it begins again

I got a deal I couldn't pass up. I start with a personal trainer tomorrow afternoon.

Part of this stems from the fact I have an awesome Halloween costume in mind, but I can't quite pull it off yet. The other part is seeing the scale creep back up slowly and feeling distinctly uncomfortable about that.

Better days ahead...

urban renewal

I started this on Sunday but didn't get to finish it til now...
--

I've always been fascinated by urban renewal. While in NYC I had the fun of living in neighborhoods just before or during transitional times -- or as more cynical people would call it, "gentrification." From Astoria, a hidden jewel that started getting discovered when rent in Midtown got out of hand, to Harlem, a notoriously violent area that suddenly saw an influx of new business spurred by Bill Clinton moving his offices to 125th Street (after his original choice next to Carnegie Hall came under criticism for being too expensive), to Long Island City -- a largely industrial area full of warehouses storing things that hadn't been touched in thirty years that became a hipster's paradise with trendy bars, museums, huge apartments with cheap rent, and proximity to Silvercup Studios (no matter what you think about her, Sarah Jessica Parker eating lunch at a local diner after filming scenes for Sex and The City has a way of raising a neighborhood's profile).

So it was with great interest I read this article from this morning's AJC. It's all about the challenges that face the Five Points area of Atlanta.

It's a dirty, dingy section of town inhabited mainly by transients and hookers, but even more interesting is the successful refurbishing of areas barely a mile away. The area around the Aquarium, Centennial Park and the new World of Coke is almost pristine in comparison. The article is almost comical in the way everyone passes the blame to everyone else while no one does a thing. Comical, if it weren't so abhorrently pathetic.

I've been in the Five Points section exactly once, while looking for a Kinkos I ultimately never found (stupid inaccurate website!). My first thought was "Jeez, they could do SO much with this!" which was closely followed by "What did I just step in?"

In the aftermath of the Olympics, downtown Atlanta's future seemed sunny. While it's hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong, it's not too late. Model the renaissance of downtown Atlanta after the resurrection of Times Square... shove the bum off the bench and remove it. Keep people moving through the area and offer tax breaks to retailers and companies that set up shop there. Shift the plans for the Peachtree 'Magnificent Mile' down about three miles, and you're well on your way. And, similar to what NYC did with Disney, partner with a company with a specific attraction to sell so it doesn't break the bank. They've got a good start with the revitalization of Centennial Park -- now move it slightly to the east and Atlanta can start being the city it wants to be.

MVP

I've spent the past few days over at the other local location of the gym I work at. They've recently installed a new GM, someone who I've turned to many times for help and guidance when she was running the community outreach department for the company. She's been asking for me to come over and help get things organized and running properly for weeks, and I finally made it over this week.

When I first started working for the company I was basically a glorified front desk guy -- I had a title but no real responsibility. In those first months I kept asking for more responsibility, trying to integrate myself into the daily operational aspects. The place was a mess, with an overblown payroll, a largely unmotivated sales staff, and nightmarish organization. The newly installed area veep came down for a visit, and within three days had fired my GM, sales manager, and much of the operational staff. He pulled me and the child care director off to the side that night and put us in charge of the gym while the new GM was sought.

I took that opportunity and ran with it, doing everything in my power to make myself as indispensable as humanly possible. Now, two years and two promotions later, I'm the guy they're calling in to clean up the mess left behind by others.

In between projects I've had plenty of opportunity to talk to K, the other location's new GM. The past few weeks have been messy, complex and difficult for her, and she seems so relieved to have me around -- she's constantly asking for my advice on how to handle certain issues, where to find the answers she needs, and my opinions on her support staff. It's interesting how the roles have reversed. At one point, she looked at me and said "God, it's so nice to have the company's most valuable asset here to help me."

I took a second to search the statement and intonation for irony -- nope, clean.

In two years, my profile has raised from dopey front desk agent to MVP.

Feels good.

answers

1) Flight 175 crashed into the south tower of the WTC. Which airline was it?

United

2) What do the initials stand for in J.D. Salinger's name?

Jerome David

3) Vivien Leigh won Oscars for which two movies?

GWTW and A Streetcar Named Desire (I missed this one)

4) What element is indicated on the periodic table by the letters Cu?

Copper

5) Name the four largest non-internet retailers in the US.

Walmart, Home Depot, Kroger, Target (I got half right)

6) Simon and Garfunkel changed the name in their hit song to "Mrs. Robinson" after it was picked up for The Graduate. Who was the song originally written for?

Mrs. Roosevelt

7) In 1972, the Miami Dolphins played a perfect season. Who did they beat in the Super Bowl?

Washington Redskins

8) If you were born today, September 11, what is your astrological sign?

Virgo

9) On The Simpsons, who shot Mr. Burns?

Maggie

Mom gets a cookie!

not trivial

I made it through the day without really mentioning what happened six years ago, or talking about it in depth. This seems to be the preferred mentality of most people I know who were in NYC at the time as well. It's not that we ignore the day or pretend it doesn't exist -- but not being there makes it a different experience. Frankly, I got tired of trying to explain what it was like to everyone last year because no one can ever really understand unless they were actually there for the event and the aftermath. It's no badge of honor. Heck, its the same picture as anyone else has -- those of us who were there just had a little more exposure.

I think I'll leave it at that.

--

I've been on an altered schedule the past few days thanks to the morning manager's illness. I've been on opening shift. Monday was misery because I did a nine hour shift on thirty minutes sleep -- but Tuesday was actually very pleasant. I got a lot accomplished and still had the whole day ahead of me. I even stuck around and got in a solid hour and a half work out.

Which brings me to this: It's just a few days shy of one year since I've had this thing, and shortly I'll be resurrecting the original purpose of why I started it. I'm feeling healthy and stable again for the first time in quite some time, and hopefully it will stick.

--

Went to trivia tonight, hosted by my roommate (his birthday today! tangent: i bought his present today. its PERFECT). Won second place! It's amazing some of the little bits of information that stick in your head. See how you do... answer in the comments -- NO CHEATING!

1) Flight 175 crashed into the south tower of the WTC. Which airline was it?
2) What do the initials stand for in J.D. Salinger's name?
3) Vivien Leigh won Oscars for which two movies?
4) What element is indicated on the periodic table by the letters Cu?
5) Name the four largest non-internet retailers in the US.
6) Simon and Garfunkel changed the name in their hit song to "Mrs. Robinson" after it was picked up for The Graduate. Who was the song originally written for?
7) In 1972, the Miami Dolphins played a perfect season. Who did they beat in the Super Bowl?
8) If you were born today, September 11, what is your astrological sign?
9) On The Simpsons, who shot Mr. Burns?

Winner gets a cookie.

zzzz.

So impossibly tired. Worked out after work last night, which took a lot out of me. Got home, roommate wanted to go grocery shopping. So we did, came home, put stuff away. I had a pretty tough headache by then -- it was probably about 2:30 am. I popped a couple of Tylenol PM and crawled into bed.

My phone rang about an hour later.

And here I am now, having taken this morning shift instead of sleeping and still fighting against the sedative. There's about three of everything right now because my eyes can not focus.

Hope some relief gets here soon......

because i'm mentally five years old

The greatest commercial ever made.



Subtle.

Today is a day to be a hermit. There's a Allman Brothers/Dave Matthews concert in the park this afternoon and we're about 2 hours from complete chaos in midtown Atlanta. The concert organizers are billing this as a 'green event' and trying to convince concert-goers to use MARTA. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of MARTA knows that's a pipe dream. Public transit in Atlanta is a joke, and the punchline is 'Screw that, I'll drive.'

I'm continually baffled by public office holders who hold such a disdain for mass transit. Atlanta is way behind the curve for a metro area of its size. MARTA could actually be a very well run system with much of the team it has in place if it weren't placed in the lowest tier of priorities by the GDOT. Instead, we get stupid ideas like "let's add another lane to I-75 for a mile and a half -- THAT will solve EVERYTHING!"

I'm not saying that shifting the focus to mass transit will be the magic spell that solves everything, but it will be a step in the right direction. You could even leave the existing MARTA in tact and create a supplemental regional rail system using existing tracks and corridors and alleviate a lot of problems. Atlanta is burgeoning area right now -- but to continue an upward trend, it's time to stop paving so much and start laying the tracks.

suggestions please

My roommate's birthday is September 11. He's done so freakin' much for me the past year, I really need to get something nice for him. I'm pretty clueless, though.

Any ideas?

and then there were four...

In the beginning, there was Satine, Tequila, and Sunrise. In November of 2004, I adopted three kitties from the North Shore Animal League. I had only intended on adopting two. Satine was a six month old stunning British Blue whose brothers and sisters had all been adopted -- she was all personality who jumped right into my hand the moment I reached to her. Tequila and Sunrise were 1 year old brothers the league refused to separate. Tequila was a sweet, affable tabby. Sunrise was a very nervy, timid orange kitty. My roommate and I brought them all home one evening and all was well for about twenty minutes.

Sunrise started attacking, unprovoked. My roommates and I all had scratches up and down our arms. At one point, he jumped sweet little kitten Satine -- we yanked him off the attack, at which point he clawed my face -- three long scratches across my cheek. I packed the sadly feral kitty in a case and took him back to the shelter -- unable to help him or provide a home.

Tequila and Satine, however, were the most perfect cats anyone could have asked for. Satine loved any form of affection. Tequila would cuddle up next to you any time you sat down. T would sleep at my feet, Satine would nestle up next to my head and groom me while I slept.

Tequila disappeared one night while being catsat, never to return again. Satine, however, has stayed with me now for nearly six years -- five homes and two states later.


In October of 2003, my friend Catherine called me up and told me she'd found a kitten next to the dumpster at the hospital where she worked. It was barely six weeks old. She had it locked up in her guest room -- she already had four cats and couldn't take another. Could Satine use some company?

I initially said no... but the following weekend, Cath and I went up to Massachusetts for our friend's wedding, and I met Scooter for the very first time.


I couldn't say no. Scooter moved in on Halloween. Satine pretty much hated but tolerated him, which has lasted to this day.

I moved to Atlanta, kitties in tow. Living in my brother's basement, the cats shared space with Dedos, my brother's cat he's had for a million, bazillion years.

Dedos, long accustomed to being the king kitty, responded by peeing on everything.

I moved to Midtown with my current roommate. He has a fluffy black kitty, named Alexander, now 13 years old. Our three cats coexist nicely, Alex and Scooter became buddies before too long.

Cut to about 2 weeks ago. We heard a sad, pitiful, mournful yowl from somewhere in the house. We searched out the cats, who were all quite content, sleeping in their respective spots. We heard it again. It kept coming, at all hours of the night, from underneath the floor. Our basement has barely a crawlspace, so going downstairs to investigate is not really an option. It went on for a couple of hours until the yowls came from a little door in my bedroom the plumbers use to access the pipes for the bathroom.

I opened it up, and out spilled a bedraggled, rough-looking homeless kitten walking on three legs and hiking up his rear left as if it'd been broken.

Of course I fed it. And scratched his ears. And talked to him. And he talked back. A lot.

Long and short of it... we've been adopted. We tried to put him back out but within ten minutes, he'd wriggle back into the basement and to the pipes. When I went to Philadelphia last weekend, my roommate let him in and didn't put him back out.

Meet Tiger.



He's a funny looking little talkative kitten, probably about six months old. He's walking on all fours again, and adjusting quite nicely.

We are well on our way to being that crazy lady with 130 cats that was on YouTube a few weeks ago.

laying low

Not much to report on my end... I got home after a whirlwind weekend and have pretty much kept quiet since then. Work has been fascinating for everyone else that isn't me. We met our new CEO last week, who seems energized and open to ideas. The other local location has gone through some major staffing changes -- I dodged a bullet when I didn't transfer. I've thought about requesting the transfer now but I like where I am, too. Still weighing the pros and cons there.

I should be getting a decent insurance check soon from the robbery. Not sure what I'll do with it. Buy a new bike? Maybe, but I've gotten by fairly well without one. Get an iPhone? Possibly, my T-mobile contract is up next month and I hate my phone. Get a digital piano? I don't really have any decent creative outlet right now, might be nice.

Ultimately, though, I'll probably sock it away for a while, waiting for the next medical/personal drama/opportunity that comes up.

Once my teeth are paid off, I'll be back in the world of the living, and many of these will be possibilities again even without an insurance check. Not until November, though.