In Preparation for Summertime

Hello, my friends. I have missed you, but I have been quite occupied with all the duties associated with being me. Many of them are now gone, though, for it is now summertime break, though I am well aware that it is still, in fact, springtime. That said, I now wish to express my summertime plans thus far, or at least the fun and harmless ones.

My first summertime plan is to have my hairs cut. I had considered doing this on Friday, but I decided that I would rather collapse at home, having last slept at 11:00 am on Thursday.

My second summertime plan is the completion of a programmatic symphony that I have been planning since November. I have a good idea for the program, but I refuse to disclose that as of yet. I also have an excellent musical idea. It is a G major sixth. I had wanted to finish it by the end of this very month of May, but that was based on the false belief that I would start working on it months ago; alas, there yet remains reading to be done before I may justify beginning! 'Tis a pity.

My third summertime plan is the completion of a book of six pieces for solo piano. Six is the standard number for books of piano pieces, employed at least by Grieg for his lyric pieces. I have three of them finished, and they are "Adagio" (though that is not its name), "The City in the Sea," and "Midnight Feast at the Temple of Springtime." I have a few bars of what I think will be the Prelude. I also might wish for an Intermezzo, though I probably will turn against that thought because there is no naturally numbered midpoint in a set of six, and claiming otherwise would drive me mad. Perhaps when they are finished, I will pay to have them nicely bound in a book, but not if it is very expensive. Also, I will record the symphony with them on a compact disc and offer it to my friends, who will either actually enjoy it or at least humor their own poor friend, being me.

My fourth summertime plan is CIY, hereafter known as Move. 'Twill be a joyous adventure, as always.

My fifth summertime plan is to become a grandmaster of pianistic technical exercises, which I hate. This must be done by July, or I will suffer greatly. There will, however, be great rejoicing when grandmastery is achieved.

My sixth summertime plan is to become a grandmaster of music theory, or at least of all the matters a university freshperson ought to have learnt. It is a strange point of music theory in the academy, that one might know a good deal more than one might analyze with all the proper notation and terminology. This must be done by July, or I will suffer greatly. Since I deeply enjoy the theory of music, all I must do is summon the discipline to practice its dull exercises, which will not be so bad.

My seventh summertime plan is top secret. Do not tell.

My eighth summertime plan is the maintenance of discipline in Greek, lest I forget its glorious grammatical details. Thus I have my textbook and my Greek New Testament.

My ninth summertime plan is the reading of many wonderful and interesting things, and I brim with thrills at my numerous options. It will be grand.

My tenth summertime plan is GenCon, the one time of year when all the strangest people in the land gather together in Indianapolis. Ready the utility kilts and don the chainmail!

My eleventh summertime plan is the practice of sport. It is good for me, so it is best that I practice a degree of sport. I do hope my retired friends will be free to play sport with me.

My twelfth summertime plan is to become a piper. I have read upon the pipes, and they are not difficult. What is difficult, however, is their acquisition. It is all right, though, for I know a guy who knows a guy who knows where to get a fine set of pipes.

It will be a grand summertime, I think, full of Friendship and Wonder, for Friendship and Wonder are surely among the highest virtues.