[steven]

I agree that goals are good, but it's hard to set realistic goals. I mean, there are always goals that you can't reach, but it can be especially empty feeling when you get all your ducks in a row and just knock them down all at once. It can make you a little lost for a while if you know what I mean.

Right now I'm working on completing a tracking room. I always wanted some space where I could record music and I finally found it. I've definitely gotten carried away and taken the project to a place I'd never thought I'd go. I've learned a lot along the way and feel that I've used pretty much every thing I'd studied in school up to this point. I've learned a lot about acoustics, electronics, and the process of building things. The equipment involved in recording has cost a fortune... the room itself has been relatively cheap, but it has still cost quite a bit.

Another goal that I have is making an archtop jazz guitar. I've repaired a couple of guitars with my friend since I've been in Japan. I started carving the top of a jazz guitar quite a while ago but have been tied up with my tracking room to make a lot of progress.

I also want to learn how to sight read music for multiple instruments. I especially want to learn how to read for bass guitar and solo instruments like glockenspiel or synth and stuff like that. I got a few books on it recently. They are in Japanese, so I'm learning about this stuff in my second language.

Everyone always talks about how great goals are. I like to keep myself busy with stuff, but sometimes I am a little jealous of people who can just sit around all day. While I admit that there have been a few times when I've finished some goals and felt completely happy and satisfied, most of the time I'll finish something only to immediately start working on and worry about something else.