If rumors are to be believed, we’re about to get a lot of snow this weekend. The exact forecast of how many inches keeps going up and down but the prediction is substantial. In the meantime, I’ve been reminded that different temperatures near or south of freezing can feel very different.
For instance, when I disarmed the alarm system this morning, the outside temperature on the panel read as 9 degrees. Nice. However, it will be up to 33-34 degrees this afternoon, so that is much more reasonable. When it is 9 degrees I try to warm the car up ahead of time, and I don’t step out without a hat and gloves. At 33 I am not so worried about it. That’s balmy! We will get up to the 40s tomorrow afternoon — during which I scheduled an outdoor run. Then it’s back down to lows between 6-12 degrees for the next week.
So January is here with a vengeance. But I have been reminded of late that it is not so far to spring. I’m working on publicity for my next book, Big Time, which is coming out May 5. The photo on this post is of my printed galleys — it’s starting to feel real! We start to get into the long lead time content calendars for things right about now, which makes sense. I’ve been booking podcast guests on my shows for March/April. It will be here eventually.
(If you’d like to pre-order the book, here are links to Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, and Norton’s page for the book. Thanks for considering it!)
In the meantime, a few long-term project updates. I am listening to all of Mozart this year. I decided to just go (mostly) chronologically, working through the Wikipedia page of his works. I Google the KV number and play what comes up first. You do have to be careful with this, as sometimes the KV number for an obscure piece matches a famous symphony number and only the symphony comes up unless you look hard. But so far it’s been working.
On the Shakespeare front I plan to read through one play a month with commentary. This month is As You Like It, and I’m reading slow enough to get as much of the prose as possible. So far so good on that one too. Maybe February should be Romeo and Juliet? I haven’t plotted out the year but perhaps that makes sense, with Julius Caesar in March…
I have never done a “listening project” but have of course noted yours for years now… You suddenly just inspired me to do one! (Maybe in part inspired by my own ~45 minute piano playing session last night, so it’s on my brain.) My favorite composer is Chopin, so I think I’m going to listen to all of his works! I have favorites but I don’t know many of them. He apparently, according to Wikepedia, has 74 Opuses (some with multiple Preludes, Etudes etc) plus a good list of works without Opus numbers. Hmm. I think I’ll just save the list and start working my way through them making sure to listen to at least something every day. If it goes beyond a year (and I’m sure it will!) that’s ok. It’s seems too confusing to figure out how to divvy it all up evenly to create a real schedule… lol.
@Grateful Kae – that sounds like a great listening project (and go you for finding time to play the piano for 45 minutes last night). The project really doesn’t have to be intricate – listening for a little every day will get you through the catalog eventually. I’m generally aiming to do about 2 pieces a day with Mozart, as there are approximately 600-700 pieces attributed to him. But some are short, and some are full length operas, so I adjust as necessary.
It’s been a little weird to not have something to listen to when I am doing focused work. Last year I would use that time to catch up on my Beethoven listening project! Instead I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Evermore albums since they are kind of emo/chill background music.
It’s been bitterly cold here lately and will get worse this week. This is my least favorite time of the year. It feel quite ‘nice’ today since it’s in the teens/20s. By Friday the feels like temp will be -30F. I will be glad when this cold stretch is over!
I love the cover of your new book!
@Lisa – glad you like the cover! And eek, minus 30 sounds like no fun whatsoever. Well, in 3 months things should be better…right? Around here more like 2 months usually.