I like to watch football a little because I like athletic stuff but good lord is it a stupid sport. The injuries, the repetitive interviews, the media's attempt to stir up soap opera-like drama, the two hours worth of commercials, the very idea of rooting for one team (when every three years there's 90% percent turnover, virtually none of whom are even originally from the area), the fact that it's not even a sport the vast majority of us can even play (or would actually want to), three yards and a cloud of dust over and over again, the idiotic announcers, and so on. Still watch it pretty much every week though.

There are other people who think the same but I've only heard people say such things who aren't athletic, which leads one to wonder if they're jealous or have some kind of bias. Never heard it from someone who was athletic (though surely there are some). I bother to express it because I'm stuck halfway I guess. I like sports but then find myself annoyed by the stupidity. And need a reminder. But feel like I should keep quiet almost. That others will feel inferior or like I'm attempting to make them inferior when if I never say it outloud, it's like I can forget myself and go back to being stuck with this vague unhappiness as I spend time wallowing through stupidity. 

In other news I've decided to not just use a continental grip on all shots. I am going to switch it a bevel for the backhand drive and a bevel and a half (the other way) for the forehand drive. Did so today for the first time with the ball machine. The backhand drive was actually a little better than the forehand. Trying to avoid very much topspin to simplify it. Forehand isn't consistent enough though. 

Ran today outside for first time in a while. Decided to do fewer interval repetitions. Just every ten minutes or so for 2 minutes or even less. But may attempt to at least once a week do a longish run. 

Tried to buy a hammered dulcimer online but got outbid with 13 seconds left. May try to visit some shop to get to play with some next weekend. None are anywhere nearby. Like that it's such an old instrument (1000 years). But I've never actually heard one live, lol. 

Pretty much have quit cello because I miss polyphony and am just not happy with the songs I know of to play on cello. After playing dulcimer a bit I'm curious about making an instrument. Thinking of something that can do triple or quadruple, etc stops. Do really like the sound of double stops where at least one has vibrato and/or is sliding tones. But haven't attempted to make a "song" using such techniques. It was the messing around with this though that made me realize how much I miss polyphony and ultimately has me bored with regular cello playing and thus haven't hardly played in months.