BIGmog's BIGblog

Books have been my preferred way to learn how to play the piano. I tried various apps and youtube instructors but they didn't help me much. What I'm missing most is feedback. I like to ask questions but private lessons are quite expensive. Instead, I enrolled in a music class to fill in some gaps in my knowledge.

Music theory was the class subject. On the first day, I asked what I considered to be a basic question - Why are there 7 white keys and only 5 black keys? Why isn't it split evenly 6 & 6? There is a mathematical explanation that the instructor did not know. His reply - "Because". That's hardly the answer I expect from a course on music theory so I dropped it for a refund.

Undeterred, I signed up for a piano specific class from a different teacher. He actually knew his stuff but the stuff he knew wasn't aligned with my learning objectives. His lessons were designed on how to play pop music in a band. My goals are: sight-reading sheet music, understanding theory, and playing instrumental songs solo. I can play "The Entertainer" but I'm not one.

It's back to the reliable books with the next step to invest in private instruction that will cater to me.

A decade ago, my means of staying active was jogging. It’s a cheap form of exercise and can be done nearly anywhere. I even trained for a 10k race here and did well at both of my attempts.

https://bigmog.dreamwidth.org/2018/05/29/

When Lefty tore his ACL and later became a senior dog, he was no longer able to run so I dropped my routine for him. To make up for the lost cardio, I bought a stationary bike. This added the bonus of TV watching while I exercised.

So when I got Buster, I wasn’t concerned that basset hounds are poor jogging partners. The bike provided me enough exercise even if I wasn’t as consistent riding it.

My latest return to cycling revealed an annoying rhythmic noise coming from the bike. Hours of troubleshooting, with the aid of AI and the manufacturer, revealed the repair would require a costly replacement part.

A cheaper resolution is a pair of sneakers. Running 1 mile was enough to exhaust me; I am out of shape. At least the only annoying noise is me gasping for air.

It only just occurred to me that I neglected to write about my vacation to South America in April. The trip isn’t fresh in my mind but perhaps the delay will have helped to solidify my thoughts some. The plan to travel south of the equator arose when I realized that all my international travels to date were to the eastern hemisphere.
As I researched destinations in South America, I felt that most travelers from the USA prefer Peru to see Machi Picchu or Ecuador to visit the Galapagos Islands. Hiking through rain forests to see a rare turtle or ancient ruins doesn’t appeal to me much however.

A challenge to visiting South America is that the vastness makes it difficult to see a lot of it in a single trip. I decided on Buenos Aires because it is only a few hours by ferry to Montevideo; allowing me to visit 2 capitals in 2 countries in a single weeklong trip.

I also debated joining an organized tour group or going solo. I consider myself a seasoned traveler but I was a bit apprehensive about doing this trip on my own. In the end, I tested myself I went for the challenge; it was never even an issue.

Both places were very nice and welcoming and tolerated by very broken Spanish with grace. The live translation feature on my phone worked surprisingly well in the limited testing I did. AI was helpful to answer cultural questions although it did mislead me as well.

Maybe obvious in hindsight that it was a bit like America combined with Europe. As an example: roads were wide and traffic was dense and yet there are still plenty of pedestrians. Buenos Aires is especially huge and I quickly relied on the robust bus system to get around. For the low price of $0.50, I got reliable transportation and a thrill ride barreling through dense traffic.

I discovered amazing parks full of friendly dogs. A food tour in the Palermo district introduced me to Argentinian food. A bicycle tour through La Boca revealed even more of the city. The Eva Perón museum and La Recoleta Cemetery provided some historical context. Tango and wine make a great combination. The shopping was forgettable (window shopping interests me). The coffee was good but the sweets had even more sugar than I am accustomed to! Now I understand how Europeans think of USA candies and confections.

Another obvious yet curious change was that they were in autumn and preparing for winter. Not a shock to me of course but still a funny experience. I browsed through several craft fairs, bought some local art and tipped the talented buskers.

Montevideo, Uruguay is smaller of course but not without its own charms and culture. Another oddity: Some businesses in Argentina would offer a discount for paying in cash. It was informal so I never bothered to ask for it even when paying in cash. Makes sense - Credit cards companies take a percentage of the sale. Uruguay in contrast, offers a discount to tourists if they use a credit card; and it’s mandated by law!

A bitter herbal tea called matte was part of their culture and came up often. In reality however, I rarely saw anyone drinking it. It’s more a communal ritual I think.

Soccer is big there naturally but they seemed a bit embarrassed when I asked where the women’s team played. Due to my trip, I was cheering for Argentina in the World Cup after USA was knocked out of the tournament. The Argentinian behavior in the final match was quite unsportsmanlike so they lost my support going forward. (Shame - I do like that blue and white striped kit)

Aside from some small complaints about the hotels, the trip went great. It inspired me to explore more of Latin America and Mexico has how risen to the top of my next travel destination.

Last week I returned to improv acting classes again. I've taken these classes on and off for nearly 20 years. Since I never keep the momentum, I slide back to the level 1 course repeatedly. I'm finally at a level 3 course, further than I had ever advanced before. Scene work adds an imaginary environment to keep track of. I ask a lot of questions in class and learn a lot. It doesn't seem that I ever get better but I do feel more advanced that many of the other students. Acting isn't just 1 person however so I need to work with everyone to try and improve together. To really advance my abilities, I need to get on stage and perform in front of a live audience.

A goal of mine was to be in a massive sing-along of "Hey Jude" and last fall I saw Paul McCartney perform live at Coors Field completing that goal. Paul is my favorite Beatle for various reasons. He was the bassist in the band. As a former bass player myself, I have appreciation for those that can play bass and sing simultaneously. At 83, Paul's singing is weak but he manages to put on a great show.

Last night I checked the 2nd half of my (living) Beatle bingo card with Ringo Starr. Honestly, I nearly skipped his show. Ringo has his talents but he was never the singer / songwriter that Paul, John, or even George were. His few hits aren't numerous enough to fill a concert so the All-Star band comes along to help him out.

My mistake was discounting the band. They were incredible. So much that they should call the show "The All-Star Band featuring Ringo". I caught on after the cover of Rosanna by Toto wasn't actually a cover. Steve Lukather is founding member of Toto! They next did a song by Men-At-Work. Colin Hay is the leadman for that band. A third guitarist was also good but I didn't recognize his numbers.

They finished the show strong with the classic Beatles song: "With a Little Help from my Friends". That really cements the entire premise of the show. Ringo is the headliner but it's the band that makes it a unique show. Almost like 4 mini concerts built around a former Beatle. Disappointing that it was only 2 hours long and no encore. Ringo didn't join the band for the final bow. Perhaps he wasn't 100% well.

Before I write about my trip to South America, a short post on "Hadestown". The show is popular with multiple Tony awards but I couldn't enjoy it. It seemed like a sure hit given my enjoyment of both of the Hades games. While unrelated, I know the characters and the lore.

Sadly it is a "sung-through" musical meaning that there is no dialog. Every line is sung. For reasons that I can't fully explain, I have a difficult time following the story in the lyrics of songs. I can't hear the vocals well enough and they can too poetic to comprehend. I also didn't like other sung-through musicals like Hamilton and Les Miserable. When I watched them on TV with subtitles however, I could enjoy them much more. Others admit they have the same impediment but somehow still enjoy the show.

I liked the score of Hadestown but there were several more issues. Instead of using an orchestra pit, the band plays on the stage. This means that the set never changes and leaves little room for dance routines. The set design also made the viewing angle quite narrow and my preference for box seats prevented me from seeing much of the stage. The lighting was well done but the costumes were drab and dull. I tried to enjoy the show but actually left at the intermission to spend the remainder of my evening at a nearby piano bar instead.

While it may seem that my entries have been sparse this year, it's only because they are private. I suppose I've been a bit more introspective lately and wanted to keep those thoughts to myself. To provide some public content, here is an update on my piano playing progress.

I've been about 10 months since I began learning how to play the piano. Private instruction is expensive and seemed like a waste until I at least understood the basics. Instead I tried several cheaper learning methods: apps, youtube videos, and online courses. Those methods may work well for young students but I needed something catered to an adult learner. I found that in old-fashioned books.

The first book in a series of 3 is nearly completed. Admittedly, I didn't practice every song to perfection. Some songs are better used as an example to the lesson than a fun song to play. Going back and reviewing the songs I enjoyed playing, many were blues, jazz, and rock. Perhaps due to my previous musical attempt(s) with the bass guitar, I like playing the songs with a rhythm. Traditional and classical songs often lack that.

I'm still deciding on which book to graduate to next: beginner jazz / rock or book 2 of the adult learning series.

Once concerning but now considered a normal feature is every service providing an annual recap of our activity proving that they are watching, learning, and ultimately leveraging that data to their advantage.
With that noted, it’s time to recap my own 2025. The year of the snake was mine to make the most of.

The year started off with a dynamic new relationship, plenty of dates, and other fun. That sadly concluded after 5 months but it was the right thing to do.

Next, I joined my mother on a river cruise through France. We still talk about it.

In summer, I took acting classes and started learning piano. To repair some minor pains incurred while building a deck, I began yoga lessons.

Fall brought the start of another new relationship plus a trip to Japan for the World Expo.

Lastly, I joined a pub trivia team and switched up my grocery shopping habits.

I didn’t complete my resolution to take a first aid class but there’s always next year.

Notable concerts:
Weird Al
The Struts
Danny Elfman
Paul McCartney
David Byrne
The Lumineers with Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Notable shows:
Book of Mormon
Some Like it Hot
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Rock of Ages
Gutenberg the Musical!
The Mousetrap
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Shucked

Grocery stores interest me. The logistics and distribution required to keep us supplied with food from all over the world is incredible. I also find foreign grocery stores a window into that culture. New products are exciting and I make it a goal to buy something that I’ve never bought before.

Over the past 2 decades, I’ve been a customer of the Kroger / King Soopers chain. It’s nearby, has decent prices, and a huge selection. Lately however they have been testing my loyalty with some changes. Their app is now necessary to get certain discounts being my primary complaint.

Along with the increases in grocery prices, I considered exploring some other options. Within view there are 3 other stores: Costco, Trader Joes, and now Whole Foods. 4 grocery stores in proximity to each competing seems like an excessive number. There are different customer demographics each one caters to.

Costco is probably most clearly not for me. As a bachelor with no kids, buying in bulk isn’t my main goal. Whole Foods has a reputation for expense but that seems to be commonality now so perhaps it’s not as painful to the wallet. An Amazon Prime membership would make it cheaper but personally I would prefer to limit patronizing that company.

That leaves Trader Joes; a chain I had dismissed thinking their selection would be too limited. With 2 shopping trips now completed, I was surprised by all the unique products. This aligns well with my curiosity for new and novel foods. The store is small enough that even with taking my time to familiarize myself with layout, it was still faster than shopping at the big store. Prices were within my budget and the staff was friendly.

For some staples, I still have to visit King Soopers but I’m promoting Trader Joes as my primary grocer for a while to see how it goes.

I don't have many friends in general and even fewer that live in Japan. That 1 person does count for a lot if we're measuring by years. We met up for the aforementioned World Expo and baseball game plus wandered around Osaka in search of shopping and games.

Neither the Nintendo store or the Pokemon store were able to entice me to spend. My quest was to find piano sheet music which was achieved at a music store. That music is still a bit too challenging for my skill level but it gives me something to aspire to.

While riding trains, an impulse purchase was inspired by a mascot for a contactless payment system. Even e-money has mascots in Japan. This one is a platypus name Ico that always seems agitated. The literal translation for platypus is 'duck-billed'. (I wonder now if this is a subtle multi-lingual pun). With a bit of hunting, I was able to get a World Expo mascot + platypus ICOCA mascot combo plush at a gift shop. (Although the special IC card was completely sold out). Sadly, it seems Snoopy was not participating in the World Expo mascot cross-promotions.

We visited few game centers and instead focused in on a pinball arcade. Pinball is a niche western game in Japan and yet a large pinball arcade in Osaka has a great selection. What it was lacking during our visit was a working change machine so we couldn't actually play anything. Pinball machines are prone to failures but I'd never seen a faulted change machine in Japan. I blame the nearby gashapon shop for making 100 yen coins a commodity.

Of course I loaded up on Japanese snacks to bring home as souvenir gifts. Sharing small snacks with people back home is a Japanese custom. On previous trips, my local friends and family didn''t really appreciate the custom or the snacks but I still do.