Gloomy Tuesday
Yesterday I went to the newish LA Fitness in Brookhaven. This LA Fitness sits in the mega-development that also houses a Publix, Costco, a movie theater, as well as multiple apartments which sit atop smaller businesses. This complex also occupies the land which used to house an Original Pancake House. I liked this LA Fitness, even though it was a bit warm using the treadmill on the second level, because it’s somewhat convenient and was packed with, well, “inspiration.”
Today’s Personal Project
Finish my workout planning.
Today’s Daily Challenge
Find a new place to walk.
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.
Wait a minute, is this thing telling me that I should be looking for a new job???
Making The Best Of A Bad Habit
I wanted something a little different last night and since The Argosy has yet to open in East Atlanta I dropped into The Elder Tree Pub for a platter of half-priced fish-and-chips and a beer. One of my favorite bartenders, Joy, was working so I sat and noshed while making a bit of small talk.
More importantly, I sat with my iPad and started working the details for my four-workout rotation. My goal is to have four complete workouts which I will do in rotation; on the days between these workouts I will do cardio either in the gym or outdoors when the weather improves.
It felt fantastic to finally remember and take care of this task. I will feel far less confused when I go into LA Fitness for my workouts now.
Does The Name “Richard Briers” Mean Anything To You?
I happened upon a headline yesterday informing me that Richard Briers had died.
In the days before we had cable tv I watched a lot of PBS. One of the shows I watched back then (and again as recently as two years ago) was called “Good Neighbors” or “The Good Life” if you lived on the side of the Atlantic from which it originated. “Good Neighbors” was a show staring Richard Briers as Tom Good in which he, and somewhat resistantly his wife, give up the creature comforts of office working and become self-sufficient in British suburbia. Believe it or not, this show shaped a lot of my opinions about what I wanted out of life.
In the 1990s Briers starred in another British series, one I’ve always wanted to find the time to watch in full, called “Monarch on the Glen,” which was more drama vis-a-vis comic-stylings of “Good Neighbors.”
Briers died at age 79.
Yesterday Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss died at age 80.
On Sunday my mother turns 83 and I am thankful that she is still around and am reminded again that I need to cherish these days.
ITP Flickr Pic
And now for something not that much different. Here’s another take on the space in which the Southern Food Tour was held on Saturday night.
This “panorama” was taken using an iPhone app called “Cycloramic.”
It Felt Like Starting Over
Because it was. Yesterday I wiped clean one of my MacBooks because I had buggered it up so badly on Sunday that Safari, Apple’s web browser, would crash upon each launch attempt. Luckily for me this is the laptop I use sparingly, so I wasn’t too concerned about losing any vital data. Even with that the effort required to format, install the OS as well as much software not purchased via the Mac App Store, and then back up took the better part of five hours.
RealiTV Update: I’m In Again For Now
I watched the first leg of this season’s The Amazing Race last night. I was mostly upset because at one time I was making plans to go to Bora Bora, but that fell through.
Of course the team I expected to do well and who I was hoping would go all the way got knocked out on the first leg. Ooops.
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay
Current Music – silence at the moment
Website Of The Day – You might not know it (yet) by looking at me, but I am trying to dress nicer. To do so I’ve been following the blog Put This On. I want to leave this world in style…
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – Friday’s weigh-in was 211.6 pounds
Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~2.5 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 7
Days Of Bed-Making – 0
Vegetarian Meals – 12
Carnivorous Meals – 30
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
February Goals
- lose five pounds
- walk/run no fewer that 100 miles
- read at least one book
- dissolve Sharpened Stone, LLC
- take at least one box of things to Goodwill
- post at least ten photos in the blog
- drink a lot less alcohol
2013 Goals: Measurable
- Get my weight down to 190 pounds so that I can wear a 36″ waist pants comfortably
- Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
- Dissolve Sharpened Stone
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Completely run at least one 10k
- Fix all (or at least most) of the things which are wrong with the ITP Estate
2013 Goals: Unmeasurable
- Simplify, simplify, simplify
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- 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)
- Take two real vacations, perhaps one abroad
- Take a more proactive approach to meeting women (read “stop being such a pussy”)
Books I’ve Read/Heard In 2013
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
From yesterday’s post: that new Emory Point development where the General Muir is is about 100 feet from my office building. So far I’ve only been to Which Wich? and Marlowe’s Tavern, but I’m planning to try the General Muir next.
From today: you’re missing an end parenthesis after “or ‘The Good Life’ if you lived etc.”
I was looking at your goals, 100 miles walking? That seems quite high, or is that just my perception?
Nice 3 day weekend, went by with a blink. Monster truck show on Saturday (yes, I am half redneck), drive to SC on Sunday for my grandmothers 99th birthday, Tellus science center and bike ride with Travis on Monday. Good times!
I have watched some of “Monarch of the Glen”- sort of a soap opera/comedy- seems like it was on reruns in the afternoon a few years ago and that’s when I watched.
A brief ride yesterday afternoon- I did not wear any tights and could have used some as it was a little chllier that I expected. When I have to put on more than a single layer, I lose my motivation to get outside.
I think Izzie is about over having Lola in the house- being the smallest, she is often the target of Lola and Brownie rough housing when they are outside. Lately, if I let Lola out, she is hesitant to go because they play so hard with her. Our yelling at them to play nice makes no impact. Poor Iz..
-FP
Thanks Jenka. I was wondering if that was near where you work.
Bob, one hundred miles was quite attainable when I was walking five days a week. I was doing five miles a day and needed to do that twenty times in a month. Now that I am working out with weights instead I need to adjust that number dramatically.
You are a better man than I am, Steve. I won’t brother bike again until at least March, even if it’s nice at the end of February — I am a bit superstitious about late-February rides these days…
We got sent home a little early yesterday, since it is an official holiday for work, I was getting paid double time. Manage a short little hike at Kennesaw with JoAnna, since it was such a nice day. Then, got TV time by myself, so I could watch those shows that Allan will give me shit about watching.
This week is finally a boring week for us, nothing on the calendar.
and – if the weather cooperates- Allan & I WILL be riding the road bikes Saturday – I want to the 60 miles on Saturday at the BRAG Spring Tune Up, I will need to get some miles in to even think that’s possible.
Dang, it looks as if I should have brought a jacket with me today. Stupid non-planning…
I think The Daily Challenge was actually telling you to try new LA Fitness places – and you did!
And THANK YOU, by the way. I belong to LA Fitness and I like the one by me but every once in a while I think: self, it would be much smarter to hit one up somewhere between work and home. Work out during the time you’d be sitting in traffic; by time you’re done, so will it be! Brookhaven would be crazy ideal for me (Norcross to Midtown commute)…I had no idea there was one there!
Nibbles can sympathize with Izzy. Everytime Nibbles and Logan try to play, the big guy gets too rough and it ends with Nibbles lunging & attacking Logan. If/when we ever get another dog, it will have to be on the smaller side or Nibbles will make my life miserable.
I’m running Charles Harris on Saturday, then a 2 hour recovery ride on Sunday. Not sure if it will be warm enough for the SCT but I hate the idea of two hours on the trainer. I’ve managed 265 miles on the bike this year but almost all of that has been indoors. There is a SAG supported ride Sunday at Fort Mountain, 56 miles, I thought about it for a second, it really doesn’t sound like much of a recovery ride for me.
56 at Fort Mountain – yeah, that won’t be very easy.
Izzie can retreat to under the horse trailer or vehicles, or head out into the pasture, but she’s a tough one and will dish it out as long as she can. Both Brownie and Lola can pick her up in their jaws and at that point we have to get involved.
Glad I could help, Stacy.
I plan to try the Midtown II?) LA Fitness some weekend in the near future.
Fifty-six at Fort Mountain? Ouch!
56 at Fort Mountain?? That’s jumping in the deep end!
Nibbles doesn’t retreat (of course there is only one dog tormenting her) she attacks…it’s funny and scary at the same time.
Thank you all for making me feel better about being a wimp about Sunday (probably be cold as hell up there also).
Martha, you are totally not being a wimp about Sunday. 56 miles up there in the cold is really hard core (more like foolish)!
30 on Silk Sheets sounds much more doable.
Some of those down hills would be brutally cold.
At least you would have the climbs to warm back up.
Silk Sheets might be an idea……. we can discuss further on friday when we have an idea of the weather.
I’m in.
Have fun, I’ll be in Raleigh. (whew!)
Sunday looks like a better day for a ride than Saturday.
There are a couple LA’s in Midtown, Paulie. One at Ansley Mall and one at 5th & Spring. Spring is nice but small. Ansley Mall has a decent laundromat a few steps away. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!