For those of you that played instruments when you were younger, I'm sure you can relate when I say I can't count the amount of times that I looked at a piano and said, "man, I wish I could still play." While creating my list last year I considered the topic of music, should it be something I give up? If we are talking about the newest Justin Bieber album, well sure, I should probably give it up. In general though music has been providing happiness and has enriched culture for thousands of years, so time to get back at it.
In deciding what instrument to play I picked one that has always intrigued me. Playing this instrument it is recommended to take a two step approach. Below is the smaller/beginner version of the instrument that I have purchased and will begin with this week. Should I find myself as fond of it as I believe than hopefully later on down the road I will be able to purchase the real thing. Anybody have any guesses as to what it is?
In deciding what instrument to play I picked one that has always intrigued me. Playing this instrument it is recommended to take a two step approach. Below is the smaller/beginner version of the instrument that I have purchased and will begin with this week. Should I find myself as fond of it as I believe than hopefully later on down the road I will be able to purchase the real thing. Anybody have any guesses as to what it is?
End of Week Update
The instrument to the left is called a practice chanter! It is the second step to starting to play the bagpipes. The first step is to buy all of your roommates ear plugs.
Much of my interest in this instrument comes from Rob Deane, a piper I met in college that would always accompany the football crowd on the march to Lane Stadium, it was my favorite part of the whole day if I got to run into him on the way.
The first week has gone very slowly, working on scales, correct finger placement and hand positioning. Its been a get to know you type of session blowing out squeaky notes, trying to relearn how to read music and trying not feel overwhelmed or like I'm not getting anywhere at all. I've picked Amazing Grace as the first song that I will try to learn. Like most hobbies it is going to be most important to remember over the next few weeks that the more I practice the easier things will become and the more gains I will start seeing.
End of Week 34 Totals
Soda - 0 ounces
Water - 122.86 Gallons
Liquor - 0 shots
Tea - 434 cups
Trips to unhappy places - Jimmy Johns (1)
$ to support neighbors = $640.95
Fried food consumption - 2 dorito chips
Breakfasts eaten - 189
Pushups - 1260 Crunches - 1140
Days Flossed - 173 (missed two days)
Coffee - 0 cups
Sunrises attended - 25
Beers drunk - 0
Gallons of Trash Collected - 602
Items planted -12 jalapenos, 12 bell peppers, 8 yellow pear tomatoes, 30 canna bulbs, 1 chinese pistache, 30 sensitive plants, 24 carolina reaper peppers, 12 ghost peppers, 31 scorpion peppers, 5 brussel sprouts, 12 tyria hybrid cucumbers, 14 congo watermelons, 6 hybrid prizewinner pumpkins, 45 devils tongue peppers, 14 black sea man tomatoes, 33 peruvian white lightning habaneros, 16 mammoth russian sunflowers, 30 big smile sunflowers, 100 zinnia's, 100 basil plants, 100 green onion plants, 12 chinese lanterns, 30 garden beans, a bed of mint, 50 Celosia flowers, 7 Red Maple Seeds, 30 brussel sprouts, transplant 34 pepper plants, transplant 13 sensitive plants and 3 watermelon plants, transplant 15 pepper plants and 6 sensitive plants, transplant 21 pepper plants, 12 sorrel seeds, 50 cilantro seeds, 50 sorrel seeds,
Letters written - 20
Meat eaten - none
Donations made - Bike the US for MS, Personal Mission Trip, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Against Malaria Foundation, Deworm the World Initiative, Project Healthy Children, charity: water, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, YMCA Thrift Store, Volunteered at Plenty!, Against Malaria Foundation, Food supplies to Plenty! food pantry, Deworm the World Initiative, Edisto Island Preservation Alliance, Edisto Island Land Trust, Adopt-a-Nest Sea Turtle Program, Wikipedia
Movies watched - 0
Glasses of wine - 0
New dishes cooked - Vegetable Korma, Ukranian Vinaigrette, Lamb's Quarters Quiche, Thai Spicy Eggplant with Sweet Basil and a side of Bean Sprout Salad with Peanut Chili Dressing, Pan Bagnat with grilled peppers and basil vinaigrette and a side of Classic Gougères, Vegetarian Feijoada and Brazilian Bananas, Baked Eggplant Parmesan (mixture of this and this recipe), Somalian Fataa'ir Farmaajo and Barooddo Qudaar, Portobello Burgers and homemade pesto, Stir fried tofu with yellow curry powder,
Okra Gumbo with Chickpeas and Kidney Beans, African Peanut Soup and Fufu, Vegetable Lasagna, Quinoa
Bugers with Homade Rolls,
Miles ran - 593.8
Facebook and Twitter time = 0 minutes
Books Read - The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter, The Other by David Guterson, The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert, A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir, currently reading The Wilderness World of John Muir edited by Edwin Way Teale and loving it!
Nights camped - 2
Ice fails - 1
Items dispersed - 42
Hours volunteered - 19.25
Piping Hours - 3
The instrument to the left is called a practice chanter! It is the second step to starting to play the bagpipes. The first step is to buy all of your roommates ear plugs.
Much of my interest in this instrument comes from Rob Deane, a piper I met in college that would always accompany the football crowd on the march to Lane Stadium, it was my favorite part of the whole day if I got to run into him on the way.
The first week has gone very slowly, working on scales, correct finger placement and hand positioning. Its been a get to know you type of session blowing out squeaky notes, trying to relearn how to read music and trying not feel overwhelmed or like I'm not getting anywhere at all. I've picked Amazing Grace as the first song that I will try to learn. Like most hobbies it is going to be most important to remember over the next few weeks that the more I practice the easier things will become and the more gains I will start seeing.
End of Week 34 Totals
Soda - 0 ounces
Water - 122.86 Gallons
Liquor - 0 shots
Tea - 434 cups
Trips to unhappy places - Jimmy Johns (1)
$ to support neighbors = $640.95
Fried food consumption - 2 dorito chips
Breakfasts eaten - 189
Pushups - 1260 Crunches - 1140
Days Flossed - 173 (missed two days)
Coffee - 0 cups
Sunrises attended - 25
Beers drunk - 0
Gallons of Trash Collected - 602
Items planted -12 jalapenos, 12 bell peppers, 8 yellow pear tomatoes, 30 canna bulbs, 1 chinese pistache, 30 sensitive plants, 24 carolina reaper peppers, 12 ghost peppers, 31 scorpion peppers, 5 brussel sprouts, 12 tyria hybrid cucumbers, 14 congo watermelons, 6 hybrid prizewinner pumpkins, 45 devils tongue peppers, 14 black sea man tomatoes, 33 peruvian white lightning habaneros, 16 mammoth russian sunflowers, 30 big smile sunflowers, 100 zinnia's, 100 basil plants, 100 green onion plants, 12 chinese lanterns, 30 garden beans, a bed of mint, 50 Celosia flowers, 7 Red Maple Seeds, 30 brussel sprouts, transplant 34 pepper plants, transplant 13 sensitive plants and 3 watermelon plants, transplant 15 pepper plants and 6 sensitive plants, transplant 21 pepper plants, 12 sorrel seeds, 50 cilantro seeds, 50 sorrel seeds,
Letters written - 20
Meat eaten - none
Donations made - Bike the US for MS, Personal Mission Trip, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Against Malaria Foundation, Deworm the World Initiative, Project Healthy Children, charity: water, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, YMCA Thrift Store, Volunteered at Plenty!, Against Malaria Foundation, Food supplies to Plenty! food pantry, Deworm the World Initiative, Edisto Island Preservation Alliance, Edisto Island Land Trust, Adopt-a-Nest Sea Turtle Program, Wikipedia
Movies watched - 0
Glasses of wine - 0
New dishes cooked - Vegetable Korma, Ukranian Vinaigrette, Lamb's Quarters Quiche, Thai Spicy Eggplant with Sweet Basil and a side of Bean Sprout Salad with Peanut Chili Dressing, Pan Bagnat with grilled peppers and basil vinaigrette and a side of Classic Gougères, Vegetarian Feijoada and Brazilian Bananas, Baked Eggplant Parmesan (mixture of this and this recipe), Somalian Fataa'ir Farmaajo and Barooddo Qudaar, Portobello Burgers and homemade pesto, Stir fried tofu with yellow curry powder,
Okra Gumbo with Chickpeas and Kidney Beans, African Peanut Soup and Fufu, Vegetable Lasagna, Quinoa
Bugers with Homade Rolls,
Miles ran - 593.8
Facebook and Twitter time = 0 minutes
Books Read - The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter, The Other by David Guterson, The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert, A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir, currently reading The Wilderness World of John Muir edited by Edwin Way Teale and loving it!
Nights camped - 2
Ice fails - 1
Items dispersed - 42
Hours volunteered - 19.25
Piping Hours - 3