The Totally Radical Thread for Crotchety Old Bitches

Because if I don't go, suddenly I "don't love the family anymore, because I just want to be alone and isolated and forget the people who love me and took care of me, because I never come into contact and don't care about them and forget everything that they did to raise me into a good person, and..."

Basically, it's less of a hassle to go than to not go.

Blue - I know the Renton plant pretty well. I live up the hill from it

Seasonal Affective Disorder on top normal depression has been kicking my butt. The sunlamp has been working overtime lately.

Dorkus: Sorry to hear that is kicking your ass man. The time of year the state gets pretty dim.

Being a horrid creature of the night (night shift and a night owl) I actually do pretty well this time of year.

Who watches the watchmen?

Thing is, I'm also a night owl. I just keep choosing careers that make me wake up butt early...

I'm a night owl, but I like working days and having my evenings for myself. Until recently, I was working on Saturdays from 7:30 to 4. Getting up that early is rough, but I love leaving early.

Fresh-eyed movie blog

So, today was the first singing lesson for me after quite the long break due to my teacher having been busy on his full-time job and I've hit a minor breakthrough:

• The voice "had a rest" during the break, as my teacher said, the exercises went a bit more easily (and quickly).
• I've managed to figure out how to use my head voice more consistently, and what's more important, deliberately. I was struggling with this for all those months I've been taking the lessons.
• The song I chose to sing on this lesson, Tamshylar by the ABK Band (a classic Kazakh pop hit from the late 90's) is ideal for my timbre.

There were downsides, though:

• I tend to sing higher than it is needed, but this is mostly due to nervousness, after a failed first attempt, I managed to nail "Tamshylar" perfectly.
• I also tend to forget myself when singing and start missing the right notes once I've lost control of the voice. It's gotten to the point where I sing better A Capella rather than when I sing with the backing track on, which, by the words of my teacher "makes no sense".

Despite this, it was a good day for singing for me. I really enjoyed today's lesson.

Spiral out, keep going.

Congrats, Miller! If your problem with nervousness is tensing up, I wonder if you'd like to take a look at a voice coach who specializes in Linklater technique (if you haven't already, of course). It's not specifically singing-oriented, but the warmups are all geared towards releasing unnecessary tension, as well as accessing different areas of your voice—particularly the head voice and falsetto—without straining to do so.

Less happy news: I had to call out of work today because the air quality in the SF bay area has reached "very unhealthy" levels due to the raging wildfire in the north. All the stores have sold out of respirator masks and while I've ordered a good one that will last for six months, it'll take a couple days to ship to me. My workplace has an extremely open ground floor. The last day I tried to work without a mask, I only lasted an hour and a half and it wasn't exactly productive.

Yuck. Yeah, you don't want to be inhaling all that crud. Stay safe out there.

Who watches the watchmen?

Oh, tensing up is thankfully not an issue anymore. First few months of training were mostly about learning how to relax when I sing. The problem when I get nervous now is that I experience a Centipede's Dilemma: I lose control either of my pitch, my breathing or the use of the resonators. My teacher notices it, point this out, and I overcompensate. There's an idiom where I'm from that it's like "to sleep covered by a triangular blanket" that pretty much describes my "nervous" singing, so there's that. Thanks for the tip, though.

Also, damn. Mother Nature is a harsh mistress. With forest fires being pretty regular thing I guess San Francisco bay area is not a good place for people with respiratory problems?

Spiral out, keep going.

@Miller - get yourself a painter's mask and filters to go with it. Fumes are one thing, particulates are another. If you want to go cheap and don't want to look like a cybergoth - buy those paper surgical masks in bulk.

You really don't want to inhale particulates, the fires are kicking up un-burnt stuff that you don't want in your lungs.

All night at the computer, cuz people ain't that great. I keep to myself so I won't be on The First 48

This is our new friend, Hero. He is a larger long haired male chihuahua mix. He is a wee bit skinny but when he fills out he will likely hit about ten pounds. He and Phoebe already get on and she wanted him to play right away. He is still healing from Neutering though.

Who watches the watchmen?

Aw, he's adorable! Good luck with the new family member!

Edited by TheLovecraftian on Nov 19th 2018 at 8:39:26 AM

He kinda looks like a desert fox cub on the second pic.

Spiral out, keep going.

Oh, yeah. Hero could use a little more meat on those bones. But, those at least look like healthy bones to put muscle onto. That there is a dog built for walks.

Also, happy feathered tail is happy, and I like me a good duster.

Bet his chest fills out a bit with food and exercise.

Edited by Euodiachloris on Nov 19th 2018 at 11:09:47 AM

He has been pretty skinny since they got him and he had fleas when he came in. They cleaned him up and is about 1-2 years old. He has those long-running strolling legs so when he is healed and the weather is more permissive we will take him to the dog park. He is pretty chill. He picks a spot and pretty glues himself to it but so far gets up to stretch and gets scratches. He is so long when he stands on his legs he can almost reach my hip.

The poor guy was a surrender who got clipped by a car so has been under vet care, a foster home for a bit, and then the shelter for adoption. Thankfully all he apparently had was some bruising and a minor concussion. He was definitely in a home before. He understood doors and stairs right away and was loved enough that he is sociable and friendly to people and dogs.

Who watches the watchmen?

What an adorable little floof!!! Hero's got some greyhound legs. He'll be fun to take on walks.

I was hoping to get some work done since the air looked a smidge better over the weekend, but it's gone right back to unhealthy. Looks like I'll be stuck inside with the air filter running constantly again. I'm bingewatching Gotham and working on a short film script.

Teuf: What a lovely new guy! I hope you have many years with him.

Lera: As someone who tends to get lung/throat illnesses, I cannot imagine what it must be like living somewhere with bad air. Stay well, and I hope it clears up for you soon.

Best not push it, even with a decent mask.

After all, make a mask work too hard, and it breaks hard (but stealthily).

Being the 40k fan I am, I'd use terrible air quality as an excuse to walk around in full Death Korps of Krieg regalia, lol.

Lera: That sucks. Hope your filter holds out long enough for the air quality to improve. Having worn both gas masks and respirators for several hours back to back if you do go out don't push yourself too hard. Your air intake is not as good as it is sans mask and you can easily wind yourself. Also if you have cartridge mask keep a few cartridges in your purse or pockets just in case you need to stop and swap.

Mark: I could see it especially if you can lay hands on the older style masks. You should talk to Not So Bad Ass Longcoat, he does a lot of costuming and prop stuff.

Edited by TuefelHundenIV on Nov 19th 2018 at 6:22:03 AM

Who watches the watchmen?

Well, I lived through my family. Didn't get much out of it, but that's my obligation visit crossed out.

If I could I would send you a drink for balm. Damn, now that I think about it quite a few folks in this thread would get at least one beer out of me. Now, no plotting to bankrupt me by ganging up at a bar you lot. :p

Who watches the watchmen?

So Omaha apparently has a few VR gaming arcades popping up now. Color me interested. Honestly, I think VR and the arcade are possibly one of the best avenues for the tech given overall cost and need for room and new peripherals will affect the gaming market.

Just like how outside of trainers arcades are the only venue you find simulators with some of the most complex controls paired with their games.

Who watches the watchmen?

That seems interesting. I wonder if it'll work, though with how many people seem to experience VR sickness. If it does, that could be a really interesting way to bring the trend back.

I wonder how long it'll be before VR "brothels" pop up, lol.