Know anybody who can raise the dead?

I might be in need of a resurrection sometime this week. It's not even Easter, and I'm exhausted. Can't. get. moving. today.

A lot of that has to do with yesterday. A typical Sunday morning of preaching and leading worship and conversing with all sorts of people. Followed by a splendid Artists Reception for Lakebay's Stations of the Cross installation. Add in a birthday party and a late-afternoon rehearsal for Easter morning, and it's a long day. And my voice is shot.

Of course, back that up to Friday and Saturday and our trip to Portland for Jake and Shontee's wedding (which was a lot of fun; and it's always good to see C.V., Bruce and Katy, Scottie, and 'the other' Jake). Throw in the head cold I've been fighting for two weeks now, and that becomes a recipe for exhaustion.

But a couple things keep me going:
1) Easter is almost here, and we can crash afterward
2) We're going on vacation in a few more weeks
3) All this stuff is really a lot of fun, and very exciting. The wedding was great, the Stations of the Cross is more than I expected, the music for Easter is going to be exciting, and worship yesterday was wonderful; I even felt pretty good about the sermon. So I've no right to complain. Well, maybe I'm not happy about the head cold part. Other than that, life is good, and great things are happening. Maybe instead of a resurrection, I just need a bit more coffee to make it through.

When being nice has a price

I left early this morning for Puyallup and Abby's graveside service. It was raining. A quick stop by Bill's house to connect his mouse to his computer, and I was on my way.

Traffic was light, so I found myself in South Tacoma with a lot of time to spare. Enough time to stop and get a cup of coffee, trying to warm myself on this cold day.

I pulled into the lot; another car pulled in right beside me. I got out of the Jeep, a smartly-dressed woman climbed out of the SUV beside me. I headed for the door, she headed for the door. We were headed for a collision.

Being a gentleman, I pulled up at the last moment, allowing her to go ahead of me.

All of which was fine, right up until she reached the front of the line. "What's your order?" asked the barista cheerily.

"Well, I have a list," answered the smartly-dressed woman.

Oops.

Turns out she wasn't just there for herself. She was ordering for all 18 people back at the office. None of whom wanted "coffee." Instead, they all wanted drinks along the lines of "nonfat soy frappalatte with Creme de Menthe flavor and extra whip."

Plus, they'd all written their own orders on her small yellow notepad. And apparently some of them wrote in hieroglyphics, or so I gathered by the barista's attempts to decipher all the orders on that list.

And there I stood, waiting for my simple little Americano.

I don't know. . .seems to me people with lists might be polite enough to say "why don't you go ahead; I've got a list."

Currently Brewing

Our house is now filling with the heavenly aroma of Thanksgiving Coffee Company's Holiday Blend. Their website describes it this way:

A delicate acidity supports the complex flavors that unfold with hints of Nicaraguan flowers and the sweet aromatics of fresh figs and dried berries. These give way to a wide and deep richness of hazelnut, roasted quail, and caramelized carrot. The movements on the palate are hypnotic and the finish is long and lingering. One is left with the impression of edible flowers and wild honey as the terroir of Aranjuez and the Corrales family farm comes to life in your cup.

I don't know about roasted quail. . .but I do know this is a good cup of coffee.