Through sickness and in health...

Man, catching a cold in the middle of summer is no fun. I felt this one coming on as early as Sunday, and have been fighting it with Listerine and aspirin. Yesterday (Tuesday), it just started taking over at three in the afternoon, and by the time I took Mrs. S to dinner for her birthday, I was reeling. I used all my energy then, but knowing I have a lesson tonight, I wasn't going to blow off the piano entirely. I sat and played for about a half hour, surprised at my dexterity with the melody line of Ornithology, disappointed with everything on Maiden Voyage. I decided there would be no point in working on any drills in the state I was in, so I just watched the weather before going to bed.

I slept fitfully, if at all, last night, sweating bullets even with the thermostat turned down an extra degree. I used Helen Merrill's CD to lull me to sleep, but that only succeeded in making me have nightmares about trying to find new Helen Merrill CD's and finding there to be so many and most of them priced at $35, that I became despondent. No surprise then this morning when I woke up and felt like a dirty dish rag, if a dirty dish rag can feel like much of anything. I summoned the energy to shower, dress and take various sundry cold medicines in large quantities. I succeeded in driving myself to work, even stopping to get gas on the way. ($55 for a tank full - a new record for my G6).

My goals for tonight's piano lesson are simple:
-Work on and talk about mechanics, especially the scales and drills I've been fussing with.
-At least take a look at Ornithology and Maiden Voyage, even though (I've no doubt) I won't be able to play them
-Keep the lesson short and don't give the instructor my cold.

Modest goals, modest but steady improvement, and damn my virus weakened body.