Monthly Archive for December, 2005

The making of Marathon Man, Day 3

Today was the third time I went running. And today was the first time I managed to get through twenty minutes without a single panting stop. Which in my case is absolutely fantastic. You see, I’m so badly unshaped (I can’t use “out of shape” here, considering that I have never really been “in shape”), I wonder how my body managed to cope.

I mean, running for twenty minutes is more or less the most extreme thing I can do right now. If I’d run another two minutes, I’d have had such a violent heart attack, I’d have fallen off the track and into the Danube canal, without a chance of a dignified funeral, considering that my body would by now be floating somewhere near the Danube Island, and probably surface sometime in summer, discovered by a 70 year old nudist enjoying the benefits of retirement.

So, yeah, I guess it was time I started running.

PS: The fact that the Danube canal wouldn’t really take me out to the Danube Island may be filed under “artistic freedom”. Just in case you’re like me and take pleasure in correcting other people.

Please check HDD

Dear Jukebox,

First off, I’m really glad we’re together. I’m also glad I never listened to all those nay-sayers who said you’re just a clunky, less shiny iPod rip-off. Well, you may be, but that’s not the point.

When today you slipped out of my jacket pocket while I was tying my shoes, I thought you’d react as always when stuff like that happens. Usually you don’t care. Sometimes you pretend to, and make me restart you, but that’s about it. Today was different:

Please check HDD

That was the only message you gave me, and even as I restarted you and pushed all sorts of buttons, you still didn’t want to give in. So I had to spend my day without you. Suddenly I had to listen again to all those people on the tram talking into their mobile phones, all the inane chatter that goes on all around me all the time. It was not nice without you.

Sometime today I suddenly surrendered to the idea that our relationship was over. And I was a bit disappointed, considering that we’d only been together a mere ten months. Sure, I hadn’t treated you well all the time. Sometimes I checked out other players. But come on, that’s natural. It was still you I took with me everyday, everywhere I went, right?

Now, the good thing is that I know a few things about gadgets like you. See, you need attention. Apparently I forgot to give you enough of that lately, and dropping you surely wasn’t the sort of attention you had expected. So, before actually throwing you out, I just did what you told me to. I checked your HDD. Good thing you’re so much more flexible than that shiny iPod thing, enabling me to remove your battery and prod a bit about in your innards. And I guess that’s all you needed today. When I saw you booting up again, presenting me with all you’ve got in store for me, I was overjoyed.

I’m just so glad we’re good again. And I promise, no more dropping!

On crazy ideas pt.II

Well, it’s time to once again elaborate on crazy ideas. Diligent and faithful readers of my blog will remember my venture into the world of extreme sports a few months back. It was then that I made the decision that running as a form of exercise was totally unsuitable for me. Things have changed a bit since then.

First of all, I quit smoking. Which wasn’t that hard really (Allan Carr, you’re such a lucky bastard that so many people are susceptible to your ways. Ah, if only they knew that they don’t need to be subjected to your awful writings in order to quit the habit. But I’m digressing). Second, I didn’t stop gaining weight. For the brainiacs among you (well, you’re reading my site, so you quite probably all are), a certain pattern will have emerged. Yes, exactly, quitting the cancer sticks and gaining weight are two things inextricably linked. And that’s where the crazy idea comes back into play.

You see, quitting the smoke has given me back the ability to actually use all of my lungs, apart from only about 1/10th before. Meaning that while my last dip into the running lifestyle lasted an exact 10 minutes - due to an impending lung failure - this time it will last ten times longer. Brainiacs, do the math!

Now, why am I telling you this? Shouldn’t I be instead already running along the Danube canal, enjoying my newfound life of health and overall joy? Well, yeah. The problem is that I didn’t actually have clothing suitable for this kind of weather. But I was also too cheap to buy it in a professional sports store, resorting to a bargain shop online. And after almost two weeks, the stuff still hasn’t arrived yet. Meaning that I’m sitting on my running shoes here, but am unable to use them, simply because I don’t have any pants to wear with them.

For once in your miserable existence, Austrian Mail Service, do the right thing and hurry the fuck up. I’m already down to one pair of pants that still fit, and I really can’t afford to lose that one too.

Update: The clothing arrived today at 8am. I’m already back from my first half hour of pain. Well, actually it was about 20 minutes. Including panting stops. The above equation didn’t really work out, but I can see potential there. If you would now excuse me please, I need to rest for a while.

Gervais in sound

Just in case you haven’t heard about it yet (you probably have), Ricky Gervais of “The Office” fame has got his own podcast now. Now, I actually wanted to say that Gervais’ podcast is the funniest one out there, but that wouldn’t do it any justice, considering that there are no real funny podcasts out there. So let me just assure you that it is quite probably the funniest recording of three guys talking nonsense you’ve ever heard.

New episodes every Monday, so episode two is out TODAY. Check it out NOW. Capitalizing random WORDS is FUN.

Starbucks Challenge update

So, the Starbucks Challenge 2.0 has ended, and sure enough, results were worse than after the initial challenge. Oh well, what a surprise.

Green LA girl is still at it with a vengeance (after having moved to this new location), and has put up a factsheet for all the people new to the challenge. If you’re planning on challenging a Starbucks in round 3, be sure to read it in order to avoid being factually challenged yourself (ah, how I love my ability to turn everything into a pun).

And then there’s of course the Starbucks Challenge Map, which is a nice geographical collection of all the challenged Starbucks stores (including of course the ones I challenged).




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