Unquiet Desperation

photo credit: Todd Mecklem

Traditionally, I’ve taken the month of December and gone on an infofast. I’ve shut down my instant messaging programs, turned off Twitter, and read email only sparingly.  It feels good to get off line once in a while, and I heartily recommended it.

But not this year.  This year, I’m doing something a little different. It’s probably not a big deal to most of you, but this December, I’m striving for zero frivolous spending.

What does that mean? No stopping for coffee, candy, quick snacks of any kind. No spending at all when I’m on the commute to or from work, except to fill up the car with gas.  Buying no comics, books, toys, online goodies…nothing. Zero spending on myself.

It’s a small thing, but I know that I’ve got terrible fiscal discipline.  It’s just so easy to drop by the Starbucks and grab a coffee on the way in. It all adds up, and I want to save my pennies for a rainy day.

Besides…with the economy the way it is, I might just need them. Wish me luck!

This is a little twitterfiction that I started last Sept. for fun. Cmar was awesome with the medical side of things. This was tweeted over the course of three hours. I apologize for the odd formatting: it’s twitter, after all.¹ For the curious, I was at the Starbucks on W6th, staring out at the intersection of W6th and St. Clair.

codeshaman: Watching a guy who doesn’t look too well shamble across the parking lot. Would think he was homeless except for the business suit.

codeshaman: Damn…the guys suit look like he was rolling a gutter or something.

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: there are a lot of well-dressed homeless people downtown atlanta

codeshaman: @sambearpoet Yeah, Sam…but this guy is kinda pale…and I think he is chasing a pigeon. It’s just weird.

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: wild

codeshaman: @sambearpoet Holy, shit…dude just bit a pedestrian. This cannot be good.

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: 911?

(more…)

1. Note: I would have kept going, but when I reaized it was Sept. 11, I thought that I should probably cut it off.[back]

Counting calories is an exercise in shock and awe.

One thing Cathy has me doing is writing down what I eat. Being a geek, I decided to use FitDay, because then I also get the calorie counting and nutrition information at the same time. Also, it’s free, which is a major bonus.

if you want to really change your habits, use this tool, or one like it. You’ll be shocked at how many calories you’ve been taking in. I know I was. For instance, at least three times a week, I would go down to Starbucks¹ and grab a large mocha and a cookie.

Large Mocha: 346 calories
Chocolate Chip Cookie: 192 calories
Total: 538 calories

If you figure that, when trying to lose weight, a man is suppose to cut back to 1500-1800 calories, and a woman should be between 1200-1500…that’s a lot of calories. And that’s just a mocha and a cookie. Consider the other food you might have when going out to lunch…

1. I wish there was a Phoenix nearby, but alas, there is not[back]