June Super Secret Projects Are Slow On The Uptake

I know that I’ve not divulged many of my June Super Secret Projects (at least not in this space), so it’s hard for me to explain why so many of them are slow on the uptake. It’s my own fault really, as I spend time in bars or in the case last night, catching up on the finale of “Mad Men” and then all-but-watch yesterday’s two-hour long keynote speech from Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference.

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Do ten stair “hops” to work the muscles in your abdomen, thighs, and calves.

You’ll get at least four health benefits courtesy of those fast-moving feet! This activity works your abdominal muscles, because you’ve got to engage your core each time you “hop” a foot onto the step. It’s a quick way to get some exercise for your calves. It helps to strengthen your quads (the muscles of the front side of the thigh). Finally, it gets your heart rate up and your blood pumping!

Yeah, I should try this one today.

Upgrading, Well, At Least Later This Year
I watched the keynote speech with anticipation. First off, new laptops were announced. The one I’ve been eyeing has gotten an upgrade, not to the super-duper status I was hoping, but perhaps far enough for me to pull the trigger later this year — you know, assuming nothing major happens in my life between now and then. Apple “officially” announced iOS 6, which all-but officially announces iPhone 5 the new iPhone; that’ll be a definite buy for me.

Even though I plan to dissolve Sharpened Stone, LLC relatively soon I plan to use my valid Apple Developers Membership the company owns in order to download the beta of iOS 6 and the coding tools necessary sometime this summer. In the process of getting ready for iOS 6, I also plan to do a massive nuke and pave of my laptop when I fork over the $20 to upgrade to Apple’s latest desktop operating system OS X “Mountain Lion” in July.

Yep, the second half of 2012 will certainly ring in much transition for yours truly.

ITP Flickr Pic
Didn’t get around to getting the photos out of the camera.

More Cupboard Cleaning
It’s getting down to “Creative Time” at the ITP Estate. Last night I concocted a noodle soup using the remainder of some vegetable stock I opened on Sunday, some fried noodles that I had in the cupboard, hoisin some sauce, and a pinch of salt. The dish was quite edible, but could have used some additions like jalapeños or other greens in order to give it a little more complexity.

I’m getting close to the point where I’ll have to throw my hands up and return to the grocery store. I’m going to try and see if I can push that off until I return home from Florida in a couple of weeks, however.

Shopping With An Updated List Was Almost Too Easy
I entered Target, with an updated shopping list on my phone. I exited Target twenty minutes later with everything that was on my list, and two small additions which I noticed while roaming the aisles — peanut butter (for the bread I brought in for breakfast), baking soda (for the refrigerator and freezer at home), and pencil leads (for the pencils we use at work to do crosswords).

I consider myself to be an organized soul, though ITP-Reading vets will quickly point out the amount of times I’ve mentioned desiring to become more organized. ‘Tis true, even today, I have so many things on my virtual plate that I can’t managed to overcome my “need” to become more organized (and decluttered).

So with accurate lists I will shop in the future! And hopefully I can once again extend my list making to help remind me the tasks I need to do on timely basis.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay, though the ailments which have been following me still do
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – Did you know there was a day when copyright expired in a reasonable amount of time? You can actually legally stream and watch movies at Open Culture’s Free Movies Online.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – not checking

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 0

Vegetarian Days – 1
Carnivorous Days – 11
Pancakes Eaten – 0

Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0

Books I’ve Read/Heard In 2012

1. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me — Mindy Kahling
2. Flotsametrics and the Floating World: How One Man’s Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science — Curtis Ebbesmeyer
3. God, No! — Penn Jillette
4. The Elephant to Hollywood — Michael Caine
5. Here Comes Trouble — Michael Moore
6. How We Decide — Jonah Lehrer
7. Steve Jobs — Walter Isaacson
8. Death of a Salesman (Penguin Plays) — Authur Miller

June Goals
– Post at least ten new photos during the month
– Lose at least two pounds (net weight loss)
– Finish two books (audio or otherwise, comic books do not qualify)
– 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
– 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]