[Note: The style of this particular blog entry is an homage to a longtime friend of mine who has an intriguing style of telling stories. Hopefully the reasons for this style and approach will be evident.]

So, I got up this morning and found my pumpkin cake on the stove, and I found out this evening that it had fallen in the night at some point. Even without its frosting it was still a yummy breakfast. I was unsuccessful in remembering all of the clothes I wanted to change into (and I did not manage to end up changing after services at all), or in cutting up the felt for the Sabbath School assignment, but I did get some writing done [1] before getting ready for church with the snow still on the ground from yesterday [2]. I suppose it was nice to rest and relax some, because it would be a while before I would get to relax again.

I have commented occasionally on the fact that the Sabbath has often been busy for me, and this Sabbath it was more true than it usually is. For better or worse, I am the sort of person who tends to fill a great deal of niches that need to be done, and find enough time to rest and enough pleasant ways to rest can be a bit of a challenge for me personally. Today was one of those days that merely confirms that resting enough is a challenge for me, and also for a few other people from what I could say. Still, it was a day that was filled with activities as well as food, and it was certainly a pleasant day at times. That is definitely something that has to be appreciated.

When I arrived at services, my first task was to drop off the rolls and Martinelli’s that I had brought for the pot luck and to go to choir practice. Choir practice went quickly, as I was once again the only tenor in practice, as has happened quite a bit recently. After that I went to go set up for Sabbath school, where the lesson was to teach the story of David & Goliath. I was the only teacher brave enough to put slings in the hand of my students, but they enjoyed themselves greatly (and did at least two friends who wanted to try out their technique on the sling) and the tennis ball ammo wasn’t too dangerous to anyone or anything around, so I figure it was a way to keep the lecture interesting and allow for the kids to wear themselves out a bit. The kids got to keep the tennis balls and slings, much of the supplies of which were provided by a fellow teacher, and the only drawback to me was that I missed seeing the special music as well as the first part of the sermon, which was given by a fellow from Alaska, and which was a excellent and rather pointed message about the need to build on the foundation of Christ and to produce godly fruits.

After services I returned a borrowed book [4] to another friend and had a short meeting with the other participants in the Fun show tonight. During that meeting a friend and I both got pressed into singing “Rocka My Soul” for the show, even though I was already involved in three acts (one as a writer, two as a singer) and she was involved in an act singing herself. I was a bit concerned, as I normally would be, that the teens would think that I was trying to sing with them rather than being asked to balance out the sections to help out the tenor section, as is really the case. I suppose my sensitivity may be a bit unusual, but I also know there are some good reasons for it to exist as well.

After the meeting was over it was time to eat, and I tried to eat modestly so as not to hinder any of my performing, given that stuffing oneself is not the best way to prepare for as much performing as I was up to. So I kept the food consumption modest, even though I had to try ten desserts as one of the judges for the dessert competition in the children’s division, so I had some sweets at least. At the performance tonight, as it happens, we had quadruple the tenors that we have had in most of the practices, but I still thought the performance held together well enough. The youth choir performance was a bit disorganized but all the same it worked out pretty well also. The puppet show skit I wrote worked out well, even if there was a great deal of nervousness in it on the part of the actresses involved.

It was the fourth act I was involved with (the second highest number of anyone I saw at the show, as one young lady was in five acts herself) that presented the most stress for me. First, the emcee decided to joke about the difficult language and handwriting that I had in the introductory message that I had written for him to explain my act a little. Then, there were some issues with the accompaniment (which I later comforted the pianist over, since I know she felt terrible about it herself), leading us to have to start the song over once as well as force me to sing part of the middle section of Handel’s “Thanks Be To Thee” acapella. I have been told by many that they enjoyed my singing, but it was quite stressful to me to have to salvage my dignity in the midst of an adverse performance, to soldier on and not let it derail me. I suppose I have a bit of practice in that.

After the performance was over, I felt rather pensive, and so I chatted a bit with a few people and then I went home looking to relax for the night. Of course, once I got home my roommates wanted to go out, so I went out with them and enjoyed a conversation about sports and history and the curious connections of John Munch, a character who has been on about 450 episodes of various shows like Homicide, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Arrested Development, The X-Files, The Wire, and the Beat (along with 30 Rock). I found it an ironic and amusing end to a busy day. I hope I can rest tomorrow, though. I could use some rest.

[1] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2013/12/07/i-love-to-be-the-underdog/

[2] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2013/12/07/let-it-snow/

[3] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/double-booking-a-sabbath-tale/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/reflections-on-the-feast-of-tabernacles-2011-in-khun-yuam-thailand/

[4] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2013/11/30/book-review-the-passion-of-the-western-mind/