I Say I Want Some Resolution

Getting things checked off my To-Do list invigorates me. Unfortunately, for every one that gets completed, two new chores appear in its place. It can be rather defeating at times.

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

Several months ago I discovered that I was interpreting a particular sensation in my abdomen as “hunger” which, when I listened more closely, turned out to be “tension.” Now when I have this feeling I like breathing deeply and stretching my back better than going to the refrigerator. When I was in Berkeley I experienced very powerful sensations which I interpreted as a desire for sex. Later I became close friends with several women but didn’t have sex with them, and these feelings lessened. Maybe the feelings were more a desire for companionship than sex partners. But now I am in the mountains and am alone much of the time and the feelings have gone altogether (almost). It is equally logical for me to assume that in Berkeley what I really longed for was solitude. But I think the better answer is that feelings are not words (“tension,” “hunger,” loneliness”). Feelings are sensations, and no two feelings are ever quite identical.

To all who have helped me — Thanks.

Everywhere I Turned Last Night, I Knew Somebody
I wound up eating dinner at the Yacht Club last night before heading over to Variety Playhouse for the Wolf Parade show. I know, the lack of creativity in my life is staggering.

Upon winding my way out of the Yacht Club I heard my name being called. As I turned I saw that it was (ITP reader) D.D.D.Dave so I stopped and hung out with him and his buddies for a while (read “a couple more beers”). As we stood there a birthday cake arrived at the table near the window and the bar started singing “Happy Birthday.” ( foreshadowing….)

I headed to Variety with Dave and his friends and hung with them through the Wintersleep set. I had heard of Wintersleep before, most likely by listening to CBC Radio 3 podcasts. Wintersleep put on a really good set with the exception of the seemingly ten-minute long final song. On a sad note the band mentioned that all of their gear had been stolen two nights ago in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. What a shitty thing to have happen.

As we progressed down toward the stage I took a quick detour to toss my empty beer bottle and lost track of Dave. I wound up in a great position in the middle of the crown for the Wolf Parade set however. Man was it warm in the venue last night, this coming from a guy who’s not had air conditioning this Summer. At about the half-way point in the set I fought my way through the sold-out crowd and went to buy a bottle of cold water. In the lobby I ran into my co-worker Mitch, as well as a couple of people that I’ve started to see at all of the shows I attend.

The Wolf Parade set was incredible. The band sounded tight and though the heat inside the building was obviously affecting this bunch of Canadians they played right through the sweating. But perhaps the best part of the evening was when one of the guys in the band told a story about how earlier in the evening they were in a bar up the street and lied to them by telling them that it was someone’s birthday. And before they knew it they were getting free ice cream and the entire bar was singing “Happy Birthday.” Suffice to say I had no idea what the band looked like prior to last night’s show, so even if I had my camera I probably would not have taken shots of the birthday celebration, but how cool would that have been had I?

Have I Ever Mentioned How Much I Hate Poison Ivy?
When I laid trail nine days ago I didn’t realize that I had come in contact with poison ivy. I am not naive, I know it’s everywhere this time of year, but I didn’t recall running through any. For those that don’t know, I am highly allergic so even on the hottest of summer days I wear running tights on my legs when I hash. Apparently I must have come in contact with some poison ivy on my arm and it has managed to find its way to one of my legs — coincidentally(?) exactly where the yellow jacket had stung me the week before. Since the splotches are starting to turn a deep red I assume that they are on there final stages.But damn, nine days?! It’s enough to make me consider retiring from hashing.

ITP Flickr Pic
One of the benefits of seeing the “Dead End” sign that I featured yesterday was that I entered a cemetery that I would have never noticed otherwise. Inside the cemetery was this excellent bridge which was erected in 1899(!) by the George E. King Bridge Company of Des Moines, Iowa. Just how did a bridge company in Des Moines, Iowa get a bridge contract in Athens, Georgia in 1899? It boggles my mind.

Sure, I admit that I did some post-processing on the photo, but I really like it nonetheless.

Things That Are/Will Be Working By Day’s End
– Hurrah for me!!! I successfully transitioned Jalapeño Beach! No longer must you append “pixelpost” to the URL. In addition I have also created a JalapenoBeach.com email address (paulie [at] jalapenobeach [dot] com) that will be a part of The Machine. When time permits I will look into changing the template as well since I don’t wish to look like the default set-up forever.

– Today I will be securing camping space for the Mystery Mountain Marathon Twelve-Mile Run to be held on November 2nd in Fort Mountain State Park. Unlike for the Twisted Ankle Half Marathon back in May I probably will not be soliciting for a campsite-mate, nor will I create the shitstorm of emails that I did in attempts to organizing the camping for that even. I will be camping Friday and Saturday nights for the Sunday event, if that sounds like fun to you then sign up for the race and reserve yourself a campsite.

– I received two more “love letters” from Uncle Sam yesterday and I’ll be opening them today. I assume that my request for dropping of the tax penalties that they’ve levied against me has been denied and that I owe them even more money for making such a request. Let’s hope that the letters also don’t mention anything like an audit — not that I am not clean, but I just don’t need that hassle in my life. ** Update ** Doesn’t look like an audit will occur, but they are still researching my case to see if I still owe them $733.

– The death of Randy Pausch last week didn’t impact me as it had many in the computer science community. Truth be told, I had never heard of Pausch, nor of the “The Last Lecture” that he gave at Carnegie Mellon last year.

Yesterday I watched the hour-and-sixteen-minute lecture on YouTube (embedded below)

I was completely moved and totally understood why those who knew Pausch were so taken aback by his death even though they all knew it was going to happen soon.

– The Jackmobile is officially registered with the State of Georgia through July 2009 and now bears the green sticker stating so.

Digital Download Of The Week
I am looking at the list and seeing nothing of interest.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood – beaten
Current Music – Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Cold War Kids — “Something Is Not Right With Me” (did they write a song about me?)
Website Of The Day – Oddee is an entertaining blog containing some of the strangest content on the internet.
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Monthly Foot Mileage – 34 miles
Monthly Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Mode Of Transportation To Work – My car
Monthly Marta Rides – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 7 (110)
Books To Read To Earn Kindle – 4

July Goals
1) Run/Walk no fewer than 75 miles
2) Ride no fewer than 150 road miles
3) Ride Marta no fewer than twenty times (ten round-trips)
4) Read at least two books
5) Make my bed every day
6) Relaunch www.JalapenoBeach.com
7) Keep track of how many days I use stairs over elevators

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]