How I spend my valuable time
Guitar
I have played guitar
for a year and a half. The struggle to learn the basic chord shapes and
to change between them is very familiar to me. It took me quite some time
to get out of this mode. Eventually, I learned how to play bass lines, play
rhythm by muting the strings, play around with harmonics. Then I hit the
books with guitar theory to figure out how to play within scales and construct
chords. I would love to be able to listen to a song and learn it by ear,
but that day is a ways off. My favorite genre -- blues of course. I would
love to be able to jam with Eric Clapton but for now I will just play over
midi tracks.
Instructors
I have had two guitar instructors. The director of the Union College Scholars Program was nice enough to use some of the additional programs funds to pay for my guitar lessons for my last term at college. Tom Ross showed me the basics of picking and Drop D tuning among other things. After graduation, I began lessons at the local music store under the guidance of Frank Danna. He gave me a great grasp of the fretboard and how to understand musical intervals. Most recently I had some clown named Tom Olson as a Guitar teacher at MCC. Time wasted. *Sigh*
Computers
Yep, I'm a nerd sporting a degree in computer science and a -3.50 glasses prescription. I worked for two years doing web and computer application development.
Freelance
I have been making websites for myself since highschool. I worked one summer creating websites for faculty at Union College, and had an internship for a few months working on web components for Tree Top Solutions, also in Schenectady. About a year ago, I got my first client for freelance work. My aunt needed a website to display her amazing artwork. I volunteered my servicesd. Shortly after, JeanettesArt.com was born. More recently, I created DGTGraphics.com using much of the same technology. I also maintain TipClub.com for Mike, whom, gratefully, pays me :-)
Fitness
Like most people, I like to stay active. I am probably more active than most. Though you won't find my in the gym as much as years past, you are more likely to find me pounding the asphalt on a six mile jog. I have completed the Tanglewood Trail run twice, and the Tromptown Half-marathon back in 2005. I was planning a marathon for 2006, but an inturruption to my training routine and the resulting injury from overtraining/overuse caused me to reconsider.
Fingerlakes Runners
The Fingerlakes Runners are a running club local to the fingerlakes region that sponsers races and its members are active runners that encourage participation in the sport. Though I am not a member, they provide a great network for newbies to diehard runners in the area.
For those of us to poor to afford a GPS system, or prefer to run without excessive monitoring devices, the Google Pedometer is a nice tool to be able to plan out runs and figure out distances for training purposes (or for fun!). I use it all the time, especially for my prouder moments.