Busy week.

I leave (hopefully) for vacation Monday with Pixel to travel the old Route 66...stopping to see all the interesting and strange places that line the Mother Road. I'll set up a blog where we can post pictures and notes about our travels, and I'll make sure to put a link here when I get around to creating it.

Tuesday night I had dinner with the Refslands - spending time with them is always enjoyable. They're an interesting couple - their communication style revolves around biting and caustic sarcasm, though they seem to genuinely enjoy pitting their verbal wits against each other. Their kids are fun, too - Elise likes me a lot, and her antics are always amusing (If also somewhat disturbing at times - this is the kid who was proudly showing me her Star Wars socks one minute and then attempting to take her dad down the next...by twisting his arm behind his back.) We discussed all sorts of wonderful issues, ranging from the slope of their swimming pool to Nik's early high-school acting career.

Monday night, as per an engagement made previously, I drove over to the Robinson's (Family from Celebrate Recovery) house in Grimes to fix their computer. I was armed with my entire arsenal of computer-fixing goodies: my laptop, various CDs with diagnostic programs, and thumbdrives loaded with spyware-fighting goodness with which to blast the various bits and bytes of chaotic code to smithereens. Upon walking through the door, I was greeted by the entire Celebrate Recovery leadership team. Being a little slow on the uptake, it was hastily explained to me that I had actually just come to a going-away party in my honor.

Oh for joy.

Anybody who remembers the Christmas Party remembers that public recognition is not something I particularly enjoy - send me a note saying you thought my work was good, or congratulate me within a small group of peers. It was a nice party, though - I got some cards and a pewter cross necklace. The card that meant the most to me, though, was Don's - to hear someone I respect so much say such nice things about me, and mean them, was at the same time both touching and humbling. I'm really going to miss the people at Celebrate Recovery - they've come to be my friends over the past three years, and it won't be the same not being there to run sound for them. The memories that I have working with them - from Jeff Jochim's "digital delay, Sparky!" to singing Crowder's "Deliver Me" for them - are some of the fondest I have from my time at Point of Grace, and I will be truly sorry to leave my friends there.

Exit, stage left. Sparks