Evening Tennis

Photo info: SONY NEX-6, 16mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO320
“Ready to Play” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

This evening, Koa and I played tennis for an hour or so at the high school courts. Koa has just started playing tennis with his friends, who are pretty good, so we decided to go out together and hit a few balls and get some practice in. I haven’t played in several years, but it was really fun to play again (even though I am not good at all).

I’m noticing that the right side of my back is a little sore which is the same thing I experienced when I played several years ago after a long layoff from tennis. I had expected to be more sore than I am, but I guess the real test is how I feel tomorrow. Crossing my fingers that I will be able to get out of bed! 😆

Photo info: SONY NEX-6, 16mm, f/4.5, 1/80 sec, ISO100
“Tennis Blue Hour” Cedar Park, 2019

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

Wrist Brace for Better Ukulele Playing

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/45 sec, ISO6400
“Learning a New Song” Cedar Park, 2019

Spent much of the day practicing a new song. I’m trying to not bite off more than I can chew, and only spend a few minutes at a time learning new parts, then taking a long break before resuming again. I think my brain remembers a lot better that way. It’s also good to relax the muscles a bit since my wrist still isn’t 100%. Actually, I don’t think it will ever be 100% again, but the pain is definitely manageable and more of an annoyance than a hindrance.

I do take care to always wear a wrist brace which helps to keep my wrist in the correct angle to lessen the pain. But I’ve also found value in the wrist brace for better ukulele playing. The brace keeps my wrist straight which forces my fingers to curl more, which in turn causes my fingers to press the strings more precisely. The result is that the notes sound cleaner when I play. Win-win!

I hope you had a nice day! ☺️

またね~

☺️

Piano

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/17 sec, ISO6400
“Black and White Piano” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Soon, we’ll be selling the piano that Bay has practiced on for the past several years. Since he is now off at college, it rarely gets used. Koa will once in a while play, but not enough to warrant keeping it. We’ll be sad to see it go but life goes on, and we still have Bay’s old electric piano, which I might bring downstairs again for Koa to play.

So, if you are in the Austin area, would you like to buy a well-cared-for piano? Let me know! 👍

またね~

New Band Show

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO2000
“Halftime Performance” Cedar Park, 2019

It’s true that high school football is a big deal in Texas (just look how big the stadium is), but also true is that high school marching band is huge. Koa’s high school goes all-in on the band, with long hours of practice to give them a great chance to do well in the competitions. Last year, they won the UIL state championship, which was the first time ever for the school! This year’s show is another high-concept piece, and I’m hoping they do great. Not sure if they can top last year, but I’m just hoping Koa enjoys this season as much as last.

On a related note, the football team has started the season undefeated at 2-0 which is a pleasant surprise. Last season they won only two games the whole year, so I’m sure these kids are pretty stoked.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec, ISO2500
“Kick Off” Cedar Park, 2019

I hope you had a great day!

またね~