9/11

Morning all. This being the anniversary of one of the darker days in our country’s history I wish I had thought to wear my NYC Firemen t-shirt.

Today’s Daily Challenge
Take three deep breaths before starting to eat one meal today.

Many of us are in such a rush that even when we make time to sit down and eat, we dive right in and don’t give our food the attention it deserves. By taking just a few extra seconds to center ourselves and calm down, we can get more pleasure from the food and be more mindful while we eat.

Okay, sure. Why not.

Nothing Spectacular
I got to watch a liveblog for most of yesterday’s Apple announcement. Unfortunately what was announced was almost verbatim to what had been previously leaked. Neither the 5C nor the 5S are compelling enough (even with the 5S’ improved camera) for me to cash in my iPhone 5 and extend my AT&T contract another two years. I have no immediate plans to stop developing for the platform, but this current release of iPhone hardware just didn’t thrill me.

Don’t be surprised if you read in this blog that I have done a little profiteering and cashed out on my Apple stock. A smarter version of me would have done so when the stock eclipsed the $700/share price, I may wait until the price climbs over $500/share again. If only I still had the shares I sold at $230 and $320 respectively. 😉

ITP Flickr Pic
“Hey, It’s Billy Dee!”
Hey, It's Billy Dee!
Digging back to DragonCon since I have nothing newer.

Home Is Where The Mess Is
This evening I have do a chore for the greater good of the neighborhood and a few for the selfish good of yours truly.

Last night I returned home to find that the City of Atlanta’s Sanitation Department managed to break a bottle on my street very the mouth of my driveway. I managed to sweep it up into a small pile in the center of the street but could not find a way to scoop it up. Tonight I will attempt to finish the job.

Tonight I will also try to do a few tasks solely for the greater good of me. Due to neglect my basement has become a complete mess. Ideally I’d like to have it ready for company or parties at all times, though neither of those activities occurs to great extent these days. Regardless, it is my desire to clean up the area so that I can watch the big screen using my AppleTV. While performing cleanup duties I also hope to identify at least one box’s worth of stuff to donate to Goodwill.

Today’s Personal Project
Try to figure out how to toughen my feet. Start cleaning up my basement.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – Meh. Very concerned about the mass of fat that is my lower torso. Doing things to rid myself of this (in too slow of a time), but also doing things to help it remain.
Current Music – listening to a recent KEXP “Music That Matters” podcast
Website Of The Day9/11 Memorial. Now if we could only manage to figure out a way to regain the freedoms we lost since that day twelve years ago…
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – I check again some day. For today I’ll just call myself morbidly obese

Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~4.75 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 0 (0 cardio)

Days Of Bed-Making – 0

Vegetarian Meals – 10
Carnivorous Meals – 13

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]

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17 Responses to 9/11

  1. Barb says:

    So, what’s the difference between the 5S & the 5C? (as usual, I just ask, I know I could look it up). I’m sure one day I’ll need a new phone, I just don’t know if I want to get a 5 & have to get all new cords & charging crap.

    I took some things to Goodwill a couple days ago, a brand new fondue set (I’m pretty sure we got as a wedding gift) that we haven’t ever used. An electric wok, I have no idea wher that came from. And a bag of clothes. I try to take a bag of clothes everytime I go, I have so many things that I don’t wear, but its so hard to make them go away.

    I think it may be a meatloaf on the Egg type of night tonight. Why I decided to make a meatloaf, I’m not sure, probably saw some ground beef on sale at Kroger.

  2. Paulie [eatl/ga] says:

    5C = 5 surrounded by new, colorful plastic bodies
    5S = latest & greatest hardware

  3. Martha says:

    Re: your feet

    I bought the “Foot Log”, it’s miserable but it (sort of) feels good at the same time. I’m not using it right now, I can drop it off if you’d like to give it a try. It takes some time, you’ve got to build up to putting any pressure on it…

    I just sold a bunch of SAIC stock and cleared out a mutual fund…no idea if I made or lost money, just glad it was there.

    I’ve been slowly putting stuff aside or just tossing, in anticipation of the renovation…with any luck I can start picking up the pace very soon. There is a lot of stuff in the house that is going straight to the curb, its not worth moving or donating…

  4. Paulie [eatl/ga] says:

    Off-Topic:

    – My left foot hurts a lot today, morning walk to blame.
    – Wish I had dressed up a bit more (in t-shirt/shorts) because if I had I might have gone to The Shed for dinner. It’s been some time since I have gone there.
    – Still looking for an opportunity to eat at Gunshow.

  5. Steve says:

    Boy! The alarm went off really early (normal time) this morning- I stopped by the Garage-Majal last night and picked up my CX bike and chatted with Barb for a bit, then headed East towards Norcross. Almost an hour of rush hour. I don’t know how people do it day after day. Barb, I think your back way would have been quicker… you win.

    The meeting was fairly uneventful, but didn’t break up until almost 9:30 and by the time I got home, I had just a few minutes to unwind a bit before lights out. Hence the early alarm…

    Allan did a very nice job of tweaking the shifting on the bike and it looks like new. Probably never be this clean again. Maybe this evening I’ll take my “new” bike out and chase the horses!!

    -FP

  6. Barb says:

    what is Gunshow & where?
    And – does The Shed have a dress code? Or, are you just trying to dress to impress the ladies when you are there?

  7. Paulie [eatl/ga] says:

    Steve, I do it every day and wonder why/how I still do it.

  8. Paulie [eatl/ga] says:

    Gunshow is Kevin Gillespe’s new restaurant in Glenwood Park. As I understand it they serve small plates (tapas style) of his food. It sounds like a better place for a group dinner than a solo dinner.

    No dress code, dressing to impress. I was doing this for work too until My foot injury and the weight gain that has followed.

  9. Barb says:

    Well – we like tapas style restaurants, maybe we will have to pick a date & come ITP?

    sorry Steve – I should have insisted you listen to me, you can get over to the Chattahoochee (going under 400) in about 20 minutes. The only place that might bog down in on Azalea there by the parks & crossing Roswell Rd.

  10. Martha says:

    Paulie you may be in luck. The street sweeper are in my neighborhood today, maybe they will hit EAV as well.

  11. Jenka says:

    The Shed has no dress code, people are always there in shorts and t-shirts. I haven’t gone on Wednesdays since the demise of Slider Night. I like fried chicken, but of course I never allow myself to eat it.

    Gunshow isn’t just tapas, it’s tapas served dim sum style. In other words, waiters pass by with trays of small plates, they pass your table and if you want one of the plates you take one. People are saying it’s delicious, but when sometimes each wee plate is $6-11 each, it can add up without you really knowing it. Definitely better with a group so you can trade bites.

  12. Steve says:

    And Paulie, you have the MARTA option and no real excuse except wanting to go drinking after work, so you really should start considering MARTA.

  13. MARTA is an option, just not a great one for me. When I rode it years ago it took me an hour door-to-door (assuming no breakdown); driving in takes me 35 minutes (unless I leave later than normal), driving home takes me 1 hour . Further, if I am taking MARTA I am limited in my post-work options.

    Back from errands (Home Depot?) and lunch, wondering why it costs so much, $480 round trip, to fly from Atlanta to Salt Lake City for a mid-October flight.

  14. Steve says:

    See what Southwest has. That’s low season, unless there is a Mormon convention going on.

  15. Barb says:

    if you can’t play around with your departure & return days, it gets pricy. I’d think you could get a ticket in the mid 300s, but I haven’t bought a plane ticket to SLC in a few years. I’m looking at San Juan or St. Thomas for next April, (final destinatiopn is St. Croix) that ticket seems to be in the $500-$600 range.

    I got to run to the airport for my lunch break today, and when did it become the thing to do to not pass a funeral procession on the interstate? It took me FOREVER to get to the airport.

  16. I could be flexible, but it would cost me another night at a hotel which may negate the flight savings.

    I always thought that you stay behind a funeral procession regardless, but why is it on the interstate and if it must take the interstate couldn’t it at least travel near the speed limit?

  17. Barb says:

    if its just 1 or even 2 lanes, I could understand staying behind. But, when the hwy is 4-5 lanes, and it causes a huge traffic jam (& probably some accidents), it makes no sense.

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