A Return To Routine

With the onslaught of May I decided it was time to return to some of my routines. I’ll be checking my weight daily (hoping it will inspire me to exercise). I’ve once again started reading 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die (hoping that I can finish it by year’s end to get it off my bedside table). I went out and did some photographing of free-standing hearths on Saturday (even though the weather wasn’t in my favor). And I’ve even returned to adding fortune cookie fortunes when I get one. Also planned for my May Revival is the drinking of beer at Taco Mac, and bicycle riding.

Magical — Indeed
On Friday afternoon a coworker and I walked from our office over to Perimeter Mall (across the street and through the massive parking lot) in order to get in line to purchase an iPad. I even had the pleasure of seeing my friend Phil in line, though he was a good twenty people ahead of me.

Man, oh man do I love this device!

Don’t believe me? Well how about when I tell you that I am actually reading a book using the Kindle application on the iPad?! That’s right! I am reading… (in case you are wondering, I am reading The Design Of Everyday Things.

I’ll be the first to admit that iPad is an overpriced, luxury item, that will not serve everybody’s needs. I don’t think that iPad completely replaces computers, but that being said, I used it almost exclusively the weekend, shifting to a computer only to do those things which required me to (such as running Lightroom).

More on this as time goes on.

ITP Flickr Pic
It was bad weather to be so lucky to find five (two at the same location) free-standing hearths. This is one.

It was my intention to visit Jailhouse Brewing on Saturday during the tour time of 2-6pm. I woke early and drove southward to locate some of the free-standing hearths that have been mapped, but never photographed (by me, anyway). The weather really wasn’t my friend, solid gray skies and spitting rain, so after locating a few and doing the best photography I could do under the conditions, I decided to head home instead of trying to figure out a way to kill four hours until the brewery tour.

I’m Feeling Well Hung
“Paulie, what did you do Saturday night?”
I trained myself in the art of matting photographs, as well as applying hanging hardware to a frame so that a photo can be hung.

Yesterday I headed over to Castleberry Hill to deliver my framed photo and half-filled bin of matted photos for Friday’s Atlanta Photography Exhibit “Southern Fried Photographers” exhibit. I’m not expecting to sell anything, though it would be nice to recoup some of my expenses. And if I do I have a spiffy Numbers spreadsheet on my iPad which will help me track my expenses and profits.

Please Don’t Take My Sunshine Away
For the past forty-four weeks I’ve been listening to what I consider to be the best radio theater produced today — CBC Radio 3’s “The Sunshine Show.”

The premise of “The Sunshine Show” was that legendary CBC Radio DJ “Sunshine” Dick Johnson had return to the airwaves (or ethernet cables in my case) to host a new show. Each week Dick Johnson would play music he didn’t like, by bands whose names he couldn’t pronounce, and tell stories about his life. Johnson would make social and professional faux pas each and every week. In last week’s episode Johnson was joined by a CBC Radio 3 ombudsman named “Andrea Chio” who Johnson wrongly believed was a woman from the ombudsman’s “steno pool” and referred to her more than once as being Oriental.

In a word, this show was brilliant!

This week’s episode was notably shorter, and Johnson stated that there would be a “special announcement” at some point during the show. Indeed about twenty minutes in he received a notice from CBC Radio 3 and read it on air; the noticed laid out restrictions which he must follow in order to remain on the air.

This appears to be the end of “The Sunshine Show” and if it is, this American will certainly miss you, Sunshine Dick.

I’m actually considering going back and downloading all of the episodes just so I can take the ride all over again.

RealiTV Update: The Amazing Race — She’s A Genius, Counting To 523 (And 520, And 522, And 524)
You know SPOILERS follow
Well, this week we’ll find out who the Final Three are for this season’s The Amazing Race.

I’m starting to think the creators of The Amazing Race have lost their creativity. Counting statues? Finding stamps with your name on it? Throwing coins into an urn? Booooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrring The highlight of the evening for me was seeing the world’s tallest man.

With the more I learn about Team Brokeback the more I think I’m rooting for them to win it all.

You know I go back and forth on Team Model Citizens. I certainly believe that they are gorgeous people, but I’m tired of Caite’s “It’s me against the World” attitude. Life can’t be that tough for such a beautiful girl, even one that’s been humiliated because she completely fucked up her final question during a beauty pageant.

Team Thing One, Thing Gay One don’t seem to have what it takes to win this thing, though luck always plays in, and if the teams are forced to play the memory game during the next episode (which it doesn’t appear will happen) they’ll have a leg up.

I feel for Team Clouseau, though their Speed Hump may have been the easiest task ever performed on The Amazing Race. They had been spared elimination once, it really was their time to go.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay
Current Music – listening to the “This Week In Tech” podcast
Website Of The Day – I am really hooked on Gardenfork TV (as well as their audio podcast Gardenfork Radio).
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – 200 pounds
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 61

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 3 (3)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 2
Marta Rides – 0

May Goals
– Not to get sick for the entire month
– Not get fired from my job
– Ride my bicycle no fewer than 100 miles
– Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further

2010 Goals
– Reduce my weight to 185 pounds (starting weight was 198 pounds)
– Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
РEarn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalape̱o Beach SmugMug account.
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop
– Enter no fewer than three photographic competitions / gallery showings
– Get the Black Sheep stats out of Excel and online
– Ride in no fewer than two 50 mile or 50K bike rides
– Complete my Taco Mac Passport requirement of 125 beers

The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient programmer in PHP and CSS
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]