Inside The Perimeter

Geez, it’s been so long that I can’t even pull off a “That’s what she said” joke out of that. Actually, I haven’t been really good in bed recently. I got home from dinner (more below) and got into bed with my laptop to try and listen to a podcast while I did some iOS development work. And then I woke up. And it was 12:30am. I tried to go back to sleep, but struggled with the problem of sleeping all night long. My alarm sounded at 5:00am, I promptly turned it off, and immediately went back to sleep.

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Play mini-basketball with a wadded-up piece of paper.

Sometimes it’s just a good idea to relax and kick back for a few minutes, because it gives you a break from all your tasks and helps relieves stress. And if you like friendly competition, it can be fun to turn this activity into a game with your kids, friends, and co-workers.

Well, I sort of do this on a daily basis.

Not Even An Extra Day In February Could Help
As months go February used to be nothing more than celebrating others’ birthdays and anniversaries. Unfortunately February has joined August (car jacking) and July (house burglary) as a month noted for a bad event in my life (bike wreck).

This month has been okay, though my constant battle with pain has lessened the fun. I walked nearly fifty miles, ate vegetarian seven days, and made my bed nearly every day that I spent at home.

First Visit: The Elder Tree Public House
Last night I drove home from work at a fairly reasonable time, 6:45pm. A light rain had started and I feared that traffic would be miserable, but it wasn’t.

The Food Gods must have been smiling upon me, because I had to pass two good parking spots in the village because the person behind me was following too closely, but when I circled the blocks the spots remained.

The Elder Tree Public House is a wonderful repurposing of the space formerly occupied by Blue Frog Cantina. The space is dark (the words “Public House” are in its name) and thankfully (imho) smoke-free.

No beer list was prepared yet, so the friendly young woman who served me read the list written in her book. I ordered a Smithwick’s (I did mention that this was an Irish-inspired bar, haven’t I?). Given that I was going to eat meat my dinner choices were plentiful. I narrowed my selections to a sandwich — the Lamb Haystack — and an entree — the Corned Beef and Cabbage. Normally I’d have immediately gone for the corned beef and cabbage but the waitress professed a love for the lamb sandwich, so I went with it.

I was not disappointed, though the price was far from cheap. The lamb sandwich was delicious, but its accompanying cole slaw was bland. The beer and meal cost $17.50 ($5.50 for a proper pint of Smithwick’s, $12 for the lamb sandwich). I will return (not tonight as I’m considering trying the new bahn mi sandwich shop in the village), and I will try the corned beef.

ITP Flickr Pic
Nothing today, not even a walking map.

Today I Try To Become The Biggest Loser
No, not that type of loser. Today I am joining a “Biggest (weight) Loser” contest here at work. Who knows, this just might be the thing which finally gets me to lose some of the extra pounds that I’m carrying.

No Top Cheffing Tonight, I’m Going To Hear Shearwater
Months ago I purchased a ticket for tonight’s Shearwater show at The EARL. Unfortunately this conflicts with my standing meetup with ITP-Reader Betsy for dinner, wine, and Top Chef. Betsy, if you read this let me know when you want to meet up to watch — I won’t watch tonight’s show before hearing from you.

Waiting For March 7th
Because I’m getting a full physical. No, not really, because Apple has announced what is supposed to be the iPad 3 announcement. Looks like I’ll get one of those yearly goals done early in the year.

It’s probably going to be the day I order my iPhone 4s (or 5 if they happen to announce that). Yesterday I got one step closer to needing to become Siri-ous as for the first time I dropped my iPhone onto a sidewalk as I pulled it from my pocket while walking to Target. Ooops.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fair
Current Music – listening to this week’s “MacBreak Weekly” podcast
Website Of The Day – Everyone (including ITP-Reader Lisa) seems to love Sodastream. I guess that I’m just not a fan of fizzy water.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – I’ll do a “Biggest Loser” weigh-in today

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~49.2 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 31 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 27^*

Vegetarian Days – 7^*
Carnivorous Days – 21
Pancakes Eaten – 11

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

February Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
- Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
- Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
- Run in no fewer than one one 10K
- Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
- Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
- Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
- Eat smaller portions
- Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
- Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
- See more live concerts than I did in 2011
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Yesterday afternoon I went out for a walk with my boss and from the get-go my shins bothered me. This is not the first time in recent times that my shins have hurt, though I tried to accuse a fastened-pace for yesterday’s pain. Toward the end of the walk my shins’ pain eased a bit, but today they hurt again. Add this pain to the rest of the things with my body which are hurting. Soon my entire body will be a bag of hurt.

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Add A Fresh Lemon Or Lime To Your Shopping List.

Lemons and limes are powerhouses of vitamin C and other antioxidants, which research has shown to be associated with reducing inflammation and preventing heart disease. The tangy flavor of lemons and limes make a great salt substitute for people who are watching their salt intake. And a glass of sparkling water with lemon or lime slices is a delicious calorie- and sugar-free drink.

I have fresh limes at the ITP Estate; I guess that I should be using them.

My Bedroom Smells Like A Brewery
While making my bed this morning I knocked over a half-consumed bottle of beer which stool on my nightstand. Beer spilled over a small section of my hardwood floor, and sat there as I “raced” into the kitchen to retrieve a towel and some paper towels.

Before you praise me for having the restraint to not finish a beer within arm’s reach let me tell you that this accident should never happen! No matter how tired you are you should never fall asleep prior to finishing your beer (or wine if that’s your thing). In the future I will try harder to not allow a situation which permits beer spillage to occur.

ITP Flickr Pic
Again, nothing more than a walking map.

I wish that I had run the MapMyRide+ app to add this walk to my account — but for some reason I chose not to.

I Have Them And I’m Not Afraid To Use Them
In the past year I’ve claimed some gift cards (Amazon and iTunes) by redeeming points through my credit card company, as well as Recyclebank.

For some reason I’ve been holding on to these cards (though I’m still awaiting the arrival of my iTunes gift card from Recyclebank) and haven’t been redeeming them. You’d think the snafu I had a few years ago with a gift card becoming zero-balanced due to “maintenance” fees — though that practice is now unlawful.

This weekend that all changed. I’ve started purchasing apps from the IOS App Store, and I’ve begun identifying some physical books which will be replaced by digital versions.

Going To Try A New Place Tonight
As I perused my East Atlanta Village link list yesterday I noticed that I still had a link for the now-closed Blue Frog Cantina. In Blue Frog’s place is an Irish-inspired bar/restaurant called The Elder Tree Public House (no website yet from what I know). No matter what time I exit the office tonight I am going to have dinner at The Elder Tree Public House (shoot, that’s a lot to type). Look for my initial impression in tomorrow’s blog.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay, though I’m bothered by many things including some recurring health issues
Current Music – listening to this week’s “Build And Analyze” podcast
Website Of The Day – Today I’m going to be making an effort to read Stop Shin Splints. On the surface the website appears a quick-read which probably means that it’s going to try and sell me a book. I’ve just removed their link because when I went to close the page a pop-up occurred trying to get me to have someone call me. Fuck. That.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – I’ll find out again tomorrow, and you’ll know why then

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~49.2 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 31 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 26^*

Vegetarian Days – 7^*
Carnivorous Days – 20
Pancakes Eaten – 11

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

February Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
- Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
- Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
- Run in no fewer than one one 10K
- Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
- Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
- Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
- Eat smaller portions
- Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
- Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
- See more live concerts than I did in 2011
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Instead of writing code on Sunday night I am writing a blog post. Please remember this when I run out of things to say later in the week.

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Think about a past success: Recall how you achieved your goal and how it made you feel.

Nothing boosts confidence like reflecting on your successes! This exercise puts the focus front and center on your positive traits and how they contribute to your life. Remembering how you’ve handled past challenges may also help you feel more confident about any roadblocks you may be facing at home or work.

Pancakes — 3×2
I had pancakes on both weekend days, three on each day to be exact! On Saturday I returned to The Original Pancake House where I consumed three blueberry pancakes. Yesterday I had three pancakes at The Majestic Diner.

It may sound stupid, but eating pancakes satisfies me and I wish I had started eating them again sooner.

ITP Flickr Pic
I witnessed many photos being taken by my friend Maigh (I’m not sure if she blogs any longer, so I won’t link to her site — though I admit I dig her site’s current layout), but I could not take any myself. I haven’t snapped a frame since last Monday. Pity.

Instead, here are the two walks I did this weekend:
Friday (4.5 miles)

Saturday (5.0 miles)

Oops I Did It Again
After breakfast with Maigh we had some time to kill before the photoshoot. We walked from The Majestic Diner to San Francisco Coffee to kill some time. Inside the coffee shop we were greeted by an attractive young lady with a super-short haircut and neat tortoise-shell frame glasses (read “Paulie’s type”). Recognizing that she was far too young for yours truly I decided to simply compliment her on her choice of frames. It seems that I took it too far (or perhaps in a direction which made her feel unsure about my admiration), because not more than five minutes later I noticed that she had removed the glasses. I wonder if I had complimented her on her haircut if she would have gone into the back and put on a hat.

Seriously, I’m not sure that I’ll ever figure out how to flatter a woman. I wanted to ask the young lady if I was the cause of the eyeglass removal, but when Maigh and I left the coffee shop she was nowhere to be found. It was probably for the best.

I Had A Fifteen-Year-Old Last Night And It Was Fantastic!
If you didn’t think I was referring to a bottle of wine then shame on you. With dinner last night (a great concoction of onion, pepper, zucchini, garlic, pasta, chicken tenders and chicken broth) I decided to open a bottle of wine from the “cellar.” The wine I chose (and drank completely) was a 1997 Rioja, that I have been unable to thrust upon anyone else for fear of corking. The cork was brittle, so brittle in fact that it broke into to pieces as I tried to extract if from the bottle. I was unable to extract the whole cork, so I poured the entire contents of the bottle into a measuring vessel, through a coffee filter placed inside a strainer. The Rioja was fantastic! The only downside of consuming an entire bottle of wine with dinner (and afterward) was that it meant that I was unable to join some coworkers at Barcelona Wine Bar on Sunday evening after receiving a late invite.

Slowly but surely I’ve been working my way through my wine stock. I’m not trying to empty my cellar, I’m trying to consume the wine that I’ve previously purchased prior to their demise.

Boil Water? Why, Who’s Giving Birth?
Yesterday I found out that I was supposed to be boiling water do to a large loss of pressure with the City of Atlanta’s water system. The problem with this was that I found out about this in a round-about way through word of mouth. “Luckily” I was at the office for most of the day on Saturday, ate dinner out after doing laundry, and then only drank a cup of tea (which requires the water to be boiled anyway) after returning home.

For yesterday’s baking I used mostly beer in my bread recipe (yeah, you read that right — I’ll be publishing my recipe soon if the next loaf turns out as well as this one did) with only a smidgeon of water. For yesterday’s dinner I made pasta (which requires the water to be boiled anyway) with my chicken and vegetables.

So, I think that I’ll be okay. Only thing is, when is it okay to drink the water out of the tap again?

Hmmm, I Hadn’t Slept That Poorly In A While
I’d sooner blame the nap I took yesterday afternoon before I blame the wine for my poor night of sleeping. I tossed and turned last night. My plan was to wake early and go out for a walk prior to starting my work day. Instead, I woke, slept, woke, slept, woke, turned off my alarm, went back to sleep, and the finally woke too late to walk. I packed clothes to go out for a walk tonight after work, but I’ll have to see how the weather turns out today.

One Year Ago Today
Today marks the first anniversary of the day my health changed — perhaps forever. On February 27th, 2011 I got into my bike v. car wreck.

• I’m still broken
• I inexplicably still have ITP-Martha’s stuff and can’t seem to remember to return it
• I’ve yet to completely repay all who helped me through the toughest of times

I’d like to change all of the above very soon.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – rushed (again)
Current Music – listening to a “GardenFork Radio” podcast
Website Of The Day – I think I should go and memorize the pickup lines at Pick-Up Lines Galore to see if I can figure out this whole “guy meets gal” thing before I die.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – Friday: walking, 4.5 miles; Saturday: walking, 5.0 miles
Morning Weigh-In – jeez, the thought never crossed my mind this morning

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~45.1 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 31 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 25^*

Vegetarian Days – 7^*
Carnivorous Days – 19
Pancakes Eaten – 11

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

February Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
- Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
- Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
- Run in no fewer than one one 10K
- Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
- Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
- Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
- Eat smaller portions
- Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
- Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
- See more live concerts than I did in 2011
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I had not planned on making yesterday a vegetarian day, it just happened!

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Find a nature photo and put it in a spot you’ll see often.

Between work, school, commutes, and chores, we have a lot of stimulus in our day. Taking a moment to admire a nature photo can lessen stress and improve mental performance. Natural environments and pictures depicting natural environments can even foster a sense of community, which can bring harmony to your home or workplace.

As a hobby photographer I really like this idea and will do it soon.

On Joshua And Audrey, And Dean
I pride myself on remembering faces, and for the most part the correct names that correspond to the faces. People sometime marvel at this skill. In my office building there is a guy I’ll call “Joshua” (because that’s his name) who works for another company in the building. I met Joshua, who was the husband of Amanda, who was a friend of my then-girlfriend Jeanne. That was eight, almost nine years ago.

Also in the building is a woman who I swear I know, and while I had the golden opportunity to ask her I chickened out. If she is who I think she is, she is Audrey, a girl on whom I had a liking when I first moved to Atlanta. Audrey was a friend of Danielle and I met her when playing co-ed softball in the mid-1990s (when I was at my best and still failed to lure a woman into falling for me). I don’t think Audrey liked me, she went out on a couple of dates with my friend Bryan though, and the closest I ever got to being with her was being paired with her at Tom and Danielle’s wedding. A side note: Tom knew I was a Florida grad, that I despised the University of Tennessee (think “Peyton Manning”), and that Audrey went to Tennessee, so he and Danielle picked “Rocky Top” as the song which was played when Audrey and I were called out at their wedding.

Last Friday night my coworkers and I changed things up a bit by doing happy hour at Wing Factory on Roswell Road. While sitting there a guy walked by and I caught a glimpse of him. I immediately realized that it was Dean, a friend of one of my former coworkers, David. Some of you may have met Dean (and David for that matter) at one of my Super Bowl parties all those years ago.

Flushing My Savings Away
The other day I received my monthly water and sewer bill from the City of Atlanta. I am absolutely certain that this bill contains the charge incurred for accidentally letting my toilet run for an entire day a couple of weeks ago. It may also include the cost of the water used flushing out my hot water heater.

My bill this month was $51, which for me is really high as I normally pay the base charge (~$25) since I no longer do laundry at home, nor have I rarely watered my lawn.

The bill is not as high as I feared that it would be, but I still get miffed that I’ve figuratively flushed water down the drain.

ITP Flickr Pic
Sorry, walking has consumed some of the time I could be using for photography.

Here’s the map for the walk that I did yesterday evening.

And here’s the map for the walk that I did this morning.

I’m well on my way to becoming the walking fool of Dunwoody.

Today Is My Mother’s Birthday!
Yep, today is my mother’s birthday. I won’t give away her age, but consider that my brother turned sixty-three this year…

Think I should call her? I’m kidding of course. I love my mother dearly and am glad that she is still around for me to talk to at least a couple of times a week.

Today Would Have Been Steve Jobs’ 57^th Birthday
As I continue to read the Steve Jobs biography I realize he was a brilliant businessman, oddball, and almost a complete ass. Upon his death I recalled that he shared a birthday with my mother. At least he had that going for him.

Another Busy Weekend Again
Come back on Monday and find out why.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – rushed
Current Music – listening to a recent “The Story” podcast
Website Of The Day – In the olden days I would have jumped at the thought of joining the Atlanta Bocce League as a way to play a cool game, drink beer, and try to meet women.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – walking, 3.25 miles
Morning Weigh-In – 211 pounds on Monday

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~35.6 miles (doesn’t include this morning’s walk, that gets added in on Monday)
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 31 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 22^*

Vegetarian Days – 7^*
Carnivorous Days – 16
Pancakes Eaten – 5

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

February Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
- Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
- Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
- Run in no fewer than one one 10K
- Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
- Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
- Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
- Eat smaller portions
- Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
- Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
- See more live concerts than I did in 2011
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

And this time I can’t blame an early-morning walk. Today I’ll pick up a couple of the topics I mentioned yesterday. Tomorrow I’ll catch the rest.

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Share your favorite healthy beverage.

Staying hydrated is key! Every system in our bodies needs water, and without enough of it, we can feel sluggish or headachey. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to hydrate ourselves with drinks that are high in sugar and calories. By sharing a healthy drink, it may motivate you to think of other good-for-you drinks to guzzle – and you may get some good ideas from others!

Beer is healthy, right?

The Problem With The Powder
I got into work very early yesterday so that I could start my crockpot of “jambalaya” (you’d be thrown into the Mississippi of you served that concoction to a Cajun) and go out for a pre-work walk.

I launched the MapMyRide app on the iPhone and started my trek. After what seemed to be an eternity I returned to the office and was bummed to see that I had only covered ~3.6 miles. Dejected I headed into the locker room and showered, using shampoo as my soap since there was no soap in the shower’s dispenser.

This post-workout cleanup was my first since accidentally leaving my toiletry bag in Raleigh, so all of the products in the new toiletry bag were recent purchases and perhaps unproven. One such item was Gold Bond Medicated Body Powder.

I’ve heard of Gold Bond for years, but have never used it as I’m a mostly-committed Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder man — when the situation calls for talc. After toweling down I opened the new travel-size container and strategically applied a small handful to, shall we say, private areas.

Did you know the “Medicated” portion of Gold Bond includes menthol? I sure as shit didn’t! My privies started to light up with “medicated goodness,” not to a “Ben Gay level” but far beyond anything Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder has ever done. Wow. It got so uncomfortable that I nearly jumped back into the shower, but then I remembered that there was no soap so that would be a fruitless effort to improve the situation occurring in my Fruit of the Looms.

Needless to say, I’m once again a mostly-committed Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder man.

That may have been extreme TMI, but as Paul Harvey used so say…. “And now you know the rest of the story.”

Oh and I found out that I actually walked about 4.25 miles

Turns out that when I used my iPhone to send a text message I interrupted the MapMyRide app, thus short-changing my time and distance recording. I realized this when I went to resume the podcast to which I was listening. When I started the audio playback at the time recorded by MapMyRide I quickly realized that I had already heard that portion. So I mapped out my walk using GMap Pedometer to calculate a more-accurate distance.

Pants v. Shoes
For a straight male I own a lot of shoes. When I went into K&G Menswear the other night the sole purpose of my trip was to buy a pair of Dockers, specifically olive-colored Dockers. Guess what, olive seems to be a non-existent color these days.

As I perused the racks I found that K&G was having a “Buy 1, Get 2 Free” deal (probably something they do all the time), so I picked out three slightly-different pairs of slacks, 38″x30″ for my currently too-fat body, and marched over to fitting rooms.

Had there been a loaded gun or object sharper than the pins on the floor I probably would have used it to end my time as I am once again too large for a 38″ waistband (for Dockers at least, for the jeans I wear still say ’38″x30″‘). Ugh. No pants for me!

Back to shoes. Since reaching adulthood my feet have rarely changed size. I wear either a 9M D or 9.5M D shoe, depending on the manufacturer. Don’t laugh, I bet that’s about average, which is all I have to say about that… Because my shoe size rarely changes I feel comfortable buying shoes knowing that they’ll last a long time (longer than they’ll ever be fashionable). On Monday night I cruised up and down the aisles and actually found a pair of Steve Madden loafers that I thought were comfortable and semi-stylish, for “only” $50. Just as I was about to box up the shoes to purchase them I noticed that the stitching had already started to come apart. There was one other 9.5M D on the shelf, but all confidence I had in the shoe’s construction had been diminished.

So I left K&G Menswear.
No pants.
No shoes.
No nothing.

ITP Flickr Pic
One final post from Monday night’s shoot.

Not nearly as impressive as yesterday’s, but not too shabby either.

RealiTV Update: Top Chef: Texas — There Goes My Pick
Last night ITP-Reader Betsy brought over some wonderful Indian [insert tasteless joke here] food — lentils, cauliflower, peas — and a bottle of Cava. I brainfarted in Kroger (I have my reasons) and managed only to supply some red wine for the evening, which we consumed with Twizzlers.

Remind me again why I can’t fit into the pants in which I want to fit?

Anyway, the night was good up until the point where SPOILER Padma asked Lindsey to pack her knives and go. I’ve been a big fan of Lindsey’s from the get-go and was hoping that she would win it all. Oh well, I guess that I’ll now have to root for my namesake, who really should consider going by “Paulie” instead of just “Paul.”

Tomorrow I’ll Explain Joshua And Audrey, And Even Throw in Dean
Come back then, won’t you?

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay, tired, scared
Current Music – silence, trying to knock this out quickly so that I can start working
Website Of The Day – Yesterday I received an email from a musician called “DeKoven Street”, pointing me to a Band Camp page to listen to his music. I’ve heard about Band Camp in passing and coincidentally landed there again last night as I searched for an update on a band I discovered a couple of years ago. Oh, I liked what I heard from “DeKoven Street” and am considering buying the EP.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In –

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~32.1 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 31 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 21^*

Vegetarian Days – 6^*
Carnivorous Days – 16
Pancakes Eaten – 5

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

February Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
- Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
- Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
- Run in no fewer than one one 10K
- Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
- Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
- Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
- Eat smaller portions
- Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
- Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
- See more live concerts than I did in 2011
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Oddly I have much about which to blog today — but not enough time to put it all in words. I’ll have to make this a “To Be Continued…” entry and take a few minutes to take down some notes about which I plan to blog.

Here are a couple of hints

• The Company potluck
• Soap, shampoo, conditioner
• Gold Bond Medicated Body Powder
• Pants v. Shoes
• Why do my teeth hurt? And it’s not a cavity, and I’m not drinking anything ice cold
• Joshua and Audrey

Kick those about your noggin and see if you can think about what I will say.

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Find a new place to stroll

It’s easy to keep going to the same places and follow the standard routine, which makes life feel repetitive and dull. Trying new things can keep us out of a rut and mix things up! Picking a new place to walk (or modifying an existing walk) can also expose you to new people and experiences. Plus, it’s hard to overstate the benefits of a simple stroll. Walking can help lower your blood pressure and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, improve your mood, control your weight, and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.

side note: Due to time constraints I cut and pasted this in. I must say that this method is not deliver the same impact as when I have to read it while I type.

ITP Flickr Pic
Here’s a bonus.

I didn’t get a sunset on Monday night, but I did get a beautiful red sky. This is the color I captured in camera. The only modifications I made to this shot were some straightening of the horizon, spot removal (stupid, dirty sensor), and some sharpening via Lightroom’s clarity.

Not bad if I do say so myself.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay, but my goddamn front teeth keep hurting. Last week it was my back (which for various reasons continues to bother me), this week it’s my teeth. It’s like I’m fucking dying over here!
Current Music – silence, which I think I need more of in my life in order to concentrate on my work
Website Of The Day – I ate three very good ribs and some jalapeño bread for dinner last night at Pappy Red’s BBQ. The only problem with the ribs was that they sauced them, and in my not so humble opinion a great smoked pork rib needs no sauce.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – 211 pounds yesterday

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~27.9 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 31 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 20^*

Vegetarian Days – 6^*
Carnivorous Days – 15
Pancakes Eaten – 5

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

February Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
- Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
- Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
- Run in no fewer than one one 10K
- Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
- Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
- Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
- Eat smaller portions
- Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
- Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
- See more live concerts than I did in 2011
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Aaaaayy Eeeee! It’s Fat Tuesday y’all.

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Write down one skill you’d like to improve that can help you in your career or volunteer activities

Too often we get in a rut, performing the same repetitive tasks and doing only what’s required to carry out the basic functions of our job. If you want to move ahead — both professionally and personally — it’s important to step back. By thinking about what you’re doing and how you can do it better, you open yourself up to new learning opportunities and experiences.

That’s easy for me. iOS development. iOS development. iOS development.

A Series Of Steps And Missteps
I left the office early yesterday to beat any possible traffic on my drive from Perimeter Mall to Stone Mountain. I planned my arrival to allow enough time to go for a walk inside Stone Mountain Park prior to climbing the mountain to set up for some sunset photography.

I arrived at the East Main Gate to find a slow-moving line of six or so cars ahead of me; I paid my $10 to enter the park; I drove around the park (slowly due to the speed limits and police presence) to the parking lot.

When I left my car walking I had no real plan for how far I would walk. Knowing the park well (thanks to the numerous rides I’ve taken there) I realized that I couldn’t possibly make it all the way around the park in time so that at some point I’d have to turn around and walk back to make my ascent.

The weather was beautiful and I saw that streaks of wispy clouds were present. My hopes for stellar photography increased. At some point I realized that I had forgotten to pack my 1.4x teleconverter which disappointed me since I then realized that I wasn’t going to be able to get tight shots that I had in the past.

Forty-five minutes into my walk I realized that I better turn around because I feared that I wouldn’t get to the top of the mountain in time. I hiked and hiked, until I reached near the top of the mountain, at which point I decided to park my gear (I used the excuses that time was of the essence, I had forgotten my 1.4x teleconverter, and that I’d already walked a little more than five miles to rationalize not going all the way to the top this time).

I was in my spot with plenty of time to set up for sunset. As I cooled down along with the weather a few people asked me about my gear, and about the sunset. As time passed however, I realized that the clouds had begun to thicken and my beautiful sunset was going to be obscured. DANGEN!

I did my best, but I didn’t get what I wanted to get. I might actually have a few good shots in camera of the red sky which occurred after sunset.

After daytime succumbed to nighttime I descended the mountain and headed home.

Sleeping Like A Bear
“It’s only 8:44pm and I’m already in bed” I thought to myself last night after I’d eaten dinner, started my second beer, and snuggled under the covers to listen to a podcast while doing a crossword puzzle. The plan was to read for awhile in bed, but that never materialized. By 9:30pm (determined by reverse calculations) I was sound asleep. I was so sacked out that I never heard the phone ring, which according to the timestamp of my mother’s message occurred at 10:02pm.

Yeesh! It’s as if I’ve become a farmer or something.

ITP Flickr Pic
Here is the sky prior to sunset — as seen by my iPhone. That little tiny speck in the distance on the horizon is downtown Atlanta.

I’ll try to process my red-sky shots later.

Now That I Have It, I Don’t Know What To Do With It
With the announcement of Mac OS X 10.8 (aka “Mountain Lion”) Apple also announced Messages — a unified messaging application. According to the hype you can now send a text message and be notified on iPhone/iPad/Mac simultaneously.

It may be the wrong thing to do I’ve set up a special account for Messages (messages@nuesslein.us) and now I don’t know what to do with it. Holy Geebus do I feel old! Anyone want to meet me at Morrison’s Cafeteria at 3:00pm for today’s Early Bird special?

Actually Tonight Is iOS Developers Meetup Night
Tonight I’ll be headed to the monthly meeting of the iOS Developers Meetup. Prior to the meeting I’ll be eating some barbecue at the barbecue restaurant at which I ate a few weeks ago with ITP-Reader John. If time and temperament permit I’ll also be swinging over to K&G Menswear in an effort to purchase a few new pair of pants/slacks (no, my waist hasn’t shrunk, I just want “nicer” pants [see also: "olive-colored Dockers"]).

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – overwhelmed
Current Music – listening to this week’s “The Ihnatko Almanac” podcast — on which he’s talking about his love of The Amazing Race this week.
Website Of The Day – I don’t understand why MapMyRide and MapMyRun don’t collapse themselves into a service MapMyExercise. I feel a little silly entering a “workout” labeled as a walk using the MapMyRide app on my iPhone.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – walking/hiking, 6.9 miles (according to the seemingly-misnamed “MapMyRide” app on my iPhone)
Morning Weigh-In – 211 pounds yesterday

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~27.9 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 31 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 20^*

Vegetarian Days – 6^*
Carnivorous Days – 14
Pancakes Eaten – 5

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

February Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
- Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
- Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
- Run in no fewer than one one 10K
- Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
- Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
- Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
- Eat smaller portions
- Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
- Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
- See more live concerts than I did in 2011
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

(from Clerks, and one of the few movie lines I can quote). In fact, I’m not supposed to be here today. However, I am way behind schedule and was unable to overcome my challenge of getting work done this weekend.

Happy Presidents’ Day, or the day after Presidents’ Day if you are reading this post upon your return to work on Tuesday.

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Measure and record your height.

You may think you know your height, but in reality you could be off by a couple of inches! It’s a good idea to know exactly how tall you are for a few reasons. One, it can help you determine if you are at a healthy weight for your height; and two, it can help you realize if you are losing height due to osteoporosis. Losing bone mass happens in a very slow and subtle way, so having that number on hand can provide a baseline to measure against.

And here I’ve only been recording my weight.

Happy National Pancake Week!!!
Oh brother, I jumped the gun on Saturday when I drove into Buckhead and ate a stack of pancakes at the White House Restaurant. Pretty much forgetting that today is Presidents’ Day (therefore there shall be no snail-mail delivery — and they wonder why people stop using the USPS?) I had to get my mother’s birthday card in the mail on Saturday to guarantee its delivery by her birthday (wait for it, wait for it). Normally I’d drop mail off at the office, and though I was heading there on Saturday, I couldn’t guarantee that there would be mail pickup so I dropped the card off at a post office that I considered to be closely linked to a postal hub (not sure how I determined this, but I’ve had luck in the past). This led me to Buckhead, which reminded me of the conversation I had at the rarely-closed Majestic Diner on Christmas Eve morning when the owner of the Majestic informed us that he also owned the White House Restaurant and it was open on that day.

As a former Jeanne’s Body Tech (which I just found out is now owned by my former favorite-aerobics-instructor/personal trainer Andrew) workout fanatic I knew the exact location of the White House Restaurant, but had never ventured inside. The restaurant is very much a throwback to diners of old and the staff was very friendly. The pancakes I ordered were large and “caky,” served in a stack of three with butter (or perhaps margarine) plopped on top and maple syrup (probably not pure maple syrup) on the side. I liked the pancakes well-enough and would eat there again if I were “in the neighborhood,” but I’m not sure that White House Restaurant would be a destination for me given that I’d have to pass The Original Pancake House in order to get to it from East Atlanta.

A Wee Little Bit Too Cold
I intended to attend the weekend’s Wheelhopper hash which was hared by ITP-Reader Barb (aka Primer) and her hubby Allan (aka Service My Tool). However, I didn’t get much work done on Saturday (nor on Sunday as it turned out), and with the weather forecast appearing abysmal I decided to stay at home.

I did manage to make it out to Kroger to pick up the ingredients I’ll need for Wednesday’s “Fat Tuesday” celebration at work (I’ll explain on Wednesday). I also picked up the ingredients for a vegetarian white chili (notice I added two more vegetarian days this weekend) which I made for dinner last night — and most importantly, some beer — on a SUNDAY!!!! This was the first time that I had the opportunity to purchase alcohol on a Sunday in Georgia since the law changed.

ITP Flickr Pic
Sadly nothing today. I should have found an image or two on my five-mile walk on Saturday morning, but I didn’t.

I May Be Heading Up The “Mountain” Tonight
If the weather (and to some degree work) cooperates I’ll be toting my camera gear up Stone Mountain to shoot the sun setting behind downtown Atlanta.

But it’s a Roswell Photographic Society night! And the sun sets “exactly” behind downtown Atlanta tomorrow night!

True, but I already have something planned for tomorrow night and the sun’s setting position won’t be that drastically different tonight. And besides, it’s Presidents’ Day so traffic shouldn’t be nearly as unpredictable as it normally is.

I’m hoping for some wispy clouds to create dramatic interest tonight. I’m also hoping that I bring enough warm clothing because it appears as if it’s going to be quite chilly up there, especially after the sun sets.

I’ve Rejoined Twitter
@InsidePerimeter is back on Twitter. Only this time it’s going to be different. As one can see I’ve changed my tag line to It’s no longer about me, it’s about you. because I have Unfollowed all “people,” limiting my Follows to businesses/bands/brands, and will only be posting Tweets which recommend things that people should be doing in Atlanta (mostly limited to ITP of course).

Why?

Because I still believe that Twitter is a great resource for reaching out and communicating. However, I need to avoid the personal contact/relationship/updates that caused me to bail last year.

I May Have Rejoined The Amazing Race
Yesterday I found out that The Amazing Race was starting again. I’ve set my DVR (for “The Amazing Race” and “The Good Wife” because even though we’re out of the NFL season we are not out of the The-Amazing-Race-will-start-late-because-of-sports season) and actually watched last night’s first episode.

Don’t expect me to “bet” on who gets eliminated — that didn’t work out so well last season — or to recap the episodes since I can’t guarantee that I’ll be watching all of this season.

Heh, I forgot that Phil is a cycling enthusiast.

Hmm, no Georgia contestants this time around.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay, though I really wish that I was more successful writing code over the weekend.
Current Music – Listening to an interview with the photographer Vincent LaForet.
Website Of The Day – I wish that I had the skills to have become an architect. Instead I’m relegated to reading Life of an Architect.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – Saturday: walking, ~5 miles; Sunday: nothing
Morning Weigh-In –

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~21.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 31 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 19^*

Vegetarian Days – 6^*
Carnivorous Days – 13
Pancakes Eaten – 5

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

February Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
- Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
- Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
- Run in no fewer than one one 10K
- Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
- Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
- Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
- Eat smaller portions
- Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
- Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
- See more live concerts than I did in 2011
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Not much time to blog today, so I’m just going throw a few things against the wall

- Fun “Bike” night last night. I realized that in addition to the damaged front forks that the wreck also bent the large front chain ring so my Grand Plan for it may be scrapped. While I unfortunately didn’t see ITP-Reader Martha I did see ITP-Reader Barb and scored two jars of fat-free (oh my god, I actually typed “fart-free” first) gravy with which I plan to challenge my cooking skills; it’s kinda like a personal Top Chef QuickFire Challenge.

Today’s Daily Challenge
I like today’s Daily Challenge, so I’m going to use it.
Write down a skill or subject that you know well enough to teach.

We don’t tend to take time to really take stock of who we are, what we know, and what contributions we can make. But by taking a moment to think about it, you may value yourself in a different way and recognize your potential for making a positive difference in the world. This may even motivate you to take things a step further and share what you know with eager learners.

In college I tried to help a girl with her Algebra. Though I was taking Calculus I learned that I didn’t understand Algebra well enough to teach it to her (I still don’t). I have helped people with photography, and I think that’s what I’m best suited to teach; though admittedly I wish I understood iOS Development well enough to teach it.

What skill or subject would you write down?

- I passed a woman with an “On-On” sticker on her car. I tried to make eye contact with her to see if I knew her, but she never looked my way. There are days that I wish I had an “On-On” sticker on the rear of my car (currently I have BN, ITP, and EAV stickers, all weather-beaten, on the windscreen of the bike rack) too. I know that it would identify me as a (once?) hasher to other hashers, but I sometimes wonder if it also identifies me as a hasher to the local police.

ITP Flickr Pic
Here’s a photo I took on my walk Wednesday.
This hearth stands proudly along Ashford-Dunwoody Road between Perimeter Mall and the Crown Plaza.

This is the first photo I’ve added to my “Home Was Where The Hearth Is” collection in far too long.

- Apple announced “Mountain Lion” (OS X 10.8) yesterday. I know most of you could care less, or perhaps couldn’t care less, but I’m very excited by this news.

- I have to get to work (too much sleep this morning). Have a great weekend everyone! If you have Presidents Day off next Monday then enjoy; I do, but I don’t as I’ll be in the office working trying to catch up on my coding.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – ambivalent, back still hurts — I might not get the luxury of waiting until my physical in March to determine that there is something wrong with me (not new news, I know)
Current Music – silence, though I jammed to some Grandaddy on my drive in. It’s the first time in a long time that I listened to music instead of podcasts on my commute. I have different plans starting next week
Website Of The Day – I’m seriously considering supporting the Gotham Theft-Resistent Bike Light Kickstarter Project.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – stair climbing, 6 flights
Morning Weigh-In – 212 pounds yesterday

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~16.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 31 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 17^*

Vegetarian Days – 4^*
Carnivorous Days – 12
Pancakes Eaten – 2

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

February Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
- Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
- Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
- Run in no fewer than one one 10K
- Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
- Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
- Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
- Eat smaller portions
- Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
- Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
- See more live concerts than I did in 2011
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Time spent sitting in meetings is time not spent writing the code that I am to deliver. Looks as if I’ll be giving up my “free time” and “paid holidays” again. It also means these posts will not exactly be thorough, though an argument could be made that they never have been.

Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Replace a sugary snack for fruit.

Sugary treats may taste sweet, but when it comes to your health, fruit can’t be beat. Sweets give you an energy spike but then you crash and burn, because your body absorbs the refined sugar quickly. A;though fruit has natural sugar, the fiber slows its absorption so your blood sugar level stays steady. Fiber helps you keep you fuller longer, too. Finally, fruit is loaded with natural vitamins and minerals, a claim that cellophane-wrapped snacks can’t make.

I probably should have read this prior to eating a York Peppermint Patti for breakfast.

Not As Pictured
I had a recipe from Vegetarian Times and intended to make it last night (I wanted to link to the recipe, but couldn’t find it online). The recipe was Asian in nature so I stopped by Hoa Binh market on my drive home expecting to pick up all of the necessary ingredients. But then I couldn’t figure out which of the noodles in the entire aisle of noodles were “glass noodles.” And then I couldn’t locate tempeh. And they didn’t have any button mushrooms. So I did what Ed didn’t do on Top Chef last week, I improvised. I purchased a different type of noodle. I substituted tofu for tempeh. I remembered that I had dried mushrooms at home so I didn’t need the button mushrooms.

I boiled some water and reconstituted the mushrooms. I whisked the sauce which consisted of soy sauce, hoisen sauce, garlic-chile paste, lime juice, and some chunky peanut butter (the recipe called for chopped peanuts, I forgot to buy those). I sliced up the fresh ginger, baby bok choi, green onions, basil, and tofu that I bought at the market. I figured out how to open the tin of sesame oil that I bought at the market.

With the mushrooms reconstituting I started pan-frying the tofu. When the mushrooms were ready I pulled them out of the water and set them aside as I started preparing the pasta.

With all of components ready I started cooking everything together in my “wok” (large pan) until everything was mixed together well.

The meal was good, not great, nor much like the meal I saw in the magazine, but very edible. Not a bad effort by a Caucasian.

ITP Flickr Pic
All I have is yesterday’s walking map.

For some reason all of the routes I take from my office seem to be about 3.75 miles long.

Heading To Bike Night
Probably won’t have the time to get the Red Rocket, but I do plan to have all of the items of ITP-Reader Martha’s that I’ve unwittingly held onto for nearly a year. Yeesh! I’ll bring a six-pack of beer and look forward to seeing a few folks I’ve not seen in a while.

Best Wishes To My Friend Nav
Heard some bad news about a friend of mine, not a hasher, met through the social networking that I tossed away last year. I heard the news via a text message from Maigh, and I’m thankful that she informed me.

I don’t think Nav is “ITP-Reader Nav,” but if by chance he is, I hope you are doing better, friend.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – frustrated, too much to do, back still hurts and I’ll have to have someone “look at it” when I get my physical in a few weeks
Current Music – listening to a “The Web Ahead” podcast
Website Of The Day – I saw a bumper sticker for TryVeg. I don’t put bumper stickers on my cars (though I have on the bike rack) but this one seemed to serve its purpose.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – walking, ~3.7 miles; stair climbing, 6 flights
Morning Weigh-In – 212 pounds this morning

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~16.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 25 flights

Days Of Bed-Making – 16^*

Vegetarian Days – 4^*
Carnivorous Days – 11
Pancakes Eaten – 2

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

February Goals
- Lose at least one pound (net weight loss)
- Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
- Not to get sick for the entire month
- Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
- Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
- Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
- Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
- Submit 2012 paperwork for Sharpened Stone, LLC
- Gather all tax paperwork for 2011 income taxes
- Successfully arrange for automatic payments for my mortgage
- Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
- Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
- Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
- Run in no fewer than one one 10K
- Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
- Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
- Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
- Eat smaller portions
- Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
- Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
- See more live concerts than I did in 2011
- Eat more pancakes
- Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]