Wow. Well, it happened (is happening) again. My soul is in the midst of being nourished by Chopin's Barcarolle (Opus 60), played by Claudio Arrau. This is not even my favorite of Chopin's piano pieces, but it speaks to the genius and brilliance of this music that it can provide me with some measure of comfort and peace just from one listening.

Back in college, I listened to nothing but classical music and lately I've gotten away from listening to this music on a regular basis. I'm not sure why, though it may have something to do with the burnout I experienced after the four years I devoted almost entirely to it. But I've never lost my love for it and to this day I still have such an emotional connection to the music of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms and Chopin, to name just a few.

I want to get back to listening to this music again - perhaps even go to a few live concerts? So to that end, I've added a goal for 2006:

1. Stay sober.
2. Find a permanent job.
3. Stop using credit altogether. If don't have the cash for it, I don't buy it. Period. School is the only exception here, but otherwise, no charging.
4. Get my diet back under control.
5. Go to at least one ballet class per week.
6. Earn one "leg" towards Rennie's Companion Dog title.
7. Redesign my blog.
8. Reacquaint myself with the classical music world: listen to classical music at least three times each week and go to at least one live classical performance each quarter.