Inside The Perimeter

My mood today mimics Atlanta’s weather — dark and stormy. I guess the statement that sums it up best is that I am full of piss and vinegar. Why? Eh, a myriad of reasons, most of which you can guess with little help necesssary.

I’ll Be Happy To See The Back Side Of It
This is one of the Brit sayings I have picked up from BBC America. This saying, along with the word “wonky”, are my favorite new expressions. “I’ll be happy to see the back side of it” is used mostly with the selling of possessions. I am certainly happy to see the back side of March.

March which was to come in like a lion and leave like a lamb had other ideas. Perhaps these are the April showers that will bring May flowers? I dunno!

On Tuesday I saw the weather report for the remainder of the week and decided that a Wednesday off from work would accomplish two things

• Give me a day to fuck around and recharge my mental batteries in absofuckinglutely beautiful weather
• Catch up on some important chores which have been neglected

Striking Out, Not Just With Women Any Longer
Wake up early, 5:30am even when playing hooky! Nice…

What a better way to start the day than to post a Blogger entry! BUZZZ So sorry, Blogger.com is experiencing technical difficulties, try again later…

Hmm, my lawn sure could use a little attention. BUZZZ Nah, better to wait until afternoon when things are a little warmer.

Ok, how about making a trip up to the fancy new Target and Lowes. BUZZZ So sorry, road construction on Moreland made it unbearable to get to the new Edgewood Shopping District.

Well then, I should get my car washed so that I can put my roof rack on it for this weekend. DING, DING, DING Well played, but -10 for not thinking that the wash would be immediately counteracted by the emergence of pollen and the rain which is pelting us today. I made it up to Cactus Car Wash for a fancy wash, knowing that I could post a blog entry from there entitled “Waiting At The Car Wash” because they have free wireless. BUZZZ Haha, Blogger still down!

Some mental toughness returned as I didn’t go out for lunch eventhough I could have used a La Fonda (no website — BOO! HISS!) fix. Not eating out is a tick on the positive side of the ledger!

Let’s keep things going while I have momentum by attaching the roof rack to my car. BUZZZ After over an hour of frustration and nearly chucking the damn thing like a javelin, I gave up and used my “phone a friend” to get it installed (more on this in a second).

Ok, settle, things could be worse. Let me take my bike out for a spin to confirm that it is ready for Saturday. BUZZZ Ooooh, all of that trainer riding corroded the rear brake cable, now I have no brakes. FUCK! Three days before a fifty mile ride in the mountains and now I’ve got to take my bike to get fixed?! Jesus Fucking Christ, why do I wait until the last Goddamn minute! Oh, and if I could have installed my bike rack I could have taken it somewhere to get fixed yesterday! AAAARGH!

Taxes? Today? BUZZZ Hell Fucking No! If I do my taxes today I am sure to make some sort of mistake that will cost me thousands of dollars! Let’s put that off yet again!

Search for Happy Place.
Stay away from sharp objects.
Seek solace in that fact that I can go for a group run and beer later.
Unfortunately, Happy Place is usually found with food and beer, two things which I cannot let myself have until after running.

Have you a concept of Cranky Pants? My definition of Cranky Pants is a depressed state of mind from which I cannot escape. It’s like walking around with a stick shoved up my ass. Sure, I know it could be worse. I could be Terry Schiavo; I could have joined Johnny Cochran; and I am not to the point where I am seeking Burger King’s new 730 calorie and 47 grams of fat, new breakfast sandwich.

Cranky Pants ruined one of my favorite activities, the Wednesday night George’s running and drinking fest. I did a (short) run fine, but socializing was just not happening. An early departure was in order and was followed by a failed attempt at watching Super Size Me. I awoke this morning to the sound of heavy rain and thunder. Out like a lamb my ass!

Thankfully today is not Monday, eventhough it feels like one to me. I’ve got that going for me, right?

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - It was a dark and stormy day…
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Jesus And Mary Chain — “Happy When It Rains”
Website Of The Day - The Weather Channel

Blech!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Man, Blogger had its problems this morning. Unfortunately, their problems have capped my creativity.

Tune in tomorrow, it might be twice as good!

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - dull as a butter knife
Current Music - 790 The Zone Sports Radio
Website Of The Day - NUTTIN’ TODAY

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I am a Million Miles Away (a twenty-two year old Plimsouls / “Valley Girl” reference) today.

Ticketmaster, Oh How I Hate You
Last Friday morning I tried in vain to get Weezer concert tickets. At exactly 10:00am Eastern I was on Ticketmaster’s website as well as using my cell phone to call the local number. The goal was three tickets for a general admission show (ie no seat reservations) at The Tabernacle. Seems “doable”, right? Somehow I only managed to secure one ticket. This whole ticket purchasing process sucks.

Indecisive Paulie, Oh How I Hate You As Well
This one falls directly on me. Yesterday I found out Muse is scheduled to play The Tabernacle on April 10th. After getting to the point of purchase on Ticketmaster’s website I decide to bail. This morning I decided that I wanted to see the concert afterall. Yep, you guessed it, today the show is sold out.

And How The Fuck Do I Get A Ticket For A Show At Emory?
Cake, Gomez, and Robbers On The High Street are playing a show at Emory (I didn’t even know they had a venue — is this part of the Goiter Business School?) on April 12th. I’ve seen Cake before and would like to see them again and Gomez intrigues me as well, but how does one get a ticket for this show when you know zero Emroids? Shit, I’m old enough to be their daddy, and might not mind being a Splenda Daddy to a nice (legal) youngin’ girl either.

Tuesday CD Drop Of The Day
Without a doubt the cd that drops today which exites me the most is Beck’s new CD Guero. I admit that am a latecomer to the Beck bandwagon, but if this cd pleases the way that I think it will, I am ready to lie and say that I’ve been following Beck since day one.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - want to be elsewhere
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 26, playing Graham Coxon “Freakin’ Out”
Website Of The Day - Pollstar: The best way to see which bands are coming to town.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Now that’s a drink I could have gotten into drinking yesterday. Is Lent over already? Damn, it seems like just the other day I was trying to figure out what to give up, and now I’ve missed it. I hope I don’t have the same brain fart with my taxes, the last thing I need right now is to do battle with the IRS.

Close Shave
Saturday morning I removed the only thing which brought compliments my way this past Winter. Yep, with Spring in the air it was time to remove the beard. With a big fifty mile bike ride coming this weekend and the knowledge that I’ll start getting some sun and don’t want two-tone face later, its time, like the compliments that came with it, has come and gone.

This morning I was finally able to use that fancy electric razor that I bought back in November. Eh, I ain’t so impressed. I’ll have to see how patient I am before returning to my manual razor.

Now That’s Why I Love Hashing
Saturday’s Atlanta hash took place in College Park (think “right next to the airport”). This hash could have been labelled “Tour de Ghost Town” as we went through regions once inhabited, but apparently abandoned due to the noise of the airport. It was rather surreal, like and episode of The Twilight Show, to run down streets which had no houses and grass growing on them and then later through a flattened apartment complex. The coolest part was hashing through and old elementary/middle school. For some reason most of the outer walls had been blown out so we were able to enter and exit the building freely. Walking down its darkened hallway was spookier than any tunnel I have hashed through.

The Mean Streets Of East Atlanta
My current morning commute takes me through East Atlanta Village. The Village is currently undergoing a “streetskaping” project in which the sidewalks are widened and curb “bulb-outs” are being put in place. I am starting to wonder our street sanity. In the Olden Days of neighboorhood planning streets were made wide so that cars could park along them and emergency vehicles could get through with ease. Can ambulances and fire-trucks handle all of our new-fangled “traffic calming” mechanisms such as speed humps and bulb-outs? I guess time will tell.

Intown Retail Update
The Lowe’s in the Edgewood Shopping District is having its Grand Opening soon. I guess that this is a good thing since the toilet that was “fixed” for me a month ago has once again gone on the fritz. It’s “insert rod ‘A’ into slot ‘B’”, right? I can’t remember since it has been a while since I did any plumbing.

Supposedly last week Glenwood Park announced what retail would be opening within its boundaries. I have not heard yet, and all attempts to do an internet search have failed. I just hope that whatever opens there isn’t a further drain on the businesses in the Village. Stay tuned…

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - not sure yet
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 26, playing TV On The Radio “Staring At The Sun”
Website Of The Day - Glenwood Park

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I will be straight up with you, nary a book is mentioned below. Deal with it!

Stop Motion Animation
Last night I ventured out to the movies, alone even. Since I was headed to the Midtown Art Cinema I also used it as an excuse to eat and drink at The Highlander. My movie of choice was something for which I have been salivating since seeing its trailer — The Animation Show 2005. A funny thing happened last night, my friend Glenn was also at the theater there to see the same movie, so apparently I wouldn’t have had to go solo afterall.

And then a sad thing happened on my way to animation bliss; technical difficulties on the last night of the movie’s run. DRAT! (which is an interjection) Luckily we were told that Midtown Art Cinema is planning on showing the movie for another week. Whew! (another interjection)

Before finding out that the movie was to be held over I kept cursing myself for not taking the offer to see the pre-screening last week. Being a man of integrity I had to turn down the offer to see it because I had already made plans to have dinner at another friend’s house. Cancellation of offer one because of a later offer is weak people, don’t do it…

Animation, Uncancelled
the family guy is returning to tv. What, you didn’t hear me? I SAID THAT THE FAMILY GUY IS RETURNING TO TV!!!! Yes children, the Family Guy is returning to Fox on May 1st. Considering that my limited dvd collection contains both Family Guy boxsets you might correctly assume that I am excited!

Apparently someone is posting a bit of a blog on the Family Guy site, here is a humours excerpt from the latest entry

Alright, first things first. St. Patty’s Day had its Irish way with me and if anyone finds my liver, please contact me here at the office. It was last seen boarding a bus headed to Atlanta. Thank you.

I’ve been looking everywhere for his liver. You never know, it could bring a handsome reward.

TV That I Wanted To Be Uncancelled
Last Fall I was watching a brilliantly crafted fake reality show called My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss on Fox. It was a spoof of The Apprentice, one of my other favorite mind-numbing television series. According to all accounts ten episodes were scheduled to be broadcast, however the series was pulled after five. Fuck You, you fucking fucks at Fox!

Well, low and behold my prayers were partially answered! Fox has been trickling out the remaining episodes once a week on the internet (thank you, Al Gore)! Not only that, each episode is thankfully commercial free (since it is streamed I’d be unable to skip them).

Oh and by the way, if you are really like me you’ll also be happy to know that Fox has put up all episodes of last Summer’s cancelled reality show Playing It Straight on the internet as well.

TV That Should Be Cancelled
Give up NBC. Stop making, er remaking, comedies that aired on the BBC. Last Fall you tried Coupling, it tanked, and now The Office? Before watching the only two minutes I could stomach of last night’s pilot I already had it in my mind that I would hate it. I know, that’s not very objective but I am not a (professional) TV critic, nor do I play one on TV. I was right. Steve Carell, sorry but you are no Ricky Gervais (who btw - once attempted to be a “rock star” go here to find out more about his band Seona Dancing).

Thank You Again, Al Gore
Today’s Website Of The Day is an homage to what I believe is the best use of the Internet — making fun of others. The link below was sent out by my friend, Trivia Mistress Amy, earlier in the week and I have been laughing ever since.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - wishing I took the day off for a bike ride
Current Music - Adam Curry’s Daily Source Podcast from Mar 24, 2005
Website Of The Day - Laughter Really Is The Best Medicine

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

If you wonder what inspires this nonsense each day, let me tell you that I really don’t even know.

It’s Like Turning Wine Into Water?
In one of the rare instances that I watched TV commercials I saw a Home Depot commercial which mentioned a new ceiling paint from Glidden. The paint mentioned is bizarre; it’s paint that is pink when wet and white when dry! Wow, that’s fucked up! I sure could have used this technology when I painted the ceilings in my house. Go here for more information.

That Old Black Rock Magic
Pictures from last weekend’s Black Sheep campout are starting to be published on the Atlanta Hash House Harrier’s Album section. Holy Crap, I have seen better looking people living under the bridges near downtown Atlanta. And why am I smiling? Look at that horrendous hat hair (WARNING: small children and the easily frightened should not click on that last link)! Oh yeah, I was drunk. Good times. Good times. Oh, and in case your wondering about my camping skills, my tent is the one with the green ghetto rainfly squatting in Camp Wannahockalugie.

Happy Birthday? Harry Houdini
As if Harry Houdini’s life wasn’t shroudded in enough mystery, no one really knows the date of his birth. Out of the blue the name Harry Houdini popped into my mind and I decided to find out when he was born. To my astonishment my timing was pretty good. Some “experts” say that Houdini was born on March 24th 1874, while others claim the date was April 7th 1874. One thing is fairly certain however, he passed away on Halloween in 1926 due to a ruptured appendix supposedly caused by an unexpected punch to the abdomen that was given to him two weeks prior to his death. I wonder if any of Houdini’s birthday cakes had those candles that re-light themselves after you think you have blown them out?

Speaking Of The Dead, Or Not, Check Out Today’s W-O-T-D
Abe Vigoda, known mostly for his role as Fish in Barney Miller has a website which lets you know his current living status. I am not sure why this humors me as much as it does.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - straightjacketted, needing to bust out
Current Music - Adam Curry’s Daily Source Podcast from Mar 23, 2005
Website Of The Day - Abe Vigoda’s Website

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

In case you haven’t seen the movie, here is the imdb link to it. My question today is “Am I Rob (John Cusack) or Dick (Todd Louiso)?” This thought popped into my mind as I stood in Ella Guru, a fine used CD store located in the mammoth Toco Hills Shopping Center, clutching a copy of Charlie Sexton’s “Pictures For Pleasure”.

And Now For A Little History Lesson
In 1985 as my love for music was taking a radical turn toward this thing called “alternative”, a new magazine named Spin hit the newsstands. Spin, along with Interview were the magazines to read if you wanted to one-up your friends about the music scene back in the 1980s. It was through Spin that I found out about a sixteen-year old child-prodigy guitar player from Texas named Charlie Sexton. Master Sexton was due to release a solo record called “Pictures For Pleasure”.

Now what may be the hardest thing to remember is that in 1985 we all didn’t have CD players (nevermind portable ones), instead we had cassette players. So, when I went to my record store of choice (either Peaches, Camelot, Turtles, or Musicland) I purchased the cassette. I have been looking for the CD for nearly fifteen years and thought that I would never find it.

That Was Until Monday
When I mentioned how excited I was to finally find “Pictures For Pleasure” on CD it started a five minute long conversation between myself and the two guys behind the counter. The conversation threads ran from the making of “Pictures For Pleasure”, Charlie Sexton’s other bands, the members of those bands who came from other prominent bands, all the way through and including an article one of the guys had written about the last Bob Dylan concert in Atlanta and the email he received from Charlie Sexton about it. High Fidelity indeed.

List Your “Top 5 Favorite Used CD Stores In Atlanta”
Here are mine.

• Wax N Facts
• Ella Guru
• Decatur CD
• Criminal Records
• Full Moon Records

Believe it or not, but there is more to my High Fidelity lifestyle, but I’ll leave that for another episode.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - Curiously Strong, just like Altoids
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, playing The Postal Service — “We Will Become Silhouttes”
Website Of The Day - Artist Direct, formerly Underground Band List

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I called my hour-long walk prior to securing our table for team trivia at Taco Mac in the Highlands exercise. It’s a tiny step in the right direction at least.

House Of Hot Sauce
There is a house in the Highlands that I walked by last night that really caught my eye. It’s a typical Craftsman style abode where either the front porch has been converted into a room, or large windows have been installed replacing smaller ones.

As I walked by I noticed hot sauce. Originally I thought that the room was wallpapered in tacky paper (think also “golf or bass fishing” themes). To my astonishment, the walls were not covered in paper, but rather with shelves filled with bottles of hot sauce! Crazy! Even if I had my camera on me I am not sure that I would have felt comfortable enough to shoot a shot of the insides of someone’s house.

I’m Not Supposed To Be Here Tonight
My walk also surprised me last night when I stumbled onto Monday night’s hash trail. I called the Hash’s Hot Line to hear last night’s starting point and it turned out that the start was the Home Depot on Ponce de Leon. Knowing that tidbit of information I made the assumption that I was walking the trail backwards. At the next check I kicked it back to where I had just been and then turned around to see how far I could follow the trail. I guess I must have covered about half of the trail when it didn’t turn in the direction I needed it to, so I am really not sure where it ended.

Subject Matter Expert, My Ass!
Seven o’clock saw me arrive at Taco Mac. I’m like fucking clockwork, Mister Predictable, Captain Pattern. I’m sure that there is a name for what ever condition I have that drives me to be early, and care whether or not the table is large enough for all; I just don’t know what it is.

I’ve mentioned before that I my contributions to the team is mostly sports knowledge. To my surprise and embarrassment I missed BOTH sports questions last night. Here they are (the answers are “hidden”, use your mouse to highlight them).

Q: Which team has appeared on Monday Night Football the most?
A: Miami Dolphins
Q: Which 41 year-old Detroit Red Wing was the oldest man to score 100 points in the NHL?
A: Gordie Howe

Man, did I ever feel stupid last night.

Happy (Belated) Birthday
Crap, I missed Ebay’s tenth birthday (anniversary) yesterday.

Tuesday’s Toy Of The Day
I finally found something that I feel is worthy of drooling over, although I cannot get my grubby little hands on it just yet. Today’s toy is the Sony Playstation Portable, aka the “PSP” which is due out in United States stores on Thursday. I have but two problems with this toy. First, I wanted the price to be $199 and not $249. Second, I still have my doubts about the battery life for this beast. It’s supposed to be portable, the last thing I want to do is to lug around extra batteries or a AC adapter.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - not so bright
Current Music - Adam Curry’s “Daily Sourcecode Podcast” from Mar 21, 2005
Website Of The Day - Atlanta Gas Prices

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Campfire Logic
What a beautiful weekend in the mountains of Northeast Georgia. There were many cameras around camp so I am assuming some of you notified the papparazzi, no? I kept searching for a Campfire Girl to snuggle with in my sleeping bag, but no targets were present. No worries, especially since I have sworn off women for a while.

I haven’t sworn off beer, however. Once the car was parked for the weekend, the two-person tent was set up in Shantyville, the beer started flowing.

The drinking was only interrupted by a “run” (more of a brutal hike) in the woods, followed by a cool shower. One of my newest toys, a solar shower, didn’t receive nearly the amount of sunlight necessary to warm its contents, so the water was cold, but I was happy to be clean.

It only took thirty-six hours of near-continual drinking for my campadres (get it?) to realize that I was funny. Shit, a career in comedy is going to ruin my liver.

Please Don’t Feed The Animals
“20 by 40″ ain’t happening. I’m not stupid, I know that I have been eating and drinking too much, and not exercising enough. Today, all that changes. I can’t stand the concept of dieting eventhough I have done it before, but I know that can’t stand being at my current weight even more. Please wish me well and humor me when this space becomes a bit bitter (he he, I typed ‘butter’ at first — Freudian slip).

Such A Small Cookie, Such A Wise Cookie
I am not sure how many of you read the finer print along the right galley, but lately I have been posting the fortune of the last fortune cookie I have eaten. Stay tuned because this blurb will change often as Chinese food is one of my favorite meals. At the end of the roller coaster week two weekends ago I mentioned that I had to eat food from China King instead of Salsa. Well on that night I received two cookies (did I really order that much food?). Last night I ate the second of the two cookies. Apparently last night’s cookie was the one I was to open first because here is the fortune that was included

Although it feels like a roller coaster now, life will calm down.

Damn, that’s some spooky shit.

Sleeping Bag Training
As you may know, I am a couch sleeper. Since my last long-term relationship ended many moons ago I have reverted to bachelor living, falling asleep on the couch while watching tv. I was amused this morning with a sensation of dej&aacute vu when woke up and thought I had done so in my sleeping bag.

Trash Talking
My current office is located along the north fork of Peachtree Creek. It’s rather amusing to watch the water level rise and fall, and also more than a little saddening to see the trash rush down the river when we get rain. A couple of weeks ago when we received a few days of rain some brush and logs lodged themselves against a sewer pipe which spans the creek and have become an organic trash screen. The trash gathered is starting to grow quickly. On every drive into work I expect to see Iron Eyes Cody, the indian from the 1970’s anti-littering public service announcement, standing by the creek.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - clean; ankle attempting to re-recover from Saturday’s hash
Current Music - Adam Curry’s “Daily Sourcecode Podcast” from Mar 18, 2005
Website Of The Day - Fortune Cookie Fortunes

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Today’s entry was to be blogged from Joe’s, the “urban hipster’s” coffee shop. That’s right, it’s another Friday off Inside The Perimeter because I am once again wandering into the scary land known as Outside The Perimeter. And, as I do almost every non-working Friday I planned on visiting the folks at Joe’s. Eh, with all of the streetscaping work being done in the Village I’m not in the mood to fight for a parking space and then lug the laptop into the coffee shop, so I’ll pound this one out on my aging desktop instead. Fear not, it will have the same quality as always.

A Camping Wee Will Go
Today marks my first camping trip of the year. If you want to send the papparazzi searching for me, try sending them to Black Rock Mountain State Park up in Northeast Georgia. I’ll be up there for the fourth annual Black Sheep Hash Campout at Black Rock. Can you say five kegs of beer and two smoked pigs? Hell fuckin’ yeah!

So Where Did I Go Last Night?
The idea of spending St. Patty’s Day at a Mexican bar (and vice-versa for Cinco de Mayo) was stolen from my friend Sandy. My co-workers and I dropped in to Cafe Jalapeno for some beverages after work. A dive you say? Well yeah, those are the best types of Mexican establishments.

While driving to the bar I couldn’t miss the emptiness that once was the K-Mart shopping center on Piedmont and Sidney Marcus. It’s surreal to see all of that crap gone — soon to be replaced by “mixed-used” development.

From my caustic comments about the Edgewood Shopping District, and my volunteer work with Trees Atlanta you may think that I am completely anti-development. This Sembler project (.pdf) is the exception to that theory. Given the fact that it will replace aging retail and provide high density housing across the street from a Marta station, I wholly approve of this development. I know that Sembler sleeps better at night when I give my endorsement.

I’ve Been Everywhere Man, Well Not Really
A few weeks ago I was once again criticized for never having travelled outside the United States. I shall not defend my actions here, but let’s just say that I hate travelling alone and I have been alone most of my adult life.

Yesterday my friend Glenn posted a link to this website that helps you show where you have been within the fifty states. Here are my results. Play along at home if you wish…

bold the states you’ve been to, underline the states you’ve lived in and italicize the state you’re in now…

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /

Check out today’s Website Of The Day to look for reasons to visit the states you have missed.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - ankle @ 90%; FRIDAY!!!!!!!
Current Music - Dido — “Thank You” spooled from iTunes
Website Of The Day - Roadside America

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]