I worked hard last week, becoming more and more manic as the week came to an end. By Thursday evening, I was exhausted and fell asleep quite easily. However, I woke at 3 a.m. Friday morning and got up about an hour later because I knew that I would never get back to sleep. Friday evening I was so wired that I couldn't fall asleep at al until some time after 1 a.m. and was wide awake by 3:45 this morning, an hour before the cab arrived to take us to the airport. No matter! We're here.
Great day for flying. The moon was high in the sky just before sunrise, almost full and quite beautiful. We left on time at 7:05 and the flight was uneventful. That's a good thing. We arrived in Tampa under an overcast sky and only warmish weather. More like spring than summer, not quite 80 degrees. The only unforeseen hitch was the car rental, off site rather than at the airport counter. I had a minor tantrum but the off airport location turned out to be a good thing. We waited only a few minutes and were soon tooling south in our beige (goldish tan?) Toyota Corolla. 275 seemed less daunting than a year ago. I guess it is easier to return to a destination that is at least somewhat familiar.
The Gulf of Mexico sparkled as the sun peaked out in the early afternoon. We checked in, unpacked, enjoyed a beverage on the deck as we enjoyed the wonderful view. The pool is immediately below, a little off to the right. Before us, the view of Boca Ciega Bay is spectacular. No dolphins yet, but lots of birds and activity on the water.
Did some grocery shopping and had a deli supper, I had forgotten how delicious the fruit and vegetables are in Florida. Hit the pool and was surprised at the chill in the evening air when I got out of the water. It's nearly 9:30 now and I'm ready for bed. I think I will sleep tonight!
From the parish bulletin, I had decided that St. John Vianney Church leans too far right to be comfortable, and I somewhat reluctantly took my place in the pew this morning. Instead, I was surprised and delighted by an enthusiastic (though not great) choir and strong cantor. The presider skillfully navigated the choppy "and with your spirit" waters, cleverly selecting options that avoided the new translation of the Mass wherever possible. The petitions were prayers inspired by the readings of the day. The homily, short and delivered in a strong voice, spoke of our decades long failure to eradicate violence from American and world culture. For the first time in a long while, my hour at Mass was both prayerful and uplifting.