Once again, I’m a little stuck of what to write about. I’m plugging along at the things I need to do and some of what I want to do. It’s all rather boring and quiet at the moment.
Honestly, there is not a lot of exciting or interesting anything to share about studying for a SQL server test. Mostly I read and do some practice tests and some labs and exercises. And I hope it sticks when it is time to take the test. However, I do have the occasional experience when something I’ve been reading about or studying becomes relevant to a conversation at work with my manager or even his manager. It’s kind of cool when that happens.
Just recently, I was looking into a process that was causing us a lot of trouble on the server. It had been created by someone in one without a lot of in depth SQL knowledge. In trying to ascertain what it was doing and why it was causing so much trouble, I got to use some of what I’ve been learning. I started trying to break it down and trouble shoot where the problem was. I wasn’t able to fix it myself. Though, I was able to break it down to identify the trouble spots. Then, when I took it to someone who could fix it, I was able to understand his solution. And I learned something cool and practical.
I get a few of these opportunities once in a while and they really help to make the studying seem more worth it, more than just something I have to do.
My guitar practicing is a bit quiet too. Not because I’m not practicing. I am. It’s just that I’m still working on some of the same stuff. I’m working on finding different ways to play chords and in different spots. I’m working on what might sound better in a group setting where I want to break up the massive mid-range wall of sound a bit. I’m still re-learning most of the songs I already know using this new knowledge. I’m making progress. I have a handful of songs that I’ve found a new way to play and I’m happy with them and I’ve got them pretty solid. At the same time. I have a bunch of other songs that I’m still re-working. In some cases it’s not just the guitar work that needs a bit more help. One or two need a bit of a vocal refresh.
There are a few songs that I’ve started learning that are new. I’m still working on getting the rhythm down so I feel like I might be able to sing over them. And there are a couple of those songs that I haven’t even written out or downloaded their words yet. So they are still a ways from being ready to debut.
I’m still preparing for the Black Belt test. It’s in just over a week. Because I am still dealing with some marginally cooperative body parts, I’m trying to keep from doing things that might give me an opportunity to hurt myself before the test. I want to be in the best shape I can for the test and then give it all I’ve got. I want give it everything I’ve got for the test, do my best, and leave it all on the mat. To do that, I need to not hurt anything anymore than it already does.
Frustratingly, that means I have been putting off starting on projects and such until after the test. While I am, and was, aware of this impacting the things I might do that are physical, like paint my living room, it hadn’t occurred to me that it might be impacting other things. Such as art projects that I’m starting to feel the itch to work on. Or even more intense music stuff. I think I finally realized it just this week, as I started this post even. I was trying to think of why I was having trouble getting back in the groove of things. That’s when it hit me that I am all in person and it’s taking all I’ve got to hold back right now. I see projects I’m ready to work on and that’s what needs doing next. But I’m not doing those. As a result, I’m not really getting stuck into anything that would normally hold my interest because, I can’t start, let alone finish, the things I see that need doing.
And yet, I am doing something different for this holiday coming up. I had planned to go visit a friend a few hours away. It’s the fist time I’ve really been able to comfortably take a weekend trip without needing to find someone to check on the birds. And I’ve taken an extra day off. So this sounded like a great opportunity when I first thought of it. Adventure! After making that decision, it was announced that there will be a Blues Jam this weekend. I was torn for a moment, because I really like going to the jams and getting to play. And because of the holiday, it could be a small group which would potentially mean a lot of play time. And then I decided, I am ready for some adventure. So, if you are in Matthews, NC on the Sunday evening before Memorial Day, stop by Moochies Tavern and hang out with the Charlotte Blues Jam. It’s always a great time. I will not be there though so I will have to catch you at another time.