This weekend I realize that I am my biggest reclamation project. This stitches come out tomorrow and with that I hope that my skin begins to start laying flat again. It’s still bothersome to lean back in a hard-back chair, and I occasionally feel bothered driving and sleeping. I’m trying to summon patience and optimism, but it’s difficult.
Yesterday’s Daily Challenge
Reach for a red fruit or vegetable.
Red produce is packed with health-promoting antioxidants and beneficial nutrients such as lycopene, which can help prevent cancer, and resveratrol, which helps the heart.
Neil Young Said It Was Better To Burn Out Than To Fade Away
I’m not so sure about this. By the time I left the office on Saturday afternoon, after struggling with code and realizing that I getting closer but still far from done, I was feeling the burnout begin. This is not a good feeling to have. At that time I decided that I would give myself Sunday “off” and see if I could be rejuvenated by Monday morning (not really, but I’m working on it).
I realized part of my “burnout” was the fact that I had to cancel potential social engagements (btw, I’d like to hear how the Wheels O Fire and Run Before You Crawl day went) for work. I’m dedicated. I’m determined. I’m turning forty-seven this year. I need to enjoy life more.
Stop The Insanity!
As I awaited the start of the The Magnetic Fields show at Variety Playhouse on Saturday night the sound system played a song from my distant past (thirty-one years to be exact). I couldn’t quite place the song, but thanks to the Shazam app I was able to see that it was a “deeper cut” from The Psychedelic Furs’ “Talk, Talk, Talk” album (I wish that my friend Mike were an ITP-Reader so I could once again thank him for changing my musical tastes in the early 1980s).
It’s been awhile since I’ve listened to The Psychedelic Furs and I was somewhat (not) surprised to see that never upgraded my (bootlegged) copy of “Talk, Talk, Talk” from cassette to CD, therefore it is not part of my current-day iTunes library. Using Modern Technology I set out to change this by logging onto Amazon.com. I searched for The Psychedelic Furs and found “Talk, Talk, Talk” for $6.99 as a CD, and then was astonished to see that it costs $9.99 to but it digitally. I checked the iTunes store and found it digitally for $9.99 there as well.This makes no sense, no, it makes less than no sense! “Talk, Talk, Talk” is not in my iTunes library today because I cannot condone this pricing strategy.
The Magnetic Fields show was good. There were three distinct ways that it could have been better, including me not choosing a seat directly under an air-conditioning vent. After feeling chilly for over an hour I got out of my chair to find a warmer spot. However, the venue was packed for this show and there was nary a convenient seat in a warmer location to be had — so I left.
Back To Being A Homeowner
My day off yesterday was taken up mostly by yard work (though you’d be hard-pressed to notice a change) and napping. For the first time this season I fired up the lawn mower and pushed it over the weeds and dried leaves. In the “back forty” (an area a deem to make useful prior to pulling up my East Atlanta stakes) I ventured into an area I may have seen once last year. In that area I mowed over the onslaught of “English Ivy” aka “Privet”; it’ll be back, but so will I. I was saddened to see the two cedars planted a dozen years ago have long-since given up the ghost. Before I could tackle the “back forty” I had to lug some fallen branches to the front curb. One branch was actually so large and long (I’ll guess on the order of twenty feet) that I had to cut it into three segments in order to transport it.
With the mowing and the lugging done I brought out the leaf blower and cleaned off the carport, driveway, walkway. My house almost looks presentable. Oh who am I kidding, it looks shitty but less shitty than when I started. 😉
RealiTV Update: The Amazing Race : It’s Time To Ditch The Speed Bump
A SPOILER or two follows
I sat and watched The Amazing Race last night and wondered if I had missed Team Pseudo-Teacher doing their Speed Bump. When they finally had to do it, I once again was Amazed how simple it was — “Take this layout diagram and arrange this artwork the same way”? Seriously? I miss the days when teams spared elimination were forced to give up all of their possessions, save the clothes on their body, and continue to race like that.
Team Border Patrol should know that there are no real alliances in RealiTV, though I too would be miffed if I had a “Gentleman’s” agreement with one of the other teams and they reneged.
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fair, hoping my back clears up soon
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – Seen an estimate of the US deficit but not sure how much money that really is? Copy the figure into Math Cats’ “Really Big Numbers” and be amazed.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – short walk on Saturday
Morning Weigh-In – 204.8 pounds last Wednesday, no weigh-in this week
Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~7.5 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Pushups – 0
Situps – 0
Stairs – 0 flights
Days Of Bed-Making – 0
Vegetarian Days – 4
Carnivorous Days – 11
Pancakes Eaten – 3
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
Books I’ve Read/Heard In 2012
- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me — Mindy Kahling
- Flotsametrics and the Floating World: How One Man’s Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science — Curtis Ebbesmeyer
April Goals
– Lose at least three pounds (net weight loss)
– Completely recover from my sebaceous cyst surgery
– Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
– Not to get sick for the entire month (may be a moot point as of today)
– 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
– 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]
Wheels O Fire was a BEAUTIFUL day for a bike ride, Steve is way too fast, so he just had to wait for me occasionally. 47 miles was a good amount, and I heard when we were back in the parking lot that the 68 mile route the last 10 miles suck, so I didn’t feel bad about not doing the 68.
After we got home, Sarah (aka Piss Pour) stopped by, she managed to get into a crash on the Silver Comet. A stupid girl she was riding with actually ran into one of those poles in the middle of the path to keep cars/4 wheelers, etc off the path. There was a pileup that ensued, Sarah was a little banged up, her basically brand new bike survived, just needed a little wheel trueing (she ran over another girl before crashing). She was really worried about her bike more than herself. I swear I hear about more crashes at Silver Comet than anywhere else.
Amazing Race, I’ve decided I may actually want the Kentucky guys to win, they’ve grown on me. I understand the Border Patrol guys being annoyed, but they shouldn’t have been that pissed, they other teams were so far behind it really didn’t matter.
I don’t think that I can ride Silver Comet any longer. From East Atlanta I find it inconvenient and I’ve heard too many crash stories. I may have been in more than my fair share of incidents on City of Atlanta roads, but I still think I’m more comfortable on them.
I sort of like the Kentucky guys, though I think it would be a hoot if their whole “Aw Shucks” was just a rouse.
WoF was a very nice ride. After a slightly late start after somebody (me) forgot his shoes- it was a bit chilly to begin but quickly warmed up after the first few climbs. Well sagged, very well marked- with the late start we never got a glimpse of just how many people started, but there were 125-150 cars in the lot when we left. I haven’t ridden that far in quite a while, so I was ready to sit down at the end of 47, and that rumor that Barb heard about the last 10 of the 68 being harder than 6 Gap made us really happy with our choice.
Paulie, we didn’t have a hearth sighting, but a single freestanding jail wall. Seemed to be the only part of the building left.. got to be a story there.
Yesterday was a lazy day with only a little pasture mowing to get me off the sofa.
TAR just isn’t doing it this season, though it was nice to see folks excited to go “on safari” and enjoy the animals.
You’re not a real cyclist until you’ve crashed- bonus points for putting chainring marks in someone elses’ helmet!!
-FP
oh yeah – I almost forgot about that wall – it was pretty cool looking.
I think you can crash anywhere, but I can’t believe that girl ran into that post, I was just joking with Allan on the Easter ride about how screwed up you & your bike would be if you hit on of those things.
I think it was someone’s shoulder & arm….. not the helmet.
I rode the first 26 or so miles with Sarah and the ladies, glad I turned around when I did. They were trying to talk me into the entire 75, which would have been a bad idea since I don’t think I’ve ever rode more than 32ish before…that being said I did manage 52 on Saturday.
On the way back in I did see a hammerhead run into an old man. I don’t know how he did it, it was only 5 miles out and at an intersection (so he shouldn’t have been going fast)…on did I mention it was an old man with a cane…ugh.
I don’t find the Silver Comet inconvenient, out I20 to I285, boom, you’re there.
Today I need to get a new battery for the Garmin sensor, I wish I had been going 44 mph on the trainer yesterday but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t.
I once was sprinting with Sal and my computer hit 128- of course it was right under the high voltage wires… so maybe I wasn’t going quite that fast.
I logged 36 miles Saturday on the road and 22 Sunday at the Wheelhopper, good weekend of riding. Weather was absolutely fantastic!
I rode with a lady on my Tour de Cure team who has lost over 100 pounds and has a whole new outlook on life, really cool to see that first hand.
I’m just not a fan of the silver comet trail, granted I love what they have done by providing space for people to get out and move. I just do not like riding any sort of distance, to me it is incredibly boring, flat, and way too many people, dogs, rollerbladers, etc. to dodge.
I’m with you Bob, while it certainly serves its’ purpose, not something I seek out.
Once you are further out from Smyrna, there isn’t that many walkers, etc., but you have to drive so far to get there, it seems to defeat the purpose for me most of the time.
If you need to get your butt used to sitting on the saddle, SCT is perfect for that.
So Bob – how was Puff’s trail? Did you get a good turn out after his OVER-ADVERTISING of it? I was seriously thinking about de-friending him on FB, that was WAY TOO MANY posts about the trail.
Granted it isn’t the most exciting ride but, for it is about the only place I feel safe (and Jerry won’t freak out) if I need to ride alone. I do agree it is too crowded the first 5 or 6 miles (for biking)…I do like it further out.
Anyway, I’m from Indiana so it really isn’t that flat, I had only 182 feet of elevation gain over a 26 mile route last weekend. 🙂
Forgetting that I was involved in a life-altering crash on my Stone Mountain loop nothing beats the convenience of leaving one’s house, doing a (long-ish) ride which ends at one’s house. No putting bikes on cars. No driving to and from a start point. A quick strip down and into the shower to clean off. And if you are in a life-altering wreck your car is already at your house. It’s perfection defined.
Puff n Stuff did advertise the hell out of that trail. I think we had close to 20 riders with 3 virgins. Not too bad. The first half of the trial was really good, did some tunnels that I did not know where there. About 3 quarters through you could tell he was over it and just did a road ride back to his house (there was a lot of single track he missed). Overall it was a fun day.
For cycling safety I love living in Roswell, there are so many cyclists around that most drivers are aware and leave you alone. I rarely have problems.
Paulie we need to get you back out riding. How about the Roswell Mayor’s ride on the 29th?
I’m from Iowa & I think it is flat….. but maybe Iowa has more slightly rolling hills that Indiana.
hey Paulie (& anyone else) – the Roswell Mayor’s Ride is Sunday 4/29, it is a 20 or 40 mile route – a little on the hilly side, but hills are good for us – I’m told.
then, if you are so inclined, there is a Crit to watch all afternoon (and you can take pictures with that fancy camera since the riders go by so fast)……. Allan & I are leaning towards riding it, and Bob has actually signed up for it & everything.
Even with the Comet being safe, I’m guessing it can still get pretty boring- even Stone Mountain, with all its hills gets boring after a while. That was one nice thing about the Saturday ride- except for the top of Pine Mtn.- all new roads.
Though I haven’t gotten assigned to work the Roswell crit, I’m expecting I will, and that will mean either on stage as a judge or in the pit- always fun.
Steve – come early & ride, then go work. You can shower at TJ & Mary’s – their house is only about 10 minutes away.
Tempting, but I think the first race is 10, which means I have to be on site at 9.
Whew, just catching up after a meeting. The 29th is “iffy” for me because my app needs to be ready for delivery for the first weekend in May.
I’ll tip my hand a bit (because I forgot to mention this in the posting), come May I am starting “Leaving at 4 on the 4th workday of the week” (again with the fancy title). Essentially I plan to work no later than 4pm on Thursdays so that I can go home, stop at the East Atlanta Farmers Market, and cook a lovely dinner while watching television (may finally watch all of those “Top Chef Canada” episodes I downloaded last year). This plan will also work well for the three-day weekends I plan to take throughout the remainder of the year.
did any of you see this yet? Awesome obituary
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/denverpost/obituary.aspx?n=michael-blanchard-flathead&pid=156944598
To quote one ITP blogger Paulie ” I’m dedicated. I’m determined. I’m turning forty-seven this year. I need to enjoy life more.”
Now come ride the Roswell Mayor’s ride than go to the office if you need to 🙂
Well stated Bob, I couldn’t have said it better myself. 🙂
Barb, I’ll be updating my obit shortly and plagiarizing the hell out of that!
Not a bad idea to write your own obit – that way everyone knows how you feel. Allan wants his funeral to be a party where everyone tells stories of what an ass he was to them!
Allan? Really? Guess I better start keeping track though it hasn’t happened yet.
okay- maybe he just wants me to give a long speech, cuz I have plenty of examples! HAHAHAHA