Inside The Perimeter

Flatlander Paulie loves running in Florida. While I didn’t exactly tear up the roads last night I did manage to run five miles at a 9:15 per mile pace. Don’t hate. That’s fast for me these days. I was pleased.

Of course this morning my right knee is a little tender. I’ve heard of break-neck speed, is there such a thing as break-knee speed?

Read Along With Me
Today’s passage from Notes To Myself.

“Next time I will …”
“From now on I will…”
– What makes me think I am wiser today than I will be tomorrow?

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

Just Another Day (Not) At The Office
While a shortened workday sounds pleasing, spending a good six hours standing around and talking to students isn’t exactly a walk in the park. By day’s end I was stiff, even though I routinely stretched throughout the day, and I wasn’t very enthused to go out for my run.

Our booth was fairly well attended and I was thankful that I don’t work for a company as popular as Intel or Texas Instruments because they had lines six people deep all day long, and that college recruiting is not my sole function at my company.

ITP Flickr Pic
I strolled up and down US441 briefly the other day so that I could take a few snapshots of my favorite Gainesville motel signage. Sadly this photo contains the only blue sky that I expect to see on this trip. Sunny Florida my ass!

While on travels I’ve set the D300 to take RAW + JPEG photos since I cannot process the D300’s RAW files on my laptop. This shot doesn’t look too bad I guess.

I Went Back To My Apartment, And My Apartment Was There
Unlike Chrissie Hynde’s Ohio…

The hotel in which I stay is approximately 2.5 miles from my last apartment in Gainesville. So with the idea of a five-mile run in mind where better to go than to see how the old digs look. To my amazement the old complex is still there and still has the same name. The only difference is that the trees which used to be on the other side of our fence were gone and replaced with another apartment complex — typical.

Instead of turning around and running the same 2.5 miles in reverse I continued toward UF’s campus and ran along its southernmost periphery (well away from the classrooms and students however). I ran past the cow pasture I used to walk past in the old days (it still smells like cow manure) and the horse pens as well (which smelled like horse manure). While the odors weren’t especially pleasing they were inspiration to keep me running instead of slowing to a walk.

You Don’t Have To Twist My Arm To Twist My Ankle
A fortunate comment from Betsy during last Sunday Runners Run reminded me to look for the registration information for the Twisted Ankle Half Marathon. Given that I’ve participated in the last three, which may be the only three, and the fact that I am actually training for a half marathon that will take place a month-and-a-half prior to Twisted Ankle, I am rather looking forward to the outing.

To make matters more interesting there has been good interest amongst my fellow Sunday Runners / Hashers, many of whom read this space, and we shall be camping and drinking up in James H. “Sloppy” Floyd State Park the night before, and of, the event. Woo Hoo! Who knows, by then I might even have my head back on straight… now there’s something to look forward to!

Facebook Can Be A Funny Placebook
This morning I saw the following on Facebook

Just how “popular” can these events be if no one has accepted them?

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - good
Current Music - listening to the KEXP “Music That Matters” podcast
Website Of The Day - While traveling I really should reference Road Food more often in order to figure out where to eat. Maybe I’ll create an account today and review La Tienda.
Exercise (b)Log - running, 5 miles
Monthly Foot Mileage - 64.7 miles
Monthly Wheel Mileage - 0 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My (rental) car
Monthly Marta Rides - 6

January Goals
1) Run no fewer than 50 miles [done]
2) Ride Marta no fewer than sixteen times (eight round-trips) [not going to get there]
3) Read at least one book [done]

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I suppose that at the end of my last trip (Miami? Raleigh? Cordele?) I tossed my travel toothbrush and forgot to replace it. I think this because last night there was no toothbrush in my toiletry bag. Fortunately the Comfort Inn in which I stayed had a spare (yes, new) toothbrush for me to use until I can make it to a store to buy a new one.

Read Along With Me
Today’s passage from Notes To Myself.

I always say to people “I always do so-and-so,” or “I never do so-and-so,” as if my individualness depends on such banal consistencies.

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

Alpha. Bravo. Charlie. David?
I’m far from an expert on the phonetic alphabet but isn’t the fourth letter supposed to be represented by the word “delta?” I ask this because when on the shuttle at Hartsfield yesterday I noticed that for each concourse the shuttle’s voice used the proper phonetic alphabet representation until we reached Concourse D when it announced “D as in David” instead of “D as in Delta.” While I can understand the desire to not confuse the general populous by using the name of an internationally known airline which happens to be based in Atlanta, “delta” is the appropriate word to use according to the phonetic alphabet.

ITP Flickr Pic
I’d buy that for $1 (less than retail)! I haven’t yet but I will. And when I do I am sure to save one dollar on the $1300 laptop by shopping at Amazon.com.

Okay, I admit I didn’t take a real photo to make this image, but I did do the screen capture…

I took a few snapshots down in Gainesville, Florida yesterday but didn’t get around to transferring them out of the camera.

Holy Toledo Tienda That Was Good
The flight from Atlanta was at least a half-hour late leaving (image that — a flight delay from Atlanta). When my co-worker and I got into Gainesville (love their small, convenient airport!) we drove to our hotel which is situated next door to a Mexican restaurant.

Mexican food happened to be on the top of the desired food list. Normally, I would simply walk to the restaurant next door but I had recently heard of Mexican restaurant called La Tienda. Man, what a great decision it was to try it!

What you see below are two blurry cameraphone photos of the food that I ordered. Had I known what I was in for I would have dragged in the real camera with me.

My Al Pastor burrito

A side order of fried japalenos (what isn’t better when fried?)

I know that the photos are shit, but the food was fantastic!

Oddly, La Tienda also seems to double as a convenient store because there were all sorts of oddities for sale within the restaurant. I probably could have purchased a toothbrush there had I known that there was no longer one in my travel kit.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - good, although my sleep last night was messed up
Current Music - listening to the latest Coverville podcast.
Website Of The Day - If you find yourself traveling soon you may want to reference Hotel Chatter.
Exercise (b)Log - nothing, life got in the way
Monthly Foot Mileage - 59.7 miles
Monthly Wheel Mileage - 0 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My (rental) car
Monthly Marta Rides - 6

January Goals
1) Run no fewer than 50 miles [done]
2) Ride Marta no fewer than sixteen times (eight round-trips) [not going to get there]
3) Read at least one book [done]

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I’m sitting in Atlanta’s Hartsfield (Jackson) International Airport awaiting my flight to Gainesville, Florida. Don’t be jealous.

Read Along With Me
Today’s passage from Notes To Myself.

There is a part of me that wants to write, a part that wants to theorize, a part that wants to sculpt, a part that wants to teach… To force myself into a single role, to decide to be just one thing in life, would kill off large parts of me. Rather I recognize that I live now and only now, and I will do what I want to do this moment and not what I decided was best for me yesterday.

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

Two’s Company, Three’s A Crowd
Last night was the inaugural meeting of the EAV Buzzers Monday night run. There seemed to be plenty of interest in the run when details were first posted, but in the end only three of us showed up. The three of us, all hashers, ran a four+ mile route and then met up with a couple of others for post-run drinks at Gravity Pub.

Tonight I’ll be doing my stretching and strengthening somewhere in Gainesville.

ITP Flickr Pic
There would be a photo of my damaged suitcase handle if I could have gotten my lousy Canon PowerShot SD750 to take a half-decent macro photo. Have I mentioned how much I hate this camera? Had I known how much I would come to hate this camera I would have never gotten rid of my old Pentax.

For Some Reason Four Miles Needed Three Beers
At Gravity Pub I sucked down three, count’em three, post-run beers. There are days I wonder why I have such ease with drinking. I wasn’t alone in my endeavor however, as my running partners each did the same. That’s the greatest thing about hanging around hashers, you rarely feel like you are drinking too much.

I S-U-C-K At Scrabulous
Since joining Facebook this week I’ve undertaken a Scrabulous (Scrabble) game with ITP reader Terri. She has the distinct advantage over me in that she reads and is a teacher, where I as I am a simple city-boy who frequents the internets. Terri is currently kicking my ass eighty-seven to sixty-three.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - good
Current Music - listening to the Airport Channel in tv. I could be listening to some podcasts but I am not.
Website Of The Day - Ever wonder what it would be like to hold multiple jobs for just one week? Then check out One Week Job.
Exercise (b)Log - running, 4.2 miles
Monthly Foot Mileage - 59.7 miles
Monthly Wheel Mileage - 0 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car
Monthly Marta Rides - 6

January Goals
1) Run no fewer than 50 miles [done]
2) Ride Marta no fewer than sixteen times (eight round-trips) [not going to get there]
3) Read at least one book [done]

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Yesterday I ran six miles. Later in the day I met up with some folks at The EARL for their “luau day.” Cheap beer. Good music. Ample people watching. I should have brought my camera. I wish I didn’t drink and eat so much. Did I mention that I went to Cantina la Casita (who apparently let their domain registration lapse as it’s been taken over by squatters) afterwards? Oh well, at least I had fun.

Read Along With Me
Today’s passage from Notes To Myself.

The rainbow is more beautiful than the pot at the end of it, because the rainbow is now. And the pot never turns out to be quite what I expected.

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

And I Thought It Would Be Hard
When my once-trusty basement bar refrigerator gave up the ghost a few weeks back I thought it was going to be a royal pain in the arse to dispose of. I couldn’t have been more wrong…

On Saturday morning my buddy Gentri and I headed up to Lowe’s where the refrigerator’s replacement I ordered was waiting. We then returned to the Inside The Perimeter estates to do an install.

One thing you should know about me is that I hate to ask for help. Being alone, and I mean really alone, for eleven out of the past thirteen years has given me a pioneer’s mentality whereby I try to perform as many tasks by myself as I can. In the past others have offered up help and I’ve been appreciative, but it has still not made it easier for me to ask for help.

The problem with replacing the refrigerator was two-fold. First there was no way that the old one could be removed, or the new one put in its place for that matter, without hoisting it over the bar. While not incredibly heavy, the refrigerators were bulky and I am sure I would have damaged the bar had I tried to do the job alone. Then there was the issue that the Jackmobile isn’t exactly designed to haul goods…

Not more than a half-hour after dragging the old refrigerator to the curb, and with Gentri and me standing in my driveway, a car pulled past, backed up, and hauled the old box away. Sweet! I just hope that they never bring it back.

Perhaps Having Two Days Off Wasn’t A Good Thing?
I cherished the two days of rest prescribed by my half-marathon training. I would have even driven way OTP to run the Boner Zone Atlanta hash if not for the fact that I was too busy taking a Saturday afternoon power nap.

However, two days off made the return to running on Sunday morning that much more difficult; not to mention that Sunday’s run was a six-mile affair in thirty-plus degree weather. The run was tough, although it was made more bearable by the presence of two female running partners who decided to do the six-mile trek as well (of course one turned into an over-achiever by tacking on an additional two miles). The only reason I could keep up with the youngin’s was unlike me they didn’t fall asleep on their couches and actually ran the Boner Zone hash.

Tonight I’ll be doing a little training swapping by running Tuesday’s distance. I’ve got my reasons; you’ll find out in due time.

ITP Flickr Pic
Um, none today. I never quite got around to taking photos this weekend and I’m tired of digging up archival stuff.

Join One, Leave One
I hate to admit it, but I now have a Facebook account. I’ve resisted Facebook because I understood its origins and deemed it “for the kids.” However, I’m now on so if you want a friendship hookup I am “Paul Nuesslein” (seems appropriate don’tcha think?). Don’t look for me to sign up for a Twitter or Pownce account any time soon however, I simply don’t have the time or interest in a micro-blog.

After ignoring the five previous callers on Saturday who chose not to leave a message on my home answering machine I decided to jump on the sixth. Here is the “conversation” we had, I expect to have similar ones with those who wish to ask for my money…

Me: Hello.
Caller: Hello. May I speak with Paul [last name butchered] (which always let’s me know that it’s a telemarketer on the other end).
Me: Speaking. May I ask who’s calling?
Caller: Um, yeah. This is Zack [somethingorother] from the Water Conservation Society (or something along those lines).
Me: Hi Zack. Will you please remove me from your list?
Caller: Um, sure.
Me: Thanks. Have a good day.

And I hung up the phone without ever letting Zach start his speech.

My home phone number is on the National “Do Not Call” Register. I understand that charities and parties whom I’ve chosen to allow to call me are still able to cold-call. However, I after hearing the phone ring five times without it being a friend or family member (willing to leave a message anyway) I’ve decided to go on the offensive with these people. Wish me luck.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - mad as hell, feel like an outsider looking in. I wish that at least one part of my life would start changing for the better.
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Morrissey — “You Have Killed Me”
Website Of The Day - You may have noticed that I haven’t been doing much photography of late. I’ve not had much time and I’ve been in a bit of a rut. What I need is an “exercise plan” for photography and that’s what Hocus Focus will provide. (thanks to Sarah for sending me the link)
Exercise (b)Log - running, 6 miles
Monthly Foot Mileage - 55.5 miles
Monday Morning Weigh-In - 201 pounds (no weight loss = paying for the sins of the weekend)
Monthly Wheel Mileage - 0 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car
Monthly Marta Rides - 6

January Goals
1) Run no fewer than 50 miles [done]
2) Ride Marta no fewer than sixteen times (eight round-trips) [not going to get there]
3) Read at least one book [done]

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I realize that I am not exactly shattering world records with my workout routine, however I am following it religiously. Today (and tomorrow for that matter) is a rest day and I couldn’t be happier if for no other reason then it will finally give me the opportunity to catch up on all of the dirty laundry I’ve created by working out.

Read Along With Me
Today’s passage from Notes To Myself.

If I work toward an end, meantime I am confined to a process.

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

I Am Either Really Good At Sleeping Or Turning Off My Alarm Clock
Much like the Dunkin’ Donuts guy I (try to) wake up early in the morning in order to provide you with fresh material each morning. To facilitate this I have four, count’em four, alarms set…
1. Alarm clock buzzer at 5:00am
2. Alarm clock buzzer at 5:30am
3. Cell phone alarm at 5:45am
4. Cell phone music at 6:00am

(keep in mind that I am alone in bed in case my years of whining about this in the blog have yet to sink in with you)

Rarely do I need all four, and some days four are not enough. Normally I shut the 5:00am alarm off and go back to sleep. I start stirring in bed with the 5:30am alarm and get up. Today was strange because the first alarm I “heard” was the 5:30am alarm. I have no idea if I quickly awoke and turned off the 5:00am alarm or slept right through it. I am sure you can probably imagine just how disappointed I was when I realized that I wasn’t going to get my “extra” thirty minutes of sleep.

Running Against The Wind Should Count For Extra Mileage
Mother Nature threw another impediment into yesterday’s training effort — wind. Again I stared down the dreadmill and hoisted open the door to the brutal conditions. Running in a windbreaker that’s as air-tight as a Hefty garbage bag certainly helped yesterday.

I am proud to say that I actually covered 3.25 miles yesterday because it was too cold to stop a quarter mile away from the office and walk. Nearly three training weeks are in the books and I am doing smashingly. There has been little evidence of injury (knock wood because longer runs are imminent) and I have even started contemplating real weight lifting again (and at 42.5 years of age no less!).

The Paulie elevator has left the ground floor and is headed skyward. I’m starting to party like it’s 1999 again.

ITP Flickr Pic
Another archival shot.

I really like the composition I’ve used in this photo. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea (cola?) but it pleases me. The only thing that I wish I could have altered was the shadowing which occurs in the right third of the shot.

I Should Have Used My Gut
No, I am not talking about fat. Instead I’m talking about that feeling you get deep inside.

Last night at Team Trivia I had a gut feeling about the answer to the final question. The question asked for the name of the candy manufacturer who helped develop the Eskimo Pie. The initial guesses for our team where “Hershey” and “Mars,” and then I added “Russell Stover” and “Brach.” There was something about this being the final question of the game that urged me to push for “Russell Stover” over our eventual answer of “Hershey.” We would have been the only team to get the answer correctly and would have won, had I been more insistent.

Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Unlike Last Weekend…
Remember how last weekend I listed all of these things that I had planned, most of which were thwarted by my decision to stay indoors due to inclement weather? Well, this weekend couldn’t be any more different had I tried.

Tonight I may go see Manchester Orchestra at The Loft.

Tomorrow I’ll be getting together with my buddy Gentri to go pick up my new bar refrigerator because the one that was left in the house when I bought it nearly nine years ago is now dead. My Super Bowl party is approaching quickly and I need to get ready for it.

For Sunday an early morning six-mile run is on the schedule. I will most likely make an quick departure from the Sunday Runners this week in an effort to get some shit done.

I will do some photography so that I have some new stuff to post next week.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - pretty good, ready for the cold weather to go away, proud that I’ve completed nearly three weeks of training, but still pensive about my future but then again who does know what the future holds?
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Jack Penate — “Second, Minute or Hour” (it’s a catchy little tune)
Website Of The Day - I say “Michael Cera.” You say “Arrested Development?” I say “Nope.” You say “Superbad?” I say “Nope.” You say “What then?” I say Clark and Michael, the web series. And then I say “Enjoy!” (thanks to Bill for sending my this link)
Exercise (b)Log - running, 3.25 miles
Monthly Foot Mileage - 49.75 miles (so close!)
Monthly Wheel Mileage - 0 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car (still too cold for me to wait outside for Marta to arrive)
Monthly Marta Rides - 6

January Goals
1) Run no fewer than 50 miles [almost there]
2) Ride Marta no fewer than sixteen times (eight round-trips) [not going to get there]
3) Read at least one book [done]

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Rooms To Go? Well, yes but that’s not my point here. Over the last few weeks the most popular spam received here at InsideThePerimeter.com is furniture spam. What? Furniture spam. I can understand the market for medication that people are too ashamed to buy over the counter, or the stuff that requires a prescription, but furniture? WTF?

Read Along With Me
Today’s passage from Notes To Myself.

I don’t live in a laboratory: I have no way of knowing what results my actions will have. To live my life for the results would be to sentence myself to continuous frustration and to hang over my head the threat that death may at any moment make my having lived a waste. My only sure reward is in my actions and not from them. The quality of my reward is in the depth of my response, the centralness of the part of me I act from.

Because the results are unpredictable, no effort of mine is doomed to failure And even a failure will not take the form I imagine. The most realistic attitude for me to have toward future consequences is “it will be interesting to see what happends.” Excitement, dejection and boredom assume a knowledge of results that I cannot have.

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

Run To The Hills
And then if you are like me you walk up them. Last night’s 5.5(ish) mile effort had a short, yet steep incline that my tiring legs could not manage. During the rest of the outing I was mostly fine, in part thanks to the stoppages which occurred along the way. At one point I was hailed by a woman in a car who needed directions to the Brick Store Pub in Decatur. If she was a little more “my type” I would have offered to jump into the car like the locals do in The Amazing Race in hopes of getting a beer for my troubles.

ITP Flickr Pic
Time is like air inside a balloon, there is only so much inside and in order to fill on end you must squeeze the air out of the other end. Half marathon training has cut into my life deeply, often taking away an hour a day. Consequently something has to suffer and right now that something is my photography.

This is yet another photo from my stroll around downtown a few weeks ago.

It’s A Small World After All
I’ve now lived in Atlanta long enough to have been really good friends with people who I now haven’t seen in years. You know the routine — over time you do a lot of things together and it seems like there is nothing that will interrupt your friendship but something then occurs (job change, move, significant other, marriage, child, whatever) and then you no longer see the person. Over time they get recategorized from “my friend” to “I once knew a person” due to a lack of contact. I am sure that there is a Natural Law which aptly describes this phenomena.

Such is the case with a guy I used to know who I will call “Pete.” Pete was a co-worker who moved on. However since Pete and I drank and shot pool together, and Pete lived in the Highlands we maintained a friendship once he left the company. Then Pete got divorced, then another of our drinking buddies got divorced and moved out of Atlanta, and I became involved within hashing we stopped hanging out. The friendship faded away…

The other day someone on the EAVBuzz started a thread about someone calling 911 and being put on hold. The oddity of this thread was that it linked to a website on which the audio of the call was captured. I’ll be damned if I didn’t recognize the voice immediately, which by now you’ve probably figured out was Pete.

Atlanta — it’s a small town of 4.5 million after all.

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part
I am trying to book a vacation to Colorado around Labor Day. The impetus for the trip is the bi-annual Colorado Invihashional. However, if the dates work out in my favor then I will also be able to attend a Tips From The Top Floor photo workshop in Fort Collins (think New Belgium brewery!) as well. Unfortunately I still don’t know the dates of the workshop since they have yet to be published. All I know is that it is currently scheduled for “August 2008.”

If the dates for the Fort Collins workshop doesn’t work out I might be able to take the four-day workshop when it comes to Nashville for the third stop on its four-city tour. Unfortunately the Nashville dates have also been yet to be published.

Yes, the waiting is the hardest part.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - tired, morning came too quickly today
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Shins — “Know Your Onion!”
Website Of The Day - Scambaiting, the practice of messing with those asshats who are trying to scam the world has been taken to a new level at 419 Eater. You’ll have to visit the site to see why it’s called that. Thanks to Randy for pointing me toward this.
Exercise (b)Log - running, 5.5 miles
Monthly Foot Mileage - 46.5 miles
Monthly Wheel Mileage - 0 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car
Monthly Marta Rides - 6

January Goals
1) Run no fewer than 50 miles [on pace]
2) Ride Marta no fewer than sixteen times (eight round-trips) [not going to get there]
3) Read at least one book [done]

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Oh the weather outside was frightful — 35 degrees with spitting rain to be exact. However I could not bring myself to stay indoors and run on the treadmill. No I had one mile to cover for every ten degrees outside (so I ran 3.5 miles for the mathematically challenged in the audience) and was determined to do it outside in order to “build character.” The run was miserable, at times I wondered if I could call what I was doing “running” since the pace seemed glacial. However in the end I completed my task and I felt the internal swell of success.

Read Along With Me
Today’s passage from Notes To Myself.

After I had written this book I told several friends. Their response was polite and mild. Later I was able to tell them that I was going to be published. Almost to a man they used the words “I am proud of you.” Proud of the results but not the action.

Everyone but me looks back on my behavior in judgement (sic). They can only see my acts coupled with their results. But I act now. And I cannot know the results. I give my actions their own possible meaning for me, and this meaning always issues from: “I am responding to this part of me and not that part.”

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

How About That Heath Ledger, Huh?
I guess being young, handsome, popular, and perhaps wealthy wasn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

If You Can’t Say Something Nice
I suppose that it’s the critic’s job to tell the truth about how they feel. It might surprise you to find out that this is one of the reasons that I have no passion for becoming a music critic.

Yesterday I was surprised to see that Pitchfork had a review of Manchester Orchestra’s CD “I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child.” The review seemed a bit “late” seeing how the disc has been in my possession for nearly a year. If you’ve read this space for a long time you’ll know that I’ve mentioned Manchester Orchestra on more than one occasion (just look at the bottom of yesterday’s post) and that I’ve generally spoken good words about their music. While I agreed with many of the comparisons I read in Pitchfork’s review I take an issue with their 5.1 scoring of the CD. I certainly think it’s better than that.

Yesterday I also mentioned in passing that Manchester Orchestra will be playing locally (inside the perimeter) on Friday night. I’ve finally gotten around to doing my research, they will be playing at The Loft and tickets can be purchased for $9.97 (plus fees) at Ticket Alternative; this concert is part of the Georgia Music Concert Series.

ITP Flickr Pic
Nothing “new” to post today as my experiment yesterday produced no acceptable results.

This was taken a few weeks ago while I roamed around downtown on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Ah, It Reminds Me Of Home
For those of you who know me fairly well you probably know that I am originally from Queens, NY. (It explains my love for the Mets, Jets, and Islanders. My love for the Gators is explained by knowing that like many New Yorkers we moved to Florida and I thus attended the University of Florida)

Yesterday I received the following from Netflix making me think of my original home

Dear Paul,

MONARCH OF THE GLEN: DISC 1 (SERIES 2) was not available at your local shipping center. Instead, we will be shipping this movie from Flushing, NY on the next business day. As usual, you will receive a movie shipped email confirming the shipment.

-The Netflix Team

Yes, I am watching Monarch Of The Glen, you got a problem with that? I know that the show hasn’t been on the telly in quite some time; much like this Netflix note it helps me remember a different part of my life.

Did Somebody Say “King Cake?”
I missed out on the lagniappe that was Little Easy’s birthday party last Saturday night. However, I don’t think that means that I’ve missed out on the king cake which traditionally is served at the party. On Saturday Sarah, the cake’s creator, mentioned that she would be unable to attend the party and bringing the cake to George’s tonight. Oooooooh how a sliver of king cake would make me so happy after tonight’s run.

And, given that I’ve performed my last three training runs in temperatures near or below freezing I guess that I have no excuse for not running tonight.

Steve, if you are there I owe you a beer for your birthday.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - good although I still hack and wheeze occasionally
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Fratellis — “Chelsea Dagger” (music even Boner can appreciate)
Website Of The Day - I like music. Do you like music? If so you really need to check out The Almighty Jukebox because it’s really cool.
Exercise (b)Log - running, 3.5 miles
Monthly Foot Mileage - 41 miles
Monthly Wheel Mileage - 0 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car (I think Marta will resume in February)
Monthly Marta Rides - 6

January Goals
1) Run no fewer than 50 miles [on pace]
2) Ride Marta no fewer than sixteen times (eight round-trips) [not going to get there]
3) Read at least one book [done]

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Before we get too far along, how was your day off yesterday? Relaxing? That’s fantastic! In case you didn’t know I posted yesterday so you may want to scan it to see what you missed.

And we’re back…

As the Jackmobile’s odometer topped 70,000 today I thought that I was going to lose her. During my commute in The Connector traffic came to an unexpected halt (and for no reason of course). I had plenty of time and wherewithal to come to a complete stop but as I heard the screeching of tires directly behind me I started to worry. Luckily the person behind me managed to halt his/her car without hitting anything around it us, including me. Yet another reason I should be riding Marta more often, but I’ve got things to do today…

Read Along With Me
Today’s passage from Notes To Myself.

I’m holding this cat in my arms so it can sleep, and what more is there.

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

Well, That’s Never Happened Before
Yesterday I fell prey to my own money-making scheme! That’s right, yesterday I wound up buying something from Amazon.com solely because I saw it advertised on the Amazon widget on InsideThePerimeter.com.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I won’t use my new Le Cruiset 2.75-quart oval Dutch Oven often (especially since I’ve started cooking again), it’s that I decided that I bought it because I saw it advertised that has me flummoxed.

Advertising… it’s what’s for dinner.

ITP Flickr Pic
In a moment of what could only be described as blind optimism I recently bought two tickets to see Paula Poundstone in concert at the end of March.

I will either find a (female) date for this show or I will go alone.

Mark Your Calendars, It’s Only Six Months Away
Happy half-birthday to me! As of today I am 42.5 years old and here is what I might be doing on the day that I become forty-three.

- July 22, Atlanta, GA - Rush @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

As I was thinking about this concert when I first heard about it on Friday I laughed because I calculated that if I go to this concert there will have been a twenty-five year span between Rush concerts for me. I have to admit that it will be very strange seeing Rush in concert again, especially since I know that I won’t be able to go into high school the next day and play drums on my desk as if I was Neal Peart the way I did in 1983.

There are a few hurdles in the way of this birthday gift however. First, where the heck is the “Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre?” Is this what I once knew as the Lakewood Amphitheater (or Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater, or Coca-Cola Amphitheater)? Also I am certain that this will be a show whose ticket I must purchase through Ticketmaster. Man, I really hate Ticketmaster…

Well That Was Simple
This week I read a book. Don’t be too impressed however because even though it wasn’t one of the “Dick and Jane” series, it was only one hundred pages long.

The book I read this week is called The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life) (just a straight Amazon link, I won’t try to make money on this one) which deals with using simplicity to improve products and the ways that consumers perceive products. It wasn’t the most in-depth discussion of the topic (the book was only one-hundred pages) but it did offer enough thought-provoking ideas to make it a worthwhile read for me. As always, you mileage will vary.

CD Pick Of The Week
Given the players involved with which I have some familiarity — Cat Power, Super Furry Animals, Whigs — my natural inclination is to pick the new one from Super Furry Animals. I will warn you that this disc is currently defining “mixed critical reviews” as the critics seem to either love it or hate it.

I’ve not heard anything from the new Cat Power or Whigs, so if you’ve had some exposure to these I’d be interested in hearing from you.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - good; determining how I am going to get a 3.5 mile run in today
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Manchester Orchestra — “Golden Ticket” (They are playing somewhere in Atlanta on Friday night. Do yourself a favor and go see them.)
Website Of The Day The Laws of Simplicity also has an accompanying blog — such a novel idea for a book that is not a novel.
Exercise (b)Log - strengthening and stretching (I still want to improve this workout)
Monthly Foot Mileage - 37.5 miles
Monthly Wheel Mileage - 0 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car
Monthly Marta Rides - 6

January Goals
1) Run no fewer than 50 miles [on pace]
2) Ride Marta no fewer than sixteen times (eight round-trips) [not going to get there]
3) Read at least one book [done]

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I beat myself up too much. I beat myself up because it’s been a long time since the women in whom I have interest have reciprocated my interest. This weekend I beat myself up because I chose to stay at home on Saturday evening instead of braving the cold (and possible poor road conditions) and going to my friend’s birthday party. And I beat myself up because I didn’t make it to the Black Sheep hash. It’s a tough way to live, and I am trying to let it go.

Read Along With Me
Today’s passage from Notes To Myself.

When I get to where I can enjoy just lying on the rug picking up lint balls I will no longer be too ambitious.

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

The Snow Must Go On! Or, I Hate It When That Happens; I Love It When That Happens.
Friday was a frustrating day. On Friday I determined that the hard drive on which I keep my iTunes library was starting to crap out and all efforts to copy my music to another drive were running into problems. btw- Guess who still doesn’t have a functioning backup strategy? After banging my head on the desk a few times I gave up and decided to head up to East Atlanta Village in order to take my mind off of my problems. Earlier in the day I found out that the Yeasayer show at The EARL was sold out so I decided to leave the camera gear at home.

I drove, yes drove, up to East Atlanta Village. In years past I would have walked to the village ten times out of ten, but with much news about increased crime, along with a sketchy weather prediction, I decided to drive. EAV that evening was fucking Hipsterville! I had to circle the village twice before I decided on taking parking two blocks from the village (and about three blocks from my house). Here is what my effort got me…

• The EARL was packed (as I knew it would be): I hate it when that happens
• The show turned out to be a non-smoking show: I love it when that happens
• The bill was flipped so that the band I was going to see was not headlining: I hate it when that happens
• This meant that I’d be home about an hour earlier: I love it when that happens
• People at the show couldn’t keep their damn mouths closed during songs: I hate it when that happens
• Appearing frustrated the lead singer cut his finger during slamming a cymbal during the show and then threw water from a water bottle on the crowd (myself included): I hate it when that happens
• The band (Yeasayer) put on a great show regardless: I love it when that happens
• The girls at the show were young and beautiful: I love it when that happens
• I felt like a dirty old man who knew that he had no shot (nor should he) with them: I hate it when that happens

Just another night in the life of Paulie.

ITP Flickr Pic
Here’s why I decided not to go to the party.

I’m sure that the party was a blast and that a fine time was had by all. I do regret not going, I feel kind of cowardly for staying at home.

I Snow You Are, But What Am I?
In case there was any doubt that I have committed to training; all doubts were squelched as I ran twice this weekend as scheduled. Before I discuss my runs let me tell you how much I love the Champion Fusion work-out pants that I bought at Target for $15 the other day. These pants kept my legs from getting cold during my running this weekend.

On Saturday morning I stretched and ran my three-mile course before the snow started to accumulate. I am not much of a morning runner, which is kind of funny since all races start pretty early, but I figured that the weather was only going to get more dreadful than the cold, spitting rain that was occurring at my departure.

On Sunday morning I decided to let the temperature get near freezing before heading out. Sadly, this decision meant that I would be unable to drive to the Black Sheep hash. I know what you are thinking… “Why didn’t you just run the hash and count that as a training run?” I considered that, but then I remembered that I am training for a road run so I need to get the road running mileage.

My runs were good, but not great; I still needed to stop and walk every once in a while in order to catch my breath and give my legs a respite. It’s possible that my upcoming long runs may be done in the Jeff Galloway methodology.

Meet The “Above 2:00:00″ Laptop
btw- Is “Above 2:00:00″ best antonym for “Sub 2:00:00″?

Even with great music pumping through my ears running alone gives me a lot of time to think. I’ve been thinking a lot about the MacBook Air and how it may not be the best computer for my needs. I also came to the realization that none of my training runs, even those as short as three miles, have been done at a pace slower than ten-minutes-per-mile, and that will never get me below two hours for a half marathon.

Isn’t she beautiful!?!? Sure she’s not as thin as the girl I introduced last week, but I don’t mind. This should prove once and for all that the reason I am not married is because I only seek super-model good looks.

I will love her; I will take her everywhere I travel; She will get the treatment that those who have passed on me could only hope to get.

And for those wondering why I am not considering a MacBook Pro, it’s all about the screen size baby. A fifteen in screen is too large for travel in my world.

They Picked Up Crabs In Alaska
If you were busy watching the Packers lose to the NY Giants instead of watching the finale of The Amazing Race you probably want to skip to the end.

How much hemp can one million pre-tax dollars buy? I guess that we are about to find out as TK and Rachel have officially won The Amazing Race. While it won’t go down as the most dramatic finish to The Amazing Race it was all even until the final challenge. I was rather impressed at the way the contestants were able to remember the details of their adventures. I suppose that since they lived the race instead of just watching it on tv helped immensely.

Overall I think that this season was a success. There was enough personal drama to overcome what I considered to be a less-than-stellar array of travel and competitions. I think the Speed Bump was okay, but I miss having the “spared” contestants give away all of their possessions and having to beg for money. I’ve not watched all seasons of The Amazing Race so I have a question. Is this the first time that the team who has won it all was last during a non-elimination leg? Did Uchenna and Joyce pull off the same feat?

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - sad and lonely but trying to let it go because I don’t like feeling like this; oh, and I am jealous of those of you who don’t have to be at work today
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Postal Service — “We Will Become Silhouettes”
Website Of The Day - I found out that if I pre-order the new Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks disc at Criminal Records that I can get an account for Buy Early Get Now and stream the record before it comes out. Ver’ cool!
Exercise (b)Log - running, 3 miles Saturday; running, 6 miles Sunday
Monthly Foot Mileage - 37.5 miles
Monthly Wheel Mileage - 0 miles
Monday Morning Weigh In - 201 pounds
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car (can’t be holiday traffic)
Monthly Marta Rides - 6

January Goals
1) Run no fewer than 50 miles
2) Ride Marta no fewer than sixteen times (eight round-trips) [not going to get there]
3) Read at least one book

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Twice yesterday I really wished that I had my camera with me.

While on my drive to Georgia Tech I passed a “breaking news situation.” A hugh tree had finally decided that it was time to give up and chose a house as its final resting place. While I passed the situation WSB was setting up shop to do an “on location” shot; here is their video (hope the link still works).

Then there were the twins, identical twins at that. At the career fair the NSA brought two Georgia Tech Alumni in the form of identical twins. I so wanted to go ask the nearly-identically dressed twins if they worked in data duplication, but didn’t have the heart to go up an add to what I am sure has been a lifetime of jokes at their expense. I also wondered if they shared a cubical in their office; hell they shared a room once, comparatively a cubical would be expansive.

Read Along With Me
Today’s passage from Notes To Myself.

Why do I judge my day by how much I have “accomplished?”

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

Keep Bringing ‘It’ Mother Nature, You Won’t Stop Me
Snow flurries.
Cold and windy days.
Predictions of snow for tomorrow.

I don’t care! I’ve a schedule to run and I plan to keep it up goddamn it! After arriving home from the career fair I relaxed for about a half hour, changed clothes, and then pounded the pavement for three miles. While the run wasn’t quite as good as Tuesday’s on the same route I was pleased because this is the first time that I’ve run three days in a row in many years so I expected a bit of a struggle.

ITP Flickr Pic
Thanks to my friend Betsy I know what to do when Life gives you a Tweety Bird waffle maker; you make Tweety Bird waffles. Would the same logic apply when Life provides you with all of the ingredients necessary to make jambalaya?

Fuck yeah!

I’m Starting To Miss “Must See TV”
While I thoroughly enjoying watching episode three of Michael Palin’s “Sahara” last night I must admit that I was jonesin’ for a little Thursday night “The Office.” But alas, with the writers still striking I was denied my fix. I guess I shouldn’t be overly upset though, because it seems that “The Office” is the only series that I miss — until The Amazing Race goes away on Sunday that is.

What’s In A Name?
Until recently the name “English Nick” meant little to me. I believe I heard him once or twice on the radio, but that was it. On Christmas day I met one of my friend Betsy’s friends, whose name I will butcher, Ca(n)trell (who also happens to be the proprietor of Dr. Bombay’s in Candler Park). Ca(n)trell’s boyfriend is “English Nick.”

Yesterday while scanning my blogs I saw the name “English Nick” again. Unfortunately this time it was associated with some bad news. According to Drive A Faster Car “English Nick” has recently been in a bad car accident and has insufficient medical coverage to pay for his upcoming hospital bills.

Over the next weeks there will be five benefits put on by Metalsome Karaoke, for whom “English Nick” also works, with the proceeds going toward paying off “English Nick’s” medical bills. If this sounds like a worthy cause to you I suggest you go visit the Drive A Faster Car site and get the details.

Hey, Let’s End On An Upbeat Note!
Even with the crummy weather coming in this weekend holds a lot of potential.

Tonight I will be at The EARL to see Yeasayer. Here’s keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that the show doesn’t get canceled.

Tomorrow I will remain warm (after my three-mile training run of course) by spending quality time in the kitchen cooking up another Andouille Pudding; this one will be my companion for Little Easy’s Louisiana-themed Birthday Bash. My new party theory is that if you can’t bring a date you might as well bring some delicious food.

On Sunday I will perform a freezing six-mile training run and I might even suffer further by attending the Black Sheep Hash. I won’t be partying late however, because unlike many, I do not get Martin Luther King Jr. Day off as a paid holiday. Rats!

Whatever you do this weekend, do it with passion. I know that I intend to…

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - feeling pretty darn good, and today is a rest day!
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Manchester Orchestra — “Golden Ticket”
Website Of The Day - Websites with descriptive names are so helpful. Just try and guess what you’ll see when you visit Movie-Montage.
Exercise (b)Log - running, 3 miles but I forgot to add strengthening
Monthly Foot Mileage - 28.5 miles
Monthly Wheel Mileage - 0 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work - My car (I had to bring career fair materials back to the office)
Monthly Marta Rides - 6

January Goals
1) Run no fewer than 50 miles
2) Ride Marta no fewer than sixteen times (eight round-trips) [not going to get there]
3) Read at least one book

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]