Win a few, lose a few here and there...

 So this is why for the second time I had to postpone my lab work.  Last time the big snowfall came.  This time the medium one, and at the time I would have had to leave, fasting, no plowing done, no walkways shoveled, would have needed to sweep my car.

So it's going to be later in February.  As long as that doesn't trigger another snowstorm. I'm beginning to feel responsible for the weather.

And CVS finally received some vaccine in NJ.  In a handful of locations. All fully booked before most of us even knew about it. But nothing in driving distance for me anyway. Everything I check daily gives me endless lists of fully booked, fully booked, I now sing a little tune to it.  So it's more than annoying when friends text me to urge me to get the vaccine, as if I weren't somehow trying to get it.  Or bragging that they got it for their parents.  In states where it's available.  Just miss me with that, thank you.

However, I did have the energy to cook this morning, wanting to make room for tomorrow's Misfits box.  So it was the rest of the frozen sweet potato gnocchi.

 

 And a sort of dish made from broccoli, scallions, the rest of the roasted garlic, pink salt, haven't used that in ages, nutmeg, with Parmesan and Vermont Sharp Cheddar grated over, and two beaten eggs added in.  I'd nuked the broccoli for two minutes before filling the dish.

This made three full meals.  Tomorrow after Misfits arrives,  there will be salad, always a high point of the menu around here, the Friday night salad.

And online I've been following the daily short videos of world class violinist and nice person, Hilary Hahn, doing 100 Days of Practice on Twitter.  To see someone who is one of the best on the planet actually learning new music, often commissioned by her, she loves modern composers, struggling now and then with fiendishly difficult bowing, explaining her process.

How the last year without the constant travel and performance has let her muscle and muscle memory lose their edge, and need to be built back.  It's amazing.  And very cheering.  Especially when her two year old daughter comes in and starts:  Mommy, practice SLOOOOOW.  Not too fast, now!  She knows her mother's technique of working out everything in slow motion before getting all the parts working up to performance level.

And if you're not aware of Hahn, and her genius, here she is playing Twinkle Twinkle. 

 Twinkle, twinkle, little star, Hahn

Like an incredible piece.  To Mozart it was Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman, to those of us who learned it on the piano, with variations.  I'd far rather hear it from Hilary.  As you see, a genius completely changes our relationship to even the simplest melody.  Just think what's she's doing with Prokofiev and Shostakovich and other composers she's making famous by commissioning from them.

One thing I love about her is that she likes little children, and everywhere she can, she will add to her regular concert performance a daytime brief free session of classical playing with parents invited to bring little children and babies, to sit on the floor and listen.  She's completely unbothered by kids crying or talking over her or grabbing at her knees to get closer to the music, and just plays as well for that audience as for an adult ticketed group.

I wonder how many young people  grow up with a different take on classical music from hearing it like this as a little kid, included in it, in a kind atmosphere.  She also likes to include moms who might not get the chance otherwise, too.  Not so easy to afford her concert prices and babysitting and all that comes with an evening out.

So despite my current doldrums, there are good things to be found everywhere. Including episodes of Sandi Toksvieg's ToxVox on YouTube which I listened to this morning, not being able to tolerate the news