Any of you monkeys want a banana?

It's my fault, I admit it. I should have come home right away after driving to the Soo to not start Rachel's car (she managed to get it started all by herself, but not till after I left). Instead, I chose to stop by and visit Fran, who now is living in Sault Ste. Marie. Well, one thing led to another, and the first thing I know it's 5:30 (when Fran's recording, the time just seems to fly by). Since the weather was really crappy at the time, and I had some shopping to do, by the time I got home it was after 6:30. Hmmm, Lindsey's car is in the drive, running. As soon as I walked in the door, everyone's (sort of) yelling at me, even Laini. "Where you been, Poppa?" You see, I had initially invited Lindsey over, and then thought I cancelled it when the damsel-in-distress called, but it seems Lindsey came anyway. "I'm getting ready to leave. I've been here for hours"..."I know, I smell like a cigarette butt"..."I know, I should have been home hours ago"...Geeze-O-Pete, now I gotta answer to my children and grandchildren. I'm too old for this shit.....

Emma called to see if I would take Sunday's masses at OLS and St. Stanislaus. I've been trying to end that obligation for some time now. I hardly ever play guitar anymore, so I'm always out of practice. My voice is not what it used to be either, mostly from lack of practice. Sometimes I think I sound like an old frog, just croaking away when I'm singing. Most people either don't notice or are too polite to say, but I notice. The main reason, though, is internal. Without going into detail, I'll just say it's harder than it used to be to stand in front of the church and sing these songs about faith and belief in this or that. Of course, when I was playing in a bar band, I sang about all sorts of things I didn't necessarily believe in. This seems to be different, though. At least, it feels different. In the 28 years I've been playing at church, I've easily played at over one thousand masses. Probably over fifteen hundred. Isn't that enough? Anyway, Rose talked me into it, so in about 15 minutes, I need to leave to be there for the 8:30 mass, and then on to St. Stanislaus for 11:00. I wish I could do it and be happy instead of all knotted up inside.......