angel hammy

angel hammy
Originally uploaded by madabandon.

Well, Hammy is getting quite big. He is gangly and adorable, but this picture shows just how tiny he was just a few weeks ago.

I have booked my hotel for Montréal. I will go in a month for four days. It is one of my absolute favorite cities, and I never tire of visiting. Mabel will come too, since Montréal is quite civilized and dogs are welcome all over. I will drive, since flying is such a nightmare these days and I try to avoid it whenever possible. It has been awhile since I have been away--staying in a hotel, dining out etc--and I am looking forward to it. Y has never been there before.

These days I am mostly practicing piano. After reading Charles Rosen's book I am trying to keep in mind his ideas about the physical aspects of playing. Physical working-out is something I do with real concentration. The fact that I have gone swimming at the crack of dawn the past few days attests to this. So if I view practicing as the slow mastery of a physical, athletic task, I accomplish a lot. And the "musical" part, that is easy.