Hurdles

I’m still trying to clear some hurdles in life, like getting past this tendonitis, and trying to train myself — in iOS development, and not to go out to drink beer and eat unhealthy food after each workout. I’ve not been very successful at any of these ventures.

Today’s Daily Challenge
Draw ten imaginary circles with your right leg, then switch and draw ten with your left leg.

Our hip muscles are connected to the muscles of the back, abdomen, legs, and backside. They’re also susceptible to wear and tear, so it’s important to work those hips. Drawing imaginary circles with your leg strengthens your hips and knees, and your thighs feel the burn, too!

Into my second stint at physical therapy I’m quite the expert at exercise such as this.

So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Yesterday I finished listening to So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love — by Cal Newport.

The book is about how our society’s focus on “doing what you are passionate about” can be dangerous if you don’t have the chops to back up your passion. The book suggests building the skills necessary and make incremental steps in order to end up with a career that thrills you instead of shooting for the moon all at once.

Ever wonder why I continue to mention trying to get myself to watch training videos for iOS development? It’s all about building my “career capital.”

This book was suggested reading by Merlin Mann, a one-time productivity guru, who plans on discussing on a future episode of his podcast Back To Work.

ITP Flickr Pic
“Junk Mail”
Junk Mail
If “E-mail from senders in your organization will never be treated as junk e-mail” then how did it wind up in my “Junk E-mail” folder, Microsoft?

Meet The Geeks
Tonight I’ll be fighting my way down to Hypepotamus for the monthly meetup of the Atlanta iOS Developers. My goal tonight is to start asserting myself more in the group and to abstain from the “on-after” beer drinking / food eating at Cypress Street Pint & Plate.

The Rain Could Finally Ruin Something For Me
I am considering skipping town this weekend, specifically to Mineral Bluff, Georgia.

Why Mineral Bluff? Because I was planning on renting The Wee House for a couple of nights before my birthday. C’mon, it’s called “The Wee House,” how apropos for someone who’s been stuck with the hash name “Wee Little Bit” for over a decade…

I was also considering going against the advice of those who tell me that I should not ride my bicycle until this nefarious tendonitis subsides (will this ever happen?). Mineral Bluff is up in the middle of nowhere and would provide quite the challenge for a rider who has not saddled up since March.

But then there’s the rain, or at least the threat of rain. The current forecast puts the chance of thunderstorms in Mineral Bluff at 50% for Saturday and Sunday. I really don’t know if I want to blow the $200 in order to spend a few nights away (alone) if it’s going to rain. I guess that I’ll make a final decision on Thursday.

Today’s Personal Project
Sign up for Big Nerd Ranch’s “Advanced iOS Programming” course; it’s expensive (for an individual) and will consume five of my paid vacation days, but it’s all in the name of career capital.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fatty fat fat fat, though impressed that I’ve returned to working out
Current Music – listening to last week’s “Sound Opinions” podcast
Website Of The DayForbes Magazine wrote this article about “career capital” and Newport’s book.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – strength training
Morning Weigh-In – I COMPLETELY forgot to weigh myself before working out last night. Grrrrrr!

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0.0 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 4 (0 cardio)

Days Of Bed-Making – 0

Vegetarian Meals – 13
Carnivorous Meals – 23

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

July Goals
– get my foot to stop hurting
– return ITP-Reader Martha’s coffee percolator to her

- return ITP-Terri’s crutches to her

- not get sick

- finish at least two of the books I am reading

- take at least one box of things to Goodwill

- post at least ten photos in the blog

- drink a lot less alcohol

- prepare a house repair plan and budget

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

  1. Pages 1.7 for iPad (Timestompers Guide) — by Sean Wells
  2. 60 Mountain Lion Tips — by David Sparks and Brett Terpstra
  3. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business — by Charles Duhigg
  4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy — by Douglas Adams
  5. Amazing Things Will Happen: A Real-World Guide on Achieving Success and Happiness — by CC Chapman
  6. So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love — by Cal Newport

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

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16 Responses to Hurdles

  1. Brother Ronnie says:

    Paul, See if you can call the Big Nerd Ranch’s “Advanced iOS Programming” course organizers and negotiate a lower “corporate rate” for yourself. Remember, if you don’t try it wont happen.
    PS: Yes you B’Day card will be late.

  2. Steve says:

    Do not, I say again, DO NOT ride your bike if it is not within doctor’s orders. Nothing like a little 40 miles or so to screw up what you have managed to accomplish so far.

    We attempted to do a little fiberglass repair on the trailer last night. Someone (me) hit the back edge ever so slightly with the bucket of the front-end loader while mowing a couple of months ago. It’s only a decorative piece, but still, the mizzus wants it repaired. The rain had other ideas, but we did managed to get the surface prepared and cleaned- of course, we’ll have to repeat that before actually laying on the new fiberglass. Never done anything like this, so it will be an education.

    Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday!! Fried cheese curds at Georges!! Be there!

    -FP

  3. Martha says:

    The Rain Could Finally Ruining Something For Me?? Really?

    Not much to report today, just needed to point out the above 🙂

  4. Stacy says:

    “Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday!! Fried cheese curds at Georges!! Be there!”

    Um, yeah. This is my siren call right here!

  5. Barb says:

    I have cheese curds in my freezer still – might have to fry those up one of these days. Probably will wait until football season starts again.

    I suggested to Allan that we have spaghetti one day again (its been forever), and he decided I need to make lasagna instead. That’s what I did half of last night, that takes more time than I thought it would. So anyway, I have a huge pan of lasagna ready to bake for dinner tonight for dinner. I joked that now he will hyave food while I’m gone to Iowa, since he can’t survive without me. (hahahaha)

  6. Paulie [eatl/ga] says:

    Spellchecker didn’t warn me, Martha. :/

    I want to ride!!!!! I am starting to believe the foot will never heal.

    You’ll read why tomorrow, but I will probably skip George’s tomorrow night. Call it “Bad planning.”

  7. Stacy says:

    Barb, you joke, but most jokes have some truth to them! 😉 But Iowa? When are you going? Didn’t you just get back? Geez, woman! How do you find the energy?

  8. Debbie says:

    “Decorative piece” my ass!! 😉 It was really decorative sticking straight up in the air for the last two months. Grumble, grumble, grumble!

    We need to identify an August weekend for Summer Slacker! Hopefully Barb will finally stay home for a little bit after this weekend and we can get the Groves on board!

    The weekend of the 25th is out for us, but any other is fair game at the moment.

  9. Not that I am the SSS catalyst by Saturdays 8/10, 8/17, 8/31 look good for me.

  10. Barb says:

    Stacy- well Allan can survive on ramen noodles, pretzels & blocks of cheese with out me……..

    Just going to Cedar Rapids for a long weekend,

    I need to visit my parents (& help my mom with her computer) & it’s my 30th class reunion this weekend.
    And yes – we did just get back, and I don’t have the entergy, but I bought a way too expensive plane ticket, so I gotta go.

    August weekends – Maybe 8/3 (I may have to work), 8/10 would work but we can’t spend the night, would have to come down Friday night or Sat. morn. No 8/17 (we will be in VA).
    Yes- I’m using up a bunch of vacation, but I can’t take more than a day or so between Labor Day & December, so it just worked out most of it is being used all together. I can’t roll too much, HR gets annoyed…..

  11. Debbie says:

    Then let’s plan on 8/10. Whoever wants to come down Friday night is welcome.

  12. bob says:

    Dang, I can’t do 8/10 that is the Wheelhopper 369th trail. I’m good for 8/3, 8/24, or 8/31

  13. Steve says:

    On Saturday, Bob?

  14. Barb says:

    Wheelhopper is that Saturday? What’s up with that? Its ending at Naked Chef’s, right? (Right on the silk sheets route for everyone else……..)

  15. bob says:

    Yeah, we had to move it to a Saturday as that is the only date Chef and Kibbles had available.

  16. Barb says:

    okay- 8/3 is now open for us – I got a girl here to agree to work for me.

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