Busy October

      Once our busy September was over and England and my week up north were just memories, I thought we'd be able to relax some and get into a comfortable pattern of life.  But there is always something going on at the university and our calendars fill up quickly.
      Duke makes it very easy for faculty, staff, and their families to purchase season tickets for sports.  As a result I purchased a season ticket for football.  Now I know you'll say that based on Duke's football history I was just throwing my money away, but it turns out we won some games this year and are bowl eligible for the first time since 1994.  In October we beat Virginia and UNC.  The game with UNC was incredible.  We were leading all the way until UNC scored with less than two minutes to go on a fluke fumble recovery in the end zone. We got the ball back and drove the length of the field and scored the winning touchdown with 13 seconds left.  The place went crazy.
     I also attended a field hockey match between Duke and Virginia.  Our field hockey team didn't do very well this year. A part of that has to due to the fact that 6 of our players were chosen to play in the world cup matches and returned to campus mid-season.  I admit I don't really have a grasp of the rules, but appears that the best opportunity to score comes on fouls which occur close to the goal.  Anyway, we played nationally ranked No.7 Virginia and only lost 3 to 1. Our men's soccer team was scoring challenged this year.  I went to see them play No. 1 ranked Maryland and they played well, but lost 2 to 1.  The only women's game I got to in October was a tie with Wake Forest.  Expectations have been high for the women's team since last year they played in the NCAA finals against Stanford and had most of the team back.  They haven't played quite as well this year, but did better than the men's team.
     The final sporting event I went to in October was an exhibition women's basketball game between Duke and Shaw University.  Shaw won the NCAA Division 2 championship last year.  Unfortunately for Shaw most of the players from that team graduated.  It was tough to watch - final score Duke 138 Shaw 32.  Due to injuries Duke suited-up only 9 players including two freshman and a walk-on.  The freshman and the walk-on played quite a bit and the score still was out-of-hand.
     On the arts side of our activities, we attended two concerts - The Duke Symphony Orchestra's and The Duke Jazz Ensemble's.  The orchestra played symphonies by Hayden and Schumann and a concerto by Mozart.  The Jazz Ensemble was great.  Their conductor, John V. Brown, Jr.  is an accomplished bass player and well known in jazz circles.  He has been able to bring in some high level talent as guests to play with the ensemble.  This concert featured Wycliffe Gordon, who has been named "Best in Trombone" by Downbeat Critics Poll for 2012.  It was a trip.  He was great.  The energy was tremendous and he made music at a level I've never heard before.
     One of the more interesting things we attended during the month was a part visual art, part theatrical experience entitled "How to Build a Forest"(http://pearldamour.com).  Over an 8 hour period the "cast" constructs and deconstructs a forest made of synthetic materials.    As a member of the audience you are allowed to move about the stage as the construction is going on.  It was a fascinating experience.

      Of course no October is complete without a Halloween Party.  Nan's friends Patrick and Jon hosted a night of good food, games, and great costumes.  I went as a lumberjack(and I'm OK) and Nan went as our dog Hattie.