Vacation Bliss

On mini vacation in Western NY. I'm waiting for friends to visit tomorrow night, whence we go to Niagara Falls! I'm excited for "Canada As Adults", because the last time I was there I was a teenager, which was fine, but now I have free will. Having a few days in the meantime to think all by me onesies is great. I'm thinking:
1. I love the quiet of the family's house! I can practice piano for an hour, watch tv, go for a walk, and then come back to the piano...and it's still as quiet as ever.
2. I'm reading a book of writings by the composer John Luther Adams (he works out of the wilderness of Alaska and sometimes writes hour-long works with strings and harps only on white keys; in other words I am completely in love with him) and I am transfixed by his every word. My, how I admire intelligent writing which is still personal and thoughtful. And he gets bonus points for talking about the aurora borealis.
3. Am I at a compositional bench marker? A mini crisis? Now that I'm done with my Master's program I still think my music could be so much better, so much more solid, and yet I don't quite know how to do that yet. I think I'm torn between attempting an ascetic/Arvo Part/"less is more"/spiritual side of me and the funky pop music/minimalism/jazz chord side of me, and perhaps I can find a way to make both sides happy in works to come? 4. I think I'm thinking too much. I should just listen to the stream. Gurgle!
5. This country livin' is a doozy on my digestive system.
6. But the ahi tuna at the fancy Arts & Crafts style restaurant was the most delicious graduation present ever.
7. My parents finally called the piano tuner and he came this morning, and now Wungsten will happen at A440. Delightful.
8. I'm practicing John Adams (the non-Alaskan one) 'China Gates'. I'm going to try to make it happen for real.
9. I've forgotten everything about science and social studies that I learned from 7th-12th grade, as proven by my well-taken notes I've saved. I thought I'd never heard of Mark's quiz-word "regolith", but BAM! There it was on my 8th grade science review sheet about the earth's crust. I am also now re-acquainted with the 5 nations of native Iroquois people, which acronym nicely to SCOOM.