A couple days...

[I started this post I think at the end of this week, and got up to Tuesday. Now I don't remember what I did the rest of the week. Alas!]

Sunday 8/3 - Another splendidly long Summer weekend day. Went to church early with Daniel and Chad, and played my synth along with practice to try to start learning what sounds good in a worship setting. Mr. Pierson dished out another fantastic sermon, and after lunch all the Ohio folks and a lot of 'Burghers hit up Panera for lunch. Chad, Abbey, Hannah and Halley (and Nick Schuch) came with us back to our house, where we lolled about in the family room, played some music, and then went out and... picked blackberries in the woods! Which turned out to be a great time despite the voracious thorns. Wild blackberries aren't consistently sweet or flavorful, but those that are are exquisite. And there were TONS of them. Patches of berry-clad brances that make your eyes light up. After berrypicking we cleaned up and worked on dinner. I grilled the dogs, and we all sat out on the patio and ate in the perfect summer air, laughing a lot, and having some good convo as well. Cornfolks headed out shortly thereafter. "Chad we just, oh Chad.." :-P Really good times with those folks. AND THEN, Daniel and I left for Schenley Park, where a big group of church folks were gathered on the hill to toss a disc and watch the "Cinema Under The Stars" movie. Frisbee was sweet on the long slope, and the movie's mediocrity was redeemed by the STUNNING vista spreading out behind it. A smoky gradient of blue to red at the horizon, and a thin sliver of moon, turning blood red as it sank into the blinking lights of the city skyline. Never has Pittsburgh seemed so broad, open, and plain cool! A memorable night. Followed up by Fuel & Fuddle!! Ah, it was an amazing night, let alone the fantastic day preceding it.



Monday 8/4 - The hardest day of work since things started going better. I will never again come in to work at 8:00 on a Monday. I had 3 days to report on for the 9am morning meeting, and simply not enough time to prepare. Earl and Kirby were gone, so I was pretty much alone getting grilled by the plant manager and not having the answers. Left a lousy taste in my mouth that lingered through the rest of the day's stressfulness. That evening Steve Gole came over for dinner, talkin' and jammin', which was sweet! He hasn't been around for a month, so it was good to catch up, and Daniel joined us for the music, which was a lot of fun.



Tuesday 8/5 - "Heathen Night." :-) Daniel was going with Mr. Harvey to give stuff out and talk to homeless folks, so the rest of GROW banded together for the evening. We went to Schenley Park and played frisbee till it was too dark to see (well, past that point, actually), then we took a long leisurely walk to Dave 'n' Andy's, which is a famous Pittsburgh homemade ice-cream joint. Even I liked it, and I don't get very excited about ice-cream. On the walk back to the cars I halted the group and encouraged us toward profitable discussion, which everybody did very well. We walked up to the cars, and stood around and kept talking for 30 minutes! Good times in the car with Shannon and Heather on the way there & back.

...that's all folks...