Though I plan two work both days this weekend I also plan to leave work early today so I can head back to East Atlanta for a little fun this afternoon hearing Turf War perform at 529. Turf War is scheduled to play a 45-minute set starting at 4:45pm so I guess that I’ll hang around the ‘hood and go out for dinner somewhere local (assuming I don’t smell too much like an ashtray by the time I leave 529) afterward.
Today’s Daily Challenge
Spend a moment thinking about a negative life event that led to a positive outcome or change.
Feeling grateful enhances well-being, and by looking at a negative event within a positive framework, you increase your sense of gratitude. This exercise can also prompt you to look for the good in the midst of a bad situation in the future. In other words, if there was an upside once before, there may be one again.
If you consider this blog a “positive outcome or change” then I guess my getting carjacked would be my “negative life event.”
Sadly I have many “negative life events” that occurred during the past twenty years from which to choose.
The Most Boring NFL Draft Ever
I hung around Taco Mac last night (btw, I am now at beer #499) after work and watched some of the first round of the NFL Draft. Until last night I had never watched a draft in which I did not know any of the first ten selections. Weird. My NY Jets picked to players, neither or which I knew well, who I can only hope will help them improve in the near future.
It was “Pint Night” at Taco Mac so the place was predictably filled. I started the evening with two coworkers who had to leave (one returned later) to have drinks with the company president who is in town today.
While I was alone I made the “mistake” of having to go pee, only to return to my table and find it completely cleaned off. Fortunately for me I was done with my dinner and beer so I didn’t lose anything. My waiter, a guy who has served me many times, said he didn’t see them cleaning the table off and had to stop the hostess from seating someone at it. This is one of the many hazards/stigmas of eating/drinking alone. Anyone want to help me design a “I’m Still Here” card that can be placed on the table as a notice that the sole diner has only temporarily left his/her table?
ITP Flickr Pic
“How I Ruined This Morning’s Workout”
Abandoned by my coworkers who had to meet with the company president I was left alone to ruin my morning workout with Taco Mac’s “Fiesta Chicken Nachos.”
Wet Weekend Ahead
It’s unfortunate for the Inman Park Festival and Roswell Mayor’s Ride that the weather outlook for this weekend is not good. As for me I will be in the office both days due to pressure to get a software release out.
I will be carving out time to head over to Red Hare Brewing for tomorrow’s tasting/roller derby benefit and then hope to join some of you at Tasty China for dinner, however.
What’s on your agenda?
Today’s Personal Project
Leave work in time to hear Turf War play. Crap, I just got invited to a 1:00pm meeting…
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – I’ll be attending some of the Atlanta Mess Around in East Atlanta this weekend.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – treadmill (Galloway Method), 60 minutes
Morning Weigh-In – checking today
Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 13 (6 cardio)
Days Of Bed-Making – 0
Vegetarian Meals – 36
Carnivorous Meals – 39
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
April Goals
– not get sick
– lose two pounds
– walk/run no fewer that 50 miles
– lift weights at the gym no fewer than eight times
– finish at least two of the books I am reading
– take at least one box of things to Goodwill
– post at least ten photos in the blog
– drink a lot less alcohol
– prepare a house repair plan and budget
– return ITP-Reader Martha’s coffee percolator to her
– return ITP-Terri’s crutches to her
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
- Pages 1.7 for iPad (Timestompers Guide) — by Sean Wells
- 60 Mountain Lion Tips — by David Sparks and Brett Terpstra
- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business — by Charles Duhigg
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
As usual – my weekend plans have changed once again.
The Chattanooga trip to hanglide tomorrow has been postponed because of the weather, well, postponed by us, I don’t know if anyone talked to the company about if they would be postponing it. JoAnna (who purchased the groupon) decided she & Mike were going to bail, so that meant Allan wouldn’t be using the other half of her deal. Then – I received a phone call from my friends in Houston that are moving to NJ. The movers will be done this morning, so they are heading towards ATL later today, arriving sometime Saturday evening to stay with us for a few days.
I think we will still be able to make it to Red Hare, but may not be able to go to Tasty China. Plus, I need to find time to do some quick cleaning, as I thought I had until Monday to get it done. And – Allan’s dad needs some help installing some cabinets. And lastly, I’d really like to get a bike ride in.
Bummer about no Tasty China, Barb. I will definitely be at Red Hare and plan to play the dinner part by ear.
Ladies get ready, I’m feeling optimistic today and will be buying pairs of theatre and concert tickets.
Barb,
Are Annette and Mark moving to NJ?
Laura – yes- they have had the craziest couple years.
Mirant merged with Genon & they moved to Houston. Now, Genon has merged with somebody named NRG & they get to move to Princton NJ or somewhere near there. But, on the good news side for them, they house they just bought 6 months ago sold within 2 weeks for what they were asking, so at least they didn’t lose any money this time.
And – the extra good news for me, I’m storing all their wine while they are looking for a place to live in NJ (didn’t want to give that to the movers), I wonder how many bottles I can drink before they notice?
And Paulie – Tasty China isn’t 100% out, all depends on what time they think they will arrive.
Lyle Lovett at Atlanta Botanical Gardens tickets purchased. Now I need to find a date by July 26th.
Debbie and I must attend a funeral in Conyers at 1PM tomorrow. I don’t know what the plan is after that, but what time do the festivities start at Red Hare?
We’re trying to link up with Bunny’s new forever home this morning, but not getting a response. Planning on going to the meeting spot just in case.
Will report more later.
-FP
Red Hare is 2-4pm.
My “plan” for tomorrow is:
– early morning workout
– work until wish
– Red Hare from 2-4
– something to kill time until food at some place
– ???
Not much planned for us this weekend. If it isn’t raining too hard or there is a break in the weather, we are going to work in the front yard. It would seem we are pretty well covered re: property line dispute in the back, I want to make sure the front is ‘maintained’ as well so we don’t end up with a zigzaged lot 🙂
Might have to do some work myself this weekend. We are in the middle of a proposal, first draft is due by noon today but I think we will need to get a lot more done before Monday.
We’ve all had ‘negative life events’, welcome to living. Many/most of them are outside our control but the decisions we make to deal with them and how we move forward after them that is all us. Events don’t make a person how they handle them does.
Okay now, back to writing. Let’s see what garbage I can get on paper before noon (have I even mentioned I hate writing?)
Plans for the weekend MAY include the Taste of Marietta (http://www.2012.tasteofmarietta.com/) …dependent on the forecast, that is. Where are all the really nice days that we had a few weeks ago? Tired of these rainy icky one. I guess technically it’s still “April Showers” time…. we better be getting a lot of May flowers, that’s all I have to say.
Steve, my condolences to you and Debbie. 🙁
Gotta say, I LOVE the idea of a sign for when you leave the table! I always feel I have to flag down the waitstaff first to explain “I’m not leaving – I’m just in the bathroom!” so they don’t do exactly that (or think I skipped out on a tab). In the winter it’s easier because you can just leave your jacket. Come summer, it almost feels like I’m asking permission to use the potty! 😉
I want to be your backup date for Lyle Lovett! Love him.
RIP George Jones. I wonder if his liver will be put on display as a cautionary tale?
Last night at dinner – original Sprayberry’s BBQ, OMG good – we decide that we must burn some of our yard waste before the burn ban goes into effect next Wednesday. Big planners that we are, we march right out there after dinner and just before dark and light some limbs up. The key bit of prep that we failed to consider was dousing ourselves with bug spray. We and the dogs were covered in ticks. I HATE ticks and swore I felt the little creepy crawly bastards all night long.
I’m going to re-wash our freshly laundered sheets today just in case.
Your experience with the over-zealous table-cleaner is why I always, always, always sit at the bar when alone. Like, if there’s no seat at the bar I either wait or go somewhere else.
I’m so over this ridiculous mandate to only look at the positive. Ignoring the bad things is like shooting yourself in the foot. Embrace both the positive and negative aspects of life, and you’ll find you’re much happier and better prepared in the long run. Plus: what Martha said about how you handle events. (All “you”s in this paragraph are meant to be the general public, not anyone in particular.)
Martha, I assume from the Book of Face that Kevin helped you out? What was the outcome?
I found the Nut Thins in the gluten-free section at Publix on Ponce last night. I will report back once I crack those babies open and put some cheese on ’em!
Yes Mr. Kevin gave me some advice, basically hold tight until someone says something, then file the needed paperwork to take over that section of land. He told me, that the time needed to claim adverse possession, in an urban setting is only 7 years, since I’ve been there 11 and no one has said or done anything, and it appears I’ve meet the other necessary criteria I have a very strong case. I guess I owe him a beer (or two).
Speak of beer, will I be seeing you tomorrow night?
What flavor did you get? I think the pepper jack is the best but the plain ones are nice if you need a more neutral palate…
Stacy – I’ve heard the crowds for Taste of Marietta can be CRAZY BIG, so plan to park probably not very close & do some walking. The yoga studio is totally closed Sunday because of the crowds. If I decide to go, I’ll probably ride my bike over. But – I’m not a huge crowd lover, so I don’t know if I’ll go.
Jenka & Martha – I totally agree with you, I just have to say shit happens, deal with it & move on. Nobody’s life goes perfectly, just gotta roll with it.
TICKS = YUCK!!! My sister in law in Spain is having a huge issue with them (especially with the cat), and posts pictures on FB. I told her TMI!!!
Ugh! I can’t stand me crowds either. *sigh* Maybe I should hope for a little rain and bring my umbrella. The weather might keep some folks away. If I go, I’ll holler at you just in case you’re there too!
Martha: they only had either almond or pecan. I chose almond. And re: tomorrow night, are you talking about Erin and Paul’s party? Yep, I’ll totally be there! Looking forward to seeing you. It will be interesting to see if Alice and Sarah manage to avoid each other.
Pair of tickets for “The Book Club” at Horizon Theatre purchased — need to find date moved up to June 1 for that.
I know I’m a poor substitute, but I’d totally “Book Club” it with you if you don’t find a date, Paulie! 🙂
I love drama – I don’t think I know Alice & Sarah, why do they want to avoid each other? okay- I’m really bored at work today. I’ve even started playing words with friends……
Oh Barb, I don’t even think I have the whole story…once they were a couple, now they aren’t and apparently at least one of them is now part of a new couple (and the new girl is stunning, from what I’ve been told).
I don’t know them either, Barb. It must be a Ormewood / Crossfit thing.
Oh, and Stacy you are a wonderful companion. In fact, I dare say I have enjoyed my time with each and every woman I’ve seen plays/concerts/lectures with in the past.