Inside The Perimeter

Well, swollen at least. My left forearm is still fighting the battle of the bite. It’s not grotesquely large or anything, but I can still feel the extra mass when I shake my arm.

No Time For Mexican
I should have guessed that my desire to eat for the first time at El Zorrito would get smashed. I got caught up at work (actually working) and before I knew it there was not enough time to get from Perimeter Mall to Roswell (thanks Atlanta traffic!) in order to eat. Instead, I stopped at a Chick-fil-A drive-through and picked up a dinner that I could scarf down in a matter of minutes before the Roswell Photographic Society meeting.

I probably didn’t need to eat dinner last night. The lunch at Bo Bo Garden that I shared with two co-workers was probably sufficiently large (and meaty!) to get me through the entire day. The three of us ordered three dishes — ribs with Peking sauce, steamed fish with black bean, string beans (my “go to” order) — which were delicious. If you don’t think I’m telling the truth, check out the Blissful Glutton’s review.

ITP Flickr Pic
There was no joy in my personal Mudville as my photo received few accolades.

However my friend Andy took first place and two of the other FlickRPS members also placed well, so I guess I’ll have to settle for a “team” victory.

Before you ask, it’s a top-down shot of a beer on a blue table cloth. In Photoshop I pumped up the colors and swirled the beer to give the shot more interest.

Strange Business Models
Yesterday I received two emails, each of which had me scratching my head.

• Atlanta Cycling sent the following message about an upcoming class: “How to properly wash and lubricate your bicycle as well as how to change a flat tire with a hangs (sic) on tube changing demo. The hands on demo will show students how to change a tube on the road as well as how to boot a damaged tire.”

  They are obviously not reading this blog otherwise they’d know that I already know how to change a flat tire and how to make a makeshift boot. But what really confuses about this class is that Atlanta Cycling is charging $25 per person for this class, and “All materials will be provided, so you do not need to bring your bicycle.” so you are not even cleaning your own bicycle!

• Amazon sent the following message about one of the eBooks I’ve purchased from them: “The version you received contained some errors that have been corrected. An updated version of The Design of Everyday Things is now available. We have issued a refund for your original purchase, and your copy of The Design of Everyday Things will remain in your account. If you are interested in the updated eBook it can be purchased.”

  So instead of downloading the corrected version they’ve credited my account and I can repurchase the corrected version? Huh? How does that make sense?

I’ll never understand business.

Take Me Out To The Laundry
Tonight should be a nerdfest with me attending the iPhone Developers monthly meetup. However, a lack of actual iPhone development and a small window of opportunity to do laundry this week has led me to pack the Jackmobile full of dirty threads for a good washing tonight. I guess if I want clean clothes somebody has to wash them. The only question left remaining for tonight’s activity will be whether I eat at Lee’s Bakery or Las Tortas Locas…

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – meh
Current Music – silence
Website Of The Day – I’ve not had the time to read through the Congress for the New Urbanism‘s agenda, but it’s on my “to-do” list.
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 – ~4 miles, Wheel Mileage – 102.2 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 9 (9)
Vegetarian Days – 1, Carnivorous Days – 15
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 3

August Goals
- Not to get sick for the entire month (I did it once, I can do it again!)
- Not get fired from my job
- Ride my bicycle no fewer than 200 miles
- Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
- Complete at least one iPhone application (seriously, this needs to happen)
- 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]

As weekends go, this one was routinely unusual. Though it consisted of many of my normal routines — drinking at Taco Mac; failed attempts at bike riding, house cleaning, and organizing; hashing with the Black Sheep Hash — this weekend felt different to me.

Two Steps Closer
On Friday your humble author took two steps closer to claiming his 125th beer at Taco Mac. Our happy hour ended earlier than it usually does, otherwise it would have been a three-beer evening.

What’s so special about #125 you ask? Well, once you eclipse your 125th “different” beer as part of Taco Mac’s Brewniversity (formerly Passport Club) you get to consume 20-ounce draft beers for 16-ounce prices for the rest of you die, or until Taco Mac goes out of business, whichever comes first. I’ve already informed ITP-Reader Stacy that I would like for her to be present when I get my 125th because she and I signed up the same day, March 4th 2006, after laying a hash together.

ITP Flickr Pic
Here is some of the beauty we hashed by yesterday.

Kidding!
This was actually taken up near Highlands, NC on the FlickRPS group outing to the Nantahala two weekends ago.

This is my first attempt at an High Dynamic Range (HDR) image in which I, well Photoshop, combined five photos of varying exposure to produce this one.

Yesterday’s Hash Was A Blast And I’m Not Lyon
Yesterday was the nteenth running of the Lyons for the Black Sheep Hash. The hash started south of Atlanta off Exit 61 near Fairburn — aka near BFE. The area is prime for Black Sheep and Southern Comfort because it contains many creeks, swamps, shiggy, and critters which sting or bite. This area also contains a man with a stick shoved so far up his ass that he can’t see straight any longer, but I’ll get to him in a minute.

Check out this cool image I found in Google Maps when searching for the start of the hash. (Click the + button inside the image and watch what happens to that plane.)

View Larger Map

What appeared as if it would be an overcast day turned into a sunny, humid affair as a good number of hounds (forty perhaps) marched off in an attempt to catch Sanitary Not!, Bagless’ wheelchair which was being driven away by Foreign Lesion, and Soggy Biscuit. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I shouldn’t be wearing a cotton shirt, especially once I went chest-deep into water attempting to get into a tunnel. I ran as fast as my now-cycling-only-legs could go in order to stay with the pack

The trail was phenomenal, with the slight exception of some short patches of pavement. Unfortunately I ran into one of Nature’s unfriendlier creations which either stung, or bit, my left forearm. I felt a sting and a burn, and even today it’s a bit swollen and uncomfortable.

The trail ended with a bit of confusion as I missed the Turkey/Eagle split and wound up running the Turkey trail which took me down a sewer-line easement to the unmarked (?) end. With 98% percent of the hashers in the GM decided to start circle. We successfully got through trail trial and were about to welcome our virgins to the Black Sheep Hash by making them park their butts on a block of ice when Mr. StickUpMyAss arrived. “I need to speak to whoever is in charge.” he bellowed. Which, by the way is the wrong thing to say around the hash because no one is really “in charge.” This man then went on to inform us that we needed to pick up all of our litter and get out and that he’d already called the police. Thanks, Captain Buzz Kill!

Here is where we ended:

View Larger Map
We cleaned up and were mostly done when the police arrived. The police, to whom our hares had already previously spoken, were nice enough and told us that this guy is just a nuisance with whom they must deal.

All and all the day was a success.

It’s RPS Critique Night
Tonight I’ll be attending the monthly critique night at Roswell Photographic Society. Tonight’s theme is “abstract”, and yes I’ve submitted a photo, and no it wasn’t the one I posted on this blog last week. If my abstract creation gains any critical acclaim I will post it as tomorrow’s ITP Flickr Pic.

Also tonight I’ll be trying a Mexican restaurant for the first time. The last time the FlickRPS gang met up for dinner at El Zorrito I was unable to make the meeting.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay, all things considered
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – I’m thinking of participating in Meatless Monday even though I’m not a big fan of alliteration.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – hashing, ~4 miles of humid run/walk
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t check
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~4 miles, Wheel Mileage – 102.2 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 8 (8)
Vegetarian Days – 1, Carnivorous Days – 14
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 3

August Goals
- Not to get sick for the entire month (I did it once, I can do it again!)
- Not get fired from my job
- Ride my bicycle no fewer than 200 miles
- Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
- Complete at least one iPhone application (seriously, this needs to happen)
- 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]

With the exception of (perhaps) attending this Sunday’s Black Sheep Hash I’m going to confine myself to doing chores within the house. If the predicted rain arrives this should convince me to do so. I’ve been galavanting around a lot the past few weekends, so I need to do this in order to clean up the messes I’ve created.

Look Ma, No Flats!
My ride home went off without a hitch last night. I repeated my route which took me down Clairmont to the I-85 access road, to Briarcliff, to East Atlanta, and then added enough mileage to bring my day’s total at thirty-five miles. The ride was a hot one, but by ride’s end I was proud of my efforts.

Because I waited around at the office before heading out on my ride it was about 9pm by the time I cleaned up and put everything away and all I felt like doing was chill with a movie. So, I fired up the Netflix app (I’m still smarting because I failed to buy NFLX when it was below $50 a share) and decided for some reason that I was going to watch Julie And Julia. While I thought the movie was okay, I don’t think that it was as good as I heard that it was.

ITP Flickr Pic
I’m giving you another break from rafting photos…

This is a “macro” shot of one of the Jackmobile’s rims (which I’ve obviously converted to a blueish color) that I took while we were traveling up to the Nantahala last weekend.

Radio? Yeah, I’ve Heard Of It
I downloaded a Mac application called Radioshift with the hopes of recording the Friday afternoon hardcore show called “I Don’t Care” on 88.5 (WRAS). Radioshift provides the capability of listening to radio stations over the internet as well as schedule recordings for programming on the stations.

Sadly none of the 107 stations found when I searched for “Atlanta” using RadioShift’s search were WRAS. Looks like I’m SOL.

Short Hits
Every once in a while I stumble across things that don’t warrant much explanation.

• Man buys bike once owned by Floyd Landis at a yard sale for $5
• Ten weight loss tips from pro cyclists
• Twain’s in Decatur is today’s Scoutmob deal.
• Look at me! I’m up over one hundred miles for August already. Sadly it looks as if we are going to get a long spell of rain though.
• I’m starting to miss listening to music. I think that I’m going to start killing some of my podcast subscriptions in order to make time for music again.
• I’m hoping to collect at least three box loads of stuff to donate to Goodwill on Monday

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – not bad
Current Music – listening to the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club live performance podcast from KCRW
Website Of The Day – I’m looking into insuring some of my electronics through SquareTrade. If I do, I’ll let you know what I think of their service.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – cycling, 35 miles
Morning Weigh-In – 200 pounds
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 102.2 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 5 (6)
Vegetarian Days – 1, Carnivorous Days – 11
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 3

August Goals
- Not to get sick for the entire month (I did it once, I can do it again!)
- Not get fired from my job
- Ride my bicycle no fewer than 200 miles
- Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
- Complete at least one iPhone application (seriously, this needs to happen)
- 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]

Anyone remember the Dennis Leary song by the same name?

Scoreboard, Part 1
Flat Tires, 1 – Apparently I pinch flatted because of my roadside repair. This morning I noticed that the rear tire was a touch soft so I pumped it up to a rock-solid state prior to my ride this morning. A little more than two miles into my journey I hit a bump in the road (literally) and immediately heard pffffffffffft. DANGEN! Not again! So it was off the bike for another roadside tube change. Looks like I’ll be walking over to REI for another patch kit, and because all of my CO₂ cartridges are now at home, another one of those for my ride home tonight.

Mini-Lectures, 1 – After getting my ride in order again I restarted my pedaling to work. Along Oakdale I passed another cycling commuter and because I was lagging I popped through the light at McClendon Av. As I was stopped at the light at North Av / Moreland Av she pulled up behind me and the following conversation occurred.
Her: “You know you shouldn’t run red lights.”
Me: *taking my earbud out* “Pardon me?”
Her: “You know you shouldn’t run red lights.”
Me: “I’m fine.” (In an asshole-ish tone because the last thing I wanted this morning was to be lectured)
Her: “Well, I had a friend die six months ago running a red light.”
Me: “Oh, well I’m sorry to hear that.”
At which point the light changed and I let her go ahead of me.

I then noticed that she had not rear light on her bicycling. Odd for someone so concerned about safety.

Pulling a “Schleck”, 1 – As if flatting wasn’t bad enough I had to stop one more time in order to repair a chain malfunction. My chain coming off probably cost me the chance of winning this year’s Tour de France.

ITP Flickr Pic
Hey look! A rafting photo!

Scoreboard, Part 2
Second place isn’t bad, right? Even when you come in second out of four?

Last night I joined some old friends for team trivia at F.R.O.G.S. Oddly there were only four teams playing and we managed to finish in second place. The evening was quite fun even though I didn’t eat anything other than chips and queso and didn’t realize that they had decent beer on draft.

After trivia I headed over to Trader Joe’s where I picked up some blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and bananas. Can you tell that I’m trying to eat a little healthier?

It’s Official, I’m Going To Stop Looking For New Flip-Flops
A couple of weeks ago I had a minor blowout on my favorite pair of flip-flops. Unconcerned I assumed that I could go out an buy another pair at a decent price, even if I couldn’t recall where I had purchased the pair of Columbia’s that I’m wearing. I couldn’t be any more wrong.

I’ve checked REI, Sports Authority, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Target all with no luck. It seems as if flop-flop styles have changed and I can’t find a pair which fits, fits my minor concern for fashion, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Any suggestions?

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – A bit asshole-ish today
Current Music – listening to last night’s Top Chef because I missed it last night.
Website Of The Day – iPhonic is a cool website collecting great photos taken with iPhones.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my bike
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t check because I was afraid that I wouldn’t like what I saw
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 67.2 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 4 (6)
Vegetarian Days – 1, Carnivorous Days – 10
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 2

August Goals
- Not to get sick for the entire month (I did it once, I can do it again!)
- Not get fired from my job
- Ride my bicycle no fewer than 200 miles
- Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
- Complete at least one iPhone application (seriously, this needs to happen)
- 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]

Rinse. Repeat.

Conceptually, Decatur Is Awesome
If you live within walking distance to it. I suppose the same sentiment could be said for my neighborhood of East Atlanta, not that I do any walking to and from the village thanks to the asshats who’ve effectively ruined that aspect of living there.

Last night I drove the Red Rocket home and decided that I wanted to stop for a half-decent bite to eat before heading home to do some work. Even though the bike is locked to the roof rack I didn’t want to stop in a neighborhood in which having my bike exposed would keep me on edge (I’m looking at you EAV, Cabbagetown, Kirkwood) so I decided that I’d try to eat in Decatur, specifically either at The Marlay House or at Farm Burger. It was early (6:00-6:30pm) so I hoped that I could score a parking space for which I could keep my bike in somewhat sight. I was so wrong…

I had the same (lack of) success at The Thinking Man Tavern and then threw my hands up in disgust and headed home to eat a peanut butter sandwich for dinner.

ITP Flickr Pic
I’ll spare you a third day of rafting photos (although be prepared to see another tomorrow). Instead I’ll show you a piece of abstract art on which I’ve been working in order to submit for this month’s Roswell Photographic Society critique.

What says you? Other than completely scrapping it, how would you change this to make it more appealing? And if you real hate it, or find it incredibly boring, go ahead and voice that opinion.

And Then There Was One?
I received news yesterday which makes it appear as if I will be the sole Atlanta representative at this year’s Colorado Invihash. My how things have changed. Four years ago there were at least ten of us out there. Two years ago there were about eight of us out there. This year there may just be one — me.

This turn of events will make this hash very different for me. In past trips I tended to hang out with the Atlanta folk; I gravitate to my comfort zone; it’s what I do in these situations. It’s the same reason I don’t enjoy parties (I’m the guy who stands in the corner observing). It’s the same reason I don’t meet women as well. So, this will either be the worst Colorado Invihash, or it will be a personal breakthrough for me. Only time will tell.

RealiTV Update: Ramsay’s Stock Is At An All-TIme Low
Well, I’ve all but had it with Gordon Ramsay’s television series. Last night was the finale of Hell’s Kitchen as well as my finale for watching Master Chef.

Hell’s Kitchen this year was a complete yawnfest, and this season’s winner Holly (oops, I hope I didn’t spoil the surprise) was clearly the weakest “chef” to win Hell’s Kitchen. Even the show’s ending has gotten weak in the past few seasons. In the first seasons the finalists had to decorate their restaurants as well as work up its menu. You’d think that with the decoration portion of the finale gone that emphasis would be placed on the food (for once), but no, it’s all about the bullshit.

Master Chef is just an absolute train wreck. I gave it three episodes to win me over and like they say in baseball, three strikes and you can kiss my ass. Well, they say something like that…. I’m done.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fair
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – I was a fan of the movie “Helvetica.” I was a fan of the movie “Objectified.” I can’t wait until Urbanized is released. Rinse. Repeat.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – cycling, 16.5 miles
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t check
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 67.2 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 3 (6)
Vegetarian Days – 1, Carnivorous Days – 9
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 2

August Goals
- Not to get sick for the entire month (I did it once, I can do it again!)
- Not get fired from my job
- Ride my bicycle no fewer than 200 miles
- Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
- Complete at least one iPhone application (seriously, this needs to happen)
- 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]

The weather forecast for Atlanta this week is (fucking) hot for the first part of the week and thunderstorm chances for the second part. It’s this weather forecast which inspired me to ride my bike home last night and back in to work this morning. Now I’m saddled with the decision… do I do it again today? This may be the last time this week that I get the option of riding to/from work.

All The Signs Were There
I am nothing if not stubborn enough to do something when I set my mind to it. That “something” yesterday was to ride my bicycle home from work. All of the signs were there telling me not to do so:

• I broke one of the shoe laces on my biking shoes while putting them on. No problem, I re-laced the shoe with the remaining string.
• I noticed that my tires were a bit low on pressure, but the bike pump was back in the office and I didn’t want to have to go back up there to pump the tires up. No problem, I’ll just ride home on the lower-than-optimal tires, I’m sure I’ve done it before.

About two miles into the ride, and while climbing my first incline, I felt that strange sensation that something bad had happened; it was a little regular thump coming from one of the tires. A flat? WTF? I quickly hopped off the bike and onto the sidewalk and confirmed my suspicion — the rear tire had lost all of its pressure. It didn’t take long for me to discover why as I saw the shine of a nailhead against the black rubber of the tire. I somehow managed to hit about a 1″ flathead nail and punctured the tire to the point where it came out the sidewall! Dangen!

I may be stubborn, but I’m usually also prepared. When road biking I always have a spare tube and a CO₂ cartridge at the ready. So, I unpacked all of the shit from my seat bag, took off the rear tire (getting my fingers nice and greasy in the process), and proceeded to change my tube.

Because I had all of this stuff available in case of “emergency” you may rightly assume that I am not much of a risk-taker. So, I altered my route home and dropped by REI to pick up another new spare tube, a patch kit in hopes of repairing the two tubes I’ve blown recently, as well as a couple more CO₂ cartridges (knowing that I already had two in my biking bag which was at work, and today I found that I had two more cartridges in my basement). I’m sure I looked like quite the sight entering REI in full Yoo-Hoo kit, still wearing my helmet, and sweating like a pig — but at that point I couldn’t have cared less.

Riding question. In order to get to REI yesterday I took the I-85 access road (old 85?) from Clairmont to REI and then from REI to North Druid Hills. Was this legal for me to do, or is that considered part of the interstate?

ITP Flickr Pic
What interests me most about whitewater rafting is the sub-culture of its guides.

Just look at that guy and tell me that you don’t think he has a hundred stories to tell…

Oh How Lucky He Was
Last night’s Moonlight hash was hared by Davy Crochet and started at the Target on North Druid Hills. Because of my REI detour I rode near the start and even located a mark along my route. Oh, how I wished that I had a bag of flour or at least a little chalk to do some trail hijacking. On a bike I could have added a really fun YBF or count-back.

Can We Put It To Rest?
For years I’ve called bullshit on this notion that women are not interested in looks and that they are seeking a “funny” man. I’d retort that if this were the case then why aren’t comedians getting laid all of the time.

I think the final and conclusive argument comes in the form of a fictional character — Don Draper. The amount of female lust I’ve seen about Draper (and probably John Hamm, the actor who portrays him) is phenomenal. Guess what. Draper is not funny! In fact, he may be the most unfunny leading man ever to grace the small screen and women want to screw his brains out. Why? I’ll tell you why. Because the man is good looking.

So the next time I’m told that looks don’t matter to women, I’m just going to reply with the two-word phrase — “Don Draper” and move along.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – better, though still fighting the battle of the bulge
Current Music – silence
Website Of The Day – While I’ve said it ad nauseum I really am planning on doing iPhone/iPad development. The other day I help fund a Kickstarter project for Glyphish and in the process earned some icons which I can use in my upcoming applications.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my bike
Exercise (b)Log – cycling, 17.2 miles
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t check
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 50.7 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 2 (6)
Vegetarian Days – 1, Carnivorous Days – 8
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 2

August Goals
- Not to get sick for the entire month (I did it once, I can do it again!)
- Not get fired from my job
- Ride my bicycle no fewer than 200 miles
- Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
- Complete at least one iPhone application (seriously, this needs to happen)
- 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]

Saturday was a long day made longer by the fact that I was unable to get a place to sleep in Black Rock Mountain State Park (I arrived later that I should have and the campground was full), I didn’t feel like paying the $72.99 (before taxes and fees) to stay one night at the Quality Inn in Clayton, GA, or attempt to sleep in the Wal*Mart parking lot. Because I came home on Saturday night I also had to bail on the notion of riding the bike ride I highlighted on Friday. Even worse, I was so tired and uninspired on Sunday that I never left my house.

My current plan is to get some bike mileage in via commuting. I’ve once again shuttled the Red Rocket with me to work and plan to ride it home tonight. I need mileage. I need exercise.

All Was Not Failure On Saturday
My trip on Saturday almost never happened. I (finally) learned that I need a better alarm clock system. At some point Saturday morning the power to my house went out, rendering the Chumby’s alarms useless. I also planned to use an alarm clock app on my iPad, but they seemingly never went off as the iPad itself had gone to sleep.

Saturday proved to be a great learning experience for what and what not to do when taking a lot of crap on a long drive. This experience will be quite helpful in a few weeks when I pack up the Jackmobile and point it Westward for my big Colorado trip. I believe that I should do more planning, though I want to leave my agenda as open-ended as possible. I’ve learned how to better pack my trunk so that I can access the things I’ll need to access and not have to move unneeded items constantly. If it helps my big trip go more smoothly than Saturday’s travails were well worth it.

Another Year Has Gone By
It’s funny that it took a tweet mentioning how much someone was glad that August 8th was nearly over, because she doesn’t like August 8th, to remind me of my own dislike for the date. The last time that August 8th fell on a Sunday (six years ago thanks to leap year) was the day during which I was held up at gunpoint in my driveway by two pieces of sub-human shit (with at least one more driving the truck from which they emerged). It was the day that the Jackmobile, then all of two years old, became the “Jackmobile” when those assholes stole the car along with my wallet, keys, phone, and belief that all would be good in my life. It was the day which stirred enough anger and angst within me to start blogging, though that would have to wait for to months to transpire from the date.

Happy August 9th everybody!

ITP Flickr Pic
Saturday morning started in Atlanta and my travels reached as far North as the Nantahala River in North Carolina — with a few impromptu offshoot trips for good measure.

Expect to see more “rafting pics” this week as that is the crux of what I shot on Saturday.

This might be the technically weakest shot that I’ll post this week, but I loved how I was able to capture the moment of this kayaker being perpendicular.

Bonus ITP Flickr Pic
I think that I may be allergic to something…

Fear not, it’s only the handy work of a clever iPhone app called FatBooth. At Friday night’s Taco Mac happy hour (which moved over to Outback Steakhouse if you believe it!) some of my coworkers were showing off this app as well as one called AgingBooth. I laughed so hard on Friday night that I bought the two $0.99 apps immediately. I couldn’t help perpetuating the viral marketing on Saturday with my FlickRPS buds by snapping a few photos of them, as well as the self-portrait gem depicted above.

I Wonder How It Will Be Commemorated?
At the end of last night’s Mad Men episode the series begins the year 1965. I happen to know someone who was born in New York during that fantastic year. I wonder how the writers incorporated my birth into the story line?

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – contemplative
Current Music – silence as I let new podcasts download
Website Of The Day – PiVi & Co are the clever minds behind FatBooth and AgingBooth. I certainly wish that I had thought of these.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car, bike on top for ride home
Exercise (b)Log – nothing, unfortunately
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t check, didn’t want to know
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 33.5 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 1 (6)
Vegetarian Days – 1, Carnivorous Days – 7
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 1

August Goals
- Not to get sick for the entire month (I did it once, I can do it again!)
- Not get fired from my job
- Ride my bicycle no fewer than 200 miles
- Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
- Complete at least one iPhone application (seriously, this needs to happen)
- 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]

To another Friday at least.

Dali: Good Exhibit, Poor “Contributor Member” Experience
As I mentioned yesterday I headed to the High Museum for the Contributing Members’ Opening Reception for the Dali exhibit. This was the first time that I made an appearance at an opening reception, and it will most likely be my last. The “reception” was held in a small room in the lowest level of the old High building. The food at the reception consisted of chips with different types of salsa, some unidentified mini-quiches, and what I can best refer to as “chopped salmon sliders.” Luckily I’m not a vegetarian, for if I were I would have been outraged. As I expected, there was a cash bar.

As I was leaving the High I saw how a reception should take place. Apparently Audi had rented out the museum after hours and was throwing a cocktail party which was to be followed by a black-tablecloth dinner — remember this the next time you go to purchase an Audi.

But enough about the bad, let’s focus on the good — the exhibit. As I normally would suggest, I suggest seeing this exhibit when the fewest number of people are attending. Dali’s small works are amazingly detailed and require the viewer to gaze and dissect them. Dali’s large works are outstanding, especially when viewed from the proper distance, which much like driving in Atlanta, will be filled immediately by hoards of people who disregard your space. According to the marketing material the exhibit contains nearly two hundred works, and if that’s the case then I’d say that you should concern yourself with at least one hundred of the stronger pieces.

Last night I also found out that the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg is moving to a new facility in 2011. Looks like I’ll have another reason go down and visit my mother next year.

I Just Can’t Help Myself
While waiting to get into the High Museum last night I wandered about the Woodruff Arts Center — home to the Atlanta Symphony, the Alliance Theatre, as well as the Hertz Stage. I happened to notice that the ticket office was still open as I milled about and before I knew it I had purchased a single subscription for the Hertz Stage, as well as two tickets for a performance of The Second City: Miracle On 1280 Peachtree Street. That’s right, I said two tickets to that show. I wonder which platonic-female friend will benefit from my inability to acquire a date this year?

I was glad that I was able to purchase “tickets” (I received a receipt and a promise that my physical tickets would be mailed to me. And while I’m thinking about it, why have physical tickets? Why not just do everything at will call or on a smart phone? What I was less-than-thrilled about was being charged a $10 “service fee” for purchasing my tickets at the box office. Seriously, all the extra fees which gouge me for attending shows will someday be the reason I stop attending shows.

ITP Flickr Pic
There are still more shots from last weekend that I could have posted today. However, I neglected all of my post-processing this week so I’ll end the week on a beer note; specifically, the beer I drank after getting home from the Ocoee trip last weekend.

It was delicious.

You Want To Talk Jam-Packed?
This might be the most whirlwind weekend I’ve had in some time. I just got off the phone confirming a “day trip” up to Franklin, NC for some photography starting at dark o’clock tomorrow morning.

In addition to all of my camping gear I’m going to strap the Red Rocket to the top of the Jackmobile in order to do this ride on Sunday:

(Wow, that’s certainly an incredibly tacky frame, MapMyRide…)

That’s right, I’m taking the Red Rocket around Black Rock Mountain, starting and ending inside Black Rock Mountain State Park. This ride will be difficult (34 miles with some nasty elevation change.) but probably less difficult that Three Gap. I’ll be following the map counter-clockwise (just like NASCAR!) and if you click through on the map you may be able to see the elevation change.

My plan is to “camp” within the park, get up early for a little daybreak photography and then do my ride. After the ride it’s anybody’s guess where I’ll wind up.

Tune in again on Monday to find out…

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – late
Current Music – silence
Website Of The Day – You want me to visit a Bass Pro Shops? Hold a Wright Brand Bacon Promotion like the one that will be held at the Bass Pro Shops on August 21st. Now if they had only mentioned at which Bass Pro Shops this event will be held…
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 – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 33.5 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 6 (6)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 5
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 1

August Goals
- Not to get sick for the entire month (I did it once, I can do it again!)
- Not get fired from my job
- Ride my bicycle no fewer than 200 miles
- Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
- Complete at least one iPhone application (seriously, this needs to happen)
- 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]

Thursday? That’s good because it means we’re one day closer to Friday.

Last night I did laundry at a different laundromat. Because I had to drive all the way home in order to pick up my dirty clothing (call it “bad planning” on my part) I decided that I didn’t want to drive all the way back up Buford Highway just to do my laundry. Since it was nearly 7pm EDT before I got back out to do laundry I also needed to find a place that would stay open later thank I’d normally be doing laundry. Not wanting to risk having the laundromat across from Manuel’s Tavern close before I could finish I decided to head to the SpinCycle, at which I’d done laundry once before, because I vaguely remember it being open 24 hours. I had much difficulty with the washers and dryers at SpinCycle last night, but the real WTF occurred when I left my box of dryer sheets with its one remaining dryer sheet near the dryers as I walked across the room to get my last load of laundry. When I returned the box was gone, and as it turned out, was in the trash can. At first I thought that the attendant must have mistaken it for trash, but when I retrieved the box from the otherwise empty can, my last dryer sheet was missing. Conclusion? The woman who was about ten dryers away from me and putting her clothing into them at the same time as I was mine, took my last dryer sheet and tossed the box in hopes that I wouldn’t notice. I don’t believe that it was an “honest” mistake because she was near me as I returned, looked for my box, retrieved the box only to find it empty, and then wound up tearing the one dryer sheet that I had already placed into a dryer in half, without saying a word to me. What the hell is wrong with people these days?

Thanks For Nothing, “This American Life”
It’s bad enough that Georgia, as well as The South, has earned a reputation of being populated with shall-we-say less-than-highly-educated people, we don’t need programs like This American Life perpetuating it.

In case you missed it, last week’s episode of “This American Life” (to which I listened on my bike commute yesterday) revived Atlanta Journal’s “Georgia Rambler” concept. In the 1970s/1980s the “Georgia Rambler” was an article about unforgettable individuals living throughout the state of Georgia. “This American Life” randomly selected counties from Georgia’s 159 counties and sent people out to get the story about the most unforgettable people in those counties.

• A story about Franklin Delano Roosevelt possibly buying and consuming moonshine during Prohibition in Warm Springs
• Three guys named Matt who have obviously been drinking, love to hoop it up on Lake Lanier, and each is currently on probation for one crime or another
• People complaining in Chattooga county that they don’t have a Krystal
• A farmer who has kept his parents’ house in tact since the day they died — over thirty years ago

This is the “best” that they could find? Thanks for nothing.

ITP Flickr Pic
There is a rule in whitewater rafting: “Always keep your hand on the ‘T’” because if you are not covering the end of your paddle you’ve turned your paddle into a potential weapon.

Why this one guy, and there always seems to be one guy in every raft, can’t follow this simple rule is beyond my comprehension. Thankfully I do not have a followup photo which shows the person next to him getting hit in the face by his paddle’s ‘T’.

Well Done!
I hate having to rewrite portions of this blog when I do something asinine like accidentally delete a section. So, you’ll now understand why this section is so brief…

Good work to all of you who helped the Good Food Truck reach its $4200 KickStarter goal! Perhaps this will help launch the street food movement now that this backward city has finally made vending street food legal. Who knows, perhaps some day this state’s residents will be allowed to purchase alcohol from a retail establishment on Sundays.

Hello Dali
Tonight I will (hopefully) be attending an opening preview of the Salvador Dali exhibit at the High Museum. Having once been a member of the in St Petersburg, Florida I’m excited to see which works have made it to Atlanta for this exhibit.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – sneezing and sniffling, hoping that I can shake this before tonight
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – Atlanta Street Food Coalition. The name is really all you need to know, now go read about them.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – cycling, 16.5 miles
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t check
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 33.5 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 5 (5)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 4
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 1

August Goals
- Not to get sick for the entire month (I did it once, I can do it again!)
- Not get fired from my job
- Ride my bicycle no fewer than 200 miles
- Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
- Complete at least one iPhone application (seriously, this needs to happen)
- 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]

Last night’s ride was interesting to say the least. A few miles north of Brookhaven the skies opened wide and drenched me like I’ve not been drenched in some time. I rode and rode, stopping under cover once only to make sure that the electronics in my seatpack were okay and to remove the sunglasses which did more harm than good as they collected water drops. I felt like a member of the Gruesome family as the rain would stop, but I’d eventually ride toward the beginning of another downpour. To add insult to the matter I checked the weather radar right before I left the office and saw nothing on it. Dangen!

They Sure Don’t Make Them Like The Used To
Last week I bought some new Pearl Izumi bike shorts. I made sure to check the size of the shorts that I am currently wearing so that I could get the same size (Medium if you believe it. Hey. they’re bike shorts so they’re supposed to be a bit tight.)

This morning I went to get the pair of shorts that I wore yesterday, but to my dismay they had not dried completely hanging in the bathroom overnight (and although I know that I’m going to be soaked with sweat by ride’s end I don’t like starting out with damp clothes). So, I decided to take my new shorts out on their maiden voyage. Somehow 2010 “Medium” is a bit slimmer than circa-2006 “Medium” because it was rather a monumental feat of defeating the Laws of Physics in order to shove my fat torso into these shorts.

At least I won’t have to do it again tonight. No, tonight I’ll be racing home (in the Jackmobile) so that I can pack up the car and seek out a laundromat that is open late. I’m committed each day/evening through Sunday so I won’t have time to do laundry before then, therefore tonight is the night. Wish me luck…

I’ll Never Understand
There are actually many things I’ll never understand. Lately the thing that has puzzled me is why certain songs pop into my head. Lately, for no apparent reasons, I’ve been constantly (internally) singing both The Outlaws’ “Green Grass And High Tides” as well as Better Than Ezra’s “Teenager”. No. Idea. Why.

ITP Flickr Pic
Yeah, another shot from last weekend.

This one is different…. it was taken using my iPhone.

RealiTV Update: Hell’s Kitchen – Get It Over Already; MasterChef – FAIL
Last night I joined ITP-Reader Betsy (and Reese of course) for a night of Gordon Ramsay viewing. As we noshed on good cheese and grapes (and drank fermented grapes) we groaned as Hell’s Kitchen whittled itself down to the Final Two (SPOILER: Jay and Holly). Thankfully this season (and perhaps the series) will be over next week.

Unfortunately the same can’t be said for American Idol : Cooking Master Chef/. This show is a fucking trainwreck, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s actually worse than American Idol because apparently contestants can beg their way onto the next round, even if the dish they’ve whipped up doesn’t warrant it. Ugh. I’ll give Master Chef one more viewing before giving up on it for good.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – displeased with my lack of weight loss, and I know that it’s my own damn fault
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – I can’t believe that I’ve never linked to The Fat Cyclist before. The Fat Cyclist is a blog started by a guy who was trying to humiliate himself in order to lose weight — until last year when his wife passed away from cancer. Now, “Fatty” still blogs about his cycling, but also is on a campaign to fight the disease which took away his life
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my bike
Exercise (b)Log – cycling, 17 miles
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t check, especially after putting on my new bike shorts
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 17 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 4 (4)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 3
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 1

August Goals
- Not to get sick for the entire month (I did it once, I can do it again!)
- Not get fired from my job
- Ride my bicycle no fewer than 200 miles
- Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
- Complete at least one iPhone application (seriously, this needs to happen)
- 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]