The Day From Bell

A summary of the day:
2:30 a.m. -- got to sleep.
4:30 a.m. -- alarm goes off
5:30 a.m. -- on my way to the church
6:00 a.m. -- on the road to Tulsa
7:00 a.m. -- stopped at McDonald's on Turnpike for breakfast
8:00 a.m. -- arrived at Tulsa Community Center and started set-up
9:00 a.m. -- started rehearsals
noon -- break for lunch
1:30 p.m. -- resumed rehearsals
3:00 p.m. -- concert for public
4:00 p.m. -- breakdown and reload van
6:00 p.m. -- back at church, then headed home
6:15 p.m. -- crashed, hard, on the bed.
9:00 p.m. -- woke up enough to watch a little TV
10:30 p.m. -- phone call from my aunt to let me know my drug-dependent cousin has now crashed her second car in a ditch since I was there after Christmas. Cousin was disoriented when taken to the emergency room by ambulance and incoherent. Assorted tests done, including an EKG which came back with abnormalities. Cousin checks herself out of hospital against medical orders. Cousin's son moves out of house because he's 21 and disgusted with what's happening. All kinds of speculation about consequences. My concern is that cousin will wind up dead or in prison in the immediate future.

It's now 12:46 a.m. according to the clock on my computer. It's time for me to go on to bed, shut my eyes and turn off the day. My lower back is complaining loudly about standing on concrete for so long today.

Oh -- before I forget, part of the bell festival tradition for our group is going to a little dive called El Rio Verde for lunch. It has about six table, and our group usually fills up most of the place. Their specialty is the "wet burrito." Should you want to give the place a try, take Tulsa's I-244 east to the Utica exit. Cross over the highway to the north side service road, which is Admiral. Turn left (westbound) and go to Trenton (landmark: West Side Funeral Chapel). Turn north and go about a block to the grafitti-painted restaurant on the west side of the street. It's across the street from the police tape marking off a burned-out house. Yeah, the neighborhood is real glam, but the food is great! Portions are generous and it's as hot as I can bear it. We NEVER leave hungry, I promise you. My girlfriend and I split a wet burrito today to avoid eating until it was painful.

I'll post a photo tomorrow of our youngest bell choir member having his first wet burrito. Just too wrung out to do it tonight.

Sleep well, everyone!