It’s Hitting The Fan

In the eleventh hour of development things are blowing up in my face. I knew it was too quiet last week. Subsequently I worked until nearly 8pm last and therefore blew off getting any exercise whatsoever.

Dinner last night was at Fellini’s in Candler Park before returning home to watch some videos before dozing off for a fitful night of sleep.

Today’s Daily Challenge
During your next shopping trip, plan to use the smallest shopping cart or basket you can.

Retailers know that when you have a shopping cart or basket, you subconsciously want to fill it up with items … whether you need them or not. With stores’ introduction of bigger carts and large baskets on wheels that you can pull behind you, it’s all too easy for things to move from the shelves and into your cart or basket. By limiting the space, you’ll resist temptation and save money.

On the rare occasion that I go shopping I usually use a hand basket.

Bugs Are Bugging Me
The night before there was a large cockroach in the house. Last night I killed another spider in my bedroom. Seriously? What is going on this year? Before you accuse me of keeping a dirty house, I will tell you that I generally do not. I’ve been a little more slack than in past years but I always take dirty plate and empty drinking vessels to the kitchen.

I wonder if this is all due to the rain, or if there is another explanation.

Confirmación Recibida
Last night I received confirmation of my room in Brussels at the Hotel Silken Berlaymont for next year’s Brussels Interhash. The odd thing about the confirmation is that the text of the email was in Spanish and I had to use Google Translate to confirm that I had actually received a confirmation. Of course I then opened the accompanying PDF attachment, which thankfully contained English, and my fears were put to rest. One oddity is that I didn’t get the cheaper €79/night room I requested, but I’ll settle for the €89/night room that I’ve been assigned.

Next up, figure out where else I want to visit and start planning air travel. I wonder if I can finally cash in my 100,000+ SkyMiles if I act soon enough.

ITP Flickr Pic
“Who You Gonna Call?”

I could use some ghost busting in my life, along with some bug busting — physical in my house and virtual in my code.

I Want To Be Amused
Tonight I’ll be heading up to the Gwinnett Arena for the Muse / Cage the Elephant show with a coworker. Because of the logistics of traveling from Perimeter Mall to Gwinnett Arena we will be carpooling, which means that I will be returning to the office after the show. While I failed to remember to pack my sleeping bag this may mean that I sleep at the office tonight. I was smart enough to bring tomorrow’s clothes with me, the ones I will also be wearing to another concert.

Today’s Personal Project
Enjoy myself at the concert tonight.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – nervous, this is the part of software development I don’t like
Current Music – silence as I try to bang this out quickly and start working
Website Of The Day – While Google Translate is far from perfect it is rather accurate.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – I suppose that I’ll check again some day

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

Days Of Bed-Making – 0

Vegetarian Meals – 4
Carnivorous Meals – 3

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

September Goals
– exercise no fewer than twenty days (and I’m starting on Day 3 so I have my work cut out for me)
– clean my basement to the point where I could have people over
– hire a plumber to replace my malfunctioning faucets

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
7. Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life — by Steve Martin
8. Who Am I: A Memoir — by Pete Townshend

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]