WTF-Beta

@ShiroKuro said:

@Mik I always find that it’s a trade of no what what I play or the level of difficulty it. Either I can focus on musicality and expression, and I end up with pretty sloppy playing, or I can focus on accuracy and I end up with much less musicality… ah well, it’s a process!

I noticed that with my long time teacher. She could sight read anything and play it technically correct but it always sounded soulless too me. My timekeeping is abysmal, but my expression is pretty good...not necessarily as written, but as I felt it. Since it's only for my own pleasure that works out fine.

@ShiroKuro said:

thank you @mik

(I have to lean on expression because I will never be that technically adept)

Lovely. Wonderful expression.

Well, it is Iowa. Hardly a hotbed of leftist thought.

(Having spent a weekend there recently, I am now an expert)

@wtg said:

Bears announced a few days ago they're continuing their focus on Hammond. Fingers still crossed.

From a prof at Ball State University. Guess some Hoosiers don't want the Bears to move there any more than some of us Illinoisans want them to stay here.

https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/07/20/lets-hope-the-chicago-bears-stay-in-illinois/

He's just mad because he has to live in Muncie. Not that I blame him.

FFS

A little Elanor Rigby in there too with the strings and the somber mood.

No, still the same. The only side I completely redid was the south and that was in 2001. We tried to get the insurance to replace it with Hardie board after the 2014 hail storm, but no dice. We did get a new roof, that paint job and a new garage door, all of which were needed.

There's no end to it. We replaced the sidewalk this spring, now our radon readings are a little higher than I'd like. Waiting for an average over a month or so.

The association just cut down a huge old oak tree that was shading my south side and there's more heat upstairs. Have a guy coming to look at reflective insulation in the attic.

Yeah, yellow I like. Mustard not so much. It was very popular in interiors in the 90s and 2000s. That and gold. Now they look like avocado green and harvest gold.

I love yellow and white on a more traditional house like the one Steve posted.

Ours is now Woodland, a Sherwin William green. Looks gray in this pic but it's not. We finally like it after being New England Red and then some awful taupe color.

If Congress would do their job, which they seem to believe is get re-elected rather than serving their constituents, we would not have nearly the executive overreach. This has been going on for decades.

Infiniti now has a gorgeous emerald green out. I like a sedate navy blue-gray too. Mazda has a red out that's almost candy apple red from the early 60's customs.

Thanks, all! Went out for a full body comp scan then out to lunch with My Favorite Redhead. Worked out at home due to rain and tornadoes, a prime filet and corn picked that morning with a lovely 2019 Bordeaux.

Life is good, although 70 is a LOT cooler than 71. For some reason, I detested 50, but loved both 60 and 70. Have lost a lot of weight and my skeletal muscle was beyond their ratings. Once I shed some more pounds I'll be the new Ahhhnold with my resistance, HIIT and cardio training.

Your brain is very much like a muscle in that you have to exercise it, and in different ways. When I started out doing the daily Jumble I would sometimes have a hard time identifying the words. Now its zip zap done. New neural pathways. That applies to music, games, reading, anything you have to focus on and learn. I'm completely convinced that continuoous learning is key to mental health, as well as happiness.

Tree rats.

Makes perfect sense.

Sounds wonderful and most of all peaceful. Modern conveniences as well, and you have control over your environment. Things are looking decidedly up.

So your new place is a condo or are you still in the park?

Went to Iowa, another first. Next week going to Erie, PA for a family gathering. All the garden spots.

So you are living solo? That's great. We will need pics of the new place when you get it in order.

One of my favorite pieces to play. Sad to say I don't have it in my fingers anymore.