OK, as soon as I typed that subject header, I suddenly worried: what if everyone thinks I'm a lush? After all, I mentioned Baileys in my last entry. Rest assured: this time I'm NOT talking about real drinks. My dad sent me Sympathique, a CD by the group Pink Martini, and I've been listening to it obsessively since yesterday. I've heard the CD 3 times today already--and it's still good! I keep noticing new bits that I love, and the trumpet playing is to die for--beautiful, soaring and perfectly on target. Most of the time nowadays, I don't think much about the 13 years I spent training to be a pro brass player. (To cut a long story short: I changed my mind, and I'm happier for it.) But when I hear playing like this...Wow. The best part about having being so serious about the French horn for so long is that I REALLY appreciate great playing. (Lots of parallels with the writing, actually--when I read good books nowadays, I really notice how well writers have managed certain things which I might have taken for granted if I hadn't been trying so hard myself to learn techniques like that.)

Meanwhile, I've got two conferences to present at this week (one music conference on Wednesday, and one Interdisciplinary Gender Studies conference on Thursday), and ohhhh, the panic levels are mounting. Which, of course, makes it harder to just get the writing work done....(sigh) Do I get kudos for at least noticing when I'm being dumb???