2013 In Review: The Nice

Overnight I thought of more “Naughty” but that was yesterday’s topic, so let’s move on

Today’s Daily Challenge
Hold your hand out palm up, stretch the thumb to the side, then bend it so it touches your pinkie.

Fingers and thumbs work hard all day, especially if you spend a lot of your time at a keyboard or your work involves using your hands in other ways. This challenge helps give your thumbs a nice break and can help to increase their range of motion.

(I need to start attempting more of these challenges)

2013: The Nice
This list may contain more specific items than yesterday’s but you know that drill here.

• I’m alive: I can’t and won’t say that 2013 was the best year for me health wise. If you’ve read these virtual pages this year you know of what I speak, but at 48 (and a half) I’m still here.
• Concerts: As I seem to every year I saw some amazing shows this year, some of the highlights being Mikal Cronin at The EARL — Chatham County Line, The Whiskey Gentry, and Trampled By Turtles in Evans, GA — but far and away my favorite music time was seeing Neutral Milk Hotel perform, twice even, when I had come to the conclusion that they’d never get back together again.
• I bought a zoo I joined a gym: While by the end of April this seemed to be the worst decision I made in 2013, I can’t help but think that those first four months of exercise were a good thing. Now if I can only convince myself to return in 2014….
• My house is not a home, but it’s getting there: 2014 may be the year my house turns into my home, or it turns into someone else’s “American Dream” because I’m still deciding its fate. I sunk what I consider to be a good bit of money into repairing it these past two months and have some pretty significant bills to pay over the next few months. But I’m working on it (okay, paying people to work on it) and that’s a step in the right direction.
• This year in my career: This was a big year for me work-wise — the app on which I worked made its debut in the iOS App Store, I was awarded a “Distinguished Service Award” by my company, my team and I successfully ported our work to another product within the company, and I received a promotion a couple of months ago. While I haven’t parlayed the training and conference attendance into anything significant I am always seeking to improve myself and expect better of myself in the coming year.
• I got back on MARTA: While it didn’t last as long as it should have (and I will be making attempts to restart this in January) I returned to taking MARTA occasionally.
• I “read” books: Just peruse the list of content I completed this year:
  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

  You know that I’m not much of a reader (I’ve have many partially-read books to my credit this year as well) so this is a “good” year for me.

• And last, but certainly not least, you: While I don’t compile the analytics any longer I know for a fact that many have abandoned this blog (and blogging in general). So I thank you again, ITP-Reader, for making this a worthwhile effort and providing me with humor and information along the way.

And Now I Know Why I’d Never Seen It
The other day I was informed about a Charlie Brown “New Year’s” special. I’d never heard of this! While at the lavanderia I heard the show on the television, so I decided that when I got home last night that I’d watch it on Netflix (Netflix’ stock is up over 450% from last year, can someone explain how I missed their rise AGAIN?!?! If I only had some investing balls this year I’d be much, much wealthier.)

I now know why I had never previously heard of this. The New Year’s special was made in 1986 (long after I stopped watching Charlie Brown specials on television) and was to say, as politely as I can, not as “catchy” as the specials of my youth.

Speaking of Charlie Brown and Netflix, it appears that all of the Charlie Brown content currently on Netflix (and be warned, it’s not their best) will be taken down on January 3, 2014.

Hope To See You At Cheddarhead!
I have a feeling that I’ll be arriving stag tomorrow, well I will have the kringle with me at least. If that’s the case then so be it.

As of now I am planning on “running” trail.

Here’s to hoping that you make it there, either to the hash, to the end, to bowling, or all of the above. And if you see me (and specifically if you are not someone who I know reads this space) please say hello.

What’s Next?
I’m not 100% sure, though I have a few ideas kicking around in my head.

I am 100% sure that there will be a blog post tomorrow.
I am 100% sure that I will be eating breakfast out instead of making biscuits, eggs, and bacon as I’ve done in past years.

What else? I don’t’ know, though I do expect to shake this space up a bit in 2014.

Won’t you come back tomorrow and find out with me?

Today’s Personal Project
Make it to the Gringo Star (with openers Turf War) show tonight at The EARL and enjoy the hell out of it.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – so ready to move on.
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – Once you get past all of the nonsense on their website Forbes’ article about “Eight Simple Ways To Be Kinder To Yourself In The New Year” is pretty good. IMHO. YMMV.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
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 – on hiatus
Carnivorous Meals – on hiatus

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

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]