We have been without electricity since 10:26 this morning. This does not make me a happy camper. I am, in fact, quite annoyed. I was at least prepared for it this time, though, as I had read that power was going off around the city and I just knew we were doomed. So oh well. I’m sitting at Panera, having an okay bowl of clam chowder and a cup of cofee. That’ll do. For a while. A short while. (I did call PG&E and they could only say they couldn’t say when our power would be restored. Grumble) Panera, is rather full for 3:37 in the afternoon. I’m guessing a lot of folks are here because of their power issues. Many are on their computers. Go figure. Sitting right next to me is what I am guessing is a home schooling family, considering the educational conversations that are going on. They have two computers running, and seem to be working quite a bit. Right now I’m hearing about math and Harry Potter (two different conversations). I’m happy to discuss Harry Potter, but I never enjoy discussing math. (Surprise, surprise!) Oh. Wait. I just heard the man say, “Define the Columbian Exchange.” I guess that’s not math, eh?

I need to print out my boarding pass. I can’t. I want to clean the house. I can’t see well enough in that dark place and the vacuum cleaner refuses to work without electricity. I would love to be home, and I’ll probably head back after checking to see if Dan’s flight is on time (he comes home from Seattle today). But I want my electricity!

As I commented here, I feel powerless.

I just found out that the David Amram piece that we played on our first SSV set, conducted by Paul Polivnick, is now online. I’m listening to it at this very moment. The second section begins with yours truly, as I played principal oboe for that set rather than English horn.

Hmmm. How do I feel? Not totally disgusted, so that’s good news. But I am quite critical of my oboe playing and I do hear things that bug me. Such is life. Still, I’m relieved that it’s not making me want to quit. Yet.

Oh. Maybe I take that back. I’m hearing more. Heh. I guess it’s good to never be satisfied.

Right?

In Other News …

It’s raining! Hard! I have been awake for quite some time because of the rain pounding on our skylight. This is probably a good thing, as I have to be up at a horrendously early hour tomorrow for my flight anyway. The rain is a welcome thing around here, as it’s been far too dry. I am happy. My reeds will be happy too.

And other other news…

I had a dream—a nightmare really—two nights ago about playing an SSV job that I had planned to take off. What is so weird is that I realized, the day after the dream, that I had forgotten to turn in my absence request. Sigh. I’m always very timely about my requests, and I have never taken a job off by lying because I passed the deadline. (Yes, people do that. It’s grounds for firing, but they rarely get caught.) So there you go. Guess I’m stuck playing the job. Which means canceling a day at UCSC. Which I do not like to do. But there you go.

A great painting, or symphony, or play, doesn’t diminish us, but enlarges us, and we, too, want to make our own cry of affirmation to the power of creation behind the universe. This surge of creativity has nothing to do with competition, or degree of talent.

-Madeline L’Engle