The Challenges Of Updating

With Apple’s announcement yesterday you may believe that I’ll be ordering some new hardware. Not so fast my friends. While it would be nice to update my current iPad, or buy a new iPad Mini with a “Retina” display I’m not sure that I need either. And the one thing that I was certain I would update had they announced a new model, my AppleTV, was never mentioned.

Today’s Daily Challenge
Use your five senses to recall an experience in which you felt very connected to nature.

Experiencing nature and looking at nature scenes are proven stress-reducers, and taking a sensory walk down memory lane combines the pleasure of remembering the experience with the power of the natural world. Bonus: Simply taking the time to sit still, close your eyes, and complete the challenge will help you feel more centered.

Very insensitive. What if you don’t possess all five senses?

Should Be Called “Burger Five” Instead
I joined my boss in trying BurgerFi after work last night; his daughter had some surgery at the hospital so we chose to try out something new.

This something new is the type of new that has become popular in the past handful of years and continues a trend that I’d like to see stop — charging too much money for things.

A double-patty (on the small size) burger with “two free toppings” = $5.50
An order of “Cry & Fries” (three mondo-sized onion rings and flaccid fries) = $4.50 (or higher, I don’t quite remember)
A Terrapin beer = $5.50

Ouch!

The burger was good, but not much better than you’d get at FarmBurger or Five Guys. As you may have ascertained I detested the onion rings / french fries.

After dinner we walked around to Marlow’s Tavern and had a couple more drinks at the bar.

Sadly this may be the only time during “Atlanta Beer Week” that I’ll be eating out and I frittered it away.

ITP Flickr Pic
I didn’t make the time to make photos available.

The Challenges Of Updating
On my most recently-purchased MacBook I now have the option of installing Apple’s latest operating system “Mavericks.” I’ll think I’ll take a wait-and-see attitude and update after the first point-release, unless of course I find more software that is “Mavericks-only” and I decided to jump aboard earlier.

I am in the process of updating all of the rest of the applications that have available updates. This morning my laptop hung mid-update (the screen shut off and nothing except power recycling would bring it back) so I’m a little nervous about the current state of my laptop. Even worse, I was planning my next backup to occur once this update completed.

Oh goody, it looks as if the update of that application is now starting all, over, again! Blerg.

A Familiar Name In An Unfamiliar Place
On my bastardized commute into work this morning I passed a yet-unopen bar on Johnson Ferry at Ashford Dunwoody) called “The Righteous Room.” The Righteous Room that I know of has lived on Ponce next to the Plaza Theatre for as a long as I can remember (a quick scan of an article about the second location says that it’s been on Ponce for seventeen years, so apparently I’ve been in Atlanta longer).

I’d frequent The Righteous Room if it weren’t a den of cigarette smoke, and the same will be true for this new location.

Today’s Personal Project
Laundry.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – getting better, anxious because need to accomplish a lot of stuff tonight
Current Music – silence
Website Of The Day – Perhaps I should spend some time checking out the National Sleep Foundation.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – 213 pounds (October 21)

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~10.1 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 0 (0 cardio)

Days Of Bed-Making – 0

Vegetarian Meals – 29
Carnivorous Meals – 26

Marta Rides To Work – 5
Bike Rides To Work – 0

October Goals
– clean my basement to the point where I could have people over
– hire a plumber to replace my malfunctioning faucets
– submit to important documents, neither of which I can talk about at this time
– walk no fewer than 75 miles

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
9. Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? — by Billy Crystal
10. Unstuff Your Life!: Kick the Clutter Habit and Completely Organize Your Life for Good — Andrew J. Mellen

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]