Getting better?

I stink at this game. I've been playing it all my life at the rate of about a game a year.  In the mountains of east Kentucky I  could never find anyone to play.  But in high school I met a friend who knew a little and would play me every few months for an ego boost.  One game I worked very hard to achieve a stalemate.  He said that in reality he beat me. I insisted the game was a draw. So he got furious and swore he'd never play me again. He kept his promise!

I've played several games this week.  Probably 10 games against the computer. I have come to think of computer chess like the fraternity initiation scene in Animal House.  You take a beating and say "thank you sir may I have another!"

This week I've watched some videos on chess.com. I read & researched openings.  I now know what i don't want to do at the beginning and  I've beat the computer twice now.  It feels like there's been some progress.