Today is Amanda’s grandmother’s birthday, so happy birthday Mrs. Peggy Lemons!

I was up pretty early today- 5:40 to be exact. I was helping out at church today doing the video directing. I got there and set up the cameras then mostly waited to get started. There was a “skit” during the services today that involved a couple of guys going out into the audience. The lighting was terrible for it and so, from the video production side, it failed pretty bad, although people in the audience seemed amused. It went much better during the second service. In fact, I feel the whole thing went better during the second service. We had fun, one way or the other. The crew today was me, Philip, Caroline, Kirsten and Rachel. Philip was on the stationary studio camera at the back of the auditorium and the girls were all on mobile cameras. I told them I felt like Carlie in Charlie’s Angels. We al had a fun time.

Amanda and Michael went to the 8:30 service. Usually when I’m directing I’ll say hi to Amanda before she takes off, but after walking back and forth three times looking for her, I called and she said that with Ben and Jessica not there, and nobody to ask to go to breakfast, she just completely didn’t think about seeing me. I wasn’t mad at all, which she kept asking, but it did hurt my feelings a little. She felt really bad about that.

We ended up not doing the 12:30 service, so after lunch the production crew broke down the cameras and rolled up some cables and such and took off. I stopped by Lowe’s Food to pick up a few things for Amanda to make some white chili, but I couldn’t find the exact brand of corn and butter beans she wanted, not did I know what size cans I needed to get, and knowing how particular she could be I called the house three times without anybody picking up. Between that, having gotten up before 6 AM and working under somewhat stressful condition (directing can be stressful, even if it is fun) and the fact that Amanda had forgotten about me, I was pretty annoyed so I just came on back home. It turned out that Michael had been talking to his mom. Amanda got on him for not answering when it was me on the other line.

Shortly after I got back I got on the roof and hung the new snowflakes with the ones that were already up there. I had to rearrange them a bit, and we discovered that the new snowflakes only have the electrical plug on one side of the strand, which makes absolutely no sense. Amanda was running back out to get a few things anyway, so she picked up an extra extension cord and, when she did, I finished up the lights.

We also hung the mirror Anna and Barry Frazelle gave us as a housewarming gift. We had a bit of a time with it, but we got it on the wall eventually.

I got to wear my Rips superhero shirt today. That’s what I call the performance undershirt I have. It’s long sleeved and extremely form fitting, and you can supposedly wear it in in warm and cold. I wore it under a t-shirt today because it was really cold when I left the house. I’ve still got it on now and I’ve been comfortable all day. It’s a great shirt.

We watched Christmas Vacation while we ate dinner tonight. After that Amanda and I printed up a bunch of cards for friends and family from a picture we had Amy Farmer take yesterday while she was here. Amanda watched some Extreme Makeover Home Edition while I played some Age of Empires III.

I’m very tired. I should already be in bed, which is where I’ll be heading very shortly.

Zach Dotsey