I don't even want a Nobel Prize now. Regardless of how you feel about Al Gore, how has the cause of peace been advanced?

Another near-perfect night in the Ap Friday. I don't think I've been to the symphony since I was a teenager, but I really enjoyed this multi media thing at Lincoln Center. Well, first I enjoyed a glass of champagne by the fountain (where Nicholas Cage met Cher in "Moonstruck" and where several gentlemen were obviously awaiting their Chers the other day) on a perfect New York evening as I appreciated for the millionth time how lucky I am to be here. The first half of the show was a clip from the movie "The Music Lovers" and some actors talking about Tchaikovsky's life and reading excerpts from his letters, and then some analysis of the themes in the 6th Symphony, which was finished nine days before Tchaikovsky died.

Then after the intermission, they played the whole symphony, better known as Pathetique. I had a record of it back in the day and it's emotional and overwrought, just like I was, so it was easy for me to enjoy. The man next to me said, "I always buy a seat toward the stage because I like to follow along with the score," and sure enough, he had a pocket sized copy. Cough*nerd!*cough. But I wasn't tricked into applauding the two seeming climaxes like the rubes down below, because I just waited for him to close the book.

After the show, I walked down to Times Square just to see the colorful blur like the gawky tourist I am at heart. Then I bought a bag of cheddar/chipotle popcorn for the subway ride home.

I'd say that evening was in the top 2% of my life. (Think about it--there should be 7 days per year that make it into the top 2%, but there are some years that have a lot and some that have none, so I'm sticking by my math.)