I am PopTarts new “Peanut Butter and Chocolate” PopTart. Wow. And I didn’t think that I could eat any worse than I already did… To my credit (if I may) I did only eat one of the two PopTarts in the package because even I have my limits for unhealthy consumption. [note to self: buy some peanut butter, or preferably almond butter, to have on hand for breakfasts.]
Today’s Daily Challenge
Do four standing abdominal stretches.
This exercise provides a nice stretch for the oblique muscles, the long, diagonal muscles on either side of your midsection. The obliques are what help you bend from side to side and allow you to twist your torso. Strengthening these muscles can help you perform everyday tasks with less risk of injury. And when done regularly, oblique exercises can help whittle your waist.
If I actually did the exercises they mention I might do myself some good.
This Site Is Blocked For “Alcohol”
HA! In case you missed ITP-Reader Terri’s comment yesterday she said that InsideThePerimeter is blocked at her work because it’s categorized as “Alcohol”. IN-CON-CEIVABLE!
As you know I never touch the stuff, I find pouring it down my gullet without sticking my fingers in it first quite preferable.
Up In The Attic Like Ole Saint Nick
As soon as I arrived home last night I changed clothes and, after many trips to gather up the things I would need, popped up into the attic to do a bit of cleaning and maintenance.
Lessons Learned:
- Even in the best of times, sub 40° F temperatures, attics can be a shitty place to work because they are cramped and dirty(ish).
- In the battle of vacuum v. pink insulation, pink insulation wins every time. This has already caused me much grief and I don’t know how I am going to rid the attic of the things I’d like to vacuum up.
- Respirators are restrictive, yet wonderful things to have around.
- Mr. Clean’s yellow rubber gloves (I forget the brand name) are perfect for doing work like I was doing last night. I was even able to wrap some electrical tape around a wire while wearing them.
I think I spent about an hour up there before I gave up. I’ll have to make at least one more trip up into the attic while the temperature remains low, though I’m not sure how much good it’ll do. I guess I’ll concentrate on what can be seen by an interested party who pops his/her head up there to take a look around, you know, like during a home inspection or whatnot.
Fifteen Years?
This month marks my fifteenth year of living in the ITP Estate. Huh. As you can imagine from the rants I’ve had during the past nine years of this blog, admittedly the worst of the years that I have lived in the house, I thought home ownership was going to be very different, not without problems, but much more rewarding. Sure, back in the day I had some killer parties, but my house in the hood hasn’t been the social magnet that I thought that it would be. That’s probably more my fault that its, however.
I Coulda Hit Steffi Today
You may remember some months back my lamenting that I no longer saw the girl I’ve taken to calling “Steffi” (based on my belief that she looks a lot like former tennis star Steffi Graf) running along Highland while I am on my commute to the office. A couple of weeks ago she reappeared, or more likely I started getting my ass out of bed early enough to see her out running again.
Today I had the opportunity of hitting her (she on the road, me in the Jackmobile), but she had the right of way as she crossed Boulevard and I’ve been through the hassle of automobile v. pedestrian incidents before, so I let her cross unharmed. I should have been smiling, you know, not in a creepy way, as she looked toward me to guarantee that I was letting her cross, but I didn’t. Opportunity missed.
A Return To Terminal West
Tonight I’ll be making my return to Terminal West to hear Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks perform. Not familiar with Malkmus? Ever heard of a band called “Pavement”? Malkmus was the guitarist/lead singer for that band. Not only am I looking forward to hearing the band I am also looking forward to seeing the new parking deck whose construction caused parking for Terminal West shows to be such a hassle for a while.
Today’s Personal Project
Call my mother tonight. Today would have been my dad’s birthday.
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – Fair. I got a good bit of sleep last night, even though I was up and down from 3am to the present.
Current Music – silence
Website Of The Day – I have been thinking of adding a “Word Of The Day” section to this space and may just do so by echoing the word published by WordThink.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – Arg, I keep forgetting to jump on the scale
Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~3.9 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 0 (0 cardio)
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
March Goals
– have Austin CocoaConf trip plans in place (new)
– exercise no fewer than twenty days (new)
– ride my bike no fewer than five times (new)
– have European trip plans in place, if not carved in stone
– clean my basement to the point where I could have people over
– hire a plumber to fix all of the sinks at the ITP Estate
– walk no fewer than 75 miles
– publish an app to the iOS AppStore
2014 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
– 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
– Sell the ITP Estate (tentative)
2014 Goals: Unmeasurable
– Continue to 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)
Books I’ve Read/Heard In 2014
- “Johnny Carson” by Henry Bushkin
- “Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative” by Austin Kleon
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
Now, not says Pop-Tarts are good for you, but I don’t think they will kill you. A brown sugar cinnamon one does hit the spot occasionally.
Allan decided to replace the pink insulation when he cleaned up our attic, so removing it made that whole vacuuming part easier. Granted, the insulation up there was really, really old when we bought the house, so it was definitely worth it to get all new.
I was invited to a sake tasting last night, but since I don’t like sake, I decided not to go. I was told maybe I’d change my mind, I don’t think so. I’ve had of course the warm sake (usually the cheap stuff, that’s why they warm it up), and I’ve tried some higher end stuff, none of it thrilled me.
So, instead, I decided to do our taxes. we really need to adjust something, we have had to pay the Feds for the past few years. But at least we get a little bit back from the state.
I don’t think you would be a complete perv if you started to wave at her as you went by- certainly not if you had to wait for her to cross at a light.
We watched the recorded Oscars last night, since we were at the concert Sunday. Not great, only good. Ellen did an excellent job of hosting. Her deadpan humor seems perfect for that audience. The acceptance speech of the young woman who won best supporting for “12 Years a Slave” was so touching.
The gravitational pull of the sofa won out over any chance of exercise last night, and I could not even scrape together the effort to pack a bag and run at lunch today. There will be suffering tonight.
We have to load up all of Debbie’s displays and whatnot she needs at the horseshow as she heads south tomorrow. I will have to get everyone fed prior to leaving in the morning, so I may be coming in a little later!!!
Barb, what is on your schedule this weekend?
-FP
Steve – Saturday is open until the evening, Allan is thinking he wants to go hashing again, but that will be determined by the hares & location of the hashes. We have a 50th birthday party to go to later that night at The Wing (formerly Wild Wing) that night. Its supposed to be a beautiful day again Saturday (70 ish again?), so I see a bike ride or hashing happening.
Sunday – Allan will be at the firehouse. You could always just go meet him there, if that works better.
I have only seen the bits & pieces of the Oscars that the news or other TV shows show.
The pink insulation that’s up there (it’s about 80% pink) is the stuff I installed when Jeannie had just moved out. So, that makes it about ten years old? I suppose that I could remove a section, shake it all out, and reinstall it. Oh boy, doesn’t that sound fun?
I may go for an early ride Saturday (or more likely Sunday if the weather permits). Last night I signed up for a “VIP Tour” offered by the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild at Three Taverns Brewery in Decatur(ish) from 1:30p-2:30p Saturday afternoon
I just cracked and ate most of the second PopTart. DANGEN!
I think the Urban CX is Saturday. I might go watch that. I believe B-I-L Andy is coming over at some point this weekend to replace some shingles on the mancave. I’m sure we can work it out- don’t want to start accruing storage fees at the Garage Mahal 🙂
And in case you didn’t see the Oscars, Ellen did a bit with a pizza delivery guy- brought him from backstage and started feeding the front row. I thought for sure this was some sort of guy from central casting, but I just saw him interviewed on “Piers Morgan” and he was the real deal and had no idea what was happening- Ellen met him backstage and said “follow me” and the rest is history! Pretty damn funny.
Pop-Tarts turn 50 this year.
This guy REALLY likes Pop-Tarts
http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/02/25/pop-tart-party-50th-anniversary/
With any luck, I’ll be moving, or at least starting the process this weekend. One last minute decision had to be made yesterday regarding bathroom countertops. They will be installed tomorrow!
I finished my taxes a couple of weeks ago, according to TurboTax 53% of people that submitted when I did have already received their refund. I hope mine comes soon, I need it!
My appointment with tax preparer is Monday. I doubt that I will be getting any refund.
Rummaging through stack of papers I found Target coupon for 5% of a day’s shopping that expires today. Plan to go over after work, what shall I buy?
Looks like I late to the peanut butter filled PopTarts. (related: I keep typing PopTards. Freudian slip?)
My refund from the state isn’t enough to get excited about, but any amount of $$ helps.
That’s awesome if you get to start moving back in this weekend Martha – I can’t wait to see it.
What to buy at Target -how about some toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, some new underwear, some socks, and some groceries so you can cook food at home. I was shocked how many groceries Target has now, I expect that at a Super Target, but not at a regular store.
I was thinking more along the lines of iPad, TV, etc. 🙂
I think I need a new TV for our bedroom, its been acting funky the past month or so. Feel free to get me a TV.
I should have remembered that I had this coupon and bought my mother a new TV while I was in Florida.
I will be heading over to Target after work, I won’t buy anything I won’t need because it’s not like 5% is that great of a discount.
if you get the Target credit card, you also get 5% off (so that would be 10%). Or so my co-worker tells me, I don’t need another credit card.
Yeah, I need another credit card like I need another plumbing problem.