Been number one in my tennis league for a couple weeks now. Didn't beat Jay C. He lost to someone else. Finally think I'm getting the hang of the one hand topspin backhand (with continental grip). Have to flip the wrist over.
Want to switch to a eastern forehand grip. Need to practice that a bit.
Got my serve working very well as far as control (and pace is quite good also). Placement getting very good. Trying very hard to keep arm straight so my arm doesn't hurt. Actually seem to still get topspin on it this way. And finding that I actually serve better this way anyway.
Played mixed doubles against indoor courts owner, college coach and some other lady yesterday. Had a good time.
The Hawth is 6 weeks old and it's all kind of amazing. Like slowly nurturing a plant but it's a quite a bit more than that.
Been a good time lately I guess. No evil people have been bothering me lately and haven't been so worried about the possibilities. And spending a lot of time just at home with J and Hawth. Playing Skyrim, up to level 33.
Writing a bit of music here and there. Totally neglecting cello and hammered dulcimer. Thinking about getting piano off craigslist. Continuing to stay distracted.
Worked up to 60 pounds pack on elliptical (along with bungee cords so I can pull my legs up). Neglecting running and anerobic stuff lately. A month before races will get a few hard runs in I guess.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Want to start writing music again.
1. Simplistic doesn't matter at all. (4/4, been done before, simple song structure, etc...)
2. Try to make it somewhat unrepetitive. Make it richer. So what if it takes longer. Considering how little I've written in the last few years and the complete indifference of all mankind, who the hell cares?
3. No presets.
4. Work off lyrics, poems, essay, stories to give some direction, just a general sense. Nothing exacting. The emotion strived for will hopefully become more nuanced eventually. And still keep some song structure. Not just musicking conversations.
Or instead I can just use the concept I use when writing piano music and take it to everything else. Have one main track that is actually really going somewhere and then just add bits of this and that around it.
1. Simplistic doesn't matter at all. (4/4, been done before, simple song structure, etc...)
2. Try to make it somewhat unrepetitive. Make it richer. So what if it takes longer. Considering how little I've written in the last few years and the complete indifference of all mankind, who the hell cares?
3. No presets.
4. Work off lyrics, poems, essay, stories to give some direction, just a general sense. Nothing exacting. The emotion strived for will hopefully become more nuanced eventually. And still keep some song structure. Not just musicking conversations.
Or instead I can just use the concept I use when writing piano music and take it to everything else. Have one main track that is actually really going somewhere and then just add bits of this and that around it.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Read 70% of Jerry West's autobiography. Because he goes on about how awful his father was. Was more than a little bit of a downer but not because of that, just because of West's ...outlook.
Played Matt Buffington and was up 7-5, 2-2 when we ran out of time. Elbow was iffy but held on. Tried to play two days later and had real issues. Going to start doing an exercise to build up the muscle that rotates the wrist, see if that helps. I had been fine for a while, but now been having issues again for a while. Getting sick of this.
Want to write a story where we all die and go to a world of justice. Primarily where we pay for how we ate. That would be somewhat worth writing to me, though it would be unlikely to get published. But I could almost make it into a religion I think. And I could use one of those....
Played Matt Buffington and was up 7-5, 2-2 when we ran out of time. Elbow was iffy but held on. Tried to play two days later and had real issues. Going to start doing an exercise to build up the muscle that rotates the wrist, see if that helps. I had been fine for a while, but now been having issues again for a while. Getting sick of this.
Want to write a story where we all die and go to a world of justice. Primarily where we pay for how we ate. That would be somewhat worth writing to me, though it would be unlikely to get published. But I could almost make it into a religion I think. And I could use one of those....
Sunday, January 11, 2015
When you've snuck into the king's bedroom and you're standing over him as he sleeps. You can't just kill him. Something always happens and he wakes up and there some action sequence. This is writing 101.
When you're the most powerful wizard in the world and your best friend can make himself invisible and walk through walls, I guess you better be very reluctant to just go ahead and kill the bad guys already. And so, they keep on making trouble till you finally kill them.
The problem with the cycle of arawn is that it isn't dark enough. You know it's all going to work out just fine. The heroes have it too easy. And their banter is just annoying.
When you're the most powerful wizard in the world and your best friend can make himself invisible and walk through walls, I guess you better be very reluctant to just go ahead and kill the bad guys already. And so, they keep on making trouble till you finally kill them.
The problem with the cycle of arawn is that it isn't dark enough. You know it's all going to work out just fine. The heroes have it too easy. And their banter is just annoying.
After watching Sam Groth who basically has my body I decided to try to use my legs on my serve. Try to jump up as I hit the serve. This takes a lot of leg power to lean backwards and then jump up without using your arms at all for the jump. I couldn't do it before but after a month or so of wearing a 25 pound pack while using the elliptical (last few days up to 35 pounds) apparently I now can. But it seems to have made my elbow hurt. Or was it the racquet? It was the red handled 6.1 prostaff stretch that I hadn't used before. Bit lighter than the other. Had to use 4 layers of duct tape (other has only 2) to get it up to 14 ounces. And I was playing with NXT. Had a huge kick. Was going up over H. Yu's head. Best my serve has ever been. He couldn't handle it at all. I got up 4-0 and then my elbow started really bothering me. Had trouble lifting water bottle up to mouth.
...so at 6-3 I switched to other 6.1 stretch, this one with natural gut. And I changed my serve. Eventually still jumping but cocking my arm more before jumping and coming more straight through the ball instead of a motion that imparts more kick.
And elbow started feeling better. Good as new by end of second set. Although serve a lot less impressive. But will work on it. Definitely like getting my legs more involved. I get to the net better if nothing else. And expect my serve will improve.
Other issue is the 2 layers of duct tape versus 4. It was much better with 4. Too many variables. But think I have to continue experimenting with more than 2 layers.
Won 6-3, 6-3. Won last 6 games. One hand backhand just needs a lot of practice, which it doesn't get.
...so at 6-3 I switched to other 6.1 stretch, this one with natural gut. And I changed my serve. Eventually still jumping but cocking my arm more before jumping and coming more straight through the ball instead of a motion that imparts more kick.
And elbow started feeling better. Good as new by end of second set. Although serve a lot less impressive. But will work on it. Definitely like getting my legs more involved. I get to the net better if nothing else. And expect my serve will improve.
Other issue is the 2 layers of duct tape versus 4. It was much better with 4. Too many variables. But think I have to continue experimenting with more than 2 layers.
Won 6-3, 6-3. Won last 6 games. One hand backhand just needs a lot of practice, which it doesn't get.
Food
6 apples peeled and chopped with a bit less than 1/4th a cup of maple syrup. Covered and baked for 40 minutes at 400.
Oatmeal, half a cup or so with 2 spoons of maple syrup. Add some of the apples above if you like.
Make rice in rice cooker. Add some canned peas and ragu sauce. Just leave rice sitting out. It will be fine for a day or so.
Or add rice to canned black beans with salsa and/or taco seasoning mix.
Little yukon (?) potatoes. Cut in half or so and bake at 400 for 45 to 60 minutes or so. Add ragu or hummus.
6 apples peeled and chopped with a bit less than 1/4th a cup of maple syrup. Covered and baked for 40 minutes at 400.
Oatmeal, half a cup or so with 2 spoons of maple syrup. Add some of the apples above if you like.
Make rice in rice cooker. Add some canned peas and ragu sauce. Just leave rice sitting out. It will be fine for a day or so.
Or add rice to canned black beans with salsa and/or taco seasoning mix.
Little yukon (?) potatoes. Cut in half or so and bake at 400 for 45 to 60 minutes or so. Add ragu or hummus.
Diet
Eating meat (and animal products) is bad for your health, the environment and the animal that was needlessly killed.
Sex
Don't be controlled by the animal within you. Like a woman for something more than her ass. Clothes can pervert us sexually. Sex becomes forbidden and other forbidden things can get tied into the mix... Clothes make us go overboard and act crazy when they are finally taken off. Try to restrain yourself to some extent and not act too stupid.
Work
I think the ideal would be a college major where you are actually learning useful things in your classes, not just jumping through flaming hoops. Biology, medicine, that direction has somewhat less bullshit.In engineering you can learn to derive equations for some ideal scenario that doesn't exist in the real world and then go run and assembly line. Most college majors have some similarities to this. Becoming a doctor would mean a lifetime of hardwork taking care of cheeseburger eaters but at least is actually useful and being high up in the power hierarchy at work means less stress, less worrying about the whims of stupid people with power over you.
Play
Be well rounded. Play multiple sports but don't just play sports. Please read. If you don't, you're going to be ignorant. Watching TV will not make up for not reading. TV is just too stupid. A thousand channels and nothing's on because it's all controlled by just a few companies. Oligopolies produce shit products the same as monopolies. Don't be too serious but don't always be unserious. Find a medium.
Art
To express one's self is to do art. Just the action of speaking is expressing yourself. But playing music is also. And painting, etc. I strongly recommend you attempt to express yourself in some manner. I would like you to learn a musical instrument, although how far you go depends on how much you like music.
Politics
Those with the power/money want to stop change from happening and will do whatever it takes to ensure that. They control the news media. They fire/don't hire people who don't say/report exactly what they want to be reported. This means a certain slant (certain facts are excluded or emphasized/demphasized). And only certain stories get reported at all. Thus it's not really much of a democracy.
Drugs
They really aren't worth it. The legal ones even are just playing with fire. Chocolate and caffeine often lead to insomnia and feeling excessive stress. The illegal ones have the negative jail and addiction. A very few people go on about the incredibly positives. In my experience these people are generally incredibly stupid though. And a wrong turn here could turn your life into hell.
Religion
On a subconscious level, we're all mystical. If we weren't, it would be impossible to live. Lot of ugly crap is tied into organized religion though. And generally speaking followers of organized religion are kind of stupid.
Friendship/Relationships
Got to be some kind of balance. If one person feels inferior, just doesn't work. Got to be able to disagree. Got to be able to criticize each other.
Eating meat (and animal products) is bad for your health, the environment and the animal that was needlessly killed.
Sex
Don't be controlled by the animal within you. Like a woman for something more than her ass. Clothes can pervert us sexually. Sex becomes forbidden and other forbidden things can get tied into the mix... Clothes make us go overboard and act crazy when they are finally taken off. Try to restrain yourself to some extent and not act too stupid.
Work
I think the ideal would be a college major where you are actually learning useful things in your classes, not just jumping through flaming hoops. Biology, medicine, that direction has somewhat less bullshit.In engineering you can learn to derive equations for some ideal scenario that doesn't exist in the real world and then go run and assembly line. Most college majors have some similarities to this. Becoming a doctor would mean a lifetime of hardwork taking care of cheeseburger eaters but at least is actually useful and being high up in the power hierarchy at work means less stress, less worrying about the whims of stupid people with power over you.
Play
Be well rounded. Play multiple sports but don't just play sports. Please read. If you don't, you're going to be ignorant. Watching TV will not make up for not reading. TV is just too stupid. A thousand channels and nothing's on because it's all controlled by just a few companies. Oligopolies produce shit products the same as monopolies. Don't be too serious but don't always be unserious. Find a medium.
Art
To express one's self is to do art. Just the action of speaking is expressing yourself. But playing music is also. And painting, etc. I strongly recommend you attempt to express yourself in some manner. I would like you to learn a musical instrument, although how far you go depends on how much you like music.
Politics
Those with the power/money want to stop change from happening and will do whatever it takes to ensure that. They control the news media. They fire/don't hire people who don't say/report exactly what they want to be reported. This means a certain slant (certain facts are excluded or emphasized/demphasized). And only certain stories get reported at all. Thus it's not really much of a democracy.
Drugs
They really aren't worth it. The legal ones even are just playing with fire. Chocolate and caffeine often lead to insomnia and feeling excessive stress. The illegal ones have the negative jail and addiction. A very few people go on about the incredibly positives. In my experience these people are generally incredibly stupid though. And a wrong turn here could turn your life into hell.
Religion
On a subconscious level, we're all mystical. If we weren't, it would be impossible to live. Lot of ugly crap is tied into organized religion though. And generally speaking followers of organized religion are kind of stupid.
Friendship/Relationships
Got to be some kind of balance. If one person feels inferior, just doesn't work. Got to be able to disagree. Got to be able to criticize each other.
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