Negative capability

Out to the almost island this afternoon for a late November stroll - it was a mild weekend, in the 50s both days! (Weather will be starting up again any day now.) Rock climbers were out on the east side. From what I understand, it's one of the best places to practice the skill in the midwest. Looks like fun. And a little adrenaline rush, too. The ropes seem like a very good idea.

It's been a grading weekend. Semester's end is nigh, so I received 130 papers last week, with another 25 coming in after Thanksgiving Break.

Friday I went to Louise's funeral, which was held at the R.C. Cathedral. I know I'm at a certain point in my life: this past year I've attended four funerals and no weddings. (Maybe a Hugh Grant movie in the making?) I didn't go to the "celebration of life," which was held afterwards at the Rosewood. Rikke said that it was a lot of fun.

My other social outing was last night to Coffman Auditorium, to see the Iron Harbor Symphony in an all-Russian program. Tchaikovsky's Second Symphony in the first half of the program, then the Rachmaninov Second Concerto after the break, with a young Korean pianist, Hyejin Kim. She was quite good, but I missed a certain slavic passion in the piece. If you know what I mean.

Here's a young Russian pianist, Evgeny Kissin, playing the middle movement of the Rach 2 at the Proms in London with the BBC Symphony. He gets it.