Heat is on in my apartment!! I felt it yesterday morning and this morning again (but it gets turned off during the day). Since heat is included in rent, I unfortunately don't have control over the thermostat. But the little heat I felt (only when I'm standing really really near the heating unit) was great. And this is better than having control over the thermostat and having to pay for heat myself, I suppose. I hear that in wintertime, it easily costs $200+ per month to keep the apartment above the lawful temperature, not even warm (there's a minimum temperature required by law in order to not have pipes crack due to the cold).

I have a rejuvenated love for Brahms. Rehearsal this morning was great, and I'm actually starting to love his first Symphony. The soloist for the Violin Concerto was amazing. Very energetic, great techniques, and amazing musicality. Fluid melodic lines, and yet such intensity! His shifts were perfect... rich :)

Speaking of this... I received my Southwest Strings order today!!! Now I have a music stand, 2 sets of new strings (I'm giving Larsen Tzigane another try; though the usual set of Dominant was ordered of course), AND sheet music -- full orchestral score to Bruch's violin concerto and the Scottish Fantasy, the sheet music to the Brahms Violin Concerto (I gave in), and that of the Brahms Piano Trio (eeeeeep! :D).

Life is good :)