What a world

As I mentioned earlier, here's my list of the 10 things that, I'm pretty excited that I've been able to do (in no particular order):

• Played some wind band warhorses under a guest-conducting Frederick Fennell (who complimented my solos in front of everyone and said after rehearsal that he hadn't heard such a "sweet eefer [Eb clarinet] sound in a very long time.") Made. My. Year.
• Sat in the second row to hear Lech Walesa speak.
• Sat about 4 feet away from a late-arriving Van Cliburn while watching a performance of Verdi's Requiem. I had been given tickets insanely wonderful tickets to a performance that a friend was unable to attend. About five or six minutes into the performance, the door to the opera box on my right opened and in walks what seemed to be the tallest man in the world. After the performance, when asked by him what I thought about the concert, the only words I could muster was "Verdi's cool." The only time since that I've felt that unintelligent was the first time I was stunned into silence by The Yankee.
  
• Seen the Ramses II exhibit in Dallas. (1989-ish... Brains... gold.... 4th grade)
• Seen this show at the Kimbell.
• Played with the One O'Clock.
• Confession in the Cathedral of Milan (and all of the St. Ambrose awesomeness that implies).
  
• Heard Michel Arrignon play an all-French recital.
• Seen the Phantom Regiment play their 1996 show.
• Listened to Christian Lindberg warm up, misplace his music, then curse loudly to noone in particular. (The concert afterwards was pretty great, too).

So, yeah, Terry's are still way more interesting but he's, like twice my age (give or take). By the time I'm 50, I'm hoping the whole list is revised with new things that I've lucked into witnessing.