Well, I just finished preparing notes for today's Aesthetics & Criticism class (my first actual appearance of the semester, since labyrinthitis had me in its clutches for the first two sessions), and since today's reading was ETA Hoffmann, I'm buzzing with German Romanticism. The ineffable yearning for the indescribable infinite...the flight of the soul to the spirit realm on the wings of pure music...sigh, sigh, fluttering sigh....

Okay, okay, I've never been that much of a fan of the whole overblown German Romanticism Thang (especially as it [a] tied historically into aggressive nation-building, etc., and [b] still plays out in American music conservatories nowadays), but I have to admit that it can be kind of fun anyway. At least on a blustery day like today with the wind whipping the trees outside as I read Hoffmann's Kreisleriana with Nordic music playing on the stereo...

We have broadband now, semi-unfortunately (in terms of procrastination, etc), so hey: now I can wait, ears cocked, for important phone calls at the same time as I surf online! How productive can I get, huh? Good thing I did my teaching prep before turning on the computer...

I also finished Chapter Twenty-Two of The Music of the Stars this morning between 7 and 8 am. Hurrah! The ending is (at least vaguely) in sight! Now I get to puzzle over which adult fantasy novel to work on next: the 1790s Vienna/Mozart/demon one, or the 1760s Vienna/Istanbul cloak 'n dagger diplomatic intrigue? Hmmmmmmmmmm.........

Maybe it's time for a morning cup of tea.