I Should Have Been Better Prepared

Holy crap, it’s already 11:30am and I’m just getting around to writing this post. I have eaten breakfast (expensive, half-decent meal at Java Jive), been to Target and Kroger, and packed the Jackmobile for action (decided not to take a bike). Now all I need to do is get the hell on the road — once I’ve finished this post.

Today’s Daily Challenge
Take five minutes to carefully check the charges on your credit card statement.

Avoiding incorrect charges and unexpected fees helps keep money in your pocket! It’s worth taking a few minutes to make sure that the charges match what you bought, payments that you made were properly credited, and that a purchase wasn’t recorded incorrectly or entered twice.

I used to be really good at this, I’ve become too lackadaisical.

MARTA was Not So Smarta Yesterday
Once I read the synopsis of “Harabel” I decided to take what was behind door #2 — a no-expenses-paid-trip to Taco Mac. Turns out my luck was a little better than that as my compadres picked up the food cost.

My luck got a little worse as I just missed a southbound train and was forced to wait on a platform sans jacket (recall that I wasn’t going to be taking MARTA that late originally). By the time I arrived home, after two train transfers, my commute took me over one hour and fifteen minutes. Not so smarta.

ITP Flickr Pic
“Homestead”

If you look in the very lower right corner you’ll see the house marker that I’d long-forgotten about because it had gotten consumed by a holly bush.

It’s tough to take a good full daylight shot of the ITP Estate, the shadows and highlights are too far apart. It doesn’t help when you are in a hurry and using an iPhone either.

You can almost tell how much of the bit t*t holly bushes are gone. You can’t see how much of the oak tree has been stripped back, but trust me it has. There is no way for you to see how much of the overhanging sweet gums and pecan have been cut back so that I don’t have them hanging onto my power line this Winter.

Have A Great Weekend All
I’ll be back again on Monday starting an extremely pivotal week. Who knows, by then I might have even heard back from the critter removal company (I’m not holding my breath).

Today’s Personal Project
Get the hell out of this house!

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – harried
Current Music – listening to a pre-release recording that I am thinking of reviewing.
Website Of The Day – Tonight at camp I will try to make Alton Brown’s “Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese”.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – n/a
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – 215 pounds (November 4)

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~4.5 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 0 (0 cardio)

Days Of Bed-Making – 0

Vegetarian Meals – 10
Carnivorous Meals – 10

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

November Goals
– clean my basement to the point where I could have people over
– hire a plumber, an animal ridder, and a tree person to work on the ITP Estate
– dissolve Sharpened Stone, LLC
– follow up on some critical life details
– 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]