So, perhaps you've made a New Year's resolution or two. If so, mid-February is right about the time when you're probably starting to slip a little, isn't it? (See? I am psychic !) Well, fear not my friends, because Lent is perfectly timed this year so that you can make the commitment all over again in order to keep things going. And then, when we hit Easter in April, well you'll be focused on doing your taxes, and that should keep you out of trouble for a while . . . unless you owe money, in which case your need for belt-tightening will get you right back into the kind of discipline you promised yourself at the end of 2011. And then, after you make excuses over the summer for why you deserve a break from your harsh discipline of the preceding months . . . well, you know what's just around the corner, right?
All of which is to say, I'd better get busy with fulfilling my own resolution, which was to occasionally fill in this big white box on my computer screen with a brief history of our goings on . . .
So, January 1st I preached at church, and then made my 13th Annual Moroccan Cornish Game Hens. I don't know what Michael did that day.
January 2nd, we slept in and then spent some time cleaning the house and . . . what? Am I going too slow for you? Okay, let's jump ahead to actual gigs then . . .
The first weekend of the year, we flew down to Houston, where our pal JD teaches music at a local school. As everyone knows, January 6th is Epiphany, and we spent the day at . . . wait for it . . . Epiphany School. Can you believe the coincidence of that? Michael says he and JD planned it that way, but that would be way too clever, if you ask me. We had a great time sharing songs back and forth with the students during the day, and then had a super fun concert in the evening, which was preceded by a fine selection of grilled meats in the parking lot. (AKA "burgers and dogs.")
Then it was back home for us both, until we flew down to Asheville (where I once lived, btw) and had a delightful return engagement at the Cove, playing for some local Methodist youth who were braving frigid temps and having great fun it seemed. From there we both headed home for a bit, until it was time for Michael to come to the midwest, where I met him and we headed off into the Land of Lincoln.
Aurora, IL is the home of Wayne and Garth, as everyone knows. And we had an excellent time there, partying on by way of playing a concert. We got to see some old friends that night, and that was especially cool.
From there we asked ourselves, Hoosier State? And then headed off into the most confusing assemblage of time zones, known locally as Indiana. More locally, we were in the capital of the state, which is named after the state with the addition of the Greek suffix for city, since as you know, Indiana was settled by Greeks escaping the invading Trojans, who tricked them by using a giant basketball filled with soldiers. But, enough of me and my history-buff showing off . . . While visiting the city of Greeks, we once again got to hang out with some old friends, and that was great. Played two nights there, and then headed back to our homesteads because the Superbowl was about to roll into town, and you don't want to receive a roundhouse to the head from one of those bad boys, I tell you!
Before you know it, along comes February, and on the 2nd day we all take a few moments to remember Bill Murray, who is still waking up to Sonny and Cher every day, somewhere in Pennsylvania. Speaking of that topic, the next Sunday was my Parish's Annual Meeting.
The next weekend, I was looking forward to our trip to Florida, given that I drove through a blizzard to get to the airport that morning. Of course, it was obviously therefore the coldest weekend of the season in the Sunshine State. Nonetheless, we had a great time hanging out with some old friends, and posing beside their new mascot, which Michael insists is a big chicken, but Michael's just full of stuffin', as his movie idol might say. That night, because of the high-tech hosts, we experienced our first streamed concert! Well, I suppose we didn't experience it, but people watching online did. It seems to have been a smashing success, and we're going to be looking to figure out the process and stream more concerts in the future.
And with Jacksonville being our final pre-Lenten concert, you are now brought all up to date and what not.
Good luck with your resolutions. But keep in mind, December is coming, so don't be too hard on yourself, okay?