Rough Start

I’m back at work, though I really don’t wish to be. I probably shouldn’t be here either since I have been fighting off a low-grade cold the past three days. After being out of the office for seven work days I will have a ton of things to catch up on this morning.

Why don’t we make the Monday following the Super Bowl “Presidents Day” so that some of us (not me any longer) can have a paid holiday on which to recover from Super Bowl overindulgences?

Today’s Personal Project
Feel well enough to go to LA Fitness tonight.

Today’s Daily Challenge
Sit down slowly and squarely at least 2 times today.

Back pain is one of the most common health complaints, and some researchers believe that poor sitting posture contributes heavily to back pain. By developing good sitting habits, you can help keep your back healthy.

On! On!
What? What?

For nearly the first time in nearly two years I ran a hash, specifically the Pine Lake hash on Saturday (I did run in Savannah 2011, but that was a “Special” event).

Pine Lake’s hash was laid by ITP-Reader Betsy (aka “Boner Rooter”) and started near the ITP Estate, so even though I wasn’t feeling that well (as evidenced by my poor running), and that I wasn’t going to drink (much) beer (as evidenced by the beer-and-a-half I consumed all afternoon/evening) I went out to hash.

My first Pine Lake hash was done in 1999. Back then I thought Pine Lake would be “my” hash since they are known for serving better beer, and attitude on which I can agree. However, I never felt part of the clique back then, and after looking online yesterday, I found out that Saturday’s hash was merely my thirty-first with them in the past fourteen years. The odd stat I used to own for Pine Lake was having the highest hare/hound ratio, for at one point I had haired four of the first seven Pine Lake hashes I attended.

The hash was short and sweet, attended by some of the usual suspects as well as many youngins I didn’t know, to be fair they also didn’t know me. The “On After” turned into a cluserfuck when the information that Pine Lake was going to Mi Barrio was conveyed to the nearby-ending Atlanta Hash, who saw fit to join in. I’m not a “Atlanta v. Pine Lake” warring type, but most of us have been to Mi Barrio and know that the place is small and ill-prepared to handle twenty-odd people showing up (in various states of inebriation). Upon seeing the swarm of hashers arrive, a handful of us ordered our food to go and ate at Betsy’s house instead.

I Don’t Know If That Was “Super” But It Was “Unique”
I joined a couple of coworkers for a low-key Super Bowl watching gathering. I was tasked with brining tortilla chips and dip. Since I also wanted to bring some real sugar soda with me (to compensate for the lack of beer drinking) I decided to swing by the Buford Highway Farmers Market on my way.

I was kinda hoping the people who shop at the Buford Highway Farmers Market would not be out and about on Super Bowl Sunday. I was wrong. The place was a massive zoo of people, I’m guessing that this is normal behavior for a weekend afternoon versus the Tuesday afternoon (lack of) crowd that I saw there last week. Undaunted I found the items I needed and headed out. Luckily for me this Farmers Market takes credit cards (unlike Your Dekalb Farmers Market) since I had failed to obtain cash prior to going there.

I had a fun time watching the game, not so much the commercials, and less-so Beyoncé’s halftime show. The thirty-five minute partial power outage made things interesting, and oddly almost single-handedly ignited the 49ers, who I had written off by halftime.

My biggest joy of the day, thinking that I had won that second quarter on one of the square sheets I bought into, turned into my biggest embarrassment when I realized that I misread the columns. Oh well, easy come, easy go.

ITP Flickr Pic
Blame Canada! After eating a really good breakfast at Home Grown in Reynoldstown on Friday morning I drove Tamara down to the airport.

On that day to honour Tamara I sported the shirt I bought at the Hudson’s Bay Company when I visited Winnipeg, as well as the Canadian flag button that her mother gave to me when I was in Edmonton a handful of years ago.

Bursting At The Seams
The affects effects results of my time off have not been positive. Even though I managed to make it to LA Fitness three times during my vacation I am gaining weight — and not in that “muscle weight” category. This is not surprising, for I ate and drank nearly every day Tamara was in Atlanta.

I tried to be a “good boy” while watching the Super Bowl yesterday at a coworkers house, though even though I only drank a 22-ounce beer (delivered from Canada!) I managed to consume copious amounts of calories via soda and food.

I need to rectify this starting today. Perhaps I should have had more discipline prior to ripping open and eating the better part of two Pop Tarts this morning.

Unfortunately I’m not certain that I’ll feel well enough to return to my Monday-Wednesday-Friday weightlifting routine today.

Happy Belated Birthday
I was remiss on Friday to not mention that my brother’s birthday was yesterday. Oh, it’s not that I forgot his birthday was yesterday — I did call him to wish him a happy birthday — but in my rush to write Friday’s blog before shipping off Tamara I failed to put a mention in that post.

Happy Birthday + 1 day, “Ronnie”.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – not great, wishing I had skipped the Pop Tarts breakfast
Current Music – silence
Website Of The Day – I am constantly seeking ways to improve my technology skills. This week I plan to get back to my iOS and web development training, perhaps soon I’ll also look into Treehouse.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – checking again soon?

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~2.5 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 0

Days Of Bed-Making – 0

Vegetarian Meals – 3
Carnivorous Meals – 4

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

February Goals
– lose five pounds
– walk/run no fewer that 100 miles
– read at least one book
– dissolve Sharpened Stone, LLC
– take at least one box of things to Goodwill
– post at least ten photos in the blog
– drink a lot less alcohol

2013 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
– Dissolve Sharpened Stone
– 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

2013 Goals: Unmeasurable
– 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)
– Take two real vacations, perhaps one abroad
– Take a more proactive approach to meeting women (read “stop being such a pussy”)

Books I’ve Read/Heard In 2013

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]