I’ll be whisking my way OTP for the weekend so expect tomorrow’s blog to be “late” and written from another city. Find out where (though I probably have mentioned it on this space already) tomorrow. I’ll narrow it down a bit by unfortunately admitting that it appears that it will be raining tomorrow and Saturday where I will be. Oh well, good thing I’ll have a MacBook, iPad (1), and Kindle Fire with me and that I won’t be standing outside awaiting my new iPad (3rd generation).
Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Add one new whole grain to your shopping list, such as oats or whole-grain pasta.
Whole grains have it all! They lover the risk of heart disease, Type-2 diabetes, and stroke. Whole grains also help you manage your weight because they contain high amounts of fiber. Fiber is digested slowly, so you can stay feeling fuller longer.
Hmm, I only wish the pasta I made for dinner last night (as well as lunch today) was whole-grain.
March Madness
No, not that NCAA basketball thing.
I’ve been busy as a beaver of late, with little relief in sight. However, even though some of my best coding efforts have seemed to be for naught I’ve been quite proud of the code I’ve produced recently. Boring! I know. However, it’s all too rare when people love the job that they do, even if external forces attempt to destroy this.
The really good thing about the work that I’ve been doing recently is that it’s probably 95% applicable to the rest of the world (well, as long as the rest of the world wants iOS apps that is) so that I can take these skills elsewhere if the need arises.
ITP Flickr Pic
Yeah, another walking map.
At least I’m out there getting some exercise, right?
Amazon Keeps Upping The Ante
While I’ve relegated my Kindle Fire to “occasional use, mostly for reading” status (ITP-Reader Martha, how are you liking yours?) Amazon keeps upping its Amazon Prime membership ante.
When I first signed up for Amazon Prime it was to get the “free” Two-Day shipping. Back then I was buying a lot of stuff (mostly CDs and books — all of which I get digitally now). Recently Amazon has been adding a lot of content for streaming, much of which is free from Amazon Prime customers.
Admittedly I don’t have time, or make time, for watching television or movies (exceptions made for Top Chef, The Amazing Race, and the soon-to-return-to-television Mad Men) so I am not the ideal candidate for “more content!” (And prior to popular belief I no longer get “all of the channels” from Dish Network because I am no longer a beta tester for them.)
I own no stock in Amazon (AMZN) so I have no financial gain in suggesting that you check out their Amazon Prime membership.
Speaking of stock, I wish I could have envisioned Apple’s (AAPL) rise to nearly $600/share (!!!!) when I sold some of mine for $360/share immediately following Steve Jobs’ death. Speaking of Jobs, I wonder how much he would have been worth had he lived long enough to see Apple climb to these heights.
Taking Care Of Business
Prior to blowing out of town tomorrow I need to get all of Sharpened Stone’s payments up to date. While I believe that, due to Sharpened Stone being nothing more than a money and time suck, that this will be the last year of Sharpened Stone’s existence, I want to be legally up-to-date prior to pulling the plug later this year. In concept starting my own LLC was a good idea. In practice…
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay, though my eyesight is starting to decline.
Current Music – listening to this week’s “MacCast” podcast
Website Of The Day – Somehow I wonder if I should be consulting the Lonely Planet. I wonder if ITP-Reader Barb consulted the Lonely Planet’s Barcelona Page prior to her trip.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – walking, ~3.6 miles
Morning Weigh-In – I weighed in (on the work scale) at 210.4 pounds.
Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~28.3 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights
Days Of Bed-Making – 13
Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 14
Pancakes Eaten – 0
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
Books I’ve Read/Heard In 2012
- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me — Mindy Kahling
March Goals
– Lose at least three pounds (net weight loss)
– Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
– Not to get sick for the entire month (may be a moot point as of today)
– Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
– Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
– Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
– Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
– Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
– File tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
– Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course
2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
– Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
– Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
– Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop
– Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
– Run in no fewer than one one 10K
– Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
– Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
– Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]
The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
– 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)
– See more live concerts than I did in 2011
– Eat more pancakes
– Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
Its early afternoon, and after our morning of hanging at a cafe, we walked the Wall of Girona. Pretty cool to think about how & why the wall was built. Allan could be a history teacher with his knowledge of these types of things. The narrow city streets, the stone everything, it’s truly beautiful.
Finally had our official cyclist sighting, Ryder Hejadel (spelling of his last name ??) waved to Kevin as we walked dwn the street. Did see where Lance used to live, the hotel where cyclists stay when trying to move here, and the different apartments where Kevin has lived.
Life here is so laid back, they never ever bring you a check at a cafe, but really don’t ask if you want more either.
Sounds wonderful Barb. I have no doubt that Allan would make a great history teacher, but he’s needed fighting Atlanta’s fires more. 🙂
My journey shan’t be more exotic than yours, but I’m going to try for a little “laid back” time this weekend. Eh, who am I kidding, I’ll be code, reading, drinking and carousing all weekend long. 😀
I use my Kindle everyday…I surf Facebook, check email, play games, watch Hulu and from time to time even read a book.
Even better than whole grain pasta? Actual whole grains, like brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal.
Barb, your trip sounds just fanstastic, I can’t wait to hear all about it when you return.
Lovely pic Barb. One of the shot almost looked like an old Roman agueduct. I assume that’s the wall to protect the city and marks the “old” from the “new” parts of town?
-FP
The wall was originally built by the Romans, made bigger & better in medival times, the mostly destroyed by the French in 1809. Yes, I did just look it up. So cool though, to walk along & think of the soldiers defending their city way back when.
I had quinoa the other night with some skinless chicken and green beans (it’s the one meal about which I can brag). Barb, I’m nearly through one jar of fat-free turkey gravy; it is wonderful on some Stove Top turkey stuffing.