I went to the Met recently to see Beethoven’s “Fidelio” and hang out with 3,800 very well-dressed patrons to see a passionate story about political tyranny but mainly to see the soprano Lise Davidsen who is worth the price of admission and more, especially when surrounded by the Met chorus, mostly men, imprisoned for political crimes but nonetheless in gorgeous voice. As for Lise, architects have designed enormous opera houses and finally they’ve designed a singer whose voice fills it so you feel it even in the cheaper seats.

There are no words in my vocabulary to express my thoughts and feelings about the weather extremes last week. Uff. I am really hoping that Ma Nature has vented all her anger at whoever or whatever upset her. I spent quite a bit of time venting to her, I know.

I’m a very lucky guy. My family’s healthy. They pay me to do things I love. And my six-year-old daughter consistently ranks me as strongest man in the house. Also, once a year, I take a bit of time off and we spend time on this island. The island is tropical and lush and volcanic. People refer to the island in all sorts of ways but perhaps the phrase I hear most often is: almost paradise.

The change of seasons always inspires me to do what my kids always refer to as “the purge”. Because I’m aware that I need to move the winter clothes out of the main closet and the warmer weather clothes back in, that means that it’s also time to go through everything not worn enough to justify keeping and finally get rid of those purchases that I wore perhaps one or two times.