Long after the sun set I walked the quarter mile down my lane to get the mail. As I shuffled along, the ankle deep snow was light and fluffy over my feet like feathers spilled from a pillow. Orion stood crisp and tall in the south, his hunting unimpaired on the moonless night. In the north, clouds rolled in underlit yellow by Dubuque ten miles away. I thought of the DSO rehearsing Beethoven 3 at that very moment and how strange it feels not to be a part of that. I've had so few weekends off this season it seems somehow wrong that an orchestra should be working close by while I'm available yet I wouldn't be involved. Not in a greedy sense, mind you, but just in a social sense. I get used to seeing the same few people who play everywhere I do, like cubicle buddies in the office world, and now I just don't show up for work for a few days.
Having played Beethoven 1 last weekend and with Beethoven 2 slated for mid-February with the CWSO it would have been really cool to squeeze in a performance of 'Eroica' too. Hell, it's one of the most revolutionary pieces ever written and I haven't ever played the damn thing. A well, it's a good section and I love everyone in it. Maybe I'll score some comps and attend a concert for a change!
Since I have no concerts of my own this weekend here's a pic of the QCSO horns after our Don Juan performance last Saturday. The QCSO conflicts with the DMS from here on out. I really like all my section mates in this orchestra and will miss them the rest of the season; especially KL & AG who've become good friends. Though the three of us will reunite in Columbus in less than two weeks for the audition.
The weather has put the kaibosh on my training over the last few weeks. Snow hindered my pace and then wind chill advisories put my mileage in a deep freeze. Incidentally, the difference between 10 below windchill and 20 or 30 below windchill is a deep, soul-sucking pain which calmly whispers past your frozen ear cartilage saying, "This would be a nice snow drift to lie down in and take a nap. Aren't you sleepy? Go ahead, lie down. I'll be sure to wake you when it gets warmer." The difference is... training distance become dictated by the point at which one eye becomes frozen shut. Better turn here and head back... and don't blink too slowly on your way home. The difference is... one makes your scalp hurt.
But I got $30 worth of new knit hats and a vat of petroleum jelly. I'm back, bay-Bee!
And I quote...
"Oh yeah, I also met the woman with whom I may want to spend the rest of my life. What are the odds that she has a boyfriend? I know. Pretty darn good."
The odds, amazingly, just might be in my favor this time. I'll refer to her as Raleigh to protect the innocent. Stay tuned...
2 comments:
Here's a random small-world fact for you: I went to Augustana College and studied with Mike Fee for one year. That guy's really into medicinal magnets...
Really? He's never mentioned medicinal magnets to me. Not once! I must not be worthy. Thanks for sharing...
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