Now Playing: Brahms, Violin Concerto in D, Op. 77, "Adagio".

An adagio seems appropriate for a day like this. Early September, always full of the high, sharp-edged hum of crickets in the grass, like the whir of a bicycle chain. Sky is overcast, as it has been for most of the week, and all the windows are open.

I finally managed to make a start on all those applications this week. So far I have three of ten forms filled out and one fairly solid draft of a personal statement. At least, I hope it's fairly solid. We'll see what the professorial types say when they get their hands on it. Despite having graduated, I still live in awe of my undergraduate advisor and her pencil.

As usually happens when I've been away somewhere and come back, a foolish prodigal idea has crept into my head. And as also usually happens, it's taken about a year to work its way into the blinding light of day. (If anyone is counting, this is a record, because when I decided to cut my hair nice and short, that had been about six years in the making at least.)

I've decided to paint "my" room. Yellow, as a matter of fact. We'll see if it actually happens or not, though at this point I'm determined enough that it just might. Need some paint, a roller, loads of newspapers, a steamer and other unsavory items for stripping wallpaper, and probably some help. Don't worry, father dear, you won't be asked to paint: just move the dresser over there.... And would you mind managing the bed and all those bookshelves, too?

I'm thinking of making some curtains while I'm at it. Green? Yes, please. That way it will look like spring in November.

Of course this will all take time and effort and money, which I'm currently rather short on. The curtains may have to wait. But it's amusing to think about anyway.

On Wednesday I fished around and found a volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier downstairs in the basket by the piano. I tried to play Prelude No. 2, and was shocked by the state of my piano abilities. It has been over ten years, I guess, since I played seriously. Still!

Not to mention the fact that my poor family will probably get sick and tired of hearing me play Bach. Bach on the piano, Bach on the flute, with a little Vivaldi thrown in for good measure. Nothing like Baroque music to cheer things up. I'm not much one for crash-and-bang Romantic stuff, not to play, though I don't mind listening to it (as the current music choice shows).

Tomorrow is Sunday. With typical human attitude, I want my rest today, not tomorrow. To-do lists and I have a love-hate relationship. Their tyranny depresses me when I don't get as much done as I planned, but writing down everything I have to do helps me pretend that I have already done it, which alleviates stress. Always a good thing.

So now I'm going to cross "blog" off my list and write some e-mails.