Because that happens next weekend…
Today’s Personal Project
Imagine a brighter future. I’ve been in the dumps for a while now and need a serious attitude (and health) adjustment.
Today’s Daily Challenge
Pledge to climb a set of stairs that contains at least 20 steps in the next week.
Skipping the elevator or escalator in favor of taking the stairs means more activity in your day! Climbing stairs exercises your legs and forces your heart and lungs to work a bit harder, which can help to improve your cardiovascular health. You’ll also burn more calories climbing the steps than you would pushing the elevator button – and you may even get to the top faster, too!
This Traffic’s Gonna Kill Me
On Wednesday evening the woman with whom I was trying to converse at Murphy’s said she had recently moved to Atlanta from Los Angeles (she’s a native Georgian drawn to the west coast by a man, yadda, yadda, yadda). Anyway, she scoffed at the idea that Atlanta had really bad traffic woes.
I beg to differ. When I emerged from my office building last night I saw a line of cars heading north and a helicopter hovering over 285 near Ashford Dunwoody. I was headed over to pick up my dry cleaning and managed to snake my way through the Perimeter Mall parking lot.
After getting my dry cleaning I popped into Target for a few things (note to self: get a Target credit card and save 5% on all the stuff you buy from them!). I then popped into Ross and Loehman’s looking for a lightweight brown jacket, something that has eluded my closet for some time. No success on the jacket front.
Traffic still looked shitty so even though it was “pint night” at Taco Mac I made my way in for some beer and food. Another option was walking to other stores but I wasn’t feeling the shopping whim after failing at Ross and Loehman’s.
By the time I exited Taco Mac traffic had lessened significantly…
Could Tonight Be A Concert Night?
My past has made me hesitant to declare my participation at a late-night concert. However, since this is Friday and I don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow morning I just may find my way to 529 EAV tonight for the Grant Hart show.
Don’t know Grant Hart? Well then you are neither over the age of forty, or have never been a Hüsker Dü fan back in the eighties. Hart was one-third, the drummer, and creator of about half of Hüsker Dü’s songs. I am forty-seven and a huge Hüsker Dü back in the eighties. I’ve seen Hart perform solo sets twice before and would love to make it for a third time.
Big Saturday!
Not because of football, that ended for me last weekend, remember?
No, tomorrow is Chomp and Stomp (link in today WothD section) in Cabbagetown and I just may attend again this year! Tomorrow night I have a ticket for “Two Drink Minimum” at Theatrical Outfit.
I actually had a potentially better offer for tomorrow night, but I’m not feeling up to the challenge it posed, so I’m going to make my solo theatre trip instead.
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – meh, my body and I aren’t getting along these days
Current Music – listening to a Coverville podcast, this one is a cover story containing covers of Simon & Garfunkel songs
Website Of The Day – Chomp and Stomp has always been a fun time.
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 – 2
Vegetarian Meals – 2
Carnivorous Meals – 1
Pancakes Eaten – 0
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
November Goals
– none
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
We being crazy folks have decided to go ride 3 Gap tomorrow, then do some wine tasting. It was JoAnna’s birthday last week, and she wants to go eat & drink at Monteluce, so why not ride some gaps before? Not sure if we will get to the other wineries up there, but we may attempt it.
Sunday is more fence fun, ask us in person about the fun we are having with Cobb County & why a fence that has been there for 20, 30, or maybe 40 years is now wrong & we have to change it (and fairly quickly). Allan has actually called our local county commisioner about this bullshit.
Last night I managed to spend a half hour or so on the trainer to see if I could break loose some of this crap in my lungs… it felt good to sweat, but I think the crud is digging in its heels.
If you are in the area of Mairetta tomorrow, the Red Hare Brewery is having a tasting party with live music by some friends (Squinting Patrick (don’t ask)). 2 to 4 for the band- don’t know if they are the first or only act. Would be worth your time.
Tomorrow evening, The mizzus and I will be attending her high school reunion/ get together. Having met a few of them over the years, it should be a fun evening.
Sunday, if I can break away, I may get to Conyers to the Cyclocross race at the Elks Club and cheer on ITP reader Bob as he hurdles (hurls himself) over the barriers. If you have never seen cyclocross, it’s a hoot and a lot of fun. Bring beer and your lawn chair and come on out.
-FP
Barb, did the code change and you went to make an improvement, or something else stupid?
Yeah Paulie, come out on Sunday to take some photos or just hang out. The race is about 30 minutes from your house.
Things got put in to perspective last night, Laura was taking Travis to soccer practice when she called me to say she was in an accident. Talk about worse case scenerios that go through your head. Fortunately she and Travis are ok. The car on the other hand didn’t do so well. It had to be towed away and with the age and mileage I am thinking they will total it. Sucks because a new car is not in the budget right now and the pennies we will get for the matrix won’t help much.
After getting Laura and Travis back home and situated I was able to meet a couple wheelhoppers for a ramble around Alpharetta. It was awesome riding bandit trails while listening to Rush play at the Verizon Ampitheater. There are a lot of cool bandit trails in my back yard.
Three Gap? OVERACHIEVER! 😛
Barb, your fence issue is another of the sort of thing which makes me want to sell my house. I remember when I had the water heater replaced (nearly fourteen years ago now) the first plumber I brought in wanted to add a bunch of work to “bring things up to code.” The plumber I hired didn’t have such concerns. 😉
Bummer about the car Bob, but thankfully Laura and Travis were unscathed.
Hah, I had no idea Rush was at Verizon last night.
I found out my show tonight is an “early” show. Normally this would be a great thing for me, but I sorta promised my boss (who lives north of here) that I’d do something after work and I also don’t know what sort of traffic will be in my way tonight.
Sunday is two days away, who knows what I’ll be doing..
City Island power is back and we’re online again! Our damage was not too bad, usual water in the basement and some roof shingles torn off but we’re OK. Much better than many others. I’ve got alot to clean and work to catch up on. Thanks for thinking of us.
Good to hear Ronnie. Continued good luck to you and Elena.
Woot woot!! Ronnie, our thoughts and prayers continue for you and your neighbors. Gald you’re OK.
Like I said, we will tell you the story of the fence (and the fire hydrant in the culd e sac) in person, it really is pretty stupid, but unfortunately – we gotta fix it.
And – just to make you more curious, the code enforcement people were a whole different issue – did you know you canr drive or park on gravel in Cobb county? again, a story for in person.
We will be around on sunday at the house, football watching & food on the Egg too, if anyone wants to come by.
FYI- last Red Hare party we attmepted to go to had WAY TOO MANY people for the space. But – glad tehy are doing well.
And lastly – Ronnie – glad to hear you are okay with minimal damage (especially in comparison to others)
and Bob – you might have to sell a bike to afford a new car? Sorry, couldn’t resist. But – I know the feeling, my car is so old, it isnt’ worth much, and though I’m planning for a new car in my mind, I don’t want the car payments…..