July 29th 2010 · Read More · No Comments
Go monkey! Monkey is currently 3/5 engaged, which probably doesn’t mean what you think it means, if your thought processes run similarly to mine, which is improbable.
Well, I’ll tell you. It means that monkey has started deciding to escape, and his or her head is facing downwards and has descended 40% into the pelvis. Last week monkey was 4/5 engaged, ie. 20%. To me, the numbers seem a bit backwards, but I’m sure there’s a good reason.
July 27th 2010 · Read More · Comments(2)
It’s been difficult getting the time to practice much lately, but it’s also been really enjoyable when I do. I’m spending most of my practice time doing exercises. It’s beginning to pay off. For years I’ve been avoiding rest stroke (where you strike the string such that the finger follows through and rests against the next lower string) ’cause my guitar tutor taught me free stroke, which is more generally applicable. But the exercises demand rest stroke, and after a good bit of embarrassment and ratcheting down the metronome, I’m now better at some exercises in rest stroke than in free stroke.
After the exercises this morning, I was playing a piece (one of the Sor studies) and I got to one of the sections I’d always had a bit of trouble with. And lo, playing the melody in rest stroke was easier and sounded nicer that free stroke. Still not perfect, but highly encouraging.
July 19th 2010 · Read More · No Comments
A busy weekend of breaking fingernails assembling Ikea furniture. While the bookcases were straightforward (if time-consuming), the baby changing table was a nightmare of not-quite-fitting parts. Either the chipboard sheets had swollen slightly, or they really did need to be sanded down at the edges in order to fit into the frames. Perhaps they’re just getting us used to advanced problem solving, specialising in intractable objects. One more bookcase to assemble next weekend, then I can nurse my fingers back into guitar-playing conditions.
The assembly was part of a general nesting activity, in which we moved the piano upstairs, unpacked boxes of books, threw away old clothes and unboxed junk, moved lots of furniture, and did a whole lot of cooking (my chicken pie recipe is getting really good now). It’s nice to be at work where I can relax.
Oh yeah! We also did DMM’s Draftikar on Friday evening. It’s a home-made magic:the gathering set that takes advantage of the fact that we draft cards using numbered sleeves. It was hilarious, and many of the cards are totally broken, and I really think we’re breaking new boundaries in nerdiness.
As as a reward for getting this far: Monkey is going very well. Five weeks to go!
July 15th 2010 · Read More · No Comments
Our roof has been leaking a little, leading to a wet and moldy patch on the ceiling. We finally got around to calling a roofer yesterday. He happened to be in the area, and, though neither of us was at home, based on Von’s description quickly found and replaced a broken tile. Also, he didn’t charge us.
That roofer’s details are going STRAIGHT ON THE FRIDGE.
July 14th 2010 · Read More · No Comments
Both Von and I woke up on Saturday with the dread lurgi, which we spent the entire weekend and Monday fighting. I was victorious on Tuesday, but Von was out until Wednesday. Picking on a pregnant woman, lurgi? That’s pretty low.
Anyway, Von watched a lot of her “Three Kingdoms” soapie, and I finally finished Half-Life 2, played all the way through Half-Life 2: Episode 1, and downloaded “Duel of the Planeswalkers” which was good simple fun. It’s been a while since I got stuck into computer games.
Meanwhile, chores are still outstanding and our new Ikea furniture is failing to build itself. Botheration.
July 9th 2010 · Read More · Comment(1)
Sideways? Is that the way it’s going to be? Monkey’s quest for originality continues as it discovers that lying completely sideways in the womb is its new favorite position EVER.
Don’t worry monkey. Do your sideways lying while you can. Enjoy these halcyon days. Some day – not today, not tomorrow, but one day and for the rest of your life – you’ll look back on this time and be all “that’s so last week”.
Preferably next week.
June 30th 2010 · Read More · No Comments
Guitar practice has taken a fairly serious hit in the last few weeks thanks to the fact that in the morning, my fingers are too cold to move, and the heater takes too long to get going. I could play in the bedroom, but then Von wouldn’t be able to sleep in, and that would be bad for everyone.
Still, when I *have* been able to practice, it’s been enjoyable and I can still feel progress. It’s just that I blew the June deadline for my recital, and I’m not sure I can make any kind of July deadline either, and after that we’re in “imminent birth” mode, so organising anything would be silly.
Bother.
