nytol please

I need some zzz's
for the past few days... really all this week... I've had the worst time trying to fall asleep. It seems to take forever... last night I know it took me over two hours... though I did get my sermon for the 10th done while tossing!... and once I finally fall asleep, I feel like I sleep in short bursts, wake up, look at the clock, and go back to sleep because it's entirely too early to get up (cause it's like 3:00am and I don't work the morning shift at Starbucks ;))
tonight is another one of those nights and since I now have a wireless connection in my apartment, I thought, what the hey, let's go grab the computer and blog and play around until I finally fall asleep (or the computer dies... whichever comes first!) Of course I'm violating one of the primary laws in restless nights- doing something in my bed other than sleeping and sex, but oh well. I'm not getting much of one or any of the other done, so why not get something accomplished in bed! A few things are new this week- pillows, started drinking tea (sleepytime, though) before bed again, reading right before bed- but it seems like none of them are the real culprit. Although these aren't the best pillows (I have the worst time with pillows because I'm a back and side sleeper which really requires two separate qualities in a pillow, but oh well... I need a tempur pedic, really- mattress and pillow- and then I'd sleep!) and the tea makes me have to pee a lot... and I'm reading the Story of B which I really enjoy but at the same time is a whacked out book with lots of far reaching ideas that keep my brain racing until the wee hours of the morning. Last night I didn't have any tea and we see where that got me. I guess I could try a different pillow. Already read tonight. Any suggestions? Wish I could get the comments to work so that if you had suggestions I could actually get them!
on to new things...
last night was our Maundy Thursday service. It was in the form of a Tennebrae service, but it was a little different. I thought it was ok. I would probably give it a B+. We had the communion first, sang a lot of hymns appropriate for the service, seven readings (one of which was mine) which could have been better espeically the part where we were supposed to put out a candle after we read (half of us almost forgot) and the lights were supposed to dim (which Dan completely forgot until the end), and a solo by a man who really shouldn't be singing solo but apparently thinks that since it is something that occurs in his church up north "weekly" it should be something that occurs down here more often. And as a musician, it really hurts my ears to have to listen to bad singing or bad bell ringing, or bad accompanying, or bad organ playing or any sort of bad music that I have had to put up with in my life! (Though I must say that today's bells were fabulous!) Apparently "NO" is not a word spoken at VPC- ever. It seems very strange to me. Like today, for what has to be close to the millionth time, the organist's phone went off in the service. How hard is it to just take the damn thing out of your pocket and leave it in your desk drawer?!?! In staff meeting- he answers it! Some people really think that because you have a cell phone, it must be with you at all times and you must answer it whenever it rings. Other people wasted money on the thing because it sits at home all the time! PEOPLE- learn the happy medium! Anyway... back to the service... I did appreciate that the service ended in darkness and everyone did a good job with the "please leave in silence" thing. (which is more that I can say for the prompts I put in the bulletin for the youth service on sunday about being silent!) So, yeah, B+.
Today we had a Good Friday service with two other local churches. it was hosted at VPC (would've been nice to see some other churches) with three of our preachers offering pieces of the seven last words of Christ. RPC has been doing this for their mid-week Lenten meditiation series. We crammed it all into an hour and a half, which really isn't that bad. The sermons were outstanding... each one had a great insight to share (at least with me). The combined choirs were phenomenal. As I mentioned, the bells (VPC) were fabulous- the best I've heard them sound all year. I just thought it was a great service. The only thing I had an issue with was that we sang Lift High the Cross at the end and had a benediction and postlude. I guess I feel like Good Friday should also end on a solemn note, because even though we know what happens on Sunday, we need to take the time to meditate on the power of Friday and Saturday before we get there. It was like the music sunday a couple weeks ago when they sang "allelulia"- there are supposed to be no allelulias during lent. But it was like- it's music sunday and this is a great piece, so screw the rules. Today it seemed like- we need to make a good impression to the local community after all the bad press we've been getting for the last five months, so let's end this on a high note. I dunno. Only because of that does it receive an A-. But I am planning on picking up a tape of the service next week (I'll just edit out the end ;))
Tomorrow is the Easter Egg Hunt. Some people are projecting close to 300 people for the pancake breakfast before the hunt. If that happens, so be it, but good luck finding an open chair! This church really outgrew it's facilities like 10 years ago! We set up the fellowship hall this afternoon for the breakfast and the crafts. Tomorrow morning we'll rope off the age-appropriate sections and hide the eggs. Hopefully the weather cooperates- at about 4 today some nasty fog rolled in. It was kinda eerie...
Luckily on Sunday I am only participating in the 11:15 service. It should be a good service- the choir is singing the Hallelujah Chorus- they better not maim it! If they do, at least I have the Atlanta symphony and choir on cd!
Monday the office is closed. I'm tempted to take Tuesday off since I'm working tomorrow. We'll see. I'm definately taking Friday off next week to have my moving sale. I just have to figure out what time to put on my posters. And if it's going to be Friday and Saturday or just Friday (I don't have that much to sell). Get a little packing done here and there. Turn off the cable (which means no internet at home for a little bit, but there's panera). Check with the leasing office about whether or not someone's leased my apartment yet. Talk to Chris about giving me $2000 to cover breaking the lease and moving expenses. Talk to Chris about the worship service on the 10th (which by the way is going to kick some ass). Get Jack to dig up my headphones (or $20 to replace them... I don't remember saying they weren't mine- he never even showed them to me... he has really let me down over the last few months) and other missing items. Hmmm... what else? Oh yeah... have my last Saturday at Nativity (sad).
I'm sure there's a lot more that will hit me in the next two weeks. I also have to figure out what I'm going to pack for Greece- it's a lot cooler there than I was expecting it to be, which totally throws off my original packing scheme. Oh well- if anyone feels like lending a hand, you know where to find me!
Peace out