A New Mini Daily Morning Project

 

Song:  Heaven and Hell (Part 2 Mov 2)

Artist:  Vangelis

Only now...

after many months...

may I now inhale to any great degree without having a coughing fit...

and so...

I decided to begin training my voice properly.

Although I love singing to songs in the car as I drive in the countryside...

I know (as well as does anyone who can hear me :)...

that I do NOT sing well.

Although I do enjoy myself...

I realized that just repeating the same old actions will not lead to any progress in quality.

What I should have realized earlier is that I already have the materials at hand

to vastly improve the quality of my voice...

if I use a systematic method...

the same way I had taught myself how to play the Bass Flute.

Earlier...

I had simply bought some music books...

Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced (I and II). 

But...

I could only find this one book...

as the others are in boxes in the garage somewhere.

And so...

I just ordered the other ones from Amazon.

But...

until they get here in a few days...

I will just use this one...

and then start at the beginner's level once the books arrive.

Just as I had done with the Bass Flute...

I will concentrate on purity of tone as a priority.

I have a frequency meter to tune my guitars...

and it is perfect for letting me know whenever my voice is out of tune

(as it almost always is :)...

and not only by how much...

but if I am flat or sharp

(I will also order a much larger one as the readout is hard to see

(my vision is also poor  :)

And...

most importantly...

it tells me when I am hitting the note precisely.

Part of my daily morning routine is making a cup of coffee...

and then sitting up in the loft at my computer...

and checking things online.

However...

from now on, after I do so...

I will then practice my vocal training.

I will just make this part of my morning daily ritual.

In the evening...

I will use that time for my instrument training...

and/or music practice.

As the morning sun comes through the great room windows...

I simply turn the other way...

facing the rear windows with the music stand holding my music books.

I have the guitar tuner attached to the stand

with the music book behind it.

In this manner...

with each note...

I may check the meter...

and then alter my voice until I achieve perfect pitch before moving on.

(I've had trouble discerning frequency fluctuations before as I am partially deaf...

but, as I should have realized way before...

I can use a visual reference to determine tonal quality...

and then by the associated feel alone...

I should be able to achieve muscle memory for each tone...

and so, singing by feel instead of accurately monitoring by ear).

It will be slow going at first...

as I will have to achieve muscle memory with each note...

but it should be no different from learning any other instrument.

As I can already read music...

this will allow me to concentrate on tonal quality alone.

I will just be practicing without any vibrato

by merely concentrating on holding perfect pitch for the duration of each note.

Of course...

while I should be able to extend my range as well...

there is only so much a person can do with what they have.

My voice is not well suited to singing.

This I understand well...

however...

it is also not an excuse to not be able to improve to a level

much better than that which I am currently

(yes...I sing quite poorly...

but...

it also means I should experience dramatic improvement  :)

Of course...

on notes I simply won't be able to hit...

I can just mentally transpose an octave or two down

(I have much trouble with the higher notes).

However...

I will always try to extend my range as much as possible.

With the morning light behind me...

the pages are well lit.

My other music books should arrive in a few days.

This is how I suspect...opera singers first practice

(and NO...I know I will never be able to sing like an opera singer...

but I do know that I should be able to learn how to hold notes in perfect pitch...

 after MUCH practice. 

 The flats and sharps should be no problem...as I currently hit those without trying

(of course...the problem is that it happens a lot

when I am trying to sing in perfect pitch without being flat or sharp.

Of course...I don't always know it at the time...

as I am positively mortified when hearing myself in a recording

at higher volumes at a later time  :)

------------

Anyway...

I should be able to begin working on my cover song once again...

as I now have enough energy to begin instrument training in the late evenings as well...

as part of my daily routine.

I can hear the music in my head...

but now comes the tough part...

being able to apply it to my voice and to my instruments.

This will be a long and tough road to walk...

but it will all be worth it.

The great part is that I won't be torturing anyone as I learn

(well...there is Bandi...but she already knows I cannot sing well :)

----------

I love being able to chase my personal passions in life.

Writing and music are who I really am inside...

as they make me feel so much more alive and serene at the same time.

And so...

creating through these two are part of my ongoing bucket list.

Doing these are what makes me the most deeply happy.

I already live in the perfect creative environment.

I love learning and improving myself and my surroundings.

It is the only way to truly live life.

If you are not actively moving forwards...

you are stagnating...

and that is merely slowly dying.

--------

My next cover song will be purely instrumental...

and it will still be a long time in coming.

But...

this will also allow me to...

hopefully...

dramatically improve my vocal skills for a future cover song including vocals.

Again...

I know I will never be great at singing...

but...

I also know that with proper training...

I can, and will...greatly improve.

A Fox, A Library, And Bulgogi

 

Song:  Stillness

Artist:  Elias Corvan

Early this morning (about 4:30 AM)...

I was awakened by Bandi.

She was looking out one of the bay windows and growling...

and then barking.

I got up and looked out the same window from which she was looking out.

Something had tripped one of the motion detector lights 

near the entrance steps to the 2nd deck.

I looked closely and saw a fox standing motionless near the stairway.

(I later looked up the type of fox which most closely resembled what I had seen...

it was a Gray Fox).

It looked cute...

as it looked to weigh less than 20 lbs...

and had some white fur mixed in with its darker fur on its head and tail.

After it trotted off...

Bandi calmed down and we both went back to sleep. 

A view out the same window once I had awakened...

much later in the day.

The fox had been standing right in front of the stairway as it looked around.

The fox wasn't bothered by Bandi's barking as it had seen that she was inside the house.

I enjoy being visited by various forms of wildlife here.

They all walk around...

seemingly unfazed by anything.

Bandi looking out one of "her" windows in my bedroom...

the same one she had looked through when she had seen the fox earlier that morning.

Bandi is always alert to any intruders...

even though they are harmless.

(On my way down my mountain...

it was lightly snowing at the time).

I once had Amazon send me all of my published books

to donate to my community library...

but by the time they had arrived...

my community library was no longer accepting donations of books.

So...

I recently saw on Facebook that a new library was established in the town of Divide

(about a 25 minute drive away).

And so...

on my way to try a Korean restaurant in Colorado Springs...

I decided to donate my two trilogies

(The Kuma Trilogy / The Halo Trilogy)...

to their new library.

I was almost down my mountain road here.

I was almost in the town of Divide.

Pikes Peak is behind the fore-mountains...

and Sentinel Point is the right most pointed peak in this photo.

 

Their new, and very small, library is located in their community center. 

This is their library.

They gratefully accepted my books...

and I then headed out to Colorado Springs.

Cheyenne Mountain is just visible here.

I was almost to the Korean restaurant.

While it was all reasonably priced...

I have tasted much better Bulgogi...

so...

onwards I go on another mission to try other Korean restaurants.

I am hard to please in this category...

as I had eaten excellent Bulgogi while on deployment in Korea in the Army.

Most Korean restaurants in America simply don't make near the quality 

of Bulgogi that I had eaten there.

There was a notable exception in the San Francisco Bay Area of California...

and that was where a lot of previous Korean nationals had eaten

(they often spoke in Korean).

Next time...

I will look for an all you can eat Korean BBQ.

On my way home from the Korean restaurant.

I was passing Manitou Springs here.

The sun was setting as I entered Woodland Park.

I had just passed the town of Divide...

 on my way to the town of Florissant...

to where I turn on to the main road going South towards home.

From that point...

I have just another 20 minute drive to reach home.

Although it was just below freezing (-1 C)...

I partially opened the windows...

 as the fresh and crisp air was so refreshing.

I was just a few minutes away from my turnoff for the main road towards home.

-------------

Although the Korean food was a slight disappointment...

the day was beautiful...

and overall...

I still had a good time.

Right now...

as I still tire easily...

I will just retire to bed to watch a movie until I get sleepy.

Life is still so good.

Just Another Sunset

 

Song:  Heaven and Hell

Artist:  Vangelis

I had just taken it easy today.

As I was lying in bed...

I saw the light of a setting sun make my bedroom blinds glow amber.

I went up to the loft and began taking photos.

I had to switch to a wide angle setting on the camera...

but there was still so much I could not get...

as the orangish amber clouds reached above me.

As the sun continued to set...

the sky went from amber...

 and then to orange and pink.

------------

What I love so much about being up here is that I may turn off the world at will

(I don't engage with it much as it is).

I treasure the tranquility of my home.

The colors of the morning and evening skies are so often...

quite incredible.

--------------

There is still so much I do not understand about human behavior.

But...

I do know that I simply cannot trust anyone who treats animals unkindly...

or who turns his or her back to a beautiful sunrise or sunset.

People who have an inner ugliness have an urge to disturb and to destroy.

They often hold anything pure and beautiful in great disdain...

or with a purposeful and demonstrative dismissiveness.

Once you may feasibly do so (retirement)...

cut loose any ties that bind you to anyone or to anything undesirable.

If you are to have your ultimate freedom in life...

and so...

your serenity...

you must be very selective with whom you associate yourself.

You don't owe unjustifiably rude or angry people any explanation.

Simply cut ties and sail on.

Let no one hamper your journey in life.

Merely find those of like hearts and minds.

Your one and only life...

will be your Heaven...

or your Hell...

depending on how wisely you choose.

------

You must be your own best friend in life.

It will only be you in the end...

and there will be nothing more.

Live your life accordingly.

A Case Of Mistaken Identity

 

Song:  Harvest Moon

Artist: Neil Young

Something...

both funny...

and sweet...

happened to me today.

I went to Woodland Park to pick up more Sauerkraut from Walmart

(I bought all they had.  Now I have enough to last me most of the year).

I also picked up a whole rotisserie chicken for Bandi (just over $5.00)

(It lasts two feedings...I love giving her occasional treats).

After finishing up with my shopping...

I stopped by my favorite taco truck in town.

I bought 4 Quesa Barria tacos

(the pictured one dipping into the sauce).

I sat on a raised curb opposite the below pic of a pastry food stand

(Where I buy pies from a sweet mid-elderly lady who home bakes her pies and cookies

to sell near the taco truck)...

and prepared to eat my food.

Although I considered it warm outside...

even though the temperature was in the low 40s F (5 C)...

 the sun felt warm on my skin...

even during a 5 to 10 mph wind.

I was just wearing my normal plaid shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes.

Although my shirt looks like any other thin plaid shirt...it is actually insulated.

It has an inner miniature comforter like lining in the shirt...

and so...

it is like a light jacket.

As the wind made it too chilly for anyone else to eat outside...

but as I was perfectly comfortable...

I was the only one eating outside.

And with the wind blowing...

my rather long silver hair gets a little blown about...

and...

I don't shave...but merely trim my beard every once in a while...

and so...

I give off the vibe of being a bit of a wild mountain man.

What I didn't realize was that the lady in her food dispensary trailer

(the one behind her SUV...it is a converted small RV trailer)...

had seen me from her side window as I sat on the curb while eating.

Now...

especially with food that I find to be particularly delicious...

I positively wolf it down.

I would finish off each taco...

including dipping it into the sauce...

in less than 10 seconds each.

I would take a large bite...

and barely chew it...

and would then... as I swallowed...

 take another large bite...

usually finishing off the whole taco in three bites...

before hurriedly grabbing another one to wolf down.

I must have appeared to be like a hungry dog eating while hardly chewing his food

because he had gone without food for many days.

Anyway...

as I was wolfing down my food...

the sweet lady from her pastry stand appeared before me...

and handed me a 3 pack of her homemade cookies.

She said something about how good they would go with my food.

She had a kind face and a sweet voice...

but I had seen in her eyes...

a tinge of compassion and pity.

I thanked her...

and she walked back to her food stand.

It was then that it had dawned on me...

she must have been watching me eat on the curb through her food stand window...

and had thought I was a starving homeless man...

especially by the way I eat my food...

like a starving dog or an uncouth wild man  :)

I just wanted to sit on the curb to eat and enjoy the views 

with the sun and wind on my face...

besides...

I hadn't wanted to spill any of the dipping sauce in my car

(I had parked by the taco stand...

and then walked over to the raised curb).

Well...

this made it awkward.

I had wanted to buy a blueberry pie from her after I had finished eating.

But...

I not only didn't want her to feel bad for thinking I was a starving homeless man

(although, I could understand her point of view.

I looked a little wild with my hair all askew...

and with me eating so quickly...

besides with me just sitting on a curb as I ate)...

but I didn't want to rob her of her good deed.

I will buy a pie from her in the future.

Plus...

I want to see if she recognizes me next time :)

(I will tip her the cost of the cookies next time).

I drove my new route home and enjoyed the views.

This is one of the shopping bags I use to transfer food from my car.

I bought 21 - 2 lb bags of sauerkraut...

giving me a total of 30 large bags of sauerkraut in my fridge.

I also have a few smaller bags as well.

This was the 3 pack of chocolate chip cookies the kind lady had handed me

as I sat eating on the curb  :)

They were good.

-------------

Toady was another fun day filled with a good laugh...

and good food.

It is good to see kindness still being alive in this crazy world of today.