I Don’t Know Who I Am Any More!

The East Atlanta Beer Festival is tomorrow and not only am I neither volunteering nor attending, I have planned to be elsewhere. What has happened to the Paulie who lived for the Big Drunk? Oh yeah, he got fat as he matured. Besides, my history has proven that I shouldn’t be somewhere that enables over-consumption and is also full of beautiful people.

Here’s a question for you… The cost to get into the EABF is $30 ($35 at the door, and $15 for designated drivers? WTF?). Do you really think that $30/$35 is a reasonable fee for entry? I can buy two quality six-packs for $20 and if I had ten friends over who also also brought differing twelve-packs, then we could have one hell of a beer festival much cheaper. I’m just sayin’.

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

I want to say something to this person but the fear comes: “I’d better not” (he may misunderstand, he may be in a hurry, ad infinitum). These fears are not based on the present situation, they are based on the past, and I don’t have to be governed by what once went wrong. The two of us are standing here in the present. What is the situation now?

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

May: The Month Which Seemed To Be So Promising
I haven’t done much in the way of exercising this month. Sure, there was the twenty-five-mile ride that started the month, and Twisted Ankle Half Marathon mid-way through, but not much else. That all changes this weekend however. June, my friends, will be my month… unless of course I decide to wait until July.

Speaking of July, check out the public Google Calendar called “ITP Concerts” (wanna guess who created it?) and you’ll see that it look like I’ll be spending a lot of my free time at Variety Playhouse.

I Am An “Idea” Man
I say this because I rarely seem to follow through on the art projects I conceive.

Years ago, before I owned a decent camera, I wanted to do a coffee-table book consisting of photos of the “makeshift” memorials which seemingly began littering America’s roadways in the the 1990’s. The difficulty with this concept is that most of these are erected in dangerous areas (hence the deaths that are associated with them) and it’s not exactly easy to stop, grab the camera, and get a decent shot.

On a trip to Oakland Cemetery last year I decided that I should try to see of I could take 365 photos of Confederate Soldier headstones. If the idea fleshed itself out properly I was going to display the headstone for the soldier on the day he died.

The latest project still parked on launching pad is the “Daily Gas Price” photo. I wanted to chart the rise and fall of gas prices by taking a photo of the same gas station each day. To date I’ve taken zero photos for this project. As an aside the price of gas at that station this morning was $4.09 for regular. We are all screwed! And I should be document this!

To my credit the one project that has started is the “Home Was Where The Hearth Is” project in which I will take photos of free-standing hearths where buildings used to stand beside it. So far there are two photos in the collection, but I intend to stop and take a photo of each one I see from now on.

ITP Flickr Pic
From last weekend’s country tour.
Dear Meister Piano Co.
What will this weekend’s country tour produce? Only The Shadow knows…

I’ll Have A Full (and quite expensive) Tank Of Gas, And A Full iPod
I’ve got another OTP destination in mind for this weekend. The destination this week is Moreland, GA where my friends (and ITP readers) Steve and Debbie reside. They are kindly opening up there home for a weekend of festivities including bike riding, running, beer drinking, and bacon eating. I’ll also be toting my camera along searching for shots this weekend.

Did Someone Say Bacon?
When I was up in Summerville, GA a few weeks ago I stopped into the Ingles for supplies. One of the purchased supplies was a twelve-ounce package of what turned out to be some of the tastiest bacon I have ever eaten. Since Ingles doesn’t seem to have any locations ITP I will make an effort to stop into one along my way to/from Moreland. I know that it sounds crazy, but that bacon was fucking awesome!

Life Doesn’t Begin At Forty, It Begins When You Know That Someday It Will End
Harvey Korman died yesterday. Harvey is far from the first celebrity linked to my childhood to have died but for some reason this one struck me harder than most. Maybe it was the joy he brought to my life through his life’s work. Maybe it was the satisfaction I got out of seeing him and Tim Conway perform at The Fox theater a few years ago. Maybe it was the silly feeling I got when I saw him walking around the buffet at the Las Vegas Hilton a handful of years ago. Or maybe it was the realization that we all will follow.

I am forty-two-years old (at least for another seven weeks). I should learn to live today because someday I won’t be given the option.

Have an incredible weekend everybody! And, with any luck, we should all return here on Monday. ‘kay? Thanks!

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood – Friday, ah Friday
Current Music – Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Death From Above 1979 — “Black History Month”
Website Of The Day – Perhaps while uncluttering my house I will put an item or two up on Keep Or Toss.
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Monthly Foot Mileage – 25 miles
Monthly Wheel Mileage – 25 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work – My car
Monthly Marta Rides – 13
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 59 (59)

May Goals
1) Run no fewer than 75 miles
2) Ride no fewer than 100 road miles
3) Ride Marta no fewer than ten times (five round-trips)
4) Read at least one book
5) Make my bed every day

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

This entry was posted in Comments Disabled, My Daily Life. Bookmark the permalink.

36 Responses to I Don’t Know Who I Am Any More!

  1. debbie says:

    speak to me please of the Ingles wunder bacon. Is it a house brand? A little time on the google has revealed an Ingles south of us and one north of us, but not one really near us. I will travel for bacon though… as evidenced by the 6 lbs of jalapeno bacon I stuffed in my suitcase on flight home from Texas. hmm, I travel for beer and bacon, my mother must be so proud. 🙂

  2. I don’t remember the brand name but it was a 12-ounce package, the package was mostly red, and it had three happy piggies on it. I remember the pigs because I told Martha “Look, it’s got happy pigs on it! You know that this has to be good, look how happy they are!”

    If my mother questions my habits at least I can tell her “It could be worse, I could be doing illegal drugs.”

  3. Martha says:

    So when is the ITP BeerFest going to take place? You know I’m good for a 12 pack.

    Debbie, if your mother isn’t proud please know the rest of are very impressed!

  4. Well now that I know that you are traveling all the way to Alaska to avoid my July 20 Black Sheep hash I guess that it *won’t* happen on my birthday weekend. 😛

    Maybe in early August — when I’ve suffered enough heat to have forked over the thousands of dollars it’s going to cost to have my AC replaced.

  5. martha says:

    Paulie, I won’t swear to it but it might have been Lay’s bacon…I seem to remember some discussion about bacon potato chips…

  6. You can swear Martha, we all know that the Inside The Perimeter blog is far from “Family Friendly” 😉

    With bacon-flavored potato chips I would Rule the World.

  7. Sal says:

    Beer and Bacon? Sorry I’m going to miss this week-end’s activities!

    I saw that a Bacon painting went for 86.2 million dollars last week…..but alas it was a painting by Francis Bacon….not a painting of bacon!

  8. Sal, you had my head spinning at the thought of “bacon painting.” I was thinking of using bacon as brushes and nearly lost it! 🙂

  9. Bob says:

    ITP BEER FEST! Name the date and people will show! Maybe you can even get the North Carolina crew to come down.

  10. Steve says:

    Maybe that would get Debbie to enjoy painting?

    My rememberance of Harvey Korman is of the many, many times Tim Conway would get him going and try as he might to stay in character, there was just no way… thanks for the laughs Harvey.

    -FP

  11. Barb says:

    Paulie – if in your travels you get near Brevard, NC- there a free standing hearth in the Dupont State Forest – close enough to hike to it, but you ought to bring your mountain bike & ride with us. 3rd weekend on October…… camping……

    Another one is on the Left Loop at Tsali, and it isn’t too far in, you could hike to it as well, but biking there is much more fun.

    I so wish we could make it to Moreland this weekend, but there isn’t enough hours in the day, we just can’t fit it in. I know there is an Ingles up here in Marietta somewhere, I’ll have to check out the happy pigs.

  12. stacy says:

    Well, lookee here: Woodstick actually has something you don’t: an Ingles! I’ll pop on in there after work and see if I can find what bacon you’re talking about. Yup, I forsee bacon sandwiches in my future this weekend! And by bacon sandwich, I mean a slice of bacon between two slices of bacon.

    I’m sorry I’ll be missing EABF only in that I had SUCH a fun time last year that I really wanted to go again. I agree that the ticket price is ridiculous though. And what exactly is the designated driver paying for?

    With gas prices, I can skip the 70 mi. round trip into the city for the festival. Now, an ITP beer fest, however, is worth the trip!

  13. ITP BeerFest will occur after I get all of the yard work and house maintenance done. Keep your 2010 calendars open folks! 🙂

    In all seriousness I have considered doing a beer sampling bbq party.

  14. Ciambellina says:

    I agree with your comments about the East Atlanta Beer Festival. Another case in point: Brew at the Zoo in Grant Park over Memorial Day weekend.

    Granted it was a cool event, and you gained entry to the zoo by buying a ticket. But for two us, we spent $97 with tax to get in (we bought the tix the day of the event because we were not sure what our plans were).

    Now fine, you can subtract out $36 for the normal entry fee to the zoo (for two adults), but did we drink $60 worth of beer? Did you see the tiny cups they gave us? I would say we did not drink $60 worth. I would not mind if I could say we drank $30 worth of beer (with the idea that the extra money pays for the bands and the promotional costs), but I doubt it.

    And guess what, there was no food! Food was extra.

    These events are all cool but if they cost too much, they will drive fans away (see: professional sporting events).

    Thanks for the soapbox!

  15. No prob Ciambellina. Good point about the Zoo beerfest. I had forgotten about that one.

    I have the same feelings toward running and biking races. They have become so expensive $50+ that I’ve become very selective about the ones that I do.

  16. Check this out! This company is selling Canned Bacon!!!

    http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-364/Yoder’s-Celebrity-Canned-Bacon/Detail

    Seriously, if you don’t believe that 2008 is the Year of the Bacon then I don’t know what it will take to convince you. Bacon stories / products are everywhere!

  17. Barb says:

    and everyone biking Saturday, don’t forget to bring money for the beer stop in Senoia….

  18. That’s right Barb! I should bring my point-and-shoot so I can take a photo of Crook’s as well.

  19. RanLiCoop says:

    An ITP beer-sampling party just might draw the NC contingent to Atlanta – we’ve been away far too long already…

    -BN, Cheese and Coop

  20. Barb says:

    Debbie might have to bring the big truck to cart the drunks home from Senoia…… and Paulie can document it with his camera…… I’m bumming we can’t make it tomorrow…..

  21. Gentri says:

    The EABF ticket price is insane, which is why I am volunteering… plus it is more fun than just drinking yourself silly… and I still get to do that! 😉

    Speaking of the bacon and the extended bacon family, you are going to miss my bacon wrapped jalapeños and pulled pork sandwiches at my house after the EABF tomorrow! It’s gonna be yummy!

    Re: gas prices. I paid $3.86 the other day… I am seeing a Black Mazda 3 in my future very soon…. 42 mpg hwy and not a hybrid… my truck gets 20… ouch.

    Have fun in Moreland!

  22. Gentri says:

    PS Post a pic of the new YOU with your haircut!

  23. I don’t look much different.

  24. Jenka says:

    Absolutely, $30/35 to get in is, like, totally outrageous! I went once and that was enough for me. Mostly because I don’t like people, though (except the ones I know). This year I’m going to get a street-side table at Blue Frog or Flatiron and watch the drunks stumble by.

    Hubby insists on purchasing premium gas for his car. We’ve been paying >$4 for a while already. Ridiculous!

    I am doing a June personal running challenge, because I’ve been such a slacker since the ING. I am just anal retentive and competitive enough not to let myself eff it up!

    I like bacon. That is all.

  25. RanLiCoop says:

    Almost forgot to weigh in with the vegetarian-friendly contribution to the bacon conversation: http://www.baconsalt.com/

    -Randy

  26. What’s your personal running challenge?

    I’ve decided to actually make my running and riding goals of 75 / 100 next month.

  27. Hey Randy,

    That reminds me. On yesterday’s Geek Brief TV “Cali Lewis” mentioned that she had just heard about Bacon Salt. Jeez, I’ve been talking it up for months!

  28. Martha says:

    I’m going to have to par back the running goal a lot for June. With bootcamp 4 or 5 days a week I just can’t do it. I’ll still run Mondays…but I see a lot more time with my ass in the bike seat this month. 100 bike miles should be EASY, especially if you do Carterville…so I’m going to say 30/125 18 days of Bootcamp.

  29. You could always give up Bootcamp. 😛

  30. Barb says:

    I’m with Paulie – give up bootcamp…… and maybe get some sleep? 😉

  31. Martha says:

    This will be my last month for awhile, schedule to too busy until Sept.

    I hate to admit it but its working. I only lost 5 pounds the first month (which I was told was great) but I’m much stronger, added some muscle.

    You’ll see…someone will slip you the kool aid one day and you’ll be sweating in the park right next to me.

  32. Look, I know the people who are at your bootcamps… and if that hasn’t drawn me out there yet then nothing will. 😛

  33. Martha says:

    Sleep is so NOT what I need 😉

  34. Jenka says:

    My personal challenge will be 100 miles for June. It’s a lot less than I had been running before ING, and a heck of a lot more than I have SINCE Ing. Heh.

    Martha, I gotta say, I admire your early morning bootcamp stamina. I admit I’m too weak to do it. It’d be nice to lose 5 pounds, but not that way!

  35. Smoove D says:

    $35 is a rip for a beer festival. Also, if you pay $30 in advance the tickets are non-refundable, so you’re SOL if the festival is rained out. I probably would’ve sucked it up and paid if I was in town, but the lack of direct MARTA rail access (in contrast to Dunwoody and Decatur) is an ongoing problem with the EABF.

    In other news, I’m down for the ITPBF – if you invite Gwen and she says yes, I’ll even bring a twelve pack of beer y’all can’t get in Atlanta.

Comments are closed.