As Thursdays go yesterday wasn’t overly special. As documented in yesterday’s blog post my day didn’t start off cracking-well including the discovery of potentially-shirt-ruining spots on my favorite “fancy” shirt.
Today’s Daily Challenge
Tense and relax each group of muscles, from your toes up to your head.
Tensing and relaxing your muscles helps you understand what complete relaxation feels like. This can make you more aware of when you might need to relax muscles when they tighten in response to stress. As you relax your body, your mind also relaxes.
Food & Alcohol: My Mortal Enemies
Since it was the last day of my work week I went out for lunch with one of my coworkers. We tried a new (to me) place called Dickey’s Barbecue Pit on Roswell Road at Abernathy. I know what you are thinking, “How is it possible for Paulie to have lived here nearly nineteen years and I’ve never noshed on a Dickey’s?” I guess I can only reply that I’ve never seen one, and if I had I might not have been feeling that curious. The food was good, I had the “two meat / two side” plate I configured with the following — cheddar sausage, smoked brisket, waffle fries, and jalapeño baked beans — and washed it all down with a mixture of sweet and unsweet iced tea (there’s still a bit of Yankee in me). Oh yeah, there was a kinda-sweet biscuit as well. By meal’s end I was quite stuffed so I skipped the opportunity to make my own “ice cream” cone.
After doing laundry last night I hopped into Atlanta’s shitty traffic and decided to head straight home because I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry and am trying to drink less alcohol.
When I arrived home I decided I better eat something for dinner so I made some frozen biscuits and heated up a can of Hoppin’ John (that I bought when I was camping recently). There is less Yankee in me every day…. Oh, I managed to consume two beers again prior to passing out sometime around 9:30pm.
A Missed So Long
I kept an eye on early afternoon traffic so that I wouldn’t be sitting in too much of it as I traveled to the lavanderia. By 4pm things were starting to become clogged so I bolted out the door.
What I failed to remember was that yesterday was one of my coworkers final work day in Atlanta. She, who is (now was) part of the Taco Mac drinking group has had enough of this city and has taken a transfer to “greener” pastures in Denver.
Even though I am terrible at good-byes I wanted to say good-bye and wish her well, but I was too preoccupied with traffic and forgot.
A text message is the same as a personal gesture these days, right?
Tomorrow’s Daily Challenge
Write down one word that describes what you want your day to be like.
Writing down one word can help bring clarity and focus to how your day will unfold. Deciding what kind of day you’ll have will also empower you to create the day you want! It’s believed that people who look on the bright side and take control of their lives – their emotions included – tend to be healthier.
“productive”
For A “Smart” Person I Can Be Completely Clueless
ITP Estate Repair Phase 3 starts today. But exactly when it is supposed to start I am uncertain because I never asked. When I agreed to let the project start today instead of its intended day of Wednesday I should have followed with the question “And when I can I expect you to arrive on Friday?” but I did not. I’ll assume, and yes I know the old saying, that they will be on the premises no later than 10am; at least I hope that is the case since I need to get out of the house for a noon appointment that I made when I thought today would be the day they were finishing, the project, not starting it.
Do I Know It’s Christmastime?
Not really.
I haven’t decorated for Christmas in over a decade. As a solo I find it more depressing to put up a tree because there will be no presents under it (c’mon, I’m not about to wrap my own presents!) and no one with which I can share the memories.
My living room is even more barren this year as I’ve moved just about everything from it so that the workers can repair the living room ceiling. About the only things remaining in the living room are the sofa (no place to move it, really) and the tv rack (because I cannot move that fucking 32″ tube TV without fear of giving myself a hernia).
Today’s Personal Project
Fight off whatever is starting to work on me.
Must. Not. Get. Sick.
Too. Much. To. Do.
Must. Not. Get. Sick!
Hope to see some of you on Sunday, and others on Monday as well.
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – bordering on crummy, I hope I’m not coming down with a cold
Current Music – listening to Sound Opinion’s annual Christmas show podcast
Website Of The Day – Need that final push to Christmas via some bizarre Christmas song? Sound Opinions will hook you up here.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – n/a
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – 213 pounds (December 15)
Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~0.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 0 (0 cardio)
Days Of Bed-Making – 0
Vegetarian Meals – 21.5
Carnivorous Meals – 29.5
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
December Goals
– clean my basement to the point where I could have people over
– hire a plumber, and a painter 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
- Pages 1.7 for iPad (Timestompers Guide) — by Sean Wells
- 60 Mountain Lion Tips — by David Sparks and Brett Terpstra
- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business — by Charles Duhigg
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy — by Douglas Adams
- Amazing Things Will Happen: A Real-World Guide on Achieving Success and Happiness — by CC Chapman
- So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love — by Cal Newport
- Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life — by Steve Martin
- Who Am I: A Memoir — by Pete Townshend
- Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? — by Billy Crystal
- Unstuff Your Life!: Kick the Clutter Habit and Completely Organize Your Life for Good — Andrew J. Mellen
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
Painters are here. Hooray.
Almost failed trying to get them a key so that they can lock the house if they leave while I’m out running errands today. Boo.
Found a key. Hooray.
Found keys labelled as if they should work, but they don’t. Boo.
Adding “Sort out motherfucking keys” to this weekend’s “to do” list. Boo.
We didn’t decorate this year either. Too much going on and I’m guessing all the Christmas/holiday decoration are somewhere under a pile of our other things stored in the shed.
I heard from my neighbor Andy yesterday that they were pouring the foundation. We are going to swing by Hodgepodge for a bite then run over to the house and check it our before heading to the outlets for some last minute shopping.
Keys, we have keys all over the place…Keys for Knott St, Keys for East Side (fyi, there does not seem to be a standard for spelling East Side, sometimes its East Side, E Side and Eastside…and that is just the street signs, go figure) and I still have the keys for the condo in Midtown!
we did that with keys a while back – we had keys that we really didn’t know what they went to. It was entertaining trying to remember what they could be for.
Mom & Dad’s flight made it in, about 45 minutes late. 8:30pm. Hopefully they are still sleeping, but they are on their own at my house right now. Once they call & are up & about, I will send Mary & TJ over to entertain, we are meeting at Roccos for lunch.
I drew a little diagram on the TV remotes with the important buttons, I hope my Dad can figure it out – having 2 remotes (one is basically just for volume) I know will mess with them.
We rarely have presents under our tree, both Allan & I are procrastinators for this Christmas shopping thing. And – I wrapping up clothes I already bought (& wore) for Allan to give me, so this way I’ll love what I get from him!
I think that I have keys for pre-carjack and post-carjack lock sets. I think that I gave away the pre-carjack lock set, though it very possibly may still be in the basement utility room.
You want to know what’s truly amazing about me? The keys I have are in a clear box with twenty compartments. Based on size and shape I have separated keys that look to be for the same lock set. Above each compartment I have written a number. Nowhere to be found is a legend that identifies what the keys at each number open/lock.
and Martha – there isn’t a street, drive or anything after East Side? weird….
Pressure washing has begun….
At panera with the mizzus after picking up the healed chainsaw. Now off to Lowes to buy lumber for a Christmas present.
2nd opinion is either robot or seeds. Research to be done.
I like this off work stuff…
And Barb, our TV was never the same after Debbie’s dad came over. Just to let you know- and we only have 1 remote.
-FP
Still fighting.
I think my current condition has sealed my decision for what I will be doing tonight — staying at home and watching “A Christmas Story” and perhaps some Rankin/Bass specials.
Looking at the weather forecast for the remainder of the weekend and Monday and am not sure when the painting job will be done if the predicted rain occurs.
Steve – I KNOW, so I turned on the TV this morning, I hope they just change channels & leave everything else alone.
They haven’t called, so that is a good sign.
what was the first opinion?
Still fighting but mindset is improving.
Workers are done for today so I was able to lock up myself before leaving the house. Got myself a large, strong coffee. I am going to get my haircut and grab a nice lunch before heading home again. Then I am going to try to get myself working on one of a couple of coding projects on which I want to works.
Still fighting, and about to give in and take a nap. Currently I am finishing lunch and beer #2 at Midway Pub in EAV. Wanted to eat something great and new, I chose good, local, and beer instead.
it is way too busy today at work- damn people trying to get all this frieght shipped before the end of the year…..
For the late readers: I napped hard this afternoon. Never made it to the bank, never did squat in the way of coding. I’m staying home alone, now making a pot of pasta, and plan to watch “A Christmas Story.”
Have a great weekend!