frisbee!

Marty McFly: [holding up a plate that says "Frisbee"] Hey, look, Frisbee, far-out.
Seamus McFly: Wonder what he meant by that?
Maggie McFly: It was right in front of him.
Yalies invented the Frisbee!

Happiness is letting time fly at the carillon until quite suddenly you realize that it's time to go home and you're hardly ready to stop. I had almost forgotten how it felt to be mentally prepared to practice several more hours only to realize that physically, I had already practiced too many.

Tonight I surmounted the worst of the learning process for Thornock's "Motorhythmia." I still have a long way to go, but this unexpected victory made my other pieces seem suddenly like child's play.

"One doesn't really need a teacher," Geert told me. "You can do all of the work yourself." I disagreed, but I wonder how far I would be now without him. And without the accident. It's a curious thought, but taking a complete break from the carillon has enabled me to learn faster and more efficiently. I got better without doing a thing! If only life was always this easy.

I had forgotten how passionate I was about playing the organ. For the past two weeks, practicing in OLV-o/d-Dijlekerk has been hell--frozen over. Imagine sitting in 4°C weather for two hours, moving only your arms and fingers. Wouldn't you associate the organ with torture? Today, the rain brought warmth, and I felt as if I could have practiced all day.

Absurd and necessary conclusion: My performance in music is dependent on the weather. Not a reassuring thought in an overcast country.