Future Guest / Theater Room

 

Song:  Fire On High

Group:  ELO

I made Natto and Eggs for Bandi and myself at about 4 PM.

Yes...

I eat a lot...

but, then again...

my metabolic rate is still so high...

that my body and mind are almost constantly racing

at the pace of this song.

My inner fire is always on high.

I really like this particular brand...

for in it are finely chopped Natto.

It is a good change of pace from regular Natto

(I usually eat 3-4 packs of Natto at a time).

I usually make a dozen eggs at a time

(I give Bandi 6 eggs).

I love looking at the clouds.

Partly cloudy days are my favorite type of skies.

Bandi always eats with such gusto.

I feed her eggs whenever I eat them

(a few times a month at least).

I love seeing her eyes light up whenever I feed her.

I also shared some of the pepper jack cheese with her...

and to my great surprise...

Bandi loves Natto as well.

At first...

I just had her try some on my fingertip...

and she had readily eaten it.

So...

I saved her a couple of mouthfuls once I had finished.

She ate it all with great enthusiasm.

I then went downstairs to the guest room...

which I will also make into a home theater in the next couple of years.

This is where my elder sister and her husband like to stay when they visit.

They will really like it when I add a home theater projector, a large retractable wall screen...

and some comfortable recliners from which to view the streaming movies or shows

in a very large format on the very large movie screen.

The home already came with a Bose home theater surround sound system

(the speakers are high on the walls...and the subwoofer is to the rear right).

The door to the right leads right to the first deck hot tub.

The bed is easily moved.

I will hang an at least 100 inch movie screen between the two speakers on the wall

with a movie projector optimally placed somewhere in the room.

The guest room kitchenette has a fridge and microwave...

so microwaved movie popcorn...

as well as favored cold drinks...

may be easily had.

This gas soapstone pot bellied stove is not really needed...

as all the floors have subfloor heating...

with thermostats placed in different zones.

But...

for ambiance...

or for immediate heating on a sub zero day...

the flames of a live fire is a nice addition.

This bed is an air bed...

so...

it can easily be moved to the opposing wall during shows.

Or...

perhaps the bed would be best next to the opposing wall

so movies could also be watched from the bed as well as the recliners.

The guest room has its own bathroom...

...complete with a Finnish Steam Sauna

(or you can just not pour water on the hot rocks for a dry sauna).

Just opposite the bathroom...

is the exercise room.

I will later be adding some kind of aerobic machine in front of the window

so rigorous aerobic training may be performed in the dead of winter.

This room also has sub floor heating with its own thermostat.

And...

in case any guest has problems walking up long flights of stairs in the future...

the garage is just on the other side of the guest room...

separated by this door.

They could go directly from the car...

right to the first floor guest room.

-------

I love the aroma of burning incense.

This particular brand of incense reminds me of my childhood in Japan.

Its aroma permeated the air in temples...

and in the homes of Japan in the 60s.

I got this particular incense holder as it safely encases the burning stick of incense...

and the ashes just fall inside.

I am burning some now as I type this.

I just love the smell.

The Tiger's Den is now...

The Temple of the Tiger.

Nah...

just kidding.

It will always be called...

The Tiger's Den.  :)

The Tiger's Den - True Solitude

 

Song:  Alone Again

Artist:  Gilbert O'Sullivan

Shortly after publishing the previous article...

I made something to eat...

relaxed in bed for a bit...

and I then got busy moving the computer and desk...

as well as all of my instruments...

 to set everything up in my bedroom.

As you can see...

the Keyboard, Bass Flute, and two of my Guitars fit in the corner.

As I am using the classical and the 12 string guitars right now...

I just placed them within reach of me while sitting at the computer.

My electric guitar...

I put between my headboard and the door.

My six string bass guitar...

I had placed between the closet...

and the door.

Everything fit well.

There is plenty of room to walk about...

for Bandi...

as well as for me.

I hung my headphones on the keyboard stand.

There is still room for Bandi to pass to the left of the keyboard...

as she sometimes likes to look out the other window by the bed.

She is cognizant of the new items in my room...

and she is careful to avoid bumping into them.

Bandi has plenty of room to investigate outside through the side windows...

so...

she is quite happy about that.

I could also put the microphone next to the music stand.

There is still plenty of room to enter my closet.

This is how the Tiger's Den will look most of the time...

especially once I install blackout blinds.

My keyboard is also backlit in red lighting.

In case I need more light...

there are plenty of installed lights in my room.

At most...

I will turn on the alcove light...

but I can't foresee ever needing it.

Just the red lights are more than enough.

I really love to shut out the world when I want to feel creative.

I want to feel as if I am the only one in the world...

where no one exists to bother me...

especially during the creative process.

I feel so much more myself in The Tiger's Den...

for this is where I feel the most comfortable.

Most of the time...

I love being alone.

It is people in the real world that make me feel tired...

bothered...

and even lonely in their presence...

for so many are so insincere...

and play transparently stupid manipulative games...

as if they were back on the elementary school yard.

It is not that I do not understand what people are doing...

I just mostly do not understand why they would do those things.

Weirdly...

I don't feel lonely when I am alone...

and I am deeply and truly happy in solitude...

as if I were the only one on an interstellar mission far out in space.

It is in solitude 

that I can see people in the movie of my mind with such clarity...

that I become them...

for I could perceive what they are thinking and feeling...

as projected in a possible future...

and their personalities never disappoint...

for they are always interesting...

intelligent...

funny...

deeply passionate...

and highly expressive

(They become characters of future books).

So many people just don't realize the depth and wonder of our own inner worlds.

It is why I love to write.

I know that we have but one life to live...

but in experiencing life through the hearts and minds of so many others...

through the characters written about...

we can...

in essence...

live a thousand lives in the space of one.

And it is also true for creating music.

For in touching our own creative soul...

we may touch others souls...

and in realizing that others may enjoy our work...

we feel a connection with others...

even if we don't know about them in real life.

Just knowing that sometime in the future...

others own inner paths may be pointed to through our creations...

brings about our own happiness...

and so...

loneliness is erased...

and is replaced by a deep inner satisfaction.

This is the function of...

The Tiger's Den...

to allow the creative process free reign.

It is in my den...

that the movies and the orchestras of the mind meld...

 and are most deeply felt

(other than during sunsets and sunrises...

or during night country drives).

And so...

it is one of my near projects to install blackout blinds...

the type in rails which when drawn down...

completely blocks all light...

except for when I wish to allow a gentle cross breeze in my room by opening them.

Some of my happiest times...

happen in...

The Tiger's Den.

Just sitting in familiar and such welcoming surroundings...

I am already feeling more creative.

Alone Again...

and nowhere else do I feel so fulfilled...

or so deeply happy.

Relocating The Tiger's Den

 

Song:  Enter Sandman

Group:  Metallica

I have decided to move my computer...

and all of my instruments...

to my bedroom.

There are numerous reasons...

any of which is cause for me to move them to my room.

  The beauty is too distracting.

I know it sounds counter intuitive...

but...

I have a pinball mind.

I am easily distracted by the view.

Instead of being creative...

I end up staring at the scenery...

especially at the clouds.

I end up enjoying the moment instead of projecting myself into the future.

The fact is...

I haven't been very creative since I had all of my instruments 

and the computer in the loft.

I was very creative when I lived in Reno, NV...

and had set up The Tiger's Den in my bedroom.

I blacked out the room...

and it was only lit by the computer and a red computer light.

I was in complete isolation...

so much so...

 that I felt as if I were living underground in a cave...

and so...

my mind went inwards.

That is what I need again.

I will eventually buy blackout blinds for my room as well...

as I am mostly nocturnal.

By having the room blacked out...

I will be able to sleep far more deeply in the daytime

(although I use a sleep mask...

it is not the same...

 as it is uncomfortable...

and so...

it disturbs my sleep).

The sound is not what I thought it would be.

The cathedral ceilings are only reflective with louder sounds.

Were I to have a deep and resonating voice...

it would be different.

But...

I don't.

My voice is too soft.

I thought the loft would add ambiance...

but during my sound check...

I realized that instead of adding resonance...

it sounded empty...

void of any resonance.

The loft is simply too large to add any resonance...

especially with its very high ceilings.

In the smaller confines of my room....

the sound reflects far more easily off the ceiling and walls.

And so...

my recordings will sound much better there.

The arid air is destroying my guitars...

and will dry out my bass flute pads...

eventually ruining it as well.

As the loft is open...

I would have to completely humidify the whole house instead of just my room

(The woods on my guitars are starting to show cracks).

My room...

just by virtue of it being smaller and confined...

the air is naturally more humid as I spend so much time in it.

I will put the computer desk and chair in my bedroom...

in the bay window alcove.

And...

the instruments...

should they not all fit inside my room...

could always be put in the spare bedroom until needed.

An added benefit would be to convert the area in the loft

 now used by my computer and instruments...

into an inner house serenity point.

I will most likely make it an area of blissful relaxation...

with comfortable recliners so the raised view may be fully enjoyed.

There is just so much room in the loft.

This would be part of the view from recliners in the space now occupied by my computer.

As you can see...

the alcove of the bay windows would fit the computer desk perfectly...

and I could easily open the windows for a full cross breeze at will.

I could fit at least two guitars in the corner area...

and perhaps the keyboard and bass flute as well.

I will have to leave room in front of the side windows so Bandi could still peek out.

I know were I to put any guitars in front of them...

she would accidentally knock them over in her rush to investigate any noises.

I will be buying more furniture in the future...

but I will first buy a comfortable seating arrangement for the great room below.

Although I am more of a minimalist...

again...

there is just so much room in the loft.

I want it to be an area of relaxation amidst the beautiful views.

I am still unsure as to what furniture will go up in the loft...

but...

my immediate main focus will be setting up everything in my room...

to once again...

make it...

The Tiger's Den...

a place of complete isolation...

solitude...

peace...

but most of all...

a place of creativity.