Then I did it.
I cancelled my EVE Online account. It was fun while it lasted, thanks to the folks in Industrial Warlords [INWAR] corp for letting me in. I got my EVE out of my system and now can focus on doing more substantial things like practicing violin and soon studying for staff sergeant and my masters.
-TJ
Blah. I should try to be more creative in the future.
So anyway, I did my 3rd violin lesson today. I think I’ve finished demonstrating all my latent violin skills to my teacher and am now truly learning again. I had to demonstrate a couple ditties, and I was corrected on my thumb placement and “bow speed”. I also learned about a few obstacles unique to my rented violin.
Thumb placement. Apparently Azi noticed that my left thumb was pressing into the neck, when in reality it should be straight and relaxed. Now, for the 1 week I’ve been playing with tone on strings I’ve had my thumb there, and now I have to practice easing up on the thumb. My thumb was pressing on the neck because that’s how I supply counter-force to pressing on the string… but apparently I’m supposed to relax that thumb and somehow press the string without counter-pressing the neck with my thumb too much… I’ll try to think about it next time I practice, which will probably be tonight.
Bow speed. Or, as I’m coming to think of it, “bow assertion”. Apparently there’s a combination of my pressing down on the bow with my right index finger and pull speed that I have to practice at. Azi showed me an exercise where I would play short notes on the string by moving just my index finger… I have to look this up online as I know how she did it, but I don’t understand, because when I try to do the same thing it sounds like garbage. She did mention that it’s a pretty advanced drill, but it would help me if I can master it. Anyway, when I play something I’m not sure of, my bow tends to flail wildly as I am simultaneously processing reading the notes, playing the right notes with my left hand, and producing sound with my right… it’s quite difficult for me, I guess, since I really am just starting out.
And if my n00bness weren’t enough to hamper my learning efforts, apparently my violin has a fickle E string. Before we get into our lesson, Azi will check out my violin and see if it’s tuned right, and today my E string was apparently off enough that she had to use the big knob (coarse tuning) to get the sound right, and she fought it for a little bit because apparently it wasn’t even staying in place. Fickle E. I’ll have to work with it until I get good enough and wealthy enough to buy my own violin.
But in the meantime, I think I have plenty to practice on. I won’t have another lesson until Jan 11, since I’ll be out of town for the next couple of days.
So what else? I think I need to stop playing EVE. It was nice to fly around space, but now that my pilot is a teeny bit more advanced I’m getting kinda bored with the whole fly around space shooting NPC pirates. I kinda want to start WoWing again but I’m not really interested in investing time in games. I think this gaming compulsion will go away when school starts.
School starts on the 16th, by the way. I’ve signed up for two graduate level classes, and I’m wondering if I’ve overdone it. I don’t think I will, though, as my work has become very easy since we’ve switched to… the new schedule. I have more free time during the week, so I should be good. Now that I think of it, I’ll be obligated by studying for my masters, studying to take the GRE, practicing violin, building this website, building other websites, work, volunteership, studing for SSgt test this March, and if I *really* need more stuff to do I can train for the Boulder Backroads marathon this coming November ‘07. I’ve been thinking more and more about doing that run, and if I can just get myself into a regular training regimen I think I’ll be alright. I first need to be able to run for 30 mins straight, currently I’m stopping at 20-25 mins, and doing my usual 1.5mi run at around 13-11 mins.
God… I have lots to do next year. I didn’t even realize it. And ON TOP of that… my quest to meet my next girlfriend. 
Yeah yeah, I should not meet a girl with the intention on establishing a serious relationship, but what can I say? That’s just the way I’m wired, and I know I can change, but let’s face it, I think it’s about time I had a chance to make some deserving woman happy, and that can make me happy in return. At the very least I should resolve to talk to more girls and get more exposure to the females in Colorado Springs, or wherever I may find myself next year, be it here, the desert, or someplace else. I think if I can talk to girls and get used to it, I’ll be able to compose myself and see a girl for the person she is, rather than the person I hope her to be. But for now, I’m just a bumbling idiot constantly screwing up when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex. Talk about being a late bloomer.
Anywho, that’s all for now. For the compadres in Los Angeles and surrounding suburbs, I shall see you all in a few days.