Inside The Perimeter

Yesterday was a very rough day. At least the sun came out finally. Today finds me back in Miami. Sadly I am no longer near the beach so any hope of beach sunrise photos has gone by the wayside.

I have another story to detail from yesterday, but I have to wait for a few weeks before I can tell you (and it has nothing to do with the action/rumors of my employer — that’s another kettle of fish). I’d hate to potentially affect the outcome.

Darn, I Almost Got It Right By Accident
Yesterday morning we all skipped the hotel’s crappy continental breakfast and went to a restaurant called the Boca Diner. I’m a sucker for diners.

Since the company was going to foot (at least) the (majority of the) bill I decided that I was going to spring for the corned beef hash and eggs. However, I figured that dish would be too filling, so I switched up to a two egg and pancake meal.

Who knew that yesterday was National Corned Beef Hash Day? Certainly not me. I could have celebrated the day appropriately and I missed out.

ITP Flickr Pic
This was the placemat at the Boca Diner.

Notice that the sun was shining for the first time since I arrived on Monday.

Sprechen Sie Spanish?
Last night I learned that in “Little Havana” I should not attempt to be polite by saying “Gracias.” At dinner, which was a great meal at Casa Larios, I said “Gracias” to the person who filled my water glass and he quickly responded “De nada.” (as expected) but then followed it up with very fast “Hablo Espanol?” which I had to ask him to repeat and then sheepishly and “No.” Every pleasantry from that point on was a good old ‘merican “Thank You!”.

Here is one of the things that filled my belly; pork, delicious pork.

Follow the Flickr link to see a shot of what I ate as an appetizer. I finished the meal with a Cuban coffee. I may not speak the language, but I do enjoy the food.

My Reality Is That I Haven’t Seen Any RealiTV
With the week coming to a close I have missed all my “stories.” I don’t (and do not want to) know who has gotten the boot from Top Chef or Survivor: China and I haven’t seen the latest Kitchen Nightmares. The problem has either been I have forgotten to watch them because I have been busy, fallen asleep before they’ve come on, or have been out when they are aired. With any luck my trusty Dish Network DVR has captured them so I can watch when I return home.

Gone But Not Forgotten
Since adding the Mets Magic Number counter to my site a few weeks ago they have played like complete dog shit. They have squandered a seven game lead over the Phillies in a mere two-three weeks. I’m not superstitious but I also feel no need to punish myself by not seeing the number move.

I have therefore removed the counter from this site.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - pensive
Current Music - none
Website Of The Day - I have been eating some serious eats here in South Florida. That’s why Serious Eats is today’s choice.
Exercise (b)Log - nothing
Monthly Mileage - 12 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - N/A

September Goals
1) Get my first Ruby / Ruby on Rails program written
2) Lose 5 pounds (if at first, second, third, fourth, you don’t succeed….)
3) Take now fewer than three photos a day
4) Listen to (and review) one CD a day in September

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Who would have guessed that I would see more sun on my trip to Seattle than I have on my two trips to Florida? No me, that’s for sure. Yesterday morning I waited in the light drizzle in hopes that the sun would burst through the clouds and provide me with a spectacular scene. At twenty minutes after seven, approximately ten minutes after the projected time of sunrise, my hopes were dashed and I left.

ITP Flickr Pic
See for yourself.

This was yesterday’s “sunrise”. Unfortunately for me even if today’s weather is going to be gorgeous my schedule doesn’t permit morning camera time. This will be my lasting image of my trip to Boca Raton.

You Can Call Me Farmer Paulie
On this trip is has been “Early to bed. Early to rise.” I used to be a night owl, but for some reason no matter what time I get back to my hotel room and lie down on the bed I fall asleep nearly immediately. Perhaps it’s my unfamiliarity with the city, perhaps it’s because of the weather, perhaps it’s just because. No matter what the reason, it sure does make for a boring trip.

Senuti : Nearly A Perfect iTunes Player For The Mac
In order to make the iPod the perfect music pirating tool they have made it verboten to play your iPod music through another computer when it is attached via USB or FireWire. However, clever chaps (and chapesses?) have written software that will mimic iTunes and let you access your iPod’s library.

One such application is Senuti (Confused about the name? It’s iTunes spelled backward). I have used Senuti with much success for some time and until last night deemed it the perfect faux iTunes for accessing my iPod music and podcasts. Last night I fell asleep midway through listening to one of my podcasts and when I woke up I wanted to listen to the portion that I had missed. Unfortunately Senuti offers no way for the user to move within a given audio file. The Fast Forward (>>) and Rewind (<<) move between tracks and not within the track playing. This missing feature is rather important when the track in question is over an hour long and I know that I heard at least thirty minutes before falling asleep and don't wish to hear the first thirty minutes again.

Too bad.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - bummed (personally), confused (professionally)
Current Music - none
Website Of The Day - This trip has me thinking of home… and beer. Therefore it’s natural for me to pick Atlanta Beer today.
Exercise (b)Log - nothing
Monthly Mileage - 12 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - Nothing

September Goals
1) Get my first Ruby / Ruby on Rails program written
2) Lose 5 pounds (if at first, second, third, fourth, you don’t succeed….)
3) Take now fewer than three photos a day
4) Listen to (and review) one CD a day in September

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

And I was unable to photograph it. As someone who normally controls all aspects of his own life it frustrates me that I have so little control right now. I am traveling with two co-workers so I must take their wants into consideration as well as my own. Therefore last night we were in a restaurant eating while I missed one of the most amazing sunsets I have ever witnessed occur. I really wish that I could have been out shooting it instead.

Luckily my morning schedule is free so I am going to keep this short and head out to see if I’m welcomed with a beautiful sunrise.

Today finds me in Boca Raton, Florida.

Half Price Sushi You Say?
While I did miss the sunset I ate some incredible sushi last night. The guy at the hotel’s front desk tipped us off about this place called Yokohama Sushi where Tuesday-Thursday from 5pm-7pm they have half price sushi. The cost of decent sushi is usually the one thing that keeps me away from eating it more often. Last night I racked up a $20 meal, pre-tip, and I and all I had to drink was water. I’d do it again in a heartbeat however.

ITP Flickr Pic
One more from north central Florida.

Hopefully tomorrow I’ll show you something from south Florida.

Running Sinks Into The Deep Past
In case you haven’t figured it out, I will not be at George’s yet again. I didn’t even pretend to want to run on this trip. The running clothes and shoes I packed for Gainesville only wound up occupying space that was needed for other items on this excursion.

For all my running compadres who will be at George’s tonight I say “Run well. Drink one for me. Drive safely.”

Cheers.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - okay
Current Music - none
Website Of The Day - While hanging in hotel rooms I have been catching up on some of my internet content. One great animation site that I have visted recently is Dan Meth’s.
Exercise (b)Log - nothing
Monthly Mileage - 12 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - N/A

September Goals
1) Get my first Ruby / Ruby on Rails program written
2) Lose 5 pounds (if at first, second, third, fourth, you don’t succeed….)
3) Take now fewer than three photos a day
4) Listen to (and review) one CD a day in September

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

But I prepared for them anyway.

I am in Miami for some more recruiting. I have chosen a hotel which advertised free wifi in the room, but didn’t deliver. I have always carried an ethernet cable in my briefcase and never needed it — until tonight.

And I’ve Always Heard Stories About People Like This…
About ten minutes from landing the landing gear went down and a guy said “There goes the landing gear” loud enough for about twenty rows to hear him. Oddly his conversation turned into a profanity-laced one about the New York Yankees, guys like him, the fact that he needed a cigarette, women (putting it politely), and the fact that someone near him was the “wrong color” to be from Houston, all at a volume level loud enough for many to hear. Needless to say that the guy was drunk. As we exited the plane people ahead of me flagged down some airport security to report the guy. I didn’t stick around to find out any more.

ITP Flickr Pic
Everywhere I go the hash seems to find me (or vice-versa).

This was found in Gainesville last week on the campus of the University of Florida.

The Internet Is A Strange Place
Last night I had a moment of brilliance and thought about registering “Where’s Paulie” as a dot com address that would link here. Much to my surprise that domain has already been taken and forwards you to a site called “Girls And Guns”. (now you know why I didn’t provide a link earlier).

Strange…

CD Pick Of The Week
I missed picking a CD last week. Oops. However that’s old news as there are many things from which to choose this week.

Some of the releases which strike my radar are
Foo Fighters — “Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace”
PJ Harvey — “White Chalk”
Matt Pond, PA — “Last Light”
Iron & Wine — “Shepherd’s Dog”
The Weakerthans — “Reunion Tour”

Of these the band you’ve probably never heard of is The Weakerthans. They are a Canadian group whose music I don’t know a whole heck a lot about myself, however what I’ve heard I liked.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - fair
Current Music - none
Website Of The Day - When my life normalizes a bit this is one thing that I need to do, Start Cooking.
Exercise (b)Log - nothing
Monthly Mileage - 12 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - N/A

September Goals
1) Get my first Ruby / Ruby on Rails program written
2) Lose 5 pounds (if at first, second, third, fourth, you don’t succeed….)
3) Take now fewer than three photos a day
4) Listen to (and review) one CD a day in September

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

And the enemy is beer.

After attempting to run yesterday morning, which turned out to be more than a walk then a run, I returned to the Sunday Runners to eat and drink. And drink I did. Somehow I managed to hang out until around 2pm at which point I headed home. Well, I headed to the nearby Chinese buffet and then I headed home. Once I returned home I turned on the television to watch football and I was sleeping in a matter of moments.

On My Flight Home Friday
I never seem to sit next to celebrities. While my flight home was no different, I was seated next to Pat Dooley, author or Game of My Life Florida: Memorable Stories of Gator Football. The only reason I knew he was an author was because I overheard him talking about book signings while everyone was waiting to board the plane.

ITP Flickr Pic
This was my view on Friday

My view today will be different (no propeller), I only hope that I still see white clouds. Unfortunately, the weather forecast doesn’t look good.

The Environment Wins, The Environment Loses
There is something very wrong with the idea of driving all the way to Alpharetta so that that I could recycle my old computer monitor. However, that is exactly what I did on Saturday morning.

While I was up in the area I drove around the mall area looking for the same stores that I can find ITP; it just seemed so natural to do it up there. I got a good laugh when I was trying to head from Circuit City to Target and used Jill the GPS to help me out. Little did I know that Target was 0.3 miles down the shopping center. I only wish Jill would have said “Get out of the car and walk you moron.”

The Deatbeat Dads Are Just Losing This Week
Rats, there goes the perfect season. It looks like the East Atlanta Deadbeat Dads are going to lose their first game of the season, and to make matters worse it’s to a team they should have crushed. My opponent has scored 140 points, forty of which came from Kevin Curtis, a guy who was projected to score around five. While I still have some hope, it comes in the form of two New Orleans Saints players — Marques Colston and Reggie Bush.

Don’t Look Now, Fall Is Here
While we probably can’t expect cooler temperatures anytime soon, the TV networks are cranking up their programming. In case you were wondering when The Office was going to return you will be happy to know that it will happen this Thursday. If Thursday still seems too far away then I recommend you go onto NBC’s website and watch the short in-character “What I did this Summer” trailers that the cast members have made.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - flustered
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Pulp — “The Trees”
Website Of The Day - I am going to start rewarding myself for getting things done. One place I will get my rewards is Perpetual Kid.
Exercise (b)Log - walking/running, approximately 5.5 miles
Monthly Mileage - 12 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car

September Goals
1) Get my first Ruby / Ruby on Rails program written
2) Lose 5 pounds (if at first, second, third, fourth, you don’t succeed….)
3) Take now fewer than three photos a day
4) Listen to (and review) one CD a day in September

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Yesterday morning there was a crack in Gainesville’s lousy weather. I got a chance to go around campus and shoot some shots. Unfortunately I seemed to have a tendency to tilt every shot (I was not drunk so I don’t know how I fucked up all shots) so I have to wait until Monday before I can upload them (this is read “I don’t feel like dicking with Apple’s iPhoto or Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 4.0 in order to straighten them”).

I Went Back To Gainesville, And My City Was Gone
One of the biggest shocks I’ve had on this trip to Gainesville has been the closing of Joe’s Deli (after 32 years!), the changing names of University Book and Supply (next to Leonardo’s), and the demolition of the northwest corner of University and 13th Street, the one that used to house Burrito Brothers Taco Co. The icons of my time are leaving. R.I.P Whirylball, Purple Porpoise, Skeeter’s, and now these.

It’s been sixteen years since I left this town as a student. Gainesville has grown up and I don’t like it one bit.

A Man Walks Into A CD Store
Yesterday I hit a Gainesville CD store in search of some local music. The guy said that he didn’t have much in the way of new local music but that he might have some old local things that interest me in the $1 section. After digging around and giving up I decided that I wanted to buy the CD that they were playing in the store (good marketing scheme). Unfortunately the guy said that he only had the one promo disc that he was playing and none to sell (bad marketing scheme). I asked if he knew anything about the band and he said that their bio said that they were from Atlanta (and yet somehow I’ve never heard of them).

The band in question is Warmer In The Wake. Anyone heard of them? I’ve sent them an email asking for a disc to review. I’ll have to wait and see what happens.

ITP Flickr Pic
Beer for the room? Was that wrong?

Last night I found myself in my hotel room very early. Not wanting to go out an drink alone I decided to hang in the hotel room (this turned out to be a good idea since it rained like a mofo last night). I also decided that I should drink. I walked to the nearest convenience store near the hotel (because the liquor store near the hotel had been demolished) to see what they had to offer. Their stock wasn’t very robust, but I did manage to find Yuengling.

Has Anyone Who Gets On Survivor Watched Survivor?
Because of my early room return I was able to watch Survivor: China. This is Survivor’s fifteenth series and yet they somehow manage to find contestants who dress inappropriately and are baffled when they are told that they need to leave their stuff behind. Last night the losing team also seemed surprised and relieved that they were being granted fire at the end of their elimination ceremony. While this act of kindness may have not always occurred, I don’t think that this is the first time that the losing team was given fire.

Last night we also had a woman who didn’t label herself as being “religious” yet she couldn’t stay in a (reportedly) non-religious Buddhist welcome ceremony because in the Bible it says that she should not bow to any other God but Jesus Christ.

We also had a “Southern girl” (who is living in Atlanta) named Sherea who said that she wasn’t much of an “outdoor girl”. You are going on Survivor for fuck’s sake! After fourteen Survivor seasons you should know that you will be outdoors! This ain’t Big Brother!

Here comes the spoiler
Dick Donnato won Big Brother 8
The game no longer tastes like Chicken. In what I can only describe as a “we are voting you off because you are older, talk funny, and not one of the cool kids” move, the guy who calls himself “Chicken” was voted off. Would it have been cannibalism if they had killed him and eaten him? His name was Chicken afterall… I loved how mad he was when Jeff told him to take his torch and shove it up his butt.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - I feel fat and need to go on a diet. Beer sales in this country are sure to plummet.
Current Music - none
Website Of The Day - I loves me some breakfast food. Why I didn’t start a website like Mr. Breakfast still confounds me.
Exercise (b)Log - nothing
Monthly Mileage - 6.5 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - N/A

September Goals
1) Get my first Ruby / Ruby on Rails program written
2) Lose 5 pounds (if at first, second, third, fourth, you don’t succeed….)
3) Take now fewer than three photos a day
4) Listen to (and review) one CD a day in September

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Fuckity fuck fuck fuck. The weather in Gainesville is depressing and the forecast for the remainder of my trip is not lifting my spirits either. Consequently, my desire to parade my camera around campus and take pictures has been crushed.

OMFG I Am Going Have To RTFM!
I’ve been a little less than satisfied with the images I am getting with the Canon SD750 point-and-shoot that I purchased back in July. I have become so frustrated that I am actually going to attempt to read the manual. (If you are starting a pool to see how long it takes me to read, your best guess will be at least a week).

Not only have the final images been giving me grief, but I cannot seem to get to settings that I know must exist on this camera. Frustrating.

ITP Flickr Pic
Here is an image that I shot yesterday with that camera.

In my perfectionist-wannabe world this shot should be perfect because there is no reason for it not to be. I took a few shots with different camera settings and this was the “best” result.

Who Would Believe That Gainesville Has Traffic Jams?
While trying to drive to happy hour last night I got caught in a rush hour traffic jam. While I am sadly accustomed to them in Atlanta, encountering one in Gainesville puzzled me. The horror of it all is that the traffic almost slowed me down to the point where I would have missed the second round of two-for-one happy hour beers at Hops.

I Can Blame My Fattening Dinner On Windows Live Mobile
My BlackJack phone has seemed to resurrect itself as I am now capable of charging the battery without taking the battery out of the phone. Hurrah!

Because of this I was able to use a cool (and free) mobile app, called Windows Live, that I downloaded last Friday. Look at me giving Microsoft props! Who am I? What has happened to me?

Seriously though, this app rocks. While sitting in Hops I was able to locate it on a map and then search for restaurants using the Hops as a virtual ground zero. The restaurant search is broken into categories which made it easy for me to find an Italian restaurant. Once I had decided which Italian restaurant I wanted, I was able to get turn-by-turn directions from Hops. Too fucking cool. And believe me, I needed the directions. This restaurant was located in the Northwest portion of Gainesville, an area of town that I never knew existed.

As an added bonus this Italian restaurant was two doors down from an ice cream shop called D’lites Emporium (warning stupid music playing by default on website). I knew I would like this place because it was packed with college girls, need I say more, and I then I found out that the ice cream served was “healthy” because it’s low-carb soft-serve ice cream. I added another healthy option, crumbled Reese’s peanut butter cups, to my white chocolate macadamia nut swirl as a topping. D’lite? No. D’licious? Yes.

Had I Stayed Awake There Would Be A Full Review Here
I started watching Kitchen Nightmares last night but unfortunately fell asleep midway. I cannot wait to watch the remainder when I get home.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - disappointed that the weather and my schedule are conspiring against me having a good time.
Current Music - none
Website Of The Day - The Gainesville Sun is Gainesville’s local news rag. I think it is going to be the only sun that I see in Gainesville this trip.
Exercise (b)Log - nothing
Monthly Mileage - 6.5 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - N/A

September Goals
1) Get my first Ruby / Ruby on Rails program written
2) Lose 5 pounds (if at first, second, third, fourth, you don’t succeed….)
3) Take now fewer than three photos a day
4) Listen to (and review) one CD a day in September

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

That’s right it’s national “Talk Like A Pirate Day” again.

Are You Feeling Ramsey Tonight?
Tonight starts El Gordon’s new American series Kitchen Nightmares. Having seen a few season’s worth of “Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares” on the BBC I can vouch that this series will be fun to watch — in that “Oh my God this is such a train wreck” way.

If your only experience with Ramsey is his berating of contestants in Hell’s Kitchen and that didn’t satisfy you, then I say you give this series a shot. Ramsey is no saint mind you, but this series is rather different from Hell’s Kitchen.

ITP Flickr Pic
I was hoping to post a shot taken in Gainesville, but haven’t had the opportunity to shoot anything yet. So here is an Atlanta institution.

I am glad that I am not staying there…

Even More Telly Talk
Dick won? Are you fucking kidding me? Evil Dick? Wow, I am so glad that I gave up on watching Big Brother.

But then how did I know? Because I was going on CBS’ website to check the start date of Survivor — China. The fifteenth (!) tv season of Survivor starts tomorrow night and I have not set up a dvr timer for it. Maybe this is a sign that I have given up on that franchise too.

I Guess It’s Nothing But A “Big Whoop” After All
When I checked in to my hotel last night I was able to use the “Elite Gold” status that I had attained by staying in this hotel chain so many nights this year. I have to admit that I was somewhat excited when I received the card in the mail. I rarely travel, or even buy enough stuff from the same vendor in a given year to make it to anyone’s “Preferred Customer” status.

What did that new status get me? Absolutely nothing. There was nothing handed to me at check-in, and my room is exactly the same as my co-worker’s.

What incentive will I have to stay in this chain when I travel next year? Absolutely None.

I’d Be Saying “Arrr” If I Really Cared
My New York Mets are on the brink of squandering a huge lead late in the baseball season. Since I put up the Magic Number counter the have gone from a 7.5 lead in the division to a 1.5 game lead. Well played boys!

Will I take the Magic Number counter down? Nah, I don’t believe in superstition.

Besides, I was an evacuee from the Mets World Series party bus when the got swept by the Phillies a few weeks back. Looks like I was a visionary on this topic.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - okay, but fearing that my sniffling has not completely gone away
Current Music - none
Website Of The Day - Arrr, it wouldn’t be right not to pick Talk Like A Pirate since this is “Talk Like A Pirate Day”.
Exercise (b)Log - nothing
Monthly Mileage - 6.5 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - N/A

September Goals
1) Get my first Ruby / Ruby on Rails program written
2) Lose 5 pounds (if at first, second, third, fourth, you don’t succeed….)
3) Take now fewer than three photos a day
4) Listen to (and review) one CD a day in September

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I’ll be flying to Gainesville, Florida (home of the defending NCAA Men’s football and basketball champions) today for a little recruiting trip. Last weekend’s defeat of Tennessee and yesterday’s tasering of a student by campus police (video link) should make for interesting conversation.

The problem with this trip is that I am leaving the perfect weather of Atlanta and exchanging it for the 60% chance of thunderstorms in Gainesville. Rats.

Which Came First?
One obstacle I face today is a bit of a weather-transition cold, or dirt/grass allergies. I am not sure which it is because I’ve encountered the source of both very recently. For the past few nights I have been waking up cold because the temperature has been (thankfully) dropping overnight. Yesterday I had to get out and mow the lawn which of course kicked up a mess of dirt and dander along with the grass clippings.

I just hope to be over my affliction by the time I start shaking hands. Thankfully no kissing of babies is involved.

ITP Flickr Pic
My back road journey on Sunday took me past this abandoned building. In a flash of inspiration I actually stopped and took this photo of it.

Don’t worry, InsideThePerimeter will remain active through my travels.

Is the BlackJack On Its Way Out?
Last night I went to charge my BlackJack and it refused. This is far from good; in fact, it’s quite bad. I was at least able to take the battery out of the phone and charge it separately. That treatment got the phone back on its feet. The problem with this solution is that it eliminates any opportunity to sync the phone with my computer. That is bad too.

As I fretted not having a phone today I briefly considered purchasing an iPhone (who am I?). The biggest reason I didn’t give it thorough consideration was that I need to activate the phone at home via iTunes, and I have no time to do so before heading out.

While scouring AT&T’s website for BlackJack warranty information (which was very hard for me to find) I found out something even more interesting. Apparently I racked up $40 in roaming charges, in addition to my normal bill, during my time in Canada. Damn you autopay! Damn you lazy Paulie for not checking your bill!

Eggs For Dinner? Hell Yes!
In an effort to clean out perishables from my chill-chest I made myself an incredible breakfast for dinner last night. Last night I whipped up a three-egg (with rosemary + thyme) omelet/scramble. I placed the eggs over some grilled Texas toast and then covered it all with cheddar cheese and grilled “Canadian” bacon. No photo of this meal is available because I devoured it immediately.

I paired the meal with a lovely Victory Prima Pils. Who says that my Sunday Running Group hasn’t influenced me?

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - rough
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Clash — “Career Opportunities”
Website Of The Day - The other day I stumbled upon a really good Atlanta restaurant blog called Blissful Glutton. I’ll be certain to read it in Gainesville whilst it rains outside.
Exercise (b)Log - nothing
Monthly Mileage - 6.5 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car

September Goals
1) Get my first Ruby / Ruby on Rails program written
2) Lose 5 pounds (if at first, second, third, fourth, you don’t succeed….)
3) Take now fewer than three photos a day
4) Listen to (and review) one CD a day in September

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Tripping All Over The Weekend
The remnants of Humberto caused my to stay ITP (not necessarily a bad thing) and therefore gave me a lot of opportunity to get a lot done around the house (a very good thing); except I really didn’t (a bad thing).

I awoke at the crack of 5:30am (ninety minutes later than desired because I set the “weekday only” alarm) and headed up to Lake Hartwell. My morning commute was fantastic, although I learned a few things while at a QuickTrip OTP.

1. QuickTrip does not accept American Express
2. QuickTrip has Wachovia ATM’s (this I knew) but they can be hard to find once inside the store
3. When paying with cash you must pre-pay (I didn’t learn this until I had returned to the pump after going inside for cash
4. QuickTrip’s coffee is really, really hot (I burned the roof of my mouth and the tip of my tongue

Missing sunrise at the lake I decided to head directly to camp where I was surprised to see many hashers already moving about at 8 am.

Hearing stories of monsoons, Noah, gully-washing and frog strangling (this may not have been about the rain), I decided I need to raise my alcohol level so I started drinking Sweetwater Hummer, which as it turns out is quite a delicious breakfast beer.

My morning consumption may have slowed me down on trail, although I ran like I haven’t run in some time (which is a good thing). However, I turned a bit green at the gills on the long truck ride back to camp. I power napped in the JackMobile and returned to life as the rest of the hash arrive back at camp.

The rest of the day is a blur. Nah, I am kidding. There was time spent in the lake, a return to alcohol consumption, avoiding the Oil Can Crusade for fear of another green-gill feeling or worse earning a “I Yakked at the hash” stigma, sitting around the camp fire listening to Terri’s awesome mix-cd, skinny dipping, and an early return to the JackMobile for a surprisingly not-awful night of sleep (although it was far from perfect and my neck is still “cricked”).

Taking The “Roads Less Traveled”
Sunday morning I was out by 7 am. Sure, I knew that I would be missing out on plenty of fun, but I was a man on a mission. I had some daybreak pictures to take, and when I arrived at my destination it was cloudy. Damn. Unfazed (not-a-word apparently) I fired up Jill (the GPS) and headed back to home base via some of Eastern Georgia’s back roads. The goal was to take shots of rural America, although I seemed to rarely stop. I wound my way south to I20 and then headed due west back ITP.

Paulie’s Traveler Note: If you choose to pull a crazy maneuver such as this, make sure you have plenty of gas. I probably drove at least one hundred miles without seeing a gas station.

ITP Flickr Pic
One of the benefits of being “different” is that you often run in to things that you wouldn’t otherwise.

I woke up early and headed to Hartwell Lake intending to take pictures of the sunrise. The lake was breezy and chilly, and the sky was overcast so I gave up and left. While driving I saw this scene and decided to stop. Then, to add more to the shot someone in a boat rode through my frame.

Having said all that I am still not thrilled with the way this came out. Looking at the EXIF data you can see that is not “tack sharp” because I let my shutter speed get slower than my focal length. (D’Oh!)

Carson Palmer For President
Yesterday the East Atlanta Deadbeat Dads moved their record to 2-0 thanks to the one-man wrecking ball that was Carson Palmer. Palmer, who scored 51 fantasy points, made up for the cumulative one point that was scored by my defensive players and tight end. This marks two weeks in a row that these positions have shat the virtual bed.

Can Somebody Justify The Cockroach?
Even if you believe in Intelligent Design (I do not) or a lover of all creatures great and small (I apparently am not), how do you justify the cockroach’s existence?

Seriously. They provide no nutritional value to any other being (as far as I know; I’ve never heard of “Roacheater”). I don’t believe that they eat other insects (which is the spiders’ saving grace). And they creep the hell out of most people.

I was “greeted” by a cockroach in my bedroom this morning (that’s what I get for leaving the window open even though there is a screen) and quickly took every measure to kill the living shit. It took some effort, but I won.

If there is a silver lining to this event, it’s that I found a few photos under my bed that I need to scan. Oh, and I also learned that I don’t do the best job of removing dust bunnies from under my bed.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - no different than I did on Friday
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Built To Spill — “You Were Right”
Website Of The Day - I typed “Dare to be different” into Google and ThinkExist was returned. ThinkExist is a database of quotations. Sweet Chicken! (don’t look, it’s not in there)
Exercise (b)Log - hashing on Saturday
Monthly Mileage - 6.5 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car

September Goals
1) Get my first Ruby / Ruby on Rails program written
2) Lose 5 pounds (if at first, second, third, fourth, you don’t succeed….)
3) Take now fewer than three photos a day
4) Listen to (and review) one CD a day in September

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]