For some reason, I was expecting a ferocious winter storm to take over the Miami Valley. I heard continued chatter throughout Monday about exceptionally strong winds and snow, but it was basically a pipedream for those who love and/or predict the weather.

It ended up being a slower night for teaching private lessons as students at Centerville and Fairmont high schools had major concerts on Monday evening. I was excited to be in bed at a reasonable hour and aimed for 10 PM. It wasn’t until 11:15 PM that I wedged in between some dogs. By 4 AM, again, I was up and sitting with Bailey. Sleep was just not possible.

Tonight, I am looking forward to seeing The Air Force Band of Flight perform its annual Christmas concert at The National Museum of the United States Air Force. This is always such a cool concert. I obtained six tickets and joining me will be my former student, Alex Loree, a current piano/voice student, Natalie White, and her father, a dear friend, Kellen. A musician friend, for many years, nearing thirty years, perhaps, Felicia Dellis, and her percussion twin-son, Micah, will also join the ticket-team. While I get to see Alex and Kellen fairly frequently, I rarely see Felicia at anything but music events and seldom have a chance for anything but a brief chat. I am excited for this evening.

I am hoping to make it through the day, conserving energy and pacing myself.

On this date in history: The U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Bill Clinton, charging him with perjury and obstruction of justice, though Clinton was acquitted by the Senate the following month. (1997) James Cameron’s Titanic, a drama about the doomed ocean liner starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, premiered; it later became one of the highest-grossing movies ever. (1974) Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was sworn in as the 41st vice president of the United States, succeeding Gerald Ford, who had been elevated to the presidency following the resignation of Richard Nixon. (1971) The sci-fi drama A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of a novel by Anthony Burgess, had its world premiere. However, widely acclaimed, the movie’s violent and sexually explicit scenes proved controversial, and it received an X rating when released in the United States. (1915) French singer and actress Edith Piaf, whose interpretation of the chanson (French ballad) made her internationally famous, was born. (1843) English author Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, which became one of the outstanding Christmas stories of modern literature. (1777) During the American Revolution, General George Washington led 11,000 regulars to take up winter quarters at Valley Forge on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, 22 miles (35 km) northwest of Philadelphia.

Make it a great day!