I was going to post this earlier this morning, but none of it had happened yet. This morning I was groggy-headed and bleary-eyed staring at my computer monitor. I had nothing to say and was too tired to say it… don’t know why, really. so I had a nap and then went out with my wife to do “errands”. You know those miscellaneous days when you both have odds and ends to get done?

1. Returned library books and picked up one that was on hold; the waiting list was two months.
2. Bought dog food.
3. Washed the car.
4. Listened to the news on the radio, with the lead story being about gas prices… which were going up 15¢/litre overnight on fears of Hurricane Ike. We found a station that hadn’t put their prices up yet, and after using our coupon, we filled up for 15-19¢ less than the going rate. The guy on the radio was giving away jerry-cans of gas.
5. Returned the exhaust fan that was the wrong size and bought a new doorknob instead. Will have to look elsewhere for an exhaust fan.
6. Went to The Sounding Stone, a great pottery shop on Osborne. Our ragtag band of ecclesiastical vagrants has decided to spend some time this fall looking at the words of Jesus and at what we might consider the “essentials” to Christian faith as exemplified in the creeds. We also decided we should as a group purchase a cup and plate for use in communion whenever we meet. This would be our first joint purchase, and we felt it significant to purchase something which is so much at the center of life together as a community… and this is what brought us to the Sounding Stone. Found a nice set.
7. Walked two doors down after exiting the Sounding Stone to a new shop that drew us in with the word “Truffles” painted on it. In response to my wife’s question whether they’d been there long elicited the response, “Two days.” Wonderful chocolate truffles; we must go back, but not too often!
8. Moved along to Aqua Books to look for a copy of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, and found a nice hardcover edition, nicer than I expected to procure. I mentioned beginning a novel the other day, and I decided that one of the characters was reading On the Road and would keep tossing out references to it… which meant I would have to read it. I’ve actually never read it before. Being at Aqua Books meant it was logical to grab a bite at Eat! Bistro — a late lunch. They could use more for sandwiches on the menu, but we really enjoyed what we had.
9. Stopped by Computer Boulevard to exchange a stick of RAM — needed 333MHz instead of 533.
10. Picked the kids up from school and came home; realized we forgot to buy water. Did an hour’s worth of work, grabbed a quick bite for supper.
11. Took the kids down to The Forks where we hung out for a while, sat down by the river. Got some cinnamon buns from Tall Grass Bakery (always a treat). We’d gone down there to see A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City put on by Medecins Sans Frontieres. They set up a representation of what a typical refugee camp would be like where they work, and provide a free 45-60-minute tour. Unfortunately, they’re only open from 9:00-5:30, so we missed it. It’s now on the agenda for Saturday. We’ve talked about Darfur and similar situations with the kids before, and feel this would be a good educational experience for them. And us.

Kind of a mundane day, but it featured an intermingling of new things with routine, of “business” items with family time, and spiritual thoughts with dog food. Just like life. But I must also mention a painting we saw at the Sounding Stone, which featured a Mexican proverb:

How profound, how simple, and how true. And here, nearing the end of the day, my head is finally clear enough to write. I think this is one of the things they don’t tell you about “the writing life.”