Inside The Perimeter

Good lunch with ITP-Reader Steve at Po Boy Shoppe yesterday. I really like the food there, and it was good to catch up IRL.

I like to think that I am as strong as I have ever been, but opening jars has started to become more difficult. The other night I found it impossible to open a jar of Mid’s pasta sauce, and in the end resorted to stabbing a hole in the top of the lid in order to release pressure using a wine opener in order to get to its contents.

Speaking of strength, I had a hard time keeping pace last night, at least for the first half of the ride. My body righted itself for the second half, thankfully.

Wordle: ???, my starter was TRIBE. I’m on my sixth guess so I will score either a six or a fail.

Over the weekend I made a focaccia, and not to toot my own horn, but it was fantastic! I followed a different recipe than the last time I made one, and would love it the loaf I make tomorrow is just as tasty.

I hope that they are wrong, but the long-term weather forecast is calling for near 90°F next week. Too soon!

Wordle: four, my starter was DITCH

Well, the Kindle I bought at Unclaimed Luggage last year seems to have a lousy battery. I tried using it Friday morning and it did nothing. I plugged it in and charged it until the light turned green, and then rebooted it. When I went to use it later in the afternoon, the battery was at 36%.

I chose to ride my bar bike to meet my buddy Shelby for drinks on Friday. We met up at Monks Meadery, before walking to The Albert. I quickly discovered that the Beltli(n)e will not be my transportation panacea since slowing down to pass people is a hassle. I wound up taking it to Memorial Drive before jumping onto roads in Cabbagetown. Unfortunately my bike headlight broke on the way to the bars, snapping at the point where it connects around the handlebar.

I rode 36 miles yesterday along the Arabia Mountain Trail. I rode from Vaughters Farm to the Monastery and back. As it is supposed to be sunny all week I hope to get in at least three more rides this week. It’s like I am cramming, and hopefully not cramping, for BRAG.

Wordle: four, my starter was FRAUD

As we are now in May, European soccer leagues are concluding. Everyone’s “favorite” Welsh team, Wrexham, collapsed at the end and finished one place lower than promotion possibility; their run of consecutive seasons getting promoted has come to an end. My favorite German team, Werder Bremen, needs at least a tie in one of their final two games to stay above the relegation places in the top-flight Bundesliga. Unless I find a bargain price, this will be my last year of paying to watch Bundesliga, even if Werder Bremen remains in the top league.

Wee Little Farm has already had some success and failure this year. I’ve successfully eaten a lot of lettuce, and some blackberries. However, my leeks never grew large and have already bolted. My potato plants look good, so I am anticipating eating boiled potatoes later this year.

Wordle: five, my starter was ANISE. I’ve gotten to the point with Wordle that I’m disappointed with anything over a three, and I have been disappointed a lot recently.

Wee Little Farm has the cutest little bunny rabbit, who I’d like to evict as soon as possible. As I am not into killing, I will try to fend it off and dissuade it from making WLF its personal buffet.

While I don’t think that I will be selected, I have put my name on the waitlist for a growing plot at Red’s Farm. I would love to have another growing space, even though it’s one which admittedly bring a new set of challenges with it.

Wordle: four, my starter was OPIUM

Unfortunately I think the time has come for me to start shopping for a new television. Time was I used to love to shop for new toys, now I don’t. Maybe if I didn’t spend a fortune on a new roof this year I’d feel differently. The reason I may be back in the TV market is that the tv on which I watch nearly all of my content is starting to display a darkened splotch across the middle of its screen. This is one of those issues that once you see, is nearly impossible to unsee. The good news, if there is good news, is that a TV comparable to the one that I currently own, only costs about the same amount of money as one night’s stay in Greenville. I don’t see myself buying a new TV prior to BRAG, so I will either have to “suffer”, or, read more?

Wordle: four, my starter was SPADE

It’s Cinco de Mayo and I believe that I will be breaking with tradition by going to the Tuesday Night (née Meltons) ride instead of an Irish pub. BRAG starts in a little more than three weeks, and I need the saddle time.

This morning I’m going to CHaRM in order to rid my house and carport of some cardboard, glass, and styrofoam. It’s far from enough, but I am finally starting to chip away.

As of now my 2026 calendar is starting to fill up fast. It appears as if I will be “vacationing” in Greenville, SC in November. I will be attending a wedding, and between travel, food, drink, hotel room, and gift, I will be spending at least $1000 for the weekend. Hotel rooms in downtown Greenville are probably as cheap/expensive as any city, but it’s more than I’d ordinarily spend for a place to sleep.

Wordle: five, my starter was HABIT

What do I do when Life hands me leftover gochujang chicken thighs? Make a bastardized jambalaya using them! I had all of the other ingredients necessary to make jambalaya, so it was just a matter of adjusting the cooking time to account for fully-cooked chicken instead of raw chicken. And you know what? It worked! (I’m also missing a chunk of my thumb due to poor knife skills. This is your reminder to be better than me.)

And then yesterday morning, after putting the corned beef into the crockpot, I made chicken and waffles using the last of my gochujang chicken thighs and some bacon I cooked earlier.

I would have ridden a bicycle to the mushroom market at Wild Heaven west side yesterday, but the goddamn Beltline is still closed west of Boulevard. I might start calling it the Beltlie from here on out. After meeting some friends at Holy Taco for brunch I decided not to drive to Wild Heaven either since I didn’t want to spend any more money.

My corned beef and cabbage dinner last night was great. I used WLF onions in the crockpot, and then on a whim I baked rolls to go with the beef, onions, carrots, cabbage, and potatoes.

Wordle: five, my starter was STAGE. I think my Wordle play is getting worse!

It’s May Day, so I will do my traditional listening to Jonathan Colton’s “First of May”. If you partake, recall that it is far from “safe for work”.

Instead of walking up to East Atlanta Village for the weekly farmers market I stayed at home and cooked dinner. I had some cheesy grits, so I made some gochujang fried chicken thighs in the air fryer. The marinade in which I marinated the chicken turned out to be very salty (from the soy sauce, I presume) so the blandness of the grits was a welcome companion.

A busy weekend is ahead for me. Today im driving to Marietta to buy alcohol and exchange that for my BRAG-ready bicycle. I’m volunteering with Concrete Jungle tomorrow, and then going to a mushroom market at Wild Heaven Brewery west side on Sunday.

Wordle: four, my starter was SOUPY

It’s the final day of April? Blimey!

All I seemed to accomplish yesterday was come to the conclusion that none of my pepper seedlings are ready to replace the dead pepper plants I transplanted last week. Dangen! I noticed that we will be getting a few chilly mornings (below 50°F) next week, so it may not be that big of a deal?

I had considered getting out on my bar bike for a spin yesterday, but the day got away from me. Were I not delivering something to Trees Atlanta this morning I may have considered riding a bike to my volunteer shift at 9am.

Wordle: five, my starter was SLIDE