I'm stuffed

I am disappointed that our Dozan wa Awtar concert for the Amphitheater was cancelled. I was looking forward to it so much. It felt odd not going to rehearsal tonight.

Since it was my day off, I took care of some personal business in preparation of heading back to the States for a md-summer's holiday. I joined, Sana, a friend for lunch at Centro, a terrific restaurant that caters to a business clientele. I felt like I was back at my days at the bank. Everyone was dressed well and the cigarette smoking was to a minimum, but the thing I noticed most was that everyone seemed happy. Long tables that sat twenty people to each side (forty in all) filled the center of the room. People were chatting animatedly and the smiles seemed to be freely given. It was like a Chamber of Commerce gathering. The restaurant had a nice river of very clean water separating the seating areas. It was a well-designed concept and it helped to lower the noise volumes. The food was great.

I said hello to a priest who was sitting with an Arab parishioner. He is one of the Archbishops of Baghdad and he seemed like a very nice man.

I then saw Sana's beautiful house renovations before I went to meet a parishioner at the Shanghai Restaurant. I could only drink some water because I already had way too much food in my belly. We talked about many things, but one of them was to make plans to acquire music hymnals for the parish. It is an expensive proposition any way I look at it, but it is something that needs to be done. I toyed with making a manual, but it might just be cheaper to order from the U.S and ship it overseas.

I then rushed back to see a man for a pastoral session. My heart was moved by his good words of affection and care for people of faith. I listened to his fascinating with learning about the Jesuits and what we stand for and that his heart is overflowing with goodness. I knew I was in the presence of a holy man who is progressing well in his relationship with the Lord God. These moments make the day beautiful.

I then rushed upstairs to attend the going-away party for a sister who works at the Jesuit Center. She will return to Egypt to visit her parents for two months. She hasn't seen them in four years. After entertaining for a bit, I wrote an assessment of the parish music program to send to a few select parishioners. I looked at my watch and wondered when and how time passed.