Inside The Perimeter

Yesterday afternoon I went over to my buddy Chip’s house and Chip, Hank, and I watched the movies “Joy Ride” and “Blackberry”. The former was oddly funny, and the latter was interesting for me as an iPhone enthusiast.

I returned home to watch exactly one play of the Chargers v Jets game. The play was the punt returned for a touchdown by the Chargers on their way to routing the Jets.

Unsurprisingly the cash back app Upside has once again disappointed me. For the second time they were unable to fulfill the 27% rebate offered by Tin Drum in Sandy Springs. The cash back app Dosh has never had such an issue, and immediately sent me the 6% discount offered by the same Tin Drum location.

This morning I am doing laundry before spending my day doing household chores. With the early darkness there will be no bike riding for me tonight.

Wordle: three, my starter was ROUTE
Connections: perfect, Green > Purple > Blue > Yellow

For me this was the better weekend of my first two weekends in November.

Even though we had the smallest gathering that we’ve ever had for this campout, and I am still a physical and emotional mess, the weekend was good. Friday night was cold, but we had wood (which could have benefited from a year of seasoning) and made a nice, warm fire. I ate and drank far too much every day. On Saturday I hobbled with the group for a 4.8 mile hike, which also included finding but not taking some lions mane mushroom. I was stuck in traffic for awhile coming home on I20 yesterday, and then after all of that nonsense nearly lost my shit on Flat Shoals when the car in front of me with a Florida license plate threw a stack of solo cups and can of Red Bull out of their car window onto the sidewalk. What a fucking bunch of assholes!

I had a brain freeze on Friday and forgot to do Duolingo. My streak was saved by the employment of a Streak Freeze.

I was well off my Wordle and Connections games this weekend, failing completely at the latter on Saturday morning.

Barb, I hope your going away gathering for Kat and John was fun.

Wordle: four, my starter was HASTY. If I had memorized the 871 solutions that came before it, I would have gotten it in three.
Connections: one mistake, Blue > Green > Yellow > Purple

More Florida. I think when I enter the next chapter of my life I am going start planning for the time when I am alone and incapable of caring for myself.

I spent most of yesterday puttering around the house, it was too cold for me to do much else. The day seemed to fly by. As the day wore on my back pain returned; if it’s not one thing, it’s another. Regardless, I finally made it out of the house for a short walk late in the afternoon. My journey took me to the East Atlanta Farmers Market, where I saw the most beautiful young woman a stand selling apples, seeking one of my favorite varieties, ‘Mutzu’ (which is better known as ‘Mutsu’?). Since I was neither carrying cash nor credit card on my walk I innocently asked “Do you accept ApplePay?”. “What sort of apple seller doesn’t?” the vendor replied and I nearly laughed aloud. I purchased a small bag of very large apples and headed home. It was the early 1990s, when I lived in Alabama, when I purchased and ate my first ‘Mutzu’ from an apple orchard.

I tried to watch the NFL games last night, but between the commercials and all of the penalties, it was unwatchable.

Off to camp for the weekend. I did no preparation yesterday, so I have to get all of my gear gathered this morning. Thankfully the state park to which I am headed is only about an hour away. But, it is also one where AT&T has shitty coverage so I will have to make trips to find coverage in order to keep my Wordle and Duolingo streaks alive.

Wordle: five, my starter was CLAIM
Connections: perfect, Yellow > Blue > Purple > Green

Wow, it was a roundabout way that I learned that Matthew Perry died on Saturday. It’s particularly weird for me as I recently finished listening to his autobiography, which he narrated. I’m surprised no one told me, though I assume that everyone assumed that everyone would have heard.

As of yesterday I have earned $775, which is 22%, of my goal of $3500 to pay for next year’s BRAG trip to Europe. Clearly I am going to have to figure out a way to earn money next year to pay for things.

Though in the end I used the stovetop to make a version of American/Hungarian Goulash, I used the oven twice yesterday, once for my breakfast casserole, and once for my roasted squash (which had much more liquid within it than I would have imagined). The goulash allowed me to use another four peppers, including a couple of jalapeños which I didn’t think we’re overly spicy until I rubbed my nose during the cooking process. Fuuuuuuu…

I don’t know how I will spend my day today, but I know that I am going to pass on a night cycle. I should probably gather and inspect the camping gear I am going to need this weekend.

Wordle: two, my starter was WOULD
Connections: perfect, Blue > Yellow > Green > Purple

Brrrr. Oh, hello November.

I was proud yesterday to force John / Ham with Cam out of the shadows by putting up his bat signal by mentioning Coca-Cola. 😀

I have a secret. I don’t like Halloween. It’s not because I have bad memories of it as a child, though I was once chased by a “bigger” kid when I was twelve and had my hoodie filled with shaving cream, it’s because I don’t like dressing up in costume. I’ve become less willing to participate because I have gained weight again since the departure of my partner in crime who liked dressing up in costume. Halloween is the one night in the year that I turn off my outdoor lights.

Yesterday I puttered around WLF, took a nap, started looking into some things, cleaned part of the basement (after finding some rotting produce in storage), and then shut down for the evening. I was somewhat proud of myself for decline to drive up to Sandy Springs to drink with my buddies, who, went to visit one of our favorite bar tenders; by doing so I saved money and calories.

Today I need to figure out what I am going to cook for dinner with Betsy tonight. It would be advantageous if I could use some of the produce, perhaps peppers or squash, harvested from WLF.

Wordle: four, my starter was WRECK
Connections: perfect, Yellow > Green > Purple > Blue

October Summary

10/01 – ?, V, nothing ????
10/02 – ?, V, yard work ????
10/03 – X, M, cycling ????????
10/04 – ?, V, nothing (recovery) ????
10/05 – ?, V, cycling ????
10/06 – ?, V, nothing ????
10/07 – ?, M, walking ????
10/08 – ?, M, hiking ????
10/09 – ?, M, nothing ????
10/10 – X, V, walking ????
10/11 – ?, V, nothing ????
10/12 – ?, M, walking ????
10/13 – ?, V, nothing ????
10/14 – ?, M, walking ????
10/15 – ?, M, hiking ????
10/16 – ?, V, yard work ????
10/17 – X, V, cycling ????
10/18 – ?, V, yard work, walking ????
10/19 – ?, V, yard work ????
10/20 – ?, V, walking ????
10/21 – ?, V, walking ????
10/22 – ?, V, nothing ????
10/23 – ?, V, yard work ????
10/24 – X, V, nothing ????????
10/25 – ?, M, walking ????
10/26 – ?, M, walking ????
10/27 – ?, V, yard work ????
10/28 – ?, V, walking ????
10/29 – ?, M, walking ????
10/30 – ?, V, yard work ????
10/31 – X, V, yard work ????

Happy Halloween.

Not much about which to talk. Not going to screw myself today by getting on the scale.

Worked in WLF all day yesterday, with more to get done today before the near freeze arrives tomorrow morning. Dinner last night used four of the very many peppers I harvested.

Decided to skip the ride last night because my foot isn’t 100%, and I was dirty and uninterested in going out after working in the yard all day.

Wordle: four, my starter STAGE
Connections: complete fail, X > X > X > X. You’d think I would have gotten the Green, but I thought that it was too obvious. I tried grouping four words into a category that didn’t even exist today!

I should probably remind myself that I have a bum foot before I go out for a long day of walking. Yesterday I walked from the ITP Estate down to Constitution Lakes (4.5 miles), then around Constitution Lakes (2.2 miles), and then finally from Red’s Beer Garden to home (2.4 miles). I’ve already given up running, I really can’t afford to give up walking too.

The neighborhood surrounding Red’s continues to change, with the elimination of the abandoned car wash and the bamboo forest beyond it; so much for that parking. I managed to spend $40 at Red’s, between food and beer, and it wasn’t until I inspected the receipt that I discovered I had been charged for a beer that I did not consume. Harrumph! It all seems to work out in the wash I guess, as I got a free beer on Thursday night.

Pain or not, today I have to spend time in WLF preparing for the oncoming predicted rain and cold temperatures. I need to harvest a ton of peppers, cut back many volunteer tomato plants that won’t have time to produce, and cover some potatoes plants I’m trying to protect for another few weeks.

With Halloween being on a Tuesday the weekly bike ride has been moved to tonight. If my feet are agreeable I will ride, but this very well be my final dark ride of the year.

Wordle: three, my starter FORCE. Someone at the NYT is fucking with me, TODAY’S SOLUTION WAS THE WORD I STARTED WITH YESTERDAY!!!
Connections: perfect, Yellow > Green > Purple > Blue

Yesterday I peeked at next week’s weather and it appears that things will be changing in the Atlanta area, we are predicted to have near-freezing temperatures. Therefore this weekend I must prepare WLF and the ITP Estate for this possibility.

I still have unfinished projects from yesterday on which I need to focus today. Hopefully I can knock some of this shit off my plate soon.

What are you all getting into this weekend?

Wordle: three, starter RABID
Connections: one mistake, Green > Yellow > Blue > Purple

I have a lot on my figurative plate today, including more issues in Florida.

One of my chores this morning I am taking styrofoam, some chemicals, and a small amount of scrap metal and glass to CHaRM.

The early darkness is swaying me against bike riding tonight.

Wordle: four, starter PAGER
Connections: two errors, Blue > Yellow > Green > Purple

It’s been a fairly boring week thus far. Boring can be good, but it’s mostly been boring because the extent of my activity has been either going to the grocery story, or watching tv.

I made myself dinner last night. I cut up a bunch of peppers and some onions, sautéed them on a very low heat for nearly an hour, and served them with pasta. It was pretty good, but can be improved. The biggest revelation that I made is that I may need to start cutting jalapeños using a glove because no matter how many times I scrubbed my hands, I inflicted pain upon myself by touching parts of my face all night.

More of the same today. Dinner at Betsy’s, I believe it’s her turn to cook.

Wordle: five, starter was NUDGE
Connections: perfect, Purple > Yellow > Blue > Green