New stuff helps keep life interesting~~ New stuff I’ve done over the last couple of weeks include:
- Sending special packages completely self-serve via USPS
- I was not even aware such a thing existed. The machine has the same look and feel of an ATM. Completely interactive, walking you through every possible option, parcel size, zip, weight, etc. In under four minutes I had two mail labels printed and packages dropped off. That vs. standing in a line of a dozen people or so. I can probably get behind USPS downsizing substantially–fixed costs are known for those machines and variable costs likely predicted much more accurately than staff variable costs. Plus they don’t expect a retirement plan; just a final resting spot in a recycle bin
- Hook up a credit card reader for AMPS+
- Yup; I now take M/C, Visa, Discover and AMEX. Look at me~~ semi-professional! For a lot of folks basic credit/debit card transactions are a minimum expectation~~ I’m right with them. I’m still on the fence for a merchant Pay-Pal account; while consumer ones are free; the company makes its money off it’s merchant accounts and I’m not quite able to justify it.
- Get up at 4:00a.m. for a run~~ not a race; just a run.
- Had my first running date call this week. That was huge to me; to have one of the group reach out directly to me for a one-off group run. A good feeling. Oh, the 4:00a.m. thing. It’s standard for nearly every ‘race’ to begin by 7:00a.m.; most between May-October by 6:00. Folks are conditioned to get in a workout as early as 4:30; it’s rare to get anyone to start past 7:00. Still….4:00a.m. hurt. Think that was the first time I ever took a shower before a casual run; had to simply to wake up.
- Rent Flight of the Concords
- Got turned onto them by Ryan about…..hmmm…..4-5 years ago. Back when about the only way you could get them was five minute snippets on the world wide web. Now they’ve got a couple DVDs. Bret and Jemaine make for horrible TV~~ but cracks me up the entire time. They’d be on my list to see live.’Item one…how to increase your American Fan Base’, says their manager…..Bret, ‘What fanbase?’ I can relate.
- Violate City Barriers
- More on this later…but as part of an effort to pursue Platinum Bike status the city is rapidly expanding bike lanes and paths. Even in a time of reduced government spending the city continues this effort which is amazing. Several sections of rough/unfinished/graveled/access road type path are being revamped and blacktopped to join other existing trails. This’ll end up creating a nearly 25 mile loop that I can get to from the drive. I’m so stoked~~ having left a place with unlimited access to trails right from the drive I’ve missed that. Back to the violation….I run with a guy who works for the city so have started getting inside info. Sidebar~~ 50-54 age grouper and has a sub 3:00 at age 50. Yup, at age 50. He said the city has a hard deadline of October to finish but I’ve now been on every meter of it and there’s less than a mile of connectors still to finish. I had to hike-a-bike over two fences, around a backhoe and under several strips of yellow caution tape on my Friday a.m. ride~~ but managed to verify its down to less than a mile of finish work. Very excited.
- Use my first Groupon
- In an effort to fully embrace technology~~ (may as well~~ with a MacBook, iPad2, drawer of ipods and an iphone I’d probably have to say I don’t fear technology change) I opened a Groupon account a few weeks ago. I’ve bought a few things and finally had the chance to use one. Above average restaurant, great price/deal. Looking forward to getting my Groupon haircut this week!
- Shopped at a local meatmarket
- Some folks from Wisconsin moved down here in the early 90’s. Shortly thereafter they opened Dickmans on the EastSide. A few years ago they opened up another branch on the NW side. As expected….great service, busy, a little more expensive than BigBoxMart. We had the bonus of being there when John the regular came in. He was preparing an Italian feast~~ he explained it; it came out of a cookbook that was spawned from The Sopranos. He walks in with an open beer, another couple he tosses up on the counter for the guys working and a big order. Nice guy~~ made me feel…..hmmm; can’t say like home since this is home but the whole situation gave a homey feeling. We walked out with a couple bags of stuff we probably didn’t need. Oh, and the brats and twice-backed tater’s were outstanding!
Doing new things helps your world expand. New experiences don’t always have to involve hopping on a plane and heading to the far corners; they can be done in your own back yard by simply availing yourself to possibilities.
Still,
AniMal