In Good Company

I'm both excited and bummed about the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's upcoming Beethoven festival. The exciting part is that my mom and I got tickets yesterday for a performance of his 5th and 6th symphonies, arguably his most well-known of the symphonies. The bummed part of this whole thing is that I can't go to all of the performances. The DSO's Beethoven festival runs for five weeks, each week hosting a performance of 2 symphonies in chronological order, the last week being B's 9th. Wow. Can you imagine witnessing all nine symphonies in order and in person? I'd need a box of Kleenex, for sure. But time and a busy season keeps me from attending all but one performance. Also on the cultural agenda is a performance by the Shaolin Warriors at MacFarlan Auditorium. Initially I had bought myself a ticket, intending to go alone. But in our Beethoven rapture yesterday, my mom decided to accompany me, and we were able to get her the seat right next to mine. This event is important to me on many levels, but mainly because it is two days after I test for my promotion to yellow belt. There is no guarantee that I will pass, but if I have any say (and philosophically, I believe I do - you know, free will, accountability, and all that), that belt will be mine. Kee-yaaah! And in retrospect, I regret that I didn't write about a performance I attended of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice at the Dallas Theater Center. It was, to be blunt, freakin' awesome. The stage direction was so interesting and I loooooved the costumes. When beauty and comfort come together, life is good.