A new experience in tired

I. Am. So. Very. Tired.

That is all.

Well, okay, not quite. Even though I said I wasn't going to do this, I did it anyway: I left Chantilly at 5.00 am this morning. But I was so tired, and traffic on I-95 and I-85 was heavier than usual... and I ended up just barely making it in time for my 10:30 am service. I'm so lucky I have choristers who are capable of running a rehearsal on their own. (Thank you so much, Joel M., for pinch-hitting for me! And the choir did sound lovely on the anthem. :) )

I am so glad to be home... you have no idea how happy I was to see the "Entering the City and County of Durham" sign on I-85.

Tiredness Gaffe #2. At the 5:15 pm service, even though the priest announced "Hymn 59" for the opening, for some reason, I played Hymn 57. I played three lines of music before I realised, "D'oh! He said 59, not 57!" A quick glance at the hymnboard revealed I played the closing hymn instead of the opening hymn!

So I stopped playing, announced loudly that I started the wrong hymn, the congregation laughed nervously, I flipped a couple of pages ahead, and voilá: back on the right track.

After the service, the priest approached me, and he said, good-naturedly, "I knew I had announced the right hymn. Back in the old days, I worked with a cantankerous old priest who would have rapped his knuckles very hard on a pew and announce in a booming voice to the organist that he is playing the wrong hymn. I didn't do that with you, and I was ready to just announce we'll switch the opening and the closing hymns, but you caught it in time."

And this from a member of the congregation: "I love that closing hymn, and I can see why you wanted to get to it sooner." And he gave me a pat on the back as he walked past me.

It's time for bed. My eyes don't want to stay open anymore. So I'll obey the body and... zzzzzzZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz...