreck on The Connector which meant that I didn’t get home until past 11:30pm. QUADRUPLE DANGEN!

Which is why I slept late this morning and didn’t take MARTA.

Today’s Personal Project
1. Exercise
2. Important Document completion

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fair
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – It looks as if I missed TomorrowWorld this weekend. DANGEN! (Actually I am not upset about this, I didn’t even know what it was until today.)
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – I plan on checking tomorrow.

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~33.1 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 0 (0 cardio)

Days Of Bed-Making – 0

Vegetarian Meals – 37
Carnivorous Meals – 38

Marta Rides To Work – 1
Bike Rides To Work – 0

September Goals
– exercise no fewer than twenty days (and I’m starting on Day 3 so I have my work cut out for me)
– clean my basement to the point where I could have people over
– hire a plumber to replace my malfunctioning faucets

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
7. Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life — by Steve Martin
8. Who Am I: A Memoir — by Pete Townshend

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]