My favorite professor from college once told me that people are inherently broken. The closer I get to people, the closer I get to myself, I believe it.
Is it possible to get un-broken? Is it possible for me to say that events A, B, and C in my life seriously were the cause of all the SNAFUery (I didn't make it up, I promise!) in my life and doing X, Y and Z things will be the salve that heals the burn?
Or is the brokenness irreparable, and we are forced to plod ahead and hope that we can meet people/do actions/have feelings that will cause us to be less broken in the future?
Either path, both full of hope, are equally full of bloody heart-rendering and tears so bitter you can hardly taste the sweetness in life. But only if you're honest with yourself, and you must be if you hope to truly mend.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Dream Forging
What's in a dream?
In my childhood, the dream was to go to college and graduate. Unfortunately I didn't realize until quite late in my college career that I needed to forge a new dream. One of the new dreams I tried to forge - a military career - faltered.
While I'm not quite faltering now - I do have a good job with an excellent company - I feel like I'm wandering in fog. I'm not quite sure what I want to do with my career. The "big picture" goal seems to be: "Make enough money to live comfortably and afford trips to places I've never been before". That seems lacking.
My new sweetheart mentioned that a "five-year plan" is much more effective in setting-and-reaching goals. How Mao!
The current 5-year-plan seems to be, "Earn a Master's Degree". Unfortunately, I'm not sure I know what I want to study. I've thought about USC's M.S. in C.S., specializing in Computer Security (because I want to take their cryptology class), but I wonder if that's "too challenging" to take on with a full-time job and hobbies to boot. I'd like to retain some of my sanity. The other option I was thinking about was earning my M.B.A., but I'm not sure if I want to become a manager.
I have financial and personal life goals in my 5-year-plan too, but I think I have the game plan for those worked out, although my financial goals aren't making as much progress as quickly as I'd like.
Life definitely does its best to crush idealism in full bloom, does it not? It would be so much easier to save money if so much didn't get allocated to essential things, like rent and bills.
When I moved to L.A. one of the "hot" things to wear was the kimono dress, and Geren Ford makes an excellent silk one that was popular with the fashionistas. Unfortunately list price for one is $300+, depending on where you shop. My thinking was, if I can do well enough for myself that I can afford that dress, I will be doing fantastic. Owning that dress would be a symbol of my success in L.A., and my new-found life. The other day I found a black one for $150, on Maneater Threads. I bought it because it was on sale and because I could afford to. (It arrives in the mail today, so I'm not sure how smokin' I would look in it) Are my financial goals hurting because of it? Most probably.
I'm not hurting for money. Lots of people live on less than I do (and in the town I live in), and do just fine. But to make my financial goals I need to learn how to spend less money. I'd like to be able to start investing in the stock market. I'd like to be able to buy a new, fuel-efficient, reliable car with "sexy factor" (the Toyota Solara is a close match). I'd like to be able to own property someday. Maybe (most probably) not a mansion on a hill, but at least a quaint townhome in a safe neighborhood, with a place to park my car off the street.
I think most of my financial frustrations come from me expecting too much of myself. But I also think that's because I'm copping out and I should really say, "I spend too much on pretty things and need to learn to spend less."
In my childhood, the dream was to go to college and graduate. Unfortunately I didn't realize until quite late in my college career that I needed to forge a new dream. One of the new dreams I tried to forge - a military career - faltered.
While I'm not quite faltering now - I do have a good job with an excellent company - I feel like I'm wandering in fog. I'm not quite sure what I want to do with my career. The "big picture" goal seems to be: "Make enough money to live comfortably and afford trips to places I've never been before". That seems lacking.
My new sweetheart mentioned that a "five-year plan" is much more effective in setting-and-reaching goals. How Mao!
The current 5-year-plan seems to be, "Earn a Master's Degree". Unfortunately, I'm not sure I know what I want to study. I've thought about USC's M.S. in C.S., specializing in Computer Security (because I want to take their cryptology class), but I wonder if that's "too challenging" to take on with a full-time job and hobbies to boot. I'd like to retain some of my sanity. The other option I was thinking about was earning my M.B.A., but I'm not sure if I want to become a manager.
I have financial and personal life goals in my 5-year-plan too, but I think I have the game plan for those worked out, although my financial goals aren't making as much progress as quickly as I'd like.
Life definitely does its best to crush idealism in full bloom, does it not? It would be so much easier to save money if so much didn't get allocated to essential things, like rent and bills.
When I moved to L.A. one of the "hot" things to wear was the kimono dress, and Geren Ford makes an excellent silk one that was popular with the fashionistas. Unfortunately list price for one is $300+, depending on where you shop. My thinking was, if I can do well enough for myself that I can afford that dress, I will be doing fantastic. Owning that dress would be a symbol of my success in L.A., and my new-found life. The other day I found a black one for $150, on Maneater Threads. I bought it because it was on sale and because I could afford to. (It arrives in the mail today, so I'm not sure how smokin' I would look in it) Are my financial goals hurting because of it? Most probably.
I'm not hurting for money. Lots of people live on less than I do (and in the town I live in), and do just fine. But to make my financial goals I need to learn how to spend less money. I'd like to be able to start investing in the stock market. I'd like to be able to buy a new, fuel-efficient, reliable car with "sexy factor" (the Toyota Solara is a close match). I'd like to be able to own property someday. Maybe (most probably) not a mansion on a hill, but at least a quaint townhome in a safe neighborhood, with a place to park my car off the street.
I think most of my financial frustrations come from me expecting too much of myself. But I also think that's because I'm copping out and I should really say, "I spend too much on pretty things and need to learn to spend less."
Recipe - Artichoke Spinach Dip
This is one of the few recipes I'll use the microwave to actually cook something. It's heavy on the artichokes.
Stir in the baby spinach and microwave for 30 seconds. Drain.
Stir in the cheeses and microwave until thoroughly blended, stopping to stir at 30-second intervals.
Stir in the garlic powder and serve hot with crusty bread, pita or crackers.
If you're making this for guests and not just for something tasty to devour, you can put the dip in a pretty broiler-safe dish, top with tomato slices or breadcrumbs, and either put under the broiler for 5 minutes or bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes before serving.
- 1 1/2 - 2 c. artichoke hearts, chopped (I use canned, but you can use frozen if you can find them)
- 1/2 c. baby spinach, chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese - I use the bagged stuff, but I'd like to try it with 1/4 c. grated real Parmesan
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder - you can use one minced garlic clove here, but I prefer the texture using garlic powder
Stir in the baby spinach and microwave for 30 seconds. Drain.
Stir in the cheeses and microwave until thoroughly blended, stopping to stir at 30-second intervals.
Stir in the garlic powder and serve hot with crusty bread, pita or crackers.
If you're making this for guests and not just for something tasty to devour, you can put the dip in a pretty broiler-safe dish, top with tomato slices or breadcrumbs, and either put under the broiler for 5 minutes or bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes before serving.
Recipe - Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
These are almost like the biscuits you get at Red Lobster. I'm not sure why I'm such a big fan of "copycat" recipes. Maybe because it takes some of the mystery out of going to the restaurant and because I know what I put in my version. If I want to feed myself bad things I should at least have the right to know exactly what gave me the heart attack.
Feel free to add more garlic powder and/or cheddar cheese. I think the dough can handle up to a cup of cheese, so if you like your biscuits cheesy (and who doesn't?), add away!
Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 450°. Grease a baking sheet.
Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and garlic powder (or the biscuit mix and garlic powder).
With a pastry blender or fork, cut in 4-5 TB of cold butter until it's thoroughly blended and looks like loose sand.
Mix in 1 c. milk and 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese until just combined. Don't overblend!
"Drop" biscuit-sized portions of the dough onto a baking sheet - I use two tablespoons as it's quite a sticky dough and it doesn't "drop" well. Sprinkle parsley flakes on top of the biscuits and bake for 7-9 minutes, until golden brown.
Consume immediately.
Adapted from Mark Bittman's "Emergency Drop Biscuit" recipe from How To Cook Everything, and Todd Wilbur's Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit recipe from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes.
Feel free to add more garlic powder and/or cheddar cheese. I think the dough can handle up to a cup of cheese, so if you like your biscuits cheesy (and who doesn't?), add away!
Ingredients
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 4-5 TB cold butter
- 1 c. milk
- 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- parsley flakes
Preheat your oven to 450°. Grease a baking sheet.
Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and garlic powder (or the biscuit mix and garlic powder).
With a pastry blender or fork, cut in 4-5 TB of cold butter until it's thoroughly blended and looks like loose sand.
Mix in 1 c. milk and 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese until just combined. Don't overblend!
"Drop" biscuit-sized portions of the dough onto a baking sheet - I use two tablespoons as it's quite a sticky dough and it doesn't "drop" well. Sprinkle parsley flakes on top of the biscuits and bake for 7-9 minutes, until golden brown.
Consume immediately.
Adapted from Mark Bittman's "Emergency Drop Biscuit" recipe from How To Cook Everything, and Todd Wilbur's Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit recipe from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Recipe - Blackened Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo
I haven't made this in a long while, but I'm starting to crave my own cooking. I obviously haven't been feeding myself enough. This is one of those easy "complicated" things to make, and requires some time management skills. It's inspired by Applebee's chicken & broccoli alfredo, although the alfredo sauce was inspired by Olive Garden. I'm not sure where the nutmeg in the sauce comes from, but I think it's because nutmeg is a traditional addition to cheese fondue and I once added nutmeg to the sauce and liked it. I found recipes online and bastardized them so the dish is my own.
If memory serves me correctly, you should have slightly more alfredo sauce than you need. I haven't discovered a remedy for this yet. You can always cook more pasta than required.
The marinade is good for steak too.
You can do all sorts of things with the blackened chicken breasts, like adding them to sandwiches and salads. I think it's tasty enough to eat with my fingers straight from the fridge as a quick protein fix, but some people might think that's barbaric.
Marinade
Spice Rub
Alfredo Sauce
Combine the marinade ingredients together in a shallow dish or Ziploc baggie to marinate the chicken in. Make sure both pieces of chicken are coated in marinade and let them sit and "get happy" in the fridge for a couple hours - overnight is nice but don't be afraid when the chicken turns brown.
When you're ready to make dinner, mix up the spice rub in a bowl. My measurements are rough guesstimates, but I always use more salt than black pepper, more garlic powder than onion powder, and more paprika than cayenne. I've also seen some recipes use a teaspoon of sugar too, but I don't think that's necessary. It's mostly a matter of personal taste. Be liberal in rubbing the spice onto the chicken.
Get some water boiling for your pasta and broccoli.
Heat up your grill or skillet (the next time I make this I'm going to use the George Foreman my parents unloaded onto me) to high heat. Melt the butter and sear the chicken to perfection on both sides. I've noticed if you use too much spice the heat has a hard time getting to the chicken, and if you use too little you don't get the "blackened", bad-for-you coating. Theoretically, this should take around 12 minutes but in practice takes closer to 20. When the chicken is done let it "rest" a few minutes before slicing.
While the chicken is cooking you can make the alfredo sauce. Melt the butter over low or medium-low heat. Add the garlic, cream, salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer. Don't let this boil! When the sauce starts to get thick slowly add the cheese. I'm a little paranoid about this because cream and cheese are expensive and it can be easy to "break" the sauce if you're not careful. Make sure each addition of cheese is incorporated into the sauce before adding more. When the cheese is fully incorporated you can just let it simmer, and then add the nutmeg just before serving.
You should have added the pasta by now. Add the broccoli about three minutes before the pasta is done. Are you ready to assemble?
Toss the pasta, broccoli, tomato and chicken together. Then serve. Alternatively, you can just toss the pasta and veggies with the sauce and then serve portions of pasta with sliced chicken breast on top, which is pretty. I typically don't make anything else and don't serve bread with this.
This serves more than two, but less than 3. You probably will have enough marinade and spice to cook a third chicken breast if need be, but that's a personal preference thing. Unless you and the person you're cooking this for are ravenous wolves, you will have leftovers.
Leftovers are okay, but not ideal in terms of tastiness. If you wanted to be lazy you can use a jar of pre-made alfredo sauce and just heat it up prior to serving. But the sodium content on premade sauces scare me.
If memory serves me correctly, you should have slightly more alfredo sauce than you need. I haven't discovered a remedy for this yet. You can always cook more pasta than required.
The marinade is good for steak too.
You can do all sorts of things with the blackened chicken breasts, like adding them to sandwiches and salads. I think it's tasty enough to eat with my fingers straight from the fridge as a quick protein fix, but some people might think that's barbaric.
Marinade
- 1/2 c. water (add more if you need it, but I prefer a strong marinade)
- the juice of one big lime
- 1/2 c. soy sauce (I think this is really closer to a cup)
- 1/2 TB Worcestershire
Spice Rub
- 1/2 TB salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Alfredo Sauce
- 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or 1 minced clove)
- 1 c. heavy cream
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- pinch salt
- pinch nutmeg
- 1/4 - 1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese (depends on how thick you want the sauce, and how much you love parmesan)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- a little butter to cook the chicken in
- 9 oz. pasta
- 2 c. broccoli florets
- 1/2 c. diced tomato
Combine the marinade ingredients together in a shallow dish or Ziploc baggie to marinate the chicken in. Make sure both pieces of chicken are coated in marinade and let them sit and "get happy" in the fridge for a couple hours - overnight is nice but don't be afraid when the chicken turns brown.
When you're ready to make dinner, mix up the spice rub in a bowl. My measurements are rough guesstimates, but I always use more salt than black pepper, more garlic powder than onion powder, and more paprika than cayenne. I've also seen some recipes use a teaspoon of sugar too, but I don't think that's necessary. It's mostly a matter of personal taste. Be liberal in rubbing the spice onto the chicken.
Get some water boiling for your pasta and broccoli.
Heat up your grill or skillet (the next time I make this I'm going to use the George Foreman my parents unloaded onto me) to high heat. Melt the butter and sear the chicken to perfection on both sides. I've noticed if you use too much spice the heat has a hard time getting to the chicken, and if you use too little you don't get the "blackened", bad-for-you coating. Theoretically, this should take around 12 minutes but in practice takes closer to 20. When the chicken is done let it "rest" a few minutes before slicing.
While the chicken is cooking you can make the alfredo sauce. Melt the butter over low or medium-low heat. Add the garlic, cream, salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer. Don't let this boil! When the sauce starts to get thick slowly add the cheese. I'm a little paranoid about this because cream and cheese are expensive and it can be easy to "break" the sauce if you're not careful. Make sure each addition of cheese is incorporated into the sauce before adding more. When the cheese is fully incorporated you can just let it simmer, and then add the nutmeg just before serving.
You should have added the pasta by now. Add the broccoli about three minutes before the pasta is done. Are you ready to assemble?
Toss the pasta, broccoli, tomato and chicken together. Then serve. Alternatively, you can just toss the pasta and veggies with the sauce and then serve portions of pasta with sliced chicken breast on top, which is pretty. I typically don't make anything else and don't serve bread with this.
This serves more than two, but less than 3. You probably will have enough marinade and spice to cook a third chicken breast if need be, but that's a personal preference thing. Unless you and the person you're cooking this for are ravenous wolves, you will have leftovers.
Leftovers are okay, but not ideal in terms of tastiness. If you wanted to be lazy you can use a jar of pre-made alfredo sauce and just heat it up prior to serving. But the sodium content on premade sauces scare me.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Putting Things Into Perspective
Thank God the Blacksburg Killer Only Had Guns
Yes, I think what happened at Virginia Tech is tragic. I don't think the actions of any one person surrounding Cho Seung-Hui could have stopped him from doing what he did. Maybe if society as a whole were more respectful of others, this and other miscellaneous tragedies could have been avoided.
What was it that someone said? The number of people who die doesn't change, just different people? What am I referencing here?
What is the value of human life? Is an American's life more important than an Iraqi's? (Obviously to Americans and their families) Is a student's life more important than a market vendor's? Are we suffering from compassion fatigue because violence is a part of life in the Middle East and violence is not a part of ours?
Yes, I think what happened at Virginia Tech is tragic. I don't think the actions of any one person surrounding Cho Seung-Hui could have stopped him from doing what he did. Maybe if society as a whole were more respectful of others, this and other miscellaneous tragedies could have been avoided.
What was it that someone said? The number of people who die doesn't change, just different people? What am I referencing here?
What is the value of human life? Is an American's life more important than an Iraqi's? (Obviously to Americans and their families) Is a student's life more important than a market vendor's? Are we suffering from compassion fatigue because violence is a part of life in the Middle East and violence is not a part of ours?
Pink Collar
I had some confusion last night over what the term "pink collar" meant. My new fellow didn't know there was even a term for "pink collar", and I didn't know if "pink collar" was a female version of "white collar" or "blue collar".
Turns out, according to the Wikipedia article, pink collar is neither white nor blue collar. Pink collar jobs can be either white or blue collar, but are all "traditionally female" positions.
Huh. I guess that makes me white collar then.
Turns out, according to the Wikipedia article, pink collar is neither white nor blue collar. Pink collar jobs can be either white or blue collar, but are all "traditionally female" positions.
Huh. I guess that makes me white collar then.
Monday, April 16, 2007
D&D Night
Studying something like computers inevitably allows one to soak up various aspects of nerd, geek, and dork culture. This is a given because otherwise you will miss the humor in the term, "making one's saving throw versus death", among other geekspeak.
Friday night, I participated in an old-fashioned, paper-and-pencil game of Dungeons & Dragons. Did you feel the disturbance in the Force?
I had fun! Imagine that! I have a theory regarding role-playing games that, like acting, enables people to learn about the human condition in a relatively safe way.
I am possibly a bad actress, but I thoroughly enjoyed more-experienced role-players voicing their characters. Watching the Dungeon Master that night was very interesting. He went from pulp-fictionesque villain to goblin to frightened guard without blinking an eye. It was amazing. (Yes I'm biased, but it was still awesome to watch)
And yes, dorkiness is possibly the epitome of unsexy. Except for maybe smoking cigarettes, cruelty to people or animals, and evilness in general. But you get the idea.
Friday night, I participated in an old-fashioned, paper-and-pencil game of Dungeons & Dragons. Did you feel the disturbance in the Force?
I had fun! Imagine that! I have a theory regarding role-playing games that, like acting, enables people to learn about the human condition in a relatively safe way.
I am possibly a bad actress, but I thoroughly enjoyed more-experienced role-players voicing their characters. Watching the Dungeon Master that night was very interesting. He went from pulp-fictionesque villain to goblin to frightened guard without blinking an eye. It was amazing. (Yes I'm biased, but it was still awesome to watch)
And yes, dorkiness is possibly the epitome of unsexy. Except for maybe smoking cigarettes, cruelty to people or animals, and evilness in general. But you get the idea.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Hot Wax? Ouch!
I got my first bikini wax today. I went to Mimosa in Hermosa, and their waxing specialist, Gabriella, is really nice and down-to-earth. Not to mention funny! She kept me laughing the entire appointment.
Was it painful? Of course. But it wasn't as traumatic as I thought it was going to be.
The basic rundown is this:
You end up, bottomless (as opposed to topless) on a table, where warm (ok, it was more than warm) wax is applied to hair-covered skin prepped by a dusting of talc (also known as baby powder). When the wax has sufficiently cooled, it's quickly removed, taking the hair with it.
Gabriella's appointments run around a half-hour for a "classic" bikini wax, which includes the waxing and tweezing of shorter, stubborn hairs. That was the most painful part of the experience. I've read (and been told) that bikini waxes should only be around 15-20 minutes, because the skin becomes inflamed and it's harder to remove the hair. However, I didn't think it hurt badly and I like Gabriella so I think I'll continue to utilize her services.
I'm almost ready for bikini season.
Was it painful? Of course. But it wasn't as traumatic as I thought it was going to be.
The basic rundown is this:
You end up, bottomless (as opposed to topless) on a table, where warm (ok, it was more than warm) wax is applied to hair-covered skin prepped by a dusting of talc (also known as baby powder). When the wax has sufficiently cooled, it's quickly removed, taking the hair with it.
Gabriella's appointments run around a half-hour for a "classic" bikini wax, which includes the waxing and tweezing of shorter, stubborn hairs. That was the most painful part of the experience. I've read (and been told) that bikini waxes should only be around 15-20 minutes, because the skin becomes inflamed and it's harder to remove the hair. However, I didn't think it hurt badly and I like Gabriella so I think I'll continue to utilize her services.
I'm almost ready for bikini season.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Ineffable!
What is so magically intangible about love? Why is every iteration of "I think I'm falling in love" more "true" to the speaker than the last? How can we feel or know anything that is, by definition, undefinable?
Logic, rationality has failed me (almost). At the least any rational thought has been seriously hindered by the chemical changes induced by hormones. We are all addicted to oxytocin.
I'm in grave danger of causing a lot of trouble for myself. But only if it doesn't work out - if it does work out, then I've caused myself to have a grand adventure.
Logic, rationality has failed me (almost). At the least any rational thought has been seriously hindered by the chemical changes induced by hormones. We are all addicted to oxytocin.
I'm in grave danger of causing a lot of trouble for myself. But only if it doesn't work out - if it does work out, then I've caused myself to have a grand adventure.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Easter Sunday
I had a nice Easter.
My new fellow and I went up to Venice Beach to have brunch at The Sidewalk Cafe with a friend, her uncle, and one of her classmates. I had their Eggs Benedict brunch special; it came with Mimosa. The Eggs Benedict was delicious, although I would have preferred the Venice Potatoes to be more crispy to complement the hollandaise sauce better. Their coffee was also really good.
I realize my comment on the potatoes sounds really picky. I don't think I'm especially picky - on the contrary, but I do try to point out what the "ideal situation" would be. The meal was fine on its own, but I happen to prefer crispier potatoes, especially when your food is topped with something like hollandaise. My eating preferences are going to give me a heart attack one of these days, aren't they?
After brunch, we wandered North to the end of the Venice Boardwalk. There are some interesting people that hang out and peddle goods there. There were some guys sitting on a blanket with a cardboard sign: "Family Killed By Ninjas - Need Money For Karate Lessons". I was most impressed with the young juggler I saw - he couldn't have been older than 22.
Several peddlers were selling these spraypaint paintings. They would use spraypaint to create a background, and manipulate the paint to create neat landscapes. Some of the artists would attract quite the crowd, although I think some people would hang around more for the fumes than the show.
My new fellow and I went up to Venice Beach to have brunch at The Sidewalk Cafe with a friend, her uncle, and one of her classmates. I had their Eggs Benedict brunch special; it came with Mimosa. The Eggs Benedict was delicious, although I would have preferred the Venice Potatoes to be more crispy to complement the hollandaise sauce better. Their coffee was also really good.
I realize my comment on the potatoes sounds really picky. I don't think I'm especially picky - on the contrary, but I do try to point out what the "ideal situation" would be. The meal was fine on its own, but I happen to prefer crispier potatoes, especially when your food is topped with something like hollandaise. My eating preferences are going to give me a heart attack one of these days, aren't they?
After brunch, we wandered North to the end of the Venice Boardwalk. There are some interesting people that hang out and peddle goods there. There were some guys sitting on a blanket with a cardboard sign: "Family Killed By Ninjas - Need Money For Karate Lessons". I was most impressed with the young juggler I saw - he couldn't have been older than 22.
Several peddlers were selling these spraypaint paintings. They would use spraypaint to create a background, and manipulate the paint to create neat landscapes. Some of the artists would attract quite the crowd, although I think some people would hang around more for the fumes than the show.
Digital Piano
I bought my digital piano last night. It's in my bedroom now as I speak.
I'm fairly happy with it, although I've noticed that I need to hit the higher keys harder to hear them over the bass notes. On a real piano, you don't have to press them as hard because the natural frequency of the notes will allow them to be heard over the lower-frequency bass notes. (The same reason you don't need as many sopranos as you do altos/baritones/basses) So there's something Yamaha can improve on (unless they already have that feature in an upgraded -i.e. more expensive- line of keyboards). The other glaring "feature" is in the sustain pedal - you have to press the sustain pedal for however long you want the sustain to last. On a real piano, the sustain will continue for a short time after you release the pedal; it sounds "soft". The keyboard sounds "hard".
However, it does appear to be a suitable substitute for my upright until I can get a real place of my own (condo, or dare I hope, house?) so I can move my piano here. I was told by the sales guy that you don't get bigger bang for your buck than the Yamaha YPG-625.
I also noticed that I really suck at piano now. This is what I get for not having something to practice on consistently for over 5 years. I feel really hurt that I didn't pay more attention during my piano lessons back in the day. (I started piano when I was 4, and stopped "real" private lessons when I was 9 and moved to Utah.) That was a bit of shooting-myself-in-the-foot. I'm not sure if I had the potential to be great at piano, and while I can read sheet music, I'm not fluent at it. That would be a sexy skill to have.
I remember this girl who was in my choir class in high school. She was our accompanist, my age, and she could read sheets like there was nothing to it. I hope she went on to study music in college.
I do have a lot of sheet music (and just purchased a lot of new sheet music), so I won't be starved for something intellectually and creatively stimulating. I ended up having to buy books for the Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Mozart pieces I want to learn, so I guess that gives me an additional reason to learn the other pieces. I ended up buying more pop pieces than I intended, but James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover" sound incredible as piano pieces, even if you don't like the guy.
With this digital piano, I can start recording some of my playing (when I get back into practice and feel comfortable recording!). I've thought about posting some of that out on YouTube. My digital camera can record video, so I thought that cutting my own videos, and adding music (or even mixing covers of my favorite pop pieces) would be something creative and fun to do.
I'm fairly happy with it, although I've noticed that I need to hit the higher keys harder to hear them over the bass notes. On a real piano, you don't have to press them as hard because the natural frequency of the notes will allow them to be heard over the lower-frequency bass notes. (The same reason you don't need as many sopranos as you do altos/baritones/basses) So there's something Yamaha can improve on (unless they already have that feature in an upgraded -i.e. more expensive- line of keyboards). The other glaring "feature" is in the sustain pedal - you have to press the sustain pedal for however long you want the sustain to last. On a real piano, the sustain will continue for a short time after you release the pedal; it sounds "soft". The keyboard sounds "hard".
However, it does appear to be a suitable substitute for my upright until I can get a real place of my own (condo, or dare I hope, house?) so I can move my piano here. I was told by the sales guy that you don't get bigger bang for your buck than the Yamaha YPG-625.
I also noticed that I really suck at piano now. This is what I get for not having something to practice on consistently for over 5 years. I feel really hurt that I didn't pay more attention during my piano lessons back in the day. (I started piano when I was 4, and stopped "real" private lessons when I was 9 and moved to Utah.) That was a bit of shooting-myself-in-the-foot. I'm not sure if I had the potential to be great at piano, and while I can read sheet music, I'm not fluent at it. That would be a sexy skill to have.
I remember this girl who was in my choir class in high school. She was our accompanist, my age, and she could read sheets like there was nothing to it. I hope she went on to study music in college.
I do have a lot of sheet music (and just purchased a lot of new sheet music), so I won't be starved for something intellectually and creatively stimulating. I ended up having to buy books for the Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Mozart pieces I want to learn, so I guess that gives me an additional reason to learn the other pieces. I ended up buying more pop pieces than I intended, but James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover" sound incredible as piano pieces, even if you don't like the guy.
With this digital piano, I can start recording some of my playing (when I get back into practice and feel comfortable recording!). I've thought about posting some of that out on YouTube. My digital camera can record video, so I thought that cutting my own videos, and adding music (or even mixing covers of my favorite pop pieces) would be something creative and fun to do.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Twitterpated
(Plagerizing Dashboard Confessional)
I am certain now that I am
Twitterpated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I'm right
Swear I knew it all along
And I am flawed
But he's accepting me so well
I am seeing in me now the things he swore he saw himself
Let's say I had an incredible birthday weekend. I took Friday off, and the new fellow in my life surprised me by doing the same. I tried a lot of new food this weekend, including:
Port (which I like because it has complex flavors but simple enough for my undeveloped palate to discern)
Yellow Curry (which I thought was fantastic)
Avgolemono (which I was told was good but not as good as it could be)
various Greek finger foods
Goat cheese
Lamb
Mimosa (which is good but I think has the potential to be fantastic if you use good champange - I don't know what it would be called if you used muscato d'asti, but I think it has the potential to be very tasty)
I also had the most unproductive, relaxing weekend that I've had in a long while. My batteries were completely recharged. Cool!
Question: Why is "twitterpated" not in Merriam Webster Online?
I am certain now that I am
Twitterpated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I'm right
Swear I knew it all along
And I am flawed
But he's accepting me so well
I am seeing in me now the things he swore he saw himself
Let's say I had an incredible birthday weekend. I took Friday off, and the new fellow in my life surprised me by doing the same. I tried a lot of new food this weekend, including:
Port (which I like because it has complex flavors but simple enough for my undeveloped palate to discern)
Yellow Curry (which I thought was fantastic)
Avgolemono (which I was told was good but not as good as it could be)
various Greek finger foods
Goat cheese
Lamb
Mimosa (which is good but I think has the potential to be fantastic if you use good champange - I don't know what it would be called if you used muscato d'asti, but I think it has the potential to be very tasty)
I also had the most unproductive, relaxing weekend that I've had in a long while. My batteries were completely recharged. Cool!
Question: Why is "twitterpated" not in Merriam Webster Online?
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