"Speak when you are angry--and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret." - Laurence Peters

Quick, while there's still time...
Go carve a pumpkin.

No post last night. I was exhausted from too much celebrating and climbed into bed a half-hour after walking in the door.

I was on my bike a little before 9 a.m. yesterday and got home at 12:30, 50 miles later. It seemed appropriate in a symmetrical sort of way to do 60 miles, seeing as it was my 60th birthday, but the predicted wind came up about 20 miles out. I could tell it was going to be a headwind coming back because it was too easy going up the hill on the 303, so wisdom (comes with old age) dictated that I turn around at the 25-mile point. The wind picked up and the riding got more difficult until, by the time I got home I was totally spent.

That's OK; it's Saturday. I've got all the printing done and the car loaded with all the sound equipment, so all I have on the agenda is a nap and college football. We're getting together with the kids at Josh & Aubri's house at 6:30 for a birthday dinner, but those are always low-key. We just hang out.

Good thing, too, because as the afternoon wears on I'm still feeling worn out.

Pam informed me that we needed to stop by the clinic on the way to J&A's house because Josh wanted her to make some kind of curtain or something. We left the house about 5:30 and called Josh on his cell phone as arranged so he could meet us there 30 minutes later. Pulled up to the clinic and his truck was parked in front. All but one light was out in the clinic but I could see him in there waiting, so we went in through the unlocked front door.

SURPRISE!!

We were just inside the door when the lights went on and the shout was given. All of the clinic's equipment had been cleared from the main room, tables and chairs were set up and the adults from church were all there (OK, except for some who couldn't make it b/c of travel or sickness).
Yeah, I was VERY surprised.

And there, over in the corner, were Wayne & Linda Yelton!! - dear friends who now live in Atlanta, but were in our church way back in Prunedale, which was '76-'83.
Pam had furtively sent out an invitation for people who would like to send a greeting on the occasion of my transition into "senior years." Wayne and Linda decided to give that greeting in person, so they flew in from Atlanta. How cool is that?!

We all spent the evening having fun together and eating WAY too much good food. Everybody brought something to share, and our own Chez Brandie provided to-die-for desserts. Teri pointed out it was the first time we've all been together without the kids. Everybody got babysitters. And as much as I (we all) love our Pathway kids it was nice to sit and visit without them. We need to do that again!

They gave me a b'day gift....
Wait for it....


A Kindle!!!
I am geeked. I've spent much of this afternoon learning how it works and looking at what's available. I can get TIME magazine for $3 per month, less than half of what we're paying for the print version. Condoleezza Rice's new memoir, "Extraordinary, Ordinary People" sells on Amazon for $16 plus shipping, but it comes on the Kindle for $6. I just learned yesterday about P.J. O'Rourke's new book, "Don't Vote" yesterday and it sounds excellent. Less than half the price on Kindle.
I always hesitate to get a book I learn about because I hate to pay the $$$, one of the reasons I have such trouble throwing a book out. Now...!

This morning was typical at Pathway...the best part of the week, at least for the pastor. We looked at the message to the church in Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11) during the worship hour. In Foundations we did Part One of a two-part mini-series on church history. Sounds boring, I know, but it was on this day, October 31, in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenburg and began what we now call the Protestant Reformation. So we're doing ALL of church history from the Apostolic age through to the 1700's in two weeks, obviously an overview of the major events and movements. And the really cool (not!) tree diagram makes it all work.

We went out for lunch at Chipotle with Wayne and Linda and picked up right where we left off, decades back. Alas, they had a 3:00 flight back to Atlanta so we had to break it off way too soon.

Home now, post-nap, planning to eat supper and spend the evening switching between the football game and the World Series. That will take all of what little energy I have left.
But it has been a GREAT weekend.
Thank you, people.
T'ank you, Fadder!