Desperately Seeking Clarity

(alternative title – “Today is not my day”)

Whew, my life is a mess…

I Was Duped!
After a delicious Las Tortas Locas lunch yesterday I went into an Asian market to pick up one or two “different” things to bring over to ITP-Reader Betsy’s for Hell’s Kitchen night. I wanted the items to be savory, but in actuality I brought over two sweets.

The first item was a bag of odd, bird’s nest like crackers which tasted as if they had honey in them. The second item was explained to me to be “rice and some meat wrapped in a banana leaf” by a nice Asian lady in the checkout line. Unfortunately, she was wrong as inside the wrapped banana leaf was a greenish goop (perhaps a variant of a sticky-rice short-grain rice) encasing what tasted to be more sweet-bean than meat.

Oh well, live and learn.

Update: The third strike has occurred. I just noticed that the steam rice cake that I bought to eat with breakfast the rest of this week has started to mold. DANGEN!

ITP Flickr Pic
A mister seems like the perfect thing to have nearby for the next few days in Atlanta.
Runners In The Mist
Hey, we’re no longer in a drought, right? 😉

Better Late Than Never?
Just one day after bragging about never being late on a payment I’ve come to find out that I am four days late in renewing my Personal Articles insurance policy (the thing that covers my camera gear and such when travelling). What a dumbass I’ve become.

Through the miracle of modern, online payments I sent virtual money to a company providing a virtual service to (hopefully) guarantee the replacement of physical goods in case of emergency. Now I just hope that the payment is accepted without problem and I don’t have to do some song-and-dance to really renew the policy.

Just to make sure my quarterly Car Insurance payment, due on my birthday of July 22nd, was made, I also paid that this morning.

Next up… car emissions check, and upon clearing that, paying the state for the privilege of putting another sticker on my license plate.

RealiTV Update: Hell’s Kitchen — I Need Closed Captioning
The combination of two-episode Hell’s Kitchen nights with alcohol and rampant conversation has made updating and critiquing the series impossible. I could go back and watch the recordings I have, and given that I could probably get through “two hours” of Hell’s Kitchen in about an hour once you skip the commercials and repetitive recapping, but I probably won’t.

I’ve said this before, but I think that Hell’s Kitchen is dead to me. This season seems like nothing more than a way to advertise Ramsay’s next effort called “Master Chefs,” which is to premiere on Fox on July 27th at 8 PM EDT.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – unknown
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – If you think you’re missing out on some news about a musician or band, then you need to try out Roadie.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t check
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~3 miles, Wheel Mileage – 71.8 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 7 (7)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 6
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0

July Goals
– Not to get sick for the entire month (still waiting to accomplish this)
– Not get fired from my job
– Ride my bicycle no fewer than 150 miles
– Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
– Complete at least one iPhone application
– Completely plan out my August/September Colorado trip

2010 Goals
– Reduce my weight to 185 pounds (starting weight was 198 pounds) [update: On July 1 I’ve sadly gained weight; I’m at 203 pounds]
– Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
– Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Sharpened Stone.
– 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 Objective-C
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

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16 Responses to Desperately Seeking Clarity

  1. Today is a better day for Tour de France commentator as well as my old friend Eric from Huntsville, AL; today is their birthday.

  2. Barb says:

    Is today Bobke’s birthday?
    Mine is in 10 days, and I already got the emissions (well, Peach Auto Service did it for me, I love those guys), and went & paid my tag a couple weeks ago. It isn’t like it is much money for me anymore, my specialty Share the Road tag is more than the ad valorum now.

  3. Yeah, they mentioned it being Bobke’s birthday on the pre-show.

    The Jackmobile’s ad valorem is still about $150 and it’s eight years old! I’ve had the paperwork for weeks, but to say I’ve been disorganized of late is an understatement.

  4. Steve says:

    I’m interested in the opinons of the gathered here.. cobbles a good idea in the TdF? I understand the Classics have them and I’d love to go see Paris-Roubaix, but this is a 3 week long race and one of the favorites (one of MY favorites, dangen!) is out because of them!! I think the ASO has screwed up with this course selection. Never a good thing when luck is a major factor in who wins (or survives) a bike race.

    Anyone want to defend the pave’?

    -FP

  5. At first I thought they’d offer a novel difference to the race, but then when I saw that people were riding in sand because it was safer changed my mind. Luck should never be a factor in a long-term race.

    Just curious, one of your favorites as in Frank Schleck, who abandoned with a broken collar bone, or Lance Armstrong, who lost about a minute due to getting a flat tire?

  6. Steve says:

    Oh Pleeeeze! I wanted the Schleck brothers on the podium.. that to me would have been very cool. While LA has helped get the sport the attention it deserves in this country, I think he should have stayed retired.

  7. That’s cool, I was sincere with my question. I was happy Lance made another attempt and am equally happy that he’s declared this to be his last. I think he is riding well (it’s very early) and had unfortunate luck with yesterday’s flat.

  8. Steve says:

    Right.. a normal flat tire is just bad luck. A road that can guarantee flats is one to be avoided. The other related issue is the road is so narrow, the team cars are no where near their riders. Teams will station mechanics at the end of the cobbled sections with spare wheels, but riding a flat, especially a front flat is a pretty good feat. And you can kiss that wheel goodbye because it’s trashed!

  9. bob says:

    I’m torn on that one, I like to see them change it up some but this was a little on the crazy side. Then again, everybody has to ride the same course. Do you hang back and be safe or push hard and take chances?

  10. I tried to ride a flat once, seven years ago. When it managed to get itself between the brake pad and wheel I was thrown from the bike as if I were on a bucking bronco. I still can feel the impact on the road-under-construction to this day when I pass the spot..

  11. Steve says:

    I agree to a point, Bob. Put in 1 section of cobbles.. sure, there might be some flats and maybe a crash, but as we like to say “that’s bike racing”. With just 1 section, your riders can still be supported and don’t have it too close to the end so any lost ground could be made up. Multiple sections.. not good.

  12. Barb says:

    well- my favorite this year (Thor, since Tom Boonen is out) won the stage, so I’m not sure I’m against the cobbles. I thought it added a little variety to the race, I hate when the leaders are the same guys in the same order for days & days. I thought this would show who are areally good all around riders. I actually thought George might finally have his chance to win a/the stage – but that didn’t work out.
    TJ said Lance’s wheel was probably a Mavic wheel, it certainly wasn’t a team wheel.
    I am bummed that Frank is out, I do like the fact there are brothers on a team that work so well together.

    Maybe the Tour is going for the media to talk this year, if everyone is arguing about it, maybe more people that aren’t that into cycling will tune in?

  13. debbie says:

    I like the cobbles since they favor my man Fabian! Who looks really good in yellow I might add.

  14. Steve says:

    I noticed that as well.. again to my point about not having a team car around. And most riders would rather have their own wheels instead of a neutral wheel- no offense to TJ.

    I do like it when there is a bit more competition between the sprinters as well. If Cav is around, well, that’s all there is, but it’s nice seeing different riders taking a stage. Even old Alle-jet.

  15. Barb says:

    oh, TJ didn’t care, he just mentioned that since it is the Mavic guys all over as neutral support, he figured it was one of their wheels. But – I can’t imagine that using hte Mavic wheel really made much difference to Lance there at the end.

    And Debbie – Thor will probably never wear yellow, so I don’t have to worry if he looks good in it 😉 He really isn’t that super good looking (but I do like that the commentators play thunder noises when they talk about him), so I may have to pick a new cutie.

  16. Steve says:

    Hey, don’t count Thor out.. he’s a good all rounder and if they let him get away, he could make up some time. Plus there are time bonuses for top 3 most stages. Yellow could be his color.

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