Lots to do today. Many different tasks that I foresee segmenting my day into various chunks. After writing this post, I'm going to tackle de-winterizing my house. Boots, heavy coats and big sweaters will get the big heave-ho into storage til the fall, and flip-flops, sandals and tank-tops will take their place. Make way for summer!
When I was a little girl, while taking piano lessons and becoming aware that I really, raelly really really dug it, I dreamed of being a meteorologist. I soon discovered that I didn't really want to have the job of a meteorologist, but I just wanted to know everything about weather and how it worked. So, I began getting weather books from my public and school libraries and gleefully learning about vergas, cumulus clouds and barometer measurements. Even now, my "Handy Weather Book" sits in my sun room in case I need to better understand what's hap'nin on the outside. Everyone has their hobbies, I guess.
Buffalonians, I think, are somewhat obsessed with weather. It's that weird habit that happens everywhere in which you walk into a 7-11 or a bank or someplace and you immediately tell strangers how you feel about the weather. "Can I deposit this check, and wow! It's really raining out there!" as if the person behind the counter or standing next to you doesn't already know this. But in Buffalo, the weather so strongly influences our behavior that it's like an old and unpredictable crazy friend that you love dearly but never know what's going to happen when they're around. I've noticed that bad weather doesn't often change our behavior here in The Buff, though. Tailgating parties for the Bills occur in hurricane winds, picnics are never stymied by a spring snow shower (yes, it snowed in May this year....but just a little bit and it didn't accumulate!), etc. The weather, I think, is actually a source of pride for Buffalo even while we are still best known for blizzards and other winter weather madness. We're tough little suckers around here, you betcha.
Which brings me to my day. It's going to be HOT, like 90 degrees, and this has occurred rather suddenly so it will feel strange. The humidity is high. By the way, ten days ago, the high for the day was 49, so it shouldn't be a shock that I still have boots and coats and scarves lying around. But this afternoon, some friends are coming over for happy hour to go swimming (I have a heater, and yes, I am aware of my June gas bill. A girl's gotta have fun sometimes regardless of the future, yes?) and hang out before we go watch a baseball game at the park (men's league....hee hee). This will be the first swim of the year, and it really wouldn't be complete if next to the beach towels there sat a fleece vest or a wool hat, now would it? And since it's 73 degrees right now and not 90 degrees, it's best to get this stuff done before noon. I borrowed my dad's weed wacker (I love saying "weed wacker") and sidewalk edger (the worst and most awkward of yard tools) to put the finishing touches on my yard.
Then, I will sit in the sun and do some reading. I haven't read my book reviews from JAMS or JSAM or the IASPM journal in a while and I have a friend's Diss Proposal to read as I continually fidget with mine, so that will be an hour or two well spent before the girls get here. Not much Diss writing today probably, but that's what Monday is for.
This morning in my emailbox, AMS sent a call for papers for a publication celebrating the 75th birthday of Arvo Part. He is one of my favorite composers. Of all time. And he's still living and writing! I just created an Arvo Part playlist in iTunes because it will make me very very very happy to be doing all of this stuff while listening to Part. I wrote a paper in grad school about his "Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten," and it may turn into this day's "one-repeat" song. His penchant for the cello is so luscious and extraordinary, and I have a recording of "Fratres" arranged for 12 cellos. A dozen cellos! It's like hot fudge on vanilla ice cream. Especially on a 90 degree day.
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