I’ve Done It Before And I Can Do It Again

That statement can be both positive and negative.

I Told You My Goals Would Be Fluid
I’ve added a new goal to the top of the list for this year:

Thoroughly read all mail on the day it arrives

When I returned home from San Francisco a few weeks ago there was a slender package from my mortgage company at my doorstep. Inside contained an offer to lower my mortgage rate by 1.00%. While certainly impressed, but completely skeptical because banks never do anything without a beneficial motive for themselves, I shelved paperwork. My ignorance of the paperwork was not helped by the fact that I received it amongst many other things since I had just returned home from three days away, or that it was received during the Christmas season.

Yesterday I cleaned out my briefcase and finally got around to reading the details of the mortgage company’s offer. Indeed they were offering to reduce my mortgage rate at “no cost to me” but I had to act on their offer prior to December 17th, which was the day after I arrived home from San Francisco.

Remember yesterday’s opining about timing? Yeah, so do I.

Plan “C”
Two potential meetups fell through last night so, with a tad of hunger and a hunger to see attractive women, I headed over to my “local” Taco Mac for dinner and a couple of cold ones.

Though not served by last week’s “Waitress of the Week” Jodi, I did get to chat with her briefly before she took off for her workout, a five mile run. I thus received confirmation about my long-time hunch that she was a runner as she told me she ran the Thanksgiving half marathon for the first time last year. I was somewhat relieved that she recognized and chatted with me as it means that I wasn’t a complete asshat last week. Whew.

Gutter Balls
No, I’m not referring to my horrific bowling of last Saturday…

The good news is that my gutters are clean, ready for today’s rain, and securely attached to the facia boards of my house. The bad news is that the back corner is still bent up and that the cost of the work done on the house yesterday was $390.

Before you tell me that I was ripped off — don’t.

Yes, I’m aware that the cost of parts/labor along with the technical skill necessary to do the work are not high, but my roof is high (on all sides except the front) and because I am incredibly afraid of heights, at least anything over one-story, I was not about to do the work myself.

And before you say that I could have hired someone else to do the job cheaper, let me point you at the still broken kitchen window (since 2009) and non-functioning faucet in my guest bathroom (since 2000!) as Exhibits ‘A’ and ‘B’ for reasons that I just needed to get the damn things fixed immediately.

I’ll just subtract that money, in addition to the money I sent to the City of Atlanta this week, from my “2011 Fun Budget.”

ITP Flickr Pic Screen Capture
Well here I am on January 5th with no photo and having already played the “Take a goofy self-portrait” card. So in order to have something allow me to present a funny screen capture from the other day.
Wee Little Bit, Party of One
Potential titles include:
“Wee Little Bit: Party Of One”
“One Is The Loneliest Number”
“Apparently I’m The Only One Convinced The World Isn’t Ending In 2012”

And So It Shall Begin (Next Week)
Yesterday I downloaded Hal Higdon‘s twelve-week half marathon training schedule. While it may not be the “best” way to train it’s the one I’ve used in the past and this time I’ve chosen the “novice” option since I’ve not been a runner in a while.

The Twisted Ankle half marathon is nineteen Saturdays away (May 14th) so my goal is to start the twelve-week training program next week and continue to do long runs from the time it ends until the half marathon. I expect this plan of attack will have me prepared and keep my injury-free along the way.

Wish me a lot of luck.

Happy Birthday ITP-Reader Steve
I’ve known few hashers longer than ITP-Reader Steve (aka “Fag Pipes”). Steve and I met at what was his first, and my second, hash waaaaaay back in 1999. Happy Birthday my friend. And if we both make it to George’s tonight I’ll be glad to buy you a celebratory beverage.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay
Current Music – none, I’m not ready to hear anything
Website Of The DayNever Said About Restaurants is a really funny quick-read blog. It’s funny because it’s true.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – Feb 1

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~3 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 6 flights

Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 5 (5)

Vegetarian Days – 0
Carnivorous Days – 4

Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0

January Goals
– Not to get sick for the entire month
– Not get fired from my job
– Run no fewer than 75 miles
– Prepare Sharpened Stone, LLC for 2011 so that I get no more penalties
– Lose two pounds
– Eat vegetarian at least one day a week
– A couple of goals which I will not divulge
– Eat lunch out no more than twice a week
– Limit myself to eating dinner out on laundry nights, meeting nights, and dates

2011 Goals [will be a little more fluid than in past years]
– Thoroughly read all mail on the day it arrives
– Reduce my weight by 25 pounds based on the my weight as measured on February 1st
– Completely read the book Daily Negations which I received as a Christmas gift.
– Run Sharpened Stone as a real business — one which does not get penalized.
– 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
– Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
– Run in no fewer than two half-marathons
– Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store

The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
– Eat smaller portions

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

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

5 Responses to I’ve Done It Before And I Can Do It Again

  1. Barb says:

    that is funny you are the first to pay for Invihash 2012. I saw a post on their yahoo group telling people to get around to paying – now I know why.

    I don’t think you necessarily paid too much for the gutter cleaning & repairs.

    Call your mortgage company, that offer may still be out there…… or an even better one. We dropped ours by 1.5% wihtout doing much at all, I did pay some closing costs, but completely skipped 2 payments in the process, so that sort of made up for it.

    Happy Birthday Steve!!!!

  2. Martha says:

    Go ahead and call your bank anyway, clearly there was a reason they sent you the offer, see what they can do for you. I have a very small second mortgage, bank did the same thing for me a few years back, no strings attached. It’s worth at least a phone call? I’m still gambling with my 5/1 ARM. I’m in my second year of the “A” part of that, my rate is currently at 3%…it can’t go much lower.

    When it comes to home repairs $400 isn’t bad, good that you got it done, water damage can be a bitch. Sometimes it is less stressful to just get it done, then spending a ton of time trying to save $20. This also reminds me that my gutters need cleaned as well. I guess I should get them over.

    I think Hal Higdon is just as good a plan as any other. I really need to think through how I’m going to do Sweetwater, I don’t know if just ‘running what I feel like’ is going to cut it.

  3. Steve says:

    I sort of followed the Hal Higdon plan when training for my first marathon… at least I printed it out!! It was a good guide to follow as far as not moving up in mileage too fast and that sort of thing.

    The plan is to be at Jorges tonight and I may actually drink a beverage or 2!

    -FP

  4. Barb says:

    if Sal would carpool with me, I would come to George’s……. (I wonder if she is reading today?)

  5. Ha! The Garmin Forerunner 305 just arrived — one day earlier than expected. 🙂

Comments are closed.