Between the bad election night and the pouring rain, there hasn't been much to tell. I've been working to get a grant, finishing all other surveys and in between that studying for LSAT, or wait, make that attempt to study for LSAT.
Can't remember if I blogged this but I started violin lessons at the beginning of October. I've been quite motivated to practice my violin and I haven't quite had so much fun practicing an instrument. I remember the torture of piano lessons when I was a child- practicing, playing and trying to pass the Royal School of Music exams. Theory and practice, theory and practice. That's all I remember of it, and the dread I felt everytime I went near the piano. I acquired the music skills, reading music etc, but never the music appreciation. This time around however, with the music skills (or whatever little I have remaining), I'm learning the music. My violin teacher is a Russian lady who used to play with the SF symphony. I can't imagine that I can say this, but I really really like her and our lessons together. Last weekend we played for an hour together. What a joy and contrast to piano lessons that were just sheer torture. For the last month or so, I've been practicing everyday for half and hour and for an hour on weekends. To hear a minuet or waltz come together after a week, is satisfaction beyond description.
I'm practicing a song for Advent, which I hope to play with Nate in church. He's part of the inspiration for this. Well sorta. I've watched him play the piano and time and time again I wished I could go home and play a song. I'm more and more convinced that this is my insturment and not the piano. It speaks to me, even though I'm sure it's shrieked more than a few times to my neighbors. In many ways also, it's such a relief to play and practice, because it uses a completely different part of my brain. I've been studying and crunching numbers and memorizing textbook material for years. And it's just such a relief to give that part a break and make use of another hemisphere.
I hope things are going well with everyone this November. This year, has been kinda crazy and there's a lot to give thanks for this Thanksgiving.