I got up at 5:30 today. I know that’s not a big deal for some people, like those who have to be at work at 6 or 7:00 in the morning, but it is something for me. Mike Paschal, who does a lot of the audio/video stuff at good ol’ Port City Community Church, asked me to think about starting to come in at 6:00 to help set everything up. He didn’t in any way try to make me do it or guilt me into it, but I figured right now I get up and make sure I’m at church by 7:00 once a month, what’s another hour? The set-up went by pretty fast anyway. I drove Amanda’s car (colloquially referred to as “the Jetta”) and she had called Jessica Lambeth the night before to ask if she’d pick Amanda up on the way in to town, since the Oldsmobile’s battery is flaking out on us. Or maybe it’s the alternator.

Anyway, the services went fine. Mike told me I did a good job but honestly, I feel that I’ve done better. Caroline Conquino, who was operating one of the stage cameras, had some really nice shots. In between the 10:30 and 12:30 services us volunteers are provided a lunch. It was fried chicken, green beans, a hashbrown casserole and Rice Krispie sqaures (with or without a chocolate covering) and banana pudding. I ate outside with the A/V crew and Ben Lambeth (who was working CG today). It was freezing inside. We also took a look at a short film done by one of the guys who helps out, Joey, who, along with another guy who started helping out named Parish, won a one-take short film contest.

We had to pack up early for a ballet recital that was coming in (or that Mike and some of the other A/V guys were shooting, I’m not sure which) so after the music at the 12:30 service, he told us we could take off. I particularly liked one of the songs that was sung today, but I can’t recall the title. I think it’s one that was an older song that they put newer music too. I tend to like those.

I got home to find Amanda watching Carrie 2 on Lifetime (an odd choice of movie for Lifetime). I dozed off for a bit then Amanda and I went to jumpstart the Olds. It cranked up so we took it to Wal-Mart, where Amanda did some grocery shopping while I waited in the car with Bruce to keep it running. While we were doing this I was making plans with Paul Ayars for dinner.

He said, by the way, that he only had our house phone number in his phone, so that was the only one he was able to try on Wednesday night. He’s tried calling us to let us know that Kim had been called in to work and he was down at Carolina Beach working. He’s got my cell number now.

Anyway, Amanda and I made plans to meet with Paul and Kim Ayars at The Oceanic (where my brother used to work). Amanda and I left a little before they did and went by the Frazelles’ first to drop off Hannah’s birthday present. I think she liked the card even better than the clothes Amanda got her. It had a slightly out of shape Mexican wrestler in a sequined jumper who was called (according to the card) Paco.

I forgot to mention over the last couple days that Barry has a kidney stone. It started hurting him on Friday and it hasn’t come out yet, so he’s been in pain all weekend. We got him a congratulations card having to do with the birth of a new baby, although we thought about getting him a graduation card and writing in it something like “We heard you passed!” Unfortunately, neither will be particularly funny until he actually gets the thing out of him.

We walked over to The Oceanic after visiting with Hannah (the only one home when we stopped by) to meet Paul and Kim. It didn’t take too long to get seated. Well, not for us, but they’d been there for a little bit by the time we strolled on up. We sat out on the pier and had a nice time visiting with them. Afterwards we walked back to the Frazelles’
to get our car back and stopped by just in case Anna and Barry were home yet. They weren’t, but Kirsten had just made some chocolate chip cookies. They were a little crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, which was perfect.

We went on back home where I worked on wedding pictures and we watched TV. I watched a couple of episodes of Entourage after Amanda went to bed. I’ve liked that show when I watched it, I just haven’t gone out of my way to catch it.

Amanda mentioned over dinner, by the way, that Anna and Barry watched 28 Days Later and turned it off before it was even done. I didn’t expect Anna to like it but I thought Barry would. The two things Amanda passed on to me were that they thought it was silly that the virus spread all over the world (which they’d have known the status of if they finished watching it) and that it was dumb to put out Christmas lights if you’re trying to not be seen. Obviously, they didn’t get the fact that the people doing that were trying to attract other survivors.

The thing that bugs me aboout them not liking it is that Barry and I have a lot of similar tastes, but he doesn’t tend to like the things I recommend. Same goes with a mix CD I gave him that had Old 97’s (and Rhett Miller), Secret Machines, Franz Ferdinand, Pavement, David Grey, Ben Folds Five, Ween, Soul Coughing, The White Stripes and Old Crow Medicine Show on it. He said it was “too country,” when only the Old 97’s and OCMS songs are at all country, and they’re alt-country at that. Bah! None of it was really hard rock, but there’s plenty on there that’s similar to other things they listen to.