Busy, busy, busy.

Tuesdays are going to be my long days at St. Mary's. The congregation is far enough away from my house (about 80 miles) that I am doing my level best to combine things into a couple days each week on site. On Sundays, of course, we have worship; and I can stay around as long as needed, for one thing and another. On Tuesdays, I leave early, stay all day-- for outreach, for work at the shelter, and for a Bible study or two-- and get home late. Most of the rest of what I do-- sermon prep, service planning and bulletins, phone calls, etc-- can be done from home. It's a half-time position, and that pretty much fills the 24 hours/week in my schedule.

Yesterday I was up at Seabury, tidying up loose ends that were left in the end of term/graduation rush. Dropped off some papers in academic affairs, picked up a couple things at the bookstore for my summer class. I had hoped to catch up with some post-ordination visiting, but the newest deacon on the block was up to his eyeballs in planning and packing and such, so that'll have to wait for another day. Kyle and I (yes, I had a copilot!) did wander with Susie over to get D&D's cheese fries for dinner, which combination of tie with a good friend and tasty junk food almost makes the whole trip worth it.

Today I am in Kokomo, Indiana, having just spent a couple hours chatting with the priest who's loosely overseeing my internship while the vicar is out of the country (you didn't think they'd leave me to my own devices all summer, did you?). The drive is not short-- took 2 1/2 hours to get here-- but it was a good conversation. Fun, too, because while we talked, we were rehanging freshly painted kitchen cabinet doors in "Andrew's Cafe:" a soon to open coffeehouse a couple doors down from the church. It's this parish's newest community outreach effort, and sounds as though it's going to be very cool. Certainly I'm grateful to have had a small hand in helping; and it made our conversation, between two folks who don't know one another all that well, quite easy. There is something really very freeing about having hands busy while you talk.

Richard had to run off, but let me in his office to use the internet (check email, and then waste a little time blogging), because I have some time to kill before I leave. I'm not going straight home, you see. I'm headed up to Michigan City, for an ordination rehearsal. So I'm making a big triangle across Northern Indiana, today. And then, tomorrow, driving as little as possible.