Food Is My Enemy

I’m afraid that I must declare war on something I love, because like most of the other things I love, it does not love me back. I am declaring war on food. As I sit here today, somewhere in the neighborhood of 202 pounds, I feel displeased with my body’s figure and composition. If Mother Nature will cooperate I’ll be knocking the dust and cobwebs of the Red Rocket and going for a bike ride sometime this weekend.

I’m really sorry that it had to come to this food. If only you could have convinced my body to burn you more easily so that my pants would fit comfortably…

A Man Walks Into An IKEA
IKEA is a strange place for me. Every time I go to IKEA I have an urge to sell my house and move into a really cool, and much smaller, space. The idea of starting fresh, an idea that dwindles with each passing year, excites me. Perhaps it’s because I’ve come to grips knowing that I’ll most likely be living the rest of my life alone. Or perhaps it’s because I really would like to have all new (and properly functioning) things.

While in IKEA I browsed their picture frames, and failed in my quest to buy another couple of posable mannequins for my collection — I just didn’t see them in the store this time.

Houses Aren’t Built For Maintenance
While strolling the aisles of IKEA it hit me — “Houses are never built for maintenance.”

Think about it, our plumbing and wiring are embedded into walls, or in impossibly-accessible areas like attics or underground. Want to replace something? Be prepared to rip apart your house.

In the amazingly unlikely event that I shall ever build a house (or purchase something cool like a real loft, a Tumbleweed House, or Dwelling Shed) I’m going to make sure that all of the inner-workings are accessible.

I know, I’m weird.

ITP Flickr Pic
Nothing today. Sorry. I’ve not been shooting (duh), nor have I had much time to find anything interesting. Hell, I still have yet to take a shot for Monday night’s Roswell Photographic Society critique (the subject is “people”).

Love Their Food. Hate Their Hood
Last night I met up with ITP-Readers Betsy, Terri and Pat at Pizzeria Vesuvius in “Old Forth Ward.” Pizzeria Vesuvius is in the space once occupied by The Bureau (a restaurant that shall forever be remembered for the night I “dropped the ball” — but that’s neither here nor there at the moment), on Edgewood Drive, a stone’s throw east of The Connector.

To call that stretch of Edgewood as “sketchy” is being polite. I circled the restaurant a good four times looking for a parking space which was not metered (Atlanta has hired a private meter-maid service which is doling out tickets like candy), and not along a side street or in front of a building outside which some of the locals were inhabiting. After parking once I lucked into a spot across the street from the restaurant. At this time I’ll admit that were I not meeting people for dinner, I would have given up on my quest to eat at Pizzeria Vesuvius.

I’m glad that I didn’t give up, however. The group shared two pizzas and some “bread stick things” and all of what I ate was delicious. I was clever enough to apply a $15 Scoutmob coupon toward the bill as well, making the night even better.

After dinner the gang of us made a rather questionably decision to walk up Edgewood from Pizzeria Vesuvius to The Corner Tavern. I like to think that I am a hardened “in-towner” but have to admit that the four/five block walk felt like a really bad idea. Luckily, nothing bad happened.

Perhaps You Could See My Art In Person Instead
Tonight is the last night my piece will be hanging (and for sale) at The Granite Room in Castleberry Hill. Again I’ll mention that The Granite Room is one of the galleries that will be open for the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll.

There will be free wine tonight, if that helps you make up your mind.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fat and disgusted with myself
Current Music – silence as I type this
Website Of The Day – I know, blog entries with no photo suck. At least I’m not cheating by heading to Morgue FIle, grabbing a stock image, and pretending that it’s mine.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t check
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~4 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 14 (14)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 13
Marta Rides – 0

May Goals
– Not to get sick for the entire month
– Not get fired from my job
– Ride my bicycle no fewer than 100 miles
– Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further

2010 Goals
– Reduce my weight to 185 pounds (starting weight was 198 pounds)
– Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
РEarn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalape̱o Beach SmugMug account.
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop
– Enter no fewer than three photographic competitions / gallery showings
– Get the Black Sheep stats out of Excel and online
– Ride in no fewer than two 50 mile or 50K bike rides
– Complete my Taco Mac Passport requirement of 125 beers

The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient programmer in PHP and CSS Objective-C
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]