I’m playing office den mother again today by providing lunch for the lunch crowd. With one of the normal lunch crowd on vacation and two of them having moved away my crockpot full of beef (chuck steak), potatoes, carrots, onion, and spices should be sufficient to fill all bellies.
I started the cooking process at 2:30am (I had only fallen asleep about an hour before) and have safely transported the crockpot to the office where it will cook on low until lunchtime. I hope that it tastes as good as it smelled when I woke up this morning.
Today’s Daily Challenge
Hold a five-minute meeting with yourself to check in on your goals for the year.
Financial experts recommend a mid-year check-up for your taxes, investments, and other money matters. You can take the same approach with your personal goals and expectations for the year. If there’s something you want to achieve in 2014, you still have half the year to make it happen! A mid-year meeting is one way to ensure that when December rolls around, you can look back on the year and feel satisfied with what you’ve accomplished.
Uh oh, I’m in trouble.
I’m Still Nuts About Nuts
Walnuts, pistachio nuts, almonds, cashews, filberts, yum!
When I purchased a rather large container of unsalted mixed nuts from Target last week I knew that I’d have to practice restraint by having them within arms’ reach for over eight hours a day. So far, so good.
The nuts, along with one of the bananas I purchased at Target yesterday saved my bacon this morning when I realized that I forgot to bring in the hardboiled egg that I was planning to eat for breakfast. Wow, because I was able to not eat too many nuts it almost sounds as if I ate a sensible breakfast!
I’m A Big Fan Of Fans
I’m not sure why I never thought of this earlier but yesterday I decided that it would be beneficial for me to own a second box fan. I purchased my first box fan sometime early in my ownership of the ITP estate, probably to dry out a spill on the basement carpet many, many moons ago.
Having a second box fan should allow me to create an accelerated cross-ventilation system in order to suck in some of the evening cool temperatures as I push our some of the house’s warmer ones. Of course this system will only work until it’s time for me to start use air conditioning.
I’m Not So Passionate About Passion Tea
At Target, geez it sounds as if I am living my life there, I also purchased some Tazo “Passion” tea. On the box it says that the tea is “an exuberant herbal infusion of hibiscus, orange peel, rose hips and passion fruit flavors” and that it is also caffeine free. The purchase of decaffeinated tea is part of my strategy to limit my caffeine intake by (temporarily) giving up coffee. Though I can’t see myself reaching to drink “Passion” tea often this strategy is working well so far as I’ve had no coffee in nearly two weeks.
Today’s Personal Project
Going to see Old 97’s at Terminal West tonight.
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – not bad, need to get my work mind back in action because it’s been lacking of late
Current Music – listening to today’s stage of the Giro d’Italia
Website Of The Day – Did you know that Atlanta has a rugby team? The Atlanta Rhinos play a very short season which is just about to get underway. If all goes to plan I will be going to the June 14th home game played at Silverback’s Stadium
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – 216 pounds (2014-05-26)
Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~25.5 miles
Wheel Mileage – 0.0 miles
Gym Visits – 6 (6 cardio)
Marta Rides To Work – 1
Bike Rides To Work – 0
May Goals
– have European trip plans carved in stone
– clean my basement to the point where I could have people over
– hire a plumber to fix all of the sinks at the ITP Estate
– go away two of the weekends
2014 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
– 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
– Sell the ITP Estate (tentative)
2014 Goals: Unmeasurable
– Continue to 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)
Books I’ve Read/Heard In 2014
- “Johnny Carson” by Henry Bushkin
- “Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative” by Austin Kleon
- “Chaos: Making a New Science” by James Gleick
- “What’s So Funny?: My Hilarious Life” by Tim Conway
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
Let’s see, there was some running last night (at home, not George’s) so tractor mowing of the big pasture (sad when the weeds are almost 2 feet high) and some TV watching (I know how all of you love to dance… our favorite show “So you think you can dance” started back last night. These are real folks with amazing talent and it’s some amazing dance.
That is all, except some more work for today. Ugh.
-FP
Paulie – why, why, why, why are you not using your air conditioning?
and Steve – give up the man card, first American Idol, now the dancing show???
I did get a short (15 mile) bike ride in, was passed by a small group right before I was done, thought one looked like Mini Brew. And sure enough it was, as I passed her in my car on the way back home.
I’m not using my A/C because it’s not quite hot enough yet (for me), and my unit has never been capable of keeping my house very cool (sometimes my house is a lot like living in a tent) and I don’t want to invest in a new one. I may have someone out to check out the freon (or whatever pumps through these things) pressure soon.
Hey Martha, please let me know if there is anything you’d like to bring to your house on Saturday, in addition to your coffee mug of course.
It’s not at all like “Dancing with the Stars”, more contemporary, hiphop, ballet, funk- much more athleticism. We really enjoy it.
I woke up this morning, not sure if I should workout, it was either going to be the jolt I needed or the nail in my coffin. I went, but I’m still not sure which way it went today 🙂
We’re cool for Saturday. Going to try to keep it simple, snacks and beer in the afternoon, then around 5 or so Jerry will pull the brisket and pork off the BGE. If there is something special you want to eat or drink, bring it, otherwise, we’re good.
Side note: I’m pulling together photos from my house over the last 12 years. ITP readers are in a LOT of them, usually surrounded by even more beer bottles 🙂 I’m looking forward to christening the new place, Sunday Morning Run style.
sorry Steve – you still need to give up the man card.
and Martha – its looking like Allan isn’t working Saturday now, so I will have a date for the party.
Lol, Steve has a man card?? He told me he was a lesbian. 🙂
And speaking of Allan, what’s the rumor about him going back to the airport??
oh yeah – its a crazy convoluted saga……… but if he ever gets any official orders, he is getting sent the airport. But – as a Lieutenant. Best part of all this, he will get to start sleeping at night!