Shipping Peanuts

Erin made a request to pick up some boxes full of shipping peanuts. To be moved from Ballard to the University District. The pickup place turned out to be in the Crown Hill area. But all the boxes made it to the drop off location.

After dropping off the boxes, Erin treated me to an Indian dinner. The dinner was quite tasty. I meet her housemate and one of her other friends.

The evening was quite pleasant.

Just a Short Post about my Current Weight

Today after lunch I went and weighed myself at Bartell Drugs next to the Central Seattle Public Library location on 4th avenue and Madison.
I had just had a deluxe steak burrito from Blue Water Taco. I saw the scale numbers bouncing around so I took off my jacket and started emptying my pockets. With my camera in hand I was able to get the scale to steady at 300. Now this is the same scale I have been using for years. The one time I compared this scale and the scale at the doctor's office, this one tends to be a little heavier. So I would say this scale is plus or minus 4 pounds. Still the lightest I have been since 2004.
That means that since the end of August 2009, I have lost over fifty pounds. During the week the library was closed, I started to come out of my funk. My older brother Mark had visited. Mark and I rented some bicycles. Mark introduced me to some new food. But the real turning point was meeting this one person near the end of the furlough.
I want to thank this certain person I meet. Without this person, I don't think I would have ever achieved this step. I would probably still be sleeping my way through my life.
Of course, I did have to see this very tempting display on my way to buy a Green Machine made by Odwalla. The last time I had a Twix bar was September 2009.


After weighing myself, I seemed to pick up some energy. Of course, that may be because I did just have lunch. But I felt like knowing I got back down to 300 lifted my spirits a little bit.

First of Many Loads to Go

Three boxes of books. A tote of books. A tote of clothes. My useless prize that I won (not HD) but working flat panel television. My old VCR/DVD player (not sure if it works) with remote.

Still can't believe I am getting rid of books. I need to do this before I change my mind on them. And I am keeping my Heinleins and some others.

Walk on April 19, 2010

This was the most ambitious walk I accomplished. I visited 6 branches in a single walk. On average each branch was 3 miles to the next location.
View Larger Map

If you click on the View Larger Map link you can see the route I took on this day. The link below may or may not work. I could not get it to work and if I figure out how to hide it or link it, you may not see the garbage link that is there now.

153 pictures were taken on this walk. Some highlights include La Isla where I had dinner with someone back in September, all the libraries I visited, and that KFC doubledown sandwich.

Walking Around on March 24, 2010

I started my day walking to a USPS mail drop box. I finally filled out my Census form and wanted to mail it in. Then a quick stop at the Capitol Hill Library http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_open&branchID=6

To my surprise, I ran into Emily and Lindy. I told Emily that Eva would want to join us for working on cover letters and resumes. Which I need to work on before we meet. I should have some type of rough draft ready.

After CAP I went up to Volunteer park where I climbed the water tower. It took me at least 1.5 minutes. I forgot I had a stopwatch on my phone before today. I don't know if 1.5 minutes is a good time or not. Still not running all the way up. Of course, I had been pushing myself up until I hit the park.

Walking past the park, I hit the forest. I took the right hand fork this time. It was a nice walk down some steps. No woman putting on her make-up this time. Got to 23rd Avenue and walked past Montlake Public Library.

http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_open&branchID=18

I wandered around for a while and eventually got to Top Pot donuts in Wedgewood. The Chocolate Bar and Orange cream soda hit the spot. That was around 15:30.

NET http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_open&branchID=20

After sitting around and reading for 45 minutes, I got up to leave and ran into Sheri.

Stopped to use the computer at GLK http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_open&branchID=11 And figure out where I was going from here. It turns out I walked around the lake.

And then went to Wallingford.
WAL had closed by the time I got there but it was still nice to figure out where it is located.

WAL http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_open&branchID=28

Same thing with Fremont Library. It was closed but I finally found the branch.

FRE http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_open&branchID=10

After this, I went to see the Troll and walk across the Auroa Avenue Bridge.

I was hoping to keep the question of walking across the Aurora Avenue Bridge as an existential question. But I finally walked across it. I was not sure I could do it.

Why I am walking

I am walking around in an attempt to get someone out of my head. Unfortunately, no matter how much I walk, those thoughts are still in my head. Sometimes with reinforcements. But I don't want to stop really. I just need a change in pattern of thoughts.

That someone in my head is myself. And no matter where I walk or how I walk, that person follows.

Relationship books and other sources say physical exercise is part of the cure but I find that the more I exercise, the more I think those thoughts that I am trying to get away from. I think those sources of advice are wrong. Except....exercise focuses ones thoughts.

Of course the last time, it took ten years to get over someone. But then again, if someone were to ask, I would probably admit to still having feelings for Laura from kindergarten. And that was almost 30 years ago. That is scary to think about. I wonder whatever happened to Laura. I wonder if I could find her if I tried. Would I try? Trying to find someone from 30 years ago might be difficult.

Getting out of Neutral

Yesterday, I took a first step to getting out of neutral as regarding my career. I actually sent in a cover letter and resume for a different job at SPL. I know I sent in a bad cover letter and resume but that is okay. This is more than I have done in the last seven years about a new job. Now I need to get a new cover letter and resume done for the Continuous Recruitment Process. This may be the easier one to do which is why I have not done it.

I like being a Page and moving up to a library associate I or II is going back to being like a retail clerk. I did retail in my late teens and early twenties. I am not sure I want that same job again. It would mean more money, I guess. I have been putting it off until August of this year. I do not want to change my life too much until after my birthday.