Where Did I Go?

Writing was that thing I used to do.

So, how are you? That's good, but don't overdo it, otherwise you will get sick. It's mid-November, and almost a month since I wrote anything on my blogs. Quite a few major things, personal and otherwise, occurred in my life during that span; although I can't share EVERYTHING with you, I can share the humorous and insightful bits, ^_^ because that is what you came to see o_O

How do you be as annoying as me, and earn this badge? ^_^
Activate your foursquare account and find out! (I am not
receiving kickbacks for promoting Foursquare)

• I got a new phone! It's an Android phone with a video touch screen, and working camera. Already I shot a few things and uploaded photos to Instagram. If you click the link, it will show you the latest photo I uploaded since writing this piece. I also discovered something called Foursquare ^_^ A few of my friends have foursquare accounts, but I'm already setting records and annoying everyone with my constant status updates. I even picked up a badge for being annoying over the course of the day: Overshare LOL I will have more on my foursquare experience in a later blog.
• Music practice: Piano and guitar are coming along, and I performed for a few people so far. I am nowhere near Carnegie Hall or Grand Ole Opry material, but the goal is to be competent, and encourage a younger, musically inclined person to be all they can be, and do better than I could.
• A new computer: I put the final payment on my new computer last month, therefore I can officially call this iMac mine ^_^ The transition from PC to Mac is strenuous and fraught with awkward moments o_O Where I work we have PCs, so Alt+W does not close windows! I am still at a lost to what the other "function" key does on the Mac keyboard. Sidenote: I own a wireless keyboard, which allows me to type from anywhere in my room. Right now, I am typing from my bed; I changed the sheets yesterday, and they are quite nice. Now, I am typing  with my back turned and facing the closet. Let me see if this worked...yes, it did ^_^ The final test: Typing from outside! (Phil is such a dork) HEY, WHO WROTE THAT?!
• I got sick: Last week, I thought I could put style over safety, I decided to dress up a bomber jacket with a striped scarf, and wear the deadly combo to work. Unfortunately, the wind was howling, and it blew cold air at my neck, which would be covered by my jacket if I didn't unzip the top to show off my trendy scarf >_< So, being sick for a whole week was fun. My nose is still stuffed, and I have occasional bouts with mucous all over the streets of the Greater Toronto Area -_- I have no one else to blame but me, but until I reach that conclusion I will throw everyone else under the bus.

Finally, I started filming again. I uploaded a prototype video of me celebrating the fact I can upload straight from iMovie with my video camera. I had terrible audio problems before, but the camera picks up the sound from my voice and other sources very well. I have a list of projects to work on, and now I can complete them ^_^

As you can see, life is busy LOL What did you do last month? ^_^

Blasphemy: I am the next Jimi!

I would type a bit more than what I have on the screen, however I am underneath a guitar, and my fingers don't want to stop o_O

This is Guitar Week at Phil's house ^_^ It's a time when I forget what I learned in the previous three weeks about the piano, and focus on learning how to play the guitar. This should be fun...

I asked my friend Greg, when I started practicing guitar months ago, he said "Once your fingers bleed, that is a good time to start" (I'm paraphrasing, but yes, it's true). You only started practicing when you fingers bleed; all you need now is to have a summer like the Summer of '69 (Hi Bryan Adams).

What do you think? Should I stop playing and address the blisters and cuts on my fingers, and retake safe instruments like the piano, or should I throw caution to the wind and keep playing my guitar long into the night?

MUSIC CHALLENGE UPDATE: I'M SERIOUS!

Remember those? Yea, I thought I forgot about that challenge as well o_O

The face of a camera-ready star ^_^, or YouTube's "Winchester Red" o_O

If you are like me, then you miss "Winchester Red's" videos as much as I do T_T Don't worry; I have a plan. I am not exactly sure how it will work, because my movie making application broke down. There may be a way around that by uploading straight from my webcam, which means live videos with no edits and tons of mistakes o_O Wouldn't that be enjoyable to watch? What's that? Stop agreeing with me!

The last few months were tough in terms of meeting the music challenge: My first webcam breaks down, I buy a new webcam, my first electronic keyboard sounds like a coffee mug rattling against a metal fence, I buy a new keyboard, I realize I don't have a clue about what I'm doing with this keyboard, I discover drum beats recorded inside the keyboard memory banks, I remember I have a guitar, I remember I can't play it too well, and then I recall I can wing it with the several chords I picked up in practice and jam sessions with the electric and acoustic guitars my friends Bryan and Edgar own respectively (Hi Bryan, hi Edgar).

With updates for the webcam installed on my computer, I hope to get that movie making program up again. I have Adobe Premiere, but it takes forever to load, and my computer is put together by the same people who created Weak Sauce. I posted a few STORY TIME movies on my YouTube channel already, but nothing quite like what I planned ^_^ I'm going for a preliminary launch on Wednesday, April 4th, 2012.


Dear Jessica,


Please come back!


Your friend,
Phil