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And, while not in the library I've been trying to learn a bit of Latin.
Ridiculous but I come across a fair bit of untranslated Latin in my reading, and it's something I should be able to read.
And once you can read Latin you have a pretty big leg up on the romance languages - Spanish, Italian, so - while I have time, it can't hurt.
First week, Duolingo, their website, free, learning to say dumbass sentences, their "tried and true" learning model - winning "hearts' and unlocking levels, basically making language into a video game, it's fine. But when it starts telling me I have to buy hearts to continue it's time to move on.
Now to YouTube, where there's an abundance of videos and the only thing it demands is that I pay attention, and my attention span, it's been in short supply lately, but we'll get it together, and with 15-20 minutes a day I should be fluent within the year...
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A few weeks ago (yeah, blog, behind), classes at the library. On Podcasting and Marketing. Why not? They're free. And so I attend.
Good, informative, on how to write successful, punchy copy, layout brochures, organize a podcast, write for radio/podcasting.
Good, useful, not exactly what I was looking for - but then, what was I looking for?
The teacher, 40 years in "The business" certainly new his stuff, affable and explained it thoroughly and well. The class, first class, 4 people, 2 people for the last class, so plenty of time for questions, answers, will be watching for more classes at the library. Time well spent.
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Now, with my new phone package kicked in, tethering my computer to the phone.
It's slow, but better than nothing, and my computer, it's not so quick anyways. Not so speedy.
And I've noticed, when I'm on the computer I'm up to a lot more intelligent pursuits than when I'm on the phone.
There's no endless scrolling or Facebooking, the computer's too slow, I have to go on it with reasonably intelligent questions looking for answers, research, it doesn't facilitate the click-scroll-click-bait behaviors, on the phone, 20 minutes on Facebook and I'm getting ads for Adult ADD behavior, on the computer I'm not going on Facebook.
So, slight improvements, one by one...
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So, finally, confronting my anxiety and resolving to use up my art supplies.
Most of which, at the time of this writing, have pleasantly decayed into uselessness, repeated freeze-thawing of the watercolors, acrylics and oils has left very little that remains useful.
Whew.
Before beginning I consult with some of the innumerable YouTube videos on the particular topic I've chosen.
"Painting for Imbeciles". Results may vary.
I comb through them, there are many, many, many and I watch quite a few before settling on a couple I like.
This should be a cinch.
Of course, it isn't, and while the artist/narrator surely knows his stuff it's not coming through the screen to me.
They tell me that color and shape and tonality are important.
Like bloody hell they are.
I paint along. If he's painting a ballerina I end up with Bigfoot. If he's painting a still life I end up with a bullet-ridden corpse.
Maybe they were right?
Are these my eyes? What in the hell am I doing wrong? If I stand 10 feet back from the canvas, glasses off, it only vaguely resembles what I'm working towards.
Step any closer and it falls apart.
Rub it out, try again.
And again.
And again.
I'm realizing why I so long postponed this, what I can't figure out is how I have so many art supplies...
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And the snow, falling the first day of December and every day since.
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...
The first day, postings on Facebook of a list of streets to avoid, one watched 3 accidents in 15 minutes, to embark down the hill, steep, 45 degrees, sheer ice, and uncontrolled slide into parked cars, this is the moment a lot of people realize they shouldn't have parked on the hill, they should have put on winter tires, and a hundred other such considerations as the slip-slide uncontrollably down the mountain...
By the second the idiots have largely been culled, now it's just the wintry days and perpetual snow, absolutely beautiful, this town could easily be the setting for a Hallmark Christmas Film.