If it's Monday it must be time for ....

more random bits:

• I was away in Nearby City Friday and Saturday for our Diocesan Convention. As a rule, I enjoy convention--I love the energy and seeing people from around the diocese and hearing about what is happening other places and the large convention Eucharist. But I found myself missing my former diocese--its smaller size meant that I knew more people and felt more connected. I've been here a year and a quarter and I still feel like an outsider. Convention made me want to find ways to be more connected.
  
  
• Convention was held at Large Beautiful Church in Nearby City. I'd only been there once before and I enjoyed exploring the space a bit. I cannot imagine every serving in such a church (not that I wouldn't want to; I just don't see it happening) but I always love spending time in them.
  
  
• I loved just being in the city. We actually stayed in the 'burbs and took the train in, which I loved and it made me think that perhaps I should consider the 'burbs if they would put me closer to the city--I've resisted the idea of living in the 'burbs if I can avoid it. Friday night we walked a few blocks for dinner and I really wished I had more time to explore. How is it that I am such a city person?
  
  
• The person I traveled with is a flaming extrovert and she talked ALL.THE.TIME! I was worn out by the time I got home. Convention alone is enough to be exhausting to an introvert like me but this was doubly exhausting.
  
  
• The weather was abominable Saturday. Heavy rain and high winds...I arrived home Saturday evening around 7 to a completely dark house--power had been out for two hours already. The Kid had lit a bunch of candles and gotten out flashlights (of which we always have too few that work!). We decided to go out to get something to eat since we were pretty sure that other areas had power and we were hoping that ours would be back on by the time we got back. But alas, it wasn't. And I was preaching on Sunday. And my sermon wasn't written. And I always preach from a text. And the Kid had used up what little battery power my laptop has watching a movie when the power first went out. I was more than a little tired and grumpy and trying not to panic. I lay down for a minute to think about what I wanted to preach on--I had done my prep work earlier in the week intending to write on Thursday, but life intervened as it as a way of doing and nothing was written down at all. I am so used to composing on the computer that I knew that I couldn't write out a whole sermon longhand at that time of night so I decided to make an outline. Of course I dozed off--laying down was a BAD idea--and woke up smelling the candles and thinking "omigosh I'm going to set the house on fire!" At least I woke up enough to get my notes written out--fairly detailed notes, but not a full text.
  
  
• The power finally came on around 12:30--right after I finished my work. And yay for turning back the clock because I sure needed that extra hour of sleep.
  
  
• The sermon turned out okay. I preached twice--at 8 and at 10 and I think the sermon at 8 was much better. That's one reason I like using a text--even though it won't be exactly the same preached at different services, it will be more consistent. But overall, I was pleased that I did as well as I did, and I received some good feedback.
  
  
• I saw "An Inconvenient Truth" last night; our church has been sponsoring screenings of it for the last week. It was a great presentation of the issues, but I guess I wasn't as surprised or shocked by it as some people have reported being. I do think it is a serious call to action that we need to take real heed of. My boss is really committed to our church taking the lead in this area in becoming "green". We'll see how it goes.
  
  
• Speaking of my boss, I have been loathe to say too much about work here although I have whined a bit more freely over at Phantom Scribbler's. But this last week has particularly made me crazy--can we say communication? Or rather, the lack thereof? I have been trying really hard to be a good team player and to let go of my particular control issues, but I am having a hard time here.
  
  
• I am thinking of doing this. Since I only post once or twice a week at this point, it would be a challenge for me. But I think I will do it.
  
  
• It's noon and I am still sitting here in my jammies. My days off seem to have a way of getting away from me. By the time I shower and get dressed and eat lunch the Kid will be home from school--because he has a ridiculous schedule--and I already know that he has a ton of work because he has two things that he SHOULD have done over the weekend and didn't--including making a "cell" costume for biology. We bought supplies for it yesterday--50 fricking dollars worth of supplies for it--so it better be good. I so wish he could get motivated to get his work done without all the last minute freakouts and late nights.