December 11th

Days like today are sweet. They're days I feel pretty happy with myself. I had 3 agendas for the day: go to the strip district, meet with Mr. Pierson about Youth Camp, and make dinner. So, I got up at a quarter to 9, showered, grabbed some cashews and a Dr.Pepper, and headed out into the rainy greyness. The car rang with Christmas cheer, though, as I put together a playlist of Phil Keaggy, Keith Foley, Julie Andrews and the Canadian Brass - pretty much the top 4 all-star Christmas albums of my life. They brought back sweet and heart wrenching memories of the golden, blissful Christmasses of the past as I cruised down Carson Street.

At the strip I cruised right into a rockstar parking spot on the main drag, and started working on my missions: tortillas at Reynosa, ingredients for tomatillo salsa, goat cheese and a baguette from Penn Mac, random snacks and drinks from Hermanowski's, and fresh veggies at Stan's. I also found a new coffee shop that specializes in crepes, at which I purchased my lunch (turkey asaigo crepe - quite good, and pretty different). And of course, I had to get a couple scones at the biscotti bakery, 'cause they're ~amazing~. I was finished by 11, and made my last scuttle through the rain to the blue Mazda on the curb. Back into Christmas wonderland, this time sucking on a latte as I made my way through downtown and out to Bethel Park.

Ah, just like old times: hanging out in the church office, toting around my laptop case full of jumbled papers (but I know where everything is. ...roughly..), plugging into and out of the internet, printing docs, and sitting in the chair in Mr. Pierson's office talkin' youth camp. This was the first meeting for YC09, and we got through it in good time, with good action points and deadlines to go on. I also helped the ladies at the office dispatch some musical items in their efforts to organize the place. Jere was there, and she brought up a possible opportunity with a Christian coffee house in Homestead - just a few minutes from my home! I ended up calling the pastor who runs it right then, and we talked about his vision for the place and the musical help that he's looking for. Who knows what might come of it!

At 3:30 I headed home, dropping off Rick's compressor and nail gun on the way. "I should get the mail" flashed through my head as I pulled up to the house, but once I was in the driveway the cornocupia of bags and articles to unload had seized full reign of my mind, and the mail was forgotten. 4 trips in and out, and then relegating items to their proper resting places. Or... to the middle of the kitchen table, in the case of my laptop bag. Veggies to wash, and tomatillo salsa to make first so it'll be ready for dinner. Tomatillos, jalapenos, onions and garlic. Peel, clean, cut, de-seed, place, roast, preheat, crush, chop, saute, and then it all goes into the blender with cilantro, salt and pepper. VOILA! Amazing, moan-and-groan delicious salsa. It's a beautiful thing.

Then chop and dice and rinse and shred, and at last there's a big tub of salad, and another one of fresh veggies ready to go. By then the tilapia filets were thawed, but Dad had to leave for CGLAA at 6:30, so he ate leftovers and was out the door. It wasn't quite as fun cooking for just myself, but the fish tacos were still good. Sauteeing the tilapia and frying the corn tortillas, then quick putting it all together and trying not to squeeze everything out the back end as I chomp it down.

Cooking is pretty sweet, and right now I like it a lot. Yesterday I made teriyaki chicken and rice from scratch - even the teriyaki sauce! (Thanks to MAQ for looking up the recipe for me.) It's very cool to make good, full, healthy meals, especially doing it by the seat of my pants and coming out with something delicious.

House came on at 7, so I cooked and ate and sat and watched, and at 9 I went downstairs to play electric guitar. Ugh. I really need to change the strings on my SG. One busted, and I've been using the Telecaster since, and it just ain't the same. That SG is one SWEET guitar. I did get some great Phil Keaggy-esque volume swell stuff going, proving the DL-4's analog delay simulation to not be entirely useless. Pretty much got an idea for combining that sound with an acoustic guitar melody I've already written, to make what I hope will be a killer piece. And perhaps it will fit into my germinating scheme to create an album about the human story, starting with creation, through the fall, and to the actual redemption, since we all crave the human race being redeemed (which usually ='s it redeeming itself, in the movies). I hope I can gain enough creative and concrete momentum to get this idea off the ground, since I feel like it would be a great vehicle to use vocal harmonies, synth and electric guitar sounds, and all of that combined with acoustic guitar and full rock sets. We'll see.

The day ended off with playing a heartbreak song, a heavenache song, a sea song and a worship song on acoustic, and then writing this. The alarm will shriek at 4am tomorrow, but frighteningly, 11:55pm is pretty early for me on day shift. My teeth are brushed and flossed (despite the jarring pain in my left jaw when I move it certain ways), and I'm good to trundle Daisy upstairs, bed down under the covers, and satisfy this lurking desire to read the Bible that's been mulling around in me all evening.

Peace,

--JPB

P.S. "Your Cheatin' Heart" by Hank Williams, "A Long, Long Way From My Home" by Kaiser and Mansfield, "Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her" from Songs and Sounds of the Sea, and "King of Grace," from PDI Ministries. Keys of C, E, C and G.