Hello, 2004
This being the first day of the new year, I thought I’d plunk down my resolutions. I started thinking about this around October. I think this is a pretty realistic list.
- Sign up for Spanish classes
- Start a bodybuilding program
- Resume violin lessons
- Get laid (Hey, this is a knitting blog. I never said it was a family knitting blog.)
I put violin on hold because I had been blowing it off in an effort to get my Christmas knitting done. That’s behind me now, so it’s time to pick up my axe and get going again. I’ve managed to pick up a couple tunes since I quit lessons, but I’ve been doing really easy stuff. My basic technique still needs work, and I need to study some basic music theory. Anyone know if there’s some good software for Mac OSX out there for self-instruction in music?
The bodybuilding thing is something I’ve been thinking about ever since I read Jos Claerbout’s essay on How The Terminator Taught Me To Knit here. I’m already hanging around in yarn shops gossiping with the ladies, so I figure I might as well be doing the squat-thrusts too.
I’ve lived in San Antonio for most of my life, and my Spanish fluency is limited to phrases such as “Que hora est?” and “Donde esta los machinas de snack?”. This is pathetic. I’m not particulary fond of the sound of the Spanish language, and my ability to pronounce it is marginal at best. But I feel like an idiot every time someone stops me downtown and asks for directions in broken English and I reply in even more fragmented Spanish. The 60 year-old woman who just got off the Greyhound from Brownsville knows enough English to ask me where the post office is; I should at least be able to tell her “It’s one block East” without resorting to hand gestures.
And finally, who doesn’t want to get laid? I’m told it’s the most fun you can have without laughing. I guess you can laugh if you want, but you better have a very good rapport with your partner. That kind of thing can easily be misinterpreted.
January 2nd, 2004 at 10:34 am
Yeah, you know how *my* laughing at inappropriate times worked out…the sight of lots of lovely backs walking away!
As for your Spanish - I know exactly how you feel. It’s tard behavior to be unable to ask for what I want in a grocery store after 26 years in California! Urg!
January 3rd, 2004 at 3:34 am
I always wished I had learned more Spanish when I lived in Texas. I picked up a bit, but for some inane reason I studied French and Russian while I lived in Dallas.
Ah well. Hindsight and all.
I fully support your new resolutions, and will provide swift and effective cheering section noises!
January 6th, 2004 at 1:06 pm
I don’t know what you’re trying to do on the violin, so this may not be appropriate for you. I’m learning to play old time fiddle and I don’t read music. I have been using a program called The Amazing OS X Slower Downer. You can get it here http://www.ronimusic.com. It slows down the music and I’ve found it indispensible for being able to actually hear the notes in those fiddle tunes I’m working so hard on.
Good luck!