Inside The Perimeter

Well, at least my bed is a made bed.

Today’s Daily Challenge
Drink a glass of water before you feel thirsty.
Could this be an omen for happy hour?

Rain And Traffic
I worked until 6:00pm last night. With the lousy weather traffic was inevitably shitty, so I went to my natural home-away-from-home Taco Mac. Except I really didn’t go to Taco Mac…

Thursdays are “pint nights” which normally draw a large crowd. Through in the extra amount of people who came to the same conclusion about driving and you can imagine the density of people waiting for a table. “At least thirty minutes” I was told, but since I had nowhere else to be and the weather was not conducive to going for a walk, I took out the documentation I needed to read and started to get into it. While I waited I was generously asked if I needed a beer by one of the regular waitresses, but I declined figuring that I could wait until I obtained my own table. As I sat reading documentation my boss called; he and one of my coworkers were already at Outback. So, I turned in my buzzer at Taco Mac and scooted across the parking lot in the rain and joined them.

I called my mother on the drive home and arrived home early enough to see that my across-the-street neighbors were having a successful party, and to get some work done. Except that I didn’t get any real work done. I struggled with a failed install on my Mac (Trouble? With an Apple product? In-CON-ceivable!!!) and then passed out for the evening.

ITP Flickr Pic
While I don’t exactly think of myself as incredibly photogenic I do seem to like to take photos of myself.

Especially when I’m obscured in some way.

A Confusing Weekend Ahead
With the exception of going to Variety Playhouse for The Mountain Goats show tomorrow night and to a dinner party on Sunday evening I don’t really know what’s in store for this weekend. I might work (I’m so far behind). I must find time to exercise (though unfortunately the office building’s workout/shower facilities will still be under renovation). I need to watch Stanford iOS Development Classes and start to get back into reading books. I need to file paperwork for Sharpened Stone. I need to read the documentation for my company’s 2012 benefits plan. I need to eat pancakes (okay, perhaps I don’t need to eat pancakes). So much to do. So little time.

Plus, there are some pesky January Goals that are still achievable that I should try and accomplish…

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fair, the current weather isn’t helping, and I feel as if I am falling behind all of the time
Current Music – listening to this week’s “The Kindle Chronicles” podcast
Website Of The Day – The Omni Group makes some great Mac software, including OmniFocus, which I need to start using more effectively to get my life in order.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – next Monday

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~11.7 miles
Wheel Mileage – ~6.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 1

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 26
Pancakes Eaten – 3

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

January Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- “Completely” recover from the bike crash (though I’m beginning to think that this will never happen)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Participate in a least one dinner party (perhaps held at my house when plumbing issues are addressed?)
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Request free credit report
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

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
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Two days out of the office. I’m not looking forward to playing catch-up today.

Today’s Daily Challenge
Make your bed today.
Hmmm, where have I heard about making one’s bed? Oh yeah, on this website! Now if I could only get myself back into that habit. Today sounds like a great day to start — at least once I get home.

Man, I Wish I Had Done This
In yesterday’s Amazon Mobile update the information provided for this update was nothing more than this (paraphrased, trying to remember the exact wording)

We know you hate bugs, so we fixed some.

I love it when humor enters an arena in which it is not always found.
Good Night At George’s
I made it home from Clemson yesterday in time to head up to George’s for a walk. I fired up my iPod Touch and began walking

The map above shows the path I covered, about 4.7-miles long, which took me nearly an hour and twenty minutes to accomplish.

My timing couldn’t have been much better as I by the time I went to enter George’s the early flight of runners were also entering. I sat at the bar and shared a pitcher of Blue Moon with ITP-Reader Steve while I ate my burger and fries for dinner (note to self: The path to weight-loss is paved better when sensible food choices are made). During the two hours I remained inside I saw a lot of good friends I’ve not seen much of since I stopped running at George’s. I look forward to returning to George’s occasionally once the Top Chef season ends.

I returned home early enough to get a lot of work done, though I fell asleep early instead. Oh well.

ITP Flickr Pic
Still life of a college campus interview room (iPad not included)

I sort of like this composition though I wish I had left more room on the left and top sides of the shot.

Taking A Night Off From Exercise
With the predicted heavy rains moving in later my decision to give my feet and legs a break to recover was almost made for me. I feel good that I’ve walked three days in a row and fully expect to return to hoofing it again starting tomorrow.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – my legs and feet hurt, and that’s not a bad thing necessarily
Current Music – listening to this week’s “FLOSS Weekly” podcast
Website Of The Day – Trying to schedule a meeting or meetup? Have you heard of Tungle? I keep hearing about this app on “Back To Work” and may start trying to use it myself.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – walking, ~4.7 miles
Morning Weigh-In – 210 pounds last Monday, because of my poor eating this week it’ll probably be about the same next Monday

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~11.8 miles
Wheel Mileage – ~6.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 25
Pancakes Eaten – 3

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

January Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- “Completely” recover from the bike crash (though I’m beginning to think that this will never happen)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Participate in a least one dinner party (perhaps held at my house when plumbing issues are addressed?)
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Request free credit report
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

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
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Breakfast was a piece of cake, okay, an apple fritter from QuikTrip as I traveled to Clemson (wish I could have waited to gas up in South Carolina, gas is much cheaper up here).
Lunch was a salad on which I resisted the temptation of placing ham, bacon, and chicken.
Dinner was a lost cause; I couldn’t find a knockout vegetarian restaurant (a surprise in a college town) and when my walk led me to a Chinese buffet my willpower collapsed.

Hey, I did force myself into a 1.5-mile walk yesterday in addition to the 4.5 hours of standing on my feet at the career fair. So I that going for me.

Clemson: Day One — The Career Fair
I rolled into Clemson, SC yesterday after a mostly-pleasant commute from East Atlanta. The career fair started at noon so I wasn’t in a great rush to get out of town, though the half hour it took me to get onto I-285 by taking Memorial Drive, a move I thought would save me frustration, did test my patience on more than one occasion.

I couldn’t locate my GPS (again!) so I used my past travels to Clemson in order to get me to the Littlejohn Colosseum for the career fair. I spent the day talking to college students, and trying to give away the items I carefully arranged on my table. The (people) traffic was slower than it had been in past years, perhaps because Clemson has returned to holding a two-day college career fair.

Prior to my walk last night I received some “interesting” news from work. Even if I were allowed to divulge the information, I wouldn’t do so here because it would do little more than bore you.

Amazingly I ended the night early, in the hotel room reading some documentation for work and falling asleep early, without being able to convince myself to walk to a bar for a few beers. I don’t know who I am anymore!

Clemson: Day Two — The Interviewing
After doing nothing more than watching attractive girls walk past my table yesterday in order to talk to companies who had pretty woman working tables (hmm, maybe there is a connection there?) I’m preparing myself for a day of interviewing on campus. I have five half-hour interviews scheduled so I should be able to skip Clemson early enough to get home at a reasonable time.

I have a free breakfast awaiting me, but I’m considering skipping because I’m not hungry and I will have a lunch break later this afternoon. Perhaps I’ll swing by the hotel’s breakfast area, forego the temptation of a waffle, and see if they have some cereal or fruit.

ITP Flickr Pic
Not exactly Gotham, but Atlanta does have a few interesting skyscrapers.

I took this shot from the High Museum on Saturday. It appears as if I stripped this photo of its color, but in reality it was that gray last Saturday and I only desaturated this photo slightly.

Not Top Cheffing Tonight
ITP-Betsy is unavailable tonight so we’ve decided to hold off on watching Top Chef. Who knows, maybe I’ll swing by George’s for a walk. Stranger things have been known to happen…

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay, hoping all things in my life improve soon
Current Music – listening to this week’s “The Talk Show” podcast
Website Of The Day – I never lived in the dorms at Florida. I wonder if the dorm life at Clemson is anything like the mockumentary Dorm Life.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – standing 4.5 hours, walking 1.5 miles
Morning Weigh-In – 210 pounds last Monday, and if I want that to change I’ll need to be stronger

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 7.1 miles
Wheel Mileage – ~6.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 24
Pancakes Eaten – 3

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

January Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- “Completely” recover from the bike crash (though I’m beginning to think that this will never happen)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Participate in a least one dinner party (perhaps held at my house when plumbing issues are addressed?)
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Request free credit report
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

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
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I’m headed up to Clemson, SC this morning so I don’t have a lot of time for blogging (because why would I want to have everything in order the night before?).

ITP Flickr Pics
Yeah, you read that right — two photos today. You’ve been good…
If you’ve been to the High Museum recently you’ve no doubt seen the parabolic mirror piece. Being a bit of a satellite dish nerd this both intrigued me and failed to impress me at the same time. Nonetheless I took an obligatory self-portrait in front of the piece, using the Nikon D300 as well as the iPhone, and surprise surprise the iPhone version turned out to be more “interesting.”

Sometimes I’m a complete sucker for simplicity.

(Psst, don’t tell anyone, but I’ve actually flipped the image. On the wall at the High the woman was on the left and the man on the right. However, when I decided to make this a campaign image for losing my singularity I decided that it would be better flipped. Am I right? Only time will tell.)

Not Walking On Sunshine, But Walking
After work last night I parked the Jackmobile and walked. I walked for approximately an hour and ten minutes through yesterday’s fog, covering approximately 3.6 miles. Not bad. I felt great doing the walk perhaps because of my semi-leisurely pace and wanted to go longer, but in the end I decided that on Day 1 I should be conservative so that I can repeat the process on Day 2, Day 3, etc.

I’ve packed I will be packing some running walking shoes for tonight and talking a stroll around Clemson. Hell, if the timing is right I might also tote my camera and look for some interesting compositions. What a concept!

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay, feeling a bit lazy but that’ll have to change quickly
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – While in my hotel room tonight I’ll be reading work documents, and perhaps The Walking Site. All of this after my walk of course.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car, all the way to Clemson, SC
Exercise (b)Log – walking, ~3.6 miles
Morning Weigh-In – debating getting on the scale, but not going to do it again until next Monday.

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 5.6 miles
Wheel Mileage – ~6.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 23
Pancakes Eaten – 3

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

January Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- “Completely” recover from the bike crash (though I’m beginning to think that this will never happen)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Participate in a least one dinner party (perhaps held at my house when plumbing issues are addressed?)
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Request free credit report
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

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
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Yep, three weeks into 2012 and I’m declaring perhaps my third “do over.”

Today’s Daily Challenge
Find a healthy alternative to a food you crave.
I wish I had received this prior to consuming breakfast. I’ll work on this one at lunch and dinner.

Flushed, Perhaps Not Fixed, But Flushed
On Saturday I met up with ITP-Reader John (aka HamWithCam) at The Majestic for breakfast (can you say “pancakes?”). The original plan was to eat, do some photography, and then head to the ITP Estate to flush my hot water heater. However, the weather was far from agreeable for that so we called an option.

After breakfast the two of us headed to my house and flushed the hot water heater. I learned a lot along the way and gained a large measure of confidence doing so. The water heater still seems to knock, though perhaps anecdotally not as hard or for as long, as it did prior to our flushing it (2012 might see a new hot water heater purchase in my future). Even if I can eke out six more months from my hot water heater this maintenance was good to see the gunk which has accumulated within it over the past twelve-plus years.

Once the hot water heater was done we were invigorated to go out and shoot, indoors. With it then being after 10:00am we headed up to the High Museum and shot while we wandered the halls.

By the time we were through with the High we both wanted lunch, and John mentioned a barbecue restaurant I’ve seen a few times while going to the iOS Developers meetups. The place we went is on Chattahoochee Industrial and is called Pappy Red’s BBQ. You might recognize it as the place with the neon pigs and half of a plane crashing through its roof. Had it not been so crummy out I would have taken a photo. I ate a pulled-pork sandwich on jalapeño bread with bbq beans and a fried apple pie. Skip the brans, but the rest were worthy of a return trip.

Given that we were on the west side of town we made a stop in Hop City, where I ran into ITP-Reader Tony who happened to be shopping prior to his laying of the Pine Lake Hash. With three bomber bottles in hand we then made our way over to Gear Revival where I bought a pair of shoes(!?!). I would link you to Simple Shoes, the manufacturers of the shoes I purchased, except that when I looked them up online on Saturday I read that they are ceasing operations. Bummer.

When I finally arrived home I noticed that the large amount of rain which had fallen had clogged the storm drain’s grate at the end of my driveway by washing up leaves and mud. So, I decided to get a little exercise by getting my large shovel and shoveling away all of the leaves and mud which clogged the grating as well as lined the curb along my property line. When I was done it looked pretty darn good I must say.

ITP Flickr Pic
I got the bright idea to try and photograph cars racing through this large puddle as we sat inside The Majestic. This was the best of my efforts.

I Want A Mega Den!
Some of my former East Atlanta neighbors are apparently going to be on DIY Network’s “Mega Dens”. Man, I wish I could be on that show. Oh, who am I kidding, I only want to be on that show to meet its hostess Anitra Mecadon.

Gray Days Here, Gray Beard Gone
With the exception of the short excursions on Saturday the weather kept me indoors most of the weekend. I kept busy on Sunday (not coding unfortunately) by listening to a lot of loud music/podcasts while cooking, organizing, and cleaning.

For the past two weekends I’ve contemplated shaving again. My ever-graying beard and mustache have been getting ragged (though I’d received compliments over the past two weekends). I decided yesterday that looking like a sage, old man was not the way I wanted to appear at Clemson on Tuesday, so it was time to for it to go. Besides, when it comes to my facial growth it’s not “if” but “when” I shave again, and with it being so warm this winter “when” arrived sooner than in past years.

I Have To Walk Before I Run
I have been scared straight with my weight. Prior to stepping on the scale this morning I made a guess of “210 pounds” only to be further disappointed to see a reading of 210.4 pounds. Hey everybody! I have a great opportunity to lose twenty pounds this year!!!

Unfortunately for me the workout room at the office is closed this week for renovations. Therefore I can’t exercise before work (and shower, thus saving my hot water heater). So I will be (re?)starting my exercise routine tonight. I’ve packed some clothes which will allow me to walk, and resist the urge to try running, while listening to an audiobook (I’ve goals to reach, people!). My goal tonight is a 45-60 minute walk. Look for me to walk daily, at least during the days which are not raining, with the goal to step my pace up back to the slow run that I had pre-accident.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fat
Current Music – listening to this week’s GardenFork Radio podcast
Website Of The Day – Apple is not the only place to buy self-published books. Lulu has been offering self-published books for some time.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – 210.5 pounds. Oh boy, I have a lot of work to do

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 2.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – ~6.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 22
Pancakes Eaten – 3

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

January Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- “Completely” recover from the bike crash (though I’m beginning to think that this will never happen)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Participate in a least one dinner party (perhaps held at my house when plumbing issues are addressed?)
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Request free credit report
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

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
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Slammed. But that’s mostly because I couldn’t, no wouldn’t, get out of bed this morning.

I had a good, but long, night at the lavanderia last night. While doing wash and for the better part of the drying cycle I sat there watching a Stanford iOS Development class on my iPad. Fun fact: Just yesterday I found that Apple has released an iTunes U app. By the time I got home (9:30pm ish) I was famished and scarfed down some of the leftovers from my refrigerator.

I Think I’m Turning Japanese
This was the odd site I saw last night on The Weather Channel‘s website.

Look at the words(?) under the images; they’re all Greek, um Japanese, or Chinese, to me.

Huh, it just dawned on me that this would have been a great opportunity to use Skitch to annotate the screenshot. Dangen!

Huh, it just dawned on me that I should have used Skitch as today’s “Website Of The Day.” Double Dangen!!

ITP Flickr Pic
I actually felt a little guilty not having a photo yesterday. After laundry last night I dug up one “acceptable” photo from last weekend’s shoot and played around a bit with it.

Weekend Warrior
I’m skipping going out for lunch today so that I may hit Home Depot to pick up a new hose for hot water heater flushing tomorrow. ITP-Reader John and I have plans to shoot, even though the weather seems as if it’s going to be less than agreeable. Ham, meet at Majestic? I’m thinking “pancakes!”

Sunday should find me watching football, but I’m also going to see if I can manage to get a haircut (going recruiting at Clemson next week, want to look good for the impressionably coeds), and may find myself in the office trying to put out a couple of fires — especially since I’ll be losing two coding/meeting days to recruiting next week. Fun!

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fair, tired, swamped
Current Music – listening to this week’s CBC Radio 3 podcast. Man, I need/want to get back to Canada for a vacation.
Website Of The Day – One of my January goals is to get my credit report (for free). I know to avoid that service called “Free Credit Report” and instead to use the actual service which provides a credit report for free — Annual Credit Report. (psst – it’s probably a good idea for you to request yours as well)
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – Monday

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 2.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – ~6.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 19
Pancakes Eaten – 0

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

January Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- “Completely” recover from the bike crash (though I’m beginning to think that this will never happen)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Participate in a least one dinner party (perhaps held at my house when plumbing issues are addressed?)
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Request free credit report
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

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
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Hits and misses all around the ITP Estate in the food category.

I’d Probably Would Have Packed My Knives
After a long perusal through Emoroid Kroger, and fighting traffic through Emory’s campus, I returned home to start preparation for my Top Chef dinner. I was planning on roasting a chicken (with some sage and garlic slipped under the skin) while it sat atop some vegetables — carrots, potatoes, onion, celery — that I’d picked up at the grocery store. In addition I also planned on making cheesy mashed cauliflower with the head of cauliflower that I also bought at the store.

Side note: Last night’s dinner, today’s lunch, two bottles of cheap wine, and some various other staples at Kroger cost me (with tax) $71. Yikes!

The chicken and vegetables roasted for about ninety minutes at varying temperatures. I started the bird at 425º F and dropped the oven’s temperature down to 350º F during the cooking process. When I pulled the platter I realized that I should have smeared oil on the vegetables (I made the semi-incorrect assumption that the chicken’s fat would render into the bottom of the casserole dish in which all was being roasted) and that the entire shebang could have used at least ten more minutes in order to take the chicken to another level and soften the vegetables some more.

After disassembling the cauliflower I steamed the florets until they were tender. I added some butter, cheese, and milk (perhaps too much of the last) to the cauliflower and mashed the concoction. The cauliflower mixture turned out a bit loose, so I decided to cover it and toss it into the oven with the chicken.

It was probably because we ate so late, but ITP-Reader Betsy said that she liked dinner. I think she was being polite. I was more critical of my effort and think that I need to hone my chicken cooking skill, or stick to roasts.

ITP Flickr Pic
I tried to upload a photo today, but I couldn’t find anything I wanted to show.

Seeking Food Redemption
Another thing I did last night was prepare and start cooking a beef stew for lunch today. I finished the final preparation and started the cooking at midnight. This morning I carefully drove the crockpot into work and thankfully didn’t spill any of the contents.

I’m hoping that the near-twelve hours of slow cooking will make for a fantastic beef stew. I’m planning on sharing this with coworkers, who will most likely not be as kind as Betsy with their assessment of my cooking.

I’m Going To Show My Fashion Ignorance
Even though I’m in a larger state of waistline than I want to be I’m considering buying new pants. Recently I thought back to some dark-green (olive, perhaps) “khaki,” but not cargo, pants I used to own. Do stores currently sell these sort of casual (read “Dockers”) pants in a dark-green/olive these days, or is it all tan (real “khaki”?) and black “Dockers”? Where would be the best store for me to go and look?

Still Contemplating A New Water Heater
The ITP Estate’s hot water heater is still banging away. I’m getting to the point where I think I should just have the hot water heater replaced (who knows, this could be the starting point for making all necessary repairs!) since I’m coming to the conclusion that I’ll never get around to trying to drain and flush it in order to see if the banging stops.

What says you? Do you think it’s worth it for my to try to flush the hot water heater? Do you know of a good plumber who I could ask? I have so much to do over the next few months I just need to start chipping away at the things which are nagging me.

I Might Not Have To Cook Tonight
It’s lavanderia night and if I want I can eat at Las Tortas Locas or get myself a bánh mì sandwich. Or, I could head home without eating tonight and see what I can do to salvage my leftovers. Choices, I have choices.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – frustrated
Current Music – listening to this week’s “The Talk Show” podcast
Website Of The Day – When the proprietor of Leftover Chef notices that his/her site is still SOPA/PIPA disabled I’ll be going back to see if the site has a good suggestion for my leftover chicken.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – next week

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 2.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – ~6.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 18
Pancakes Eaten – 0

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

January Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- “Completely” recover from the bike crash (though I’m beginning to think that this will never happen)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Participate in a least one dinner party (perhaps held at my house when plumbing issues are addressed?)
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Request free credit report
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

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
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

After confirming my suspicion that I was going to skip the iOS Developers meetup I coerced myself into going over to Taco Mac for some dinner and a few beers. My plan worked even better than I imagined (not what you might be thinking) because I also talked myself out of stopping at the grocery store on the way home, chatted with my mother for a while on the phone, and them promptly passed out some time shortly after 9:30pm. Needless to say I was a little more chipper this morning when the alarm went off at 5:00am, and even though it was noticeably chilly inside the ITP Estate I managed to rally my ass out the door by 6:15am. Now if I could have only convinced myself to get some exercise this morning…

My back is a little better today, though it still aches some.

A Rare Bit Of Politics
Many people and companies I respect are blackening-out their logos and websites today in order to fight the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). In a land that supposedly values “Free Speech” I am appalled at the companies who are using the Government (through financial support most likely) in order to “stop piracy.” In my opinion this “War on Piracy” will have as much success as the wars “on Drugs” and “on Terrorists” which is to say, none, other than to waste time and money and punishing the innocent.

*stepping off my soapbox*

ITP Flickr Pic
Warning: This photo may not actually show today because of my belief that SOPA and PIPA are bad for our nation

The photo above was taken inside the Monastery of the Holy Spirit. It’s a nice shot which would have been made better had I thought to bring my tripod inside.

*really stepping off my soapbox*

I Have A New “RealiTV” Guilty Pleasure
This past weekend I started watching the episodes of “Rocco’s Dinner Party” (whose Bravo TV link inexplicably takes you to Season 1 of “Shear Genius”) that I’ve had stored on my Dish Network-brand DVR since recording them last summer. The show’s formula doesn’t break any new ground…

• Three chefs arrive and prepare their signature dish
• One chef is immediately eliminated
• The remaining two chefs prepare a dinner party for Rocco DiSpirito and six dinner guests
• During the preparation of the dinner party a “twist” is introduced to fuck with the chefs
• A winner is declared, and that winner takes home a check for $20,000 (pre-taxes)

DiSpirito has been a TV chef for some time. I first remember DiSpirito being a part of a Food Network series called “Melting Pot” (which also featured wonderfully younger versions of Padma Lakshmi and Michael Simon) before going onto the painful RealiTV show called “The Restaurant” which chronicled the botched attempt to open an italian restaurant in Manhattan.

Looking Forward To Top Chef Tonight
I will be stopping at Kroger tonight to pick up the fixings for tonight’s dinner, as well as tomorrow’s lunch.

Tonight I’ll be roasting a chicken (assuming I can buy a bird which is not completely frozen), and am contemplating making some cheesy mashed cauliflower (never done this before). Because of Top Chef’s late start I should have ample time to shop and get home with enough time to whip up a delicious dinner. Roasting a chicken will also help heat up the ITP Estate through the use of my ancient, inefficient oven.

Tomorrow I’ll be crockpotting some beef stew for a communal lunch at work. I’ve been trying to get a handful of my coworkers to buy into this concept of a weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly communal lunch in which one person brings in the main course and others can bring in salad/sides/dessert. I’m trying to reduce some costs while raising the bar on the quality of food that I put into my body.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – better, not great, but better
Current Music – listening to this week’s “Back to Work” podcast
Website Of The Day – I have supported, through financial means, the Electronic Freedom Foundation because I think that they are one of the few companies I can trust to protect our digital rights.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – next week

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 2.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – ~6.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 17
Pancakes Eaten – 0

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

January Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- “Completely” recover from the bike crash (though I’m beginning to think that this will never happen)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Participate in a least one dinner party (perhaps held at my house when plumbing issues are addressed?)
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Request free credit report
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

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
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

If not for the fact that I am selfishly hoarding my abundance of paid days off this year for sick days, days needed to be at home while repairs are performed, and actually vacation days, I’d not want to be in the office today.

The alarm clock went off this morning. I thought it was colder than it really was. I turned off the alarm and snuggled back into my warm bedding and promptly went back to sleep (almost continuously!) for ninety minutes. When I awoke I still didn’t want to get out of bed. But I did. So I’m going to make the best of this decision.

I Broke The First Rule Of Restaurant Ordering, And Failed
Last night I met up with the Roswell Photographic Society Flickrites for dinner at Mr. Taco. The name of the restaurant is “Mr. Taco,” so why didn’t I order tacos? It’s in their goddamn name!

I was inexplicably overwhelmed and confused by the massive menu posted on the wall, most of which having their prices covered. When I acquired a paper menu I had trouble locating the taco section. And when I finally did I was mesmerized by the meat select (cabeza? ooooh, yeah), but somehow railroaded myself into a burrito con chili colorado because it came with rice and a salad. Stupid, fucking gringo. I did avail myself to the many freebie salsas, including a bowl which contained sliced onions and habañeros which nearly made my head explode from the heat.

I will return, hell it’s next to a CVS so I was able to peruse for women and personal hygiene prior to eating, but will make sure order tacos. And if I can’t manage this, it’ll be all Tilted Kilt all the time for my pre RPS dinner needs.

Congratulations to many of my RPS Flickrite friends who fared very well last night, including ITP-Reader John (aka “HamWithCam”) who took first place in the digital category last night.

Back To Back Pain
Same spot. Ow.

ITP Flickr Pic
I try hard to use my iPhone as a camera. I am not good at keeping it stable enough to get really sharp photographs using it, however. I can lay some of the blame on the fact that I was shivering some while waiting for the sun to rise.

(damn, the photo looks much darker today than it did when I edited it last night.)

I hope you notice that I am also trying hard to post a photo everyday once again.

Probably No iOS Meeting Tonight
Man, I’m overwhelmed. Even though I didn’t allow myself the day off from work I’m seriously considering giving myself the night off from the monthly iOS Developers Meetup.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – hurting
Current Music – listening to this week’s “Build and Analyze” podcast
Website Of The Day – Have a geek in your life? Shop at Think Geek because you are almost guaranteed to find something that he/she will like.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – next week, no really, next week

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 2.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 5.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 16

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

January Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- “Completely” recover from the bike crash (though I’m beginning to think that this will never happen)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Participate in a least one dinner party (perhaps held at my house when plumbing issues are addressed?)
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Request free credit report
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

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
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

So this is what it’s like to wake up after getting a little (and I’m not over-exaggerating) exercise. Good thing I had some peach bread that I bought at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit on Saturday to knock back any of the benefits I gained this weekend.

ITP Flickr Pic
Well it wasn’t 18º F on Saturday morning, but it certainly couldn’t have been much more than 28º F either as we met up in order to hike to the top of Arabia “Mountain” to shoot sunrise. I took a lot of shots (especially relative to my 2011 output) and this is what I consider to be my best.

I was trying to get the sun between those two trees, but I didn’t quite manage that. The shot would have benefited from some light clouds as well, but you can’t expect Nature to give you everything.

Country?
After shooting we headed to Waffle House for some breakfast. When did “Country” (sausage gravy) join the vernacular of scattered, smothered, covered, peppered, capped, chunked, diced, and topped? I had two eggs with hash browns (capped, country) and sausage.

After Waffle House we drove to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit where we shot inside the cathedral for awhile (oddly, no lightning struck upon my entrance, though The Lord did smite me by producing condensation upon my lens forcing me to wait a little while before I could shoot). The monastery also has a gift shop in which the sell literature as well as food products. I bought a jar of F.R.O.G (fig, raspberry, orange, ginger) jam and a jar of spiced pumpkin butter, before caving and also buying the loaf of peach bread mentioned in the opening.

Guess what I had for breakfast on Sunday? Pancakes? Good guess, but no. French toast made from the peach bread. Oh my, what a wonderfully sinful breakfast.

OTP Country
I decided to go Wheelhoppering yesterday. With knowledge of one of the hares, and the location of the ending (thankfully, for without which I may be dead) I headed to Roswell Mill for the start. I took off with the pack, and within two minutes I was a boy amongst men (and women) and was dropped like a hot potato. Single-track trail which was a piece of cake for most proved challenging. It was as if I’d not tried to mountain bike in years. Oh, that’s right, I haven’t. For some reason I chose the “Eagle” trail at the “Chicken/Eagle” split. Look at me crossing not one, but two pipes over creek while I carried my bicycle! And in shoes which are barely suitable for walking on flat ground no-less!

My heroics ended quickly as I felt more dead than the dead opossum we passed at the top of the next road climb. The single-track proved too technical for my skills behind The Cottage School. I bit the dust once while hiking my bike down the steep carpet of leaves decline. And upon reaching what appears to have been a fun downhill for real riders I walked my bike to the bottom of the hill to Riverside Drive. When I hit the “Short/Long” split there was little, no, no doubt which I’d be taking. Unfortunately, “Short” didn’t mean “Short and Easy” because it took me up Old Alabama from Riverside to Holcomb Bridge. I was passed by two roadies as I walked my mountain bike up Old Alabama. I would have been passed by the old woman using her walker had I not knocked her into the woods as she tried to pass on my right.

When the road flattened again I navigated traffic (something I was very good at doing prior to the wreck) and made my way along Old Alabama. When I saw the arrow directing my into the Big Creek trail system I uttered a curse word and played my knowledge of the end, and how to get there, to its fullest.

It’s easy to sat that I was FRB, because I probably did half of trail in total. But I was spent. No, I’m not kidding. It’s a damn good thing I wasn’t wearing a heart monitor yesterday because I’m certain it would have auto-signalled for some EMTs. I was huffing. I was puffing. My heart pounded my ribcage to the point that I wouldn’t have been surprised to see my heart jettisoned forward, which unfortunately probably would have sent me headed backward. Was it a good idea for me to ride? Hell yeah? Did I have fun? To some degree. Am I in pain? Absolutely.

After the hash I had a wonderful dinner with ITP-Reader Barb and Allan at Lucky’s Burger and Brew. Take that, exercise!

I’m Ashamed Of My Home State
Sorry Packers fans. Please keep in mind that I am a Jets fan, and not a Giants fan when cursing New Yorkers today.

On The Fence For RPS Tonight
I didn’t submit a photo for critique — the subject was “Open (vintage)” — a subject of which I am not a fan. And given that I visited Roswell and ate dinner at Lucky’s Burgers and Brew last night, I’m not feeling the tug to travel north after work this evening. We’ll see, I can always change my mind.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – worn out
Current Music – listening to a KEXP “Music That Matters” podcast
Website Of The Day – Even though Zappos (an Amazon company) just got hacked I still think it’s a great place to buy shoes online.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – some this weekend, little of note
Morning Weigh-In – shit, I forgot

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 2.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 6.0 miles (a complete guess)
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 15

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

January Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- “Completely” recover from the bike crash (though I’m beginning to think that this will never happen)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Participate in a least one dinner party (perhaps held at my house when plumbing issues are addressed?)
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Request free credit report
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

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
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]