I practiced a *tiny* bit last night, mainly just messing around with that highest note that you normally play with 1-2 holes at the bottom closed, but it's possible to play it with all holes closed. I learned that from a video by Steven Taizen Casano, a shakuhachi player I may see a lot of in the future as he's based in Hawaii.
It's harder to play that note than any other (other than the other, even higher ones, a really advanced player might play) so it's kind of a case of, "If I can play this, I can play anything".
I went to sleep and actually slept pretty soundly, granted with some weird dreams that were kind of annoying.
I woke up at something like 4:30 and had coffee and did exercises etc. I finally took off at almost 7, and rode right up to 99 Ranch. I tossed a bag of trash I'd taken with me, locked the bike, and asked a bum who was sitting against the wall there if he wanted anything from inside, like a Coke maybe? He said a soda would be great or, as bums always do, said a sandwich and ... and ... and ... I could tell he was warming up for a full-on beg-a-thon and I just said I'll fix him up.
I got the things on my list and noticed their soda selection isn't good but those big tall cans of Budweiser were only about $2, and I found a bag of peanuts on sale for a little over a dollar.
So I went back out to the bike and pulled the beer out and gave it to him, saying "Their soda selection isn't good" and said something like, "Wow! A beer! Thanks!" and I pulled out the peanuts, saying "And what goes with beer? Peanuts!"
I hung out for a bit opening the little packets of noodles in the package of "White Curry Mee" noodles I'd bought, taking out the envelopes of seasoning and curry paste and leaving the noodles and the "powdered coconut-ish stuff" really just cheap coffee creamer. I asked the bum if he wanted the noodles to eat also and he did, so I said, "There you go, beer, peanuts, and a snack!" and rode off.
I went into H Mart for some things, and had planned to go to Lowe's but since I was so late, figured I could get what I need without going there so I rode on home, only stopping at a dumpster with cabinetry scraps to pick out a nice piece of wood for what I want to build.
I got back here and yep, have a couple of large/long electronics standoffs that will work fine for what I want to do.
Since it's a 3-day weekend, I didn't do anything work-related other than the usual quick checks on Ebay activity, answering questions and accepting offers. Our numbers continue to be really good and Ken's not said anything about my going too low on prices.
Ken doesn't come from the kind of poverty his wife or I did. He's really easy-going and his finances would be a wreck if it weren't for his wife. So as long as I keep the numbers good I don't think he really cares that much; it seems to have sunk in with him that this business will be done with in a couple of years - and only running well until I'm gone. I'm going to keep up the ruse that I'm staying here until the election in November though; it's a good way to keep pressure off of me and then woops! I'm outta here.
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