We are ever so slowly getting to the point that we will one day soon be able to use most of our house to live in. This evening, we had some guys here doing some finishing tasks, like skirting boards along the wall and the like and next week we will have couches, cabinets and coat cupboards for the entrance delivered - courtesy of IKEA of course - since that is about all we can afford.
As much as it pains me at times to buy from there, if making decent choices, the furniture holds up pretty damn well against the competition. We installed an IKEA kitchen in our last apartment and 6 years later when we sold, people assumed it was newly done. When we do the kitchen here, we will likely use them again for at least the cupboards. I understand many businesses not being able to compete on price, but quality shouldn't also be an issue.
When we were looking for couches, we went almost everywhere else first and still ended up at IKEA, because the only things that were comparable were literally starting at 3x the price, and I am not going to spend that kind of money on what is likely going to have 5 year olds jumping on it from now until they are 10. Plus, even if couches last, I would also have to convince my wife that the style is still passable.
They moved the piano.
No one in the household can play the piano.
We got it as a hold from my sister-in-law, as she has had it for 40-odd years and while it isn't worth much (you can literally buy them for 100€), it holds sentimental value for her, but moving from a house to an apartment meant they had no suitable room for it. It is good to have it though, as we are pretty keen to get our daughter into music soon and piano is a great starting point. The only problem is that the lessons are insanely expensive here. We will see if we can do some cash-in-hand or have her aunty teach her for a while, before arranging anything formal.
What has been weird for me in the last weeks is how little I have done on the house in these "final" stages of these phases. In many ways, I feel somewhat disconnected from the house at the moment as I haven't been doing these things myself. While I am glad that it is getting done still, it does sadden me a little to have the sense that it isn't "my house" and something I built. Yes, I have done a lot of the work before this, but it is like baking a cake, and then having someone decorate it nicely - It becomes theirs. I am sure that my feelings of being useless will fade once we live in the space for a while, until I forget that I didn't build it, I just paid to have it built.
I don't consider decorating as building, but I am looking forward to acquiring some highlight pieces to accent the room. I have been looking at secondhand sites for lamps, tables, chairs and whatever else I can find and have my eye on a few things, but will wait until the big furniture is in place before buying. I am a great window shopper.
I don't know if people window shop anymore, but when I was a kid we would often look into various window displays as we walked at night, talking about what we might buy, with no intent to actually buy anything at all. It was a lot of fun, like planning a holiday that one never goes on or imaging what to do if winning the lottery.
I don't know if it is a cultural thing, but Finns don't seem to have this habit at all and don't really browse unless they are also willing to buy it. I attribute part of this to a lack of imagination, but I think they are missing out. Maybe it has changed globally too though, where people are such good consumers that they can no longer control themselves to just looking, without buying. For me, a good part of the enjoyment of purchasing is going through the decision-making process itself and while I can be quite an impulsive buyer at times, generally I take me time, especially for things that don't have much real value. Which is perhaps a reversal of what many might do.
Next week though, there is going to be a great deal of "building" activity, as everything is due to be delivered on Monday flat-packed. OF course, it isn't real building, but I am actually quite interested at how I go with following the directions, as I think it might challenge my brain due to its current state of idiocy. I have built many of these things in the past, but I have the feeling that this time it is going to be different.
My brain at the moment is much like the piano sitting alone in the living room - underutilized. It has been far too passive in various areas for too long now and I feel it struggling in areas even more. Next Monday, I also go back to work in a far more dynamic environment with a lot of complexity to negotiate and, I do feel a little anxiety about it, which I have never had before. I am pretty sure that once I start tapping away at the keys again, I will remember how to play and in time, rhythm and flow will return. I am also positive I am going to miss many notes along the way.
I will say it's jazz.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Do you want (or want smallsteps) to play for funsies or to have the music theory background? As one of those things is much better done with formal lessons and the other can be done with Youtube (or other video platforms if people post things to them) tutorials or that stupid tablet app Duolingo kept giving me ads for and just general banging away XD
my kids did piano lessons for a little while, then the piano teacher (a uni student) got busy with exams and then they weren't interested in picking it back up, the boys now just either play by ear or make up things every now and again and middle child will sometimes learn specific songs from Youtube tutorials
I think we're about due for a new couch, had ours since the kids were really tiny x_x (older two were baby and toddler, they're now 16 and 14) told J I want to get another futon (which is what we had before the couch). Pro tip you definitely don't want light colours ;D
Maybe you should start playing, music (similar but different to language learning) apparently makes some new and interesting pathways.
You'll be fine, things will come back and if there's gaps you'll be able to fill or hack around them :)
I want her to be happy and have fun of course.
as a musical prodigy
I think this is good. I hope that Smallsteps will be able to do this kind of thing - have enough understanding that she can experiment heavily and learn by herself. I know that currently at least, she probably needs guidance and having it, will encourage her more.
Too late. However - this is a second loungeroom as we have the family room upstairs where the TV is. Also. they are washable and the entire covers can be replaced quite easily and cheaply inparts :)
I would love to, but I have never really had the coordination for it. I have tried. Also, 18 years in Finland and my Finnish is at the level most people could get to in 3 months! :D
You could set her up with some youtube tutorials on a tablet.
This is where I feel I might have failed her. She hasn't really got screen-time so far, and I wonder if she will be "inhibited" in the way that she won't be used to learning from them. Of course she can learn later, but I wonder if it has an effect in her life compared to other kids who grow up doing it as second nature.
She'll be fine. They're far more elastic than we are, and you've certainly kept her off them for good reason. A big part of parenting is forgiving yourself for your parenting.
I assume that I didn't get a PC until 16 and a smartphone until 30 and I train software - so she'll be okay getting in at 7ish.
Whenever I go downtown, I go around the stores, I look at the shop windows without buying anything, I like to observe the displays, especially when I go shopping, I visit several places, compare prices and of course quality of the product, here in my country most people do it. Good luck with your home decoration.
It is nice to hear that it still happens. I think that it is a healthy past-time in comparison to having to buy everything one wants/sees.
I do not agree with compulsive shopping I only buy what I need, one works hard to waste money, you should always save something for emergencies, greetings.
aah this post really takes me back :-) When I was little my folks didn't have a lot of money to throw around, raising three kids on mostly a single income. But we would go to the 'Drive In' as a family instead of the cinema and those were some of the most fun evenings I ever had as a child! We were also very fortunate to live near a wonderful nature reserve, a short drive from some great beaches and had a built in swimming pool too, so I had a wonderful childhood and was raised on the outdoors. My parents would often take us "on a Sunday drive" to nowhere in particular. We'd all just pile into the car with a few snacks and drinks and off we'd go. We'd usually end up "window shopping" houses, in the wealthiest coastal suburb in Durban (I grew up in South Africa) and marvel at all the mansions and estates as we drove by. I remember my dad always used to drive past Harry Oppenheimer's estate in La Lucia, and tell us about his legacy in Diamonds with De Beers and Anglo American. Anyway, thank you for bringing that blast from the past back to me! What a great memory with my family, not lost forever anymore :-)
Hang in there with your home and decor. It is still your baby even if you are getting some help with the renovations. It will still be a reflection of you and your character. I do love the idea of browsing around ebay etc looking for select pieces for each room. I don't know about you but I am usually late to the party when it comes to liking certain styles and by the time they have grown on me, the fad has passed in the shops and items are no longer available. And then I can't find what I want :-( so this is a great little nugget of wisdom you shared. And IKEA, yeah can't get away from them for certain things :-)
We did this too :) My older brother took me and another brother to a double feature - I saw Nightmare on Elm Street 3 at the Drive-in. I was seven.... :D
I am guessing that things have changed a lot in SA since. Do you still live in the region?
Me too. I often don't even make it for their retro comeback!
bwahaha...this is so true! I did finally get myself a "record player" lol. At least mine is now a bluetooth turntable and hooked to 2 bluetooth speakers. Only decades late to the party though! and a few years later to it's revival. I do have Alexa and Amazon music on a number of wifi speakers around the house so all is not completely lost! "Nightmare on Elm Street"...brave! I'm not one for horror films. I get too freaked out lol. I remember seeing Grease and Zanadu at the drive in though. My parents loved musicals and I'm a fan too :-) I've been living in the UK since 2001. Things are tough out in SA. Corruption is rife in government, small businesses stifled unless they follow the B.E.E. model (which is not always feasible or equitable), unemployment is very high and poverty sadly is widespread, which drives up the crime rate. Recent mass political unrest and rioting was particularly scary for family and friends still living out there. The country and it's beauty remain very fond in my memories and a great holiday destination, but sadly I don't think I could ever move back due to the economic and political instability.
Hahaha yeah, jazz indeed! Never best said with a better analogy. Don't worry mate, it will be like solid jazz improvisations on the go. Like a sudden stunning jam session tapping the keys back and forth with old buddies. :)
I like that. I'd be more like this:
Hahaha yeah, but maybe only in the beginning. And obviously, depending of the sincerity of your old buddies. :D
I have been renovating my house from time to time since the beginning of the pandemic. It never ends, but my plan to finish all them till the winter. This week I have been painting the window barriers.
Renovating can be cathartic - simple tasks and just work.
Monday is going to be a very busy day! Good luck with it all.
Only if you let it.
My Monday morning starts with a doctor appointment too...
At least it was my money that paid! :D
Good one
Which one?
The skills you put in writing inspired me
Posting keys
We need some key under that which expired every x amount of days
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Might end up making it more risky, as people will likely get confused even more and make silly errors with phishing attempts.