Some thoughts on a Tuesday morning ...

For those of you waiting for Catholic Carnival 189: I'm working on it right now. I've ca. 18 posts to wade through. I haven't decided on a theme yet but the posts are quite varied, including a couple of very light-hearted ones. Perhaps a bit of levity is needed, especially for those who have been affected by the hurricanes and tropical storms that have passed through the Southeast lately. (As a side note: for those of you who have sent me your thoughts and concerns regarding T.S. Hanna, all is well here. We had a heap of needed rain and there were a few flooded roads and downed trees, but no major loss of life or limb.) The Carnival should up by tonight.

Admittedly, I decided to host this week's Carnival as a nod to this being my birthday week. So consider this my celebration.

Some of you may be wondering about the second name under "Contributors." Yes, I do have a co-contributor to this blog. I'll let him make his introductions in his own time. Suffice to say, he is a Canadian organist who during the day wears the hat of a Professional Services "Engineer". In his words, a couple of things that guide his writings:

• I can post as infrequently as I wish without feeling guilt.
• I will talk only about my personal life, as my professional life is unfit for mass consumption. (And somehow I think my personal life is acceptable for public dissemination?)

Last night, I attended a rehearsal with the Choral Society of Durham. They are a wonderful group of people, and I found that I knew a few people from my contacts with the Durham-Chapel Hill chapter of the American Guild of Organists, Immaculate Conception Church, Chapel of the Cross, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, and United Church of Christ. They auditioned a huge group of people, and were still holding auditions before and after the rehearsal. We'll find out by tomorrow, I believe, who gets in.

I really enjoyed the rehearsal, and I can see that singing under the abfab Rodney Wynkoop is a treat. He is a very talented choral director, and I feel blessed for having the opportunity to rehearse with such a group.

One last thought, and then I will continue my Carnival compilation. What is it with North Carolina bicyclists? In a previous life, I biked around San Diego, but then again, San Diego is for the most part bicycle-friendly. Not so much in North Carolina, where some of the roads are so narrow. It makes me wonder if bicyclists understand that they are considered vehicles whilst travelling on the road. Seeing how people flaunt the rules of the road, it is no wonder why some drivers have no respect for them. Last night, I nearly hit a bicyclist, but then again, the bicyclist was not wearing reflective clothing (he was wearing black!), nor did he have any front or rear lights on his bicycle. He wasn't even wearing a helmet! Whenever I went bicycling, I felt naked without my helmet, my reflective vest, and my reflective ankle cuffs! Seeing bicyclists in the left-hand turn lanes also makes me cringe ... they're right in the middle of the lane. I was always taught to stay to the right of the lane so that as I'm turning left with traffic, I am to their right, which is safer for all concerned.

I'd like to get back on the bicycle, but at this point, I'm saving up money for major repairs to my bicycle. It was a present from a friend of mine; she upgraded her bicycle and left me the one she used since she was in high school. Last year, it was stolen from the basement of my apartment complex ... and I just recently discovered it, in a different part of the basement, but in very poor condition. (This isn't your run of the mill mountain bicycle; it must have cost her major money when she bought it all those years ago.) It also makes me look forward to cooler weather as I would enjoy riding around here. If only it weren't so hilly ...

Carnival tonight. Also too, my music lists for this past Sunday will be posted as well, either tonight or tomorrow.