So I am sitting at the Starbucks right around the corner from my house. Funny you should ask which one, since there are approximately FOUR within in less than a mile…Anyway, I have chosen to revisit the “Man” as they now offer wifi. But back to the real story. I came here, because I got a free drink coupon in the mail today…YEAH – free coffee. Ordered what I used to order as a partner, when I didn’t have to pay, sat down to do some homework. A huge gust of wind came up, and launched one of the classic green umbrellas into the bumper of our car, and lodged the base on the rear back tire…we’ll see what happens with Starbuck’s customer care and accident department.

While getting a bit old, so old I am able to drive between Vail and Denver blindfolded, it has been mostly good times for Michelle and I (when she is able to make it up for the weekend as well). The two weeks in MN at school have added to the long winter for me personally. With a high over the weekend of -6, it’s been snowy and cold.

Today, spring broke through the wintery december, january, and february a bit as I finally replaced the long lost and stolen August and Everything After CD. I sat and read on the couch and listened to my long lost friend who was once stolen out of my 1981 Maxda GLC. It made me smile and remember them “good ol days.” It was a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold wintery day.

The to top it off “Falling Slowly” from Once won the best song at the Oscars.  The song that hypnotized me for about a month…another spring flower on this cold wintery day for me.

That stuck.

1. We both used a disproportionate amount of sauces. The ketchup bin was restocked after we sat down.

2. The sandwich never disappoints, and it reminds me of being a kid.

3. I always think of my friend who calls “Chick – Fill – A,” chicphila.

Well, the intrigue was built for us to then check out the film. Michelle and I went last night, I had really high expectations as the soundtrack had raised the bar rather high. The experience of the film was better than I could have imagined, and so the stranglehold has moved into more of a head lock and have found myself stuck with the experience of Once.

The movie is what I would call a post-modern musical, it is great and is a must see. We will certainly own it. If you haven’t seen it yet, do it.

You can listen to parts of the soundtrack and get more info on the movie here.

So yesterday I found myself couch dancing to the latest episode of the show about Salt-n-Pepa.  They be kickin around a come back tour or something, and so are working on reuniting their hindered friendship and partnership as Salt abruptly shook Pepa off a few years ago.  Since the combustion of Salt-n-Pepa they have both lost a bit of their shoopiness.  Pepa hasn’t changed much since Salt pushed her away, however, Salt is a completely different woman.  She has attempted to become a mighty mighty good woman, and basically do two things from her hip-hop days:  1. Grow up and be a good mom.  2. She became a Christian.  Needless to say Salt’s new found faith and Pepa’s same old life create a bit of drama and certainly don’t compliment each other much.

Pepa, finally gets Salt to agree to do a show (Shaq asked them to perform at a party he was throwing).  After much stress, seeking advice and prayer, Salt agrees.  They decide to perform “Whatta Man” but Salt wants to change a few words because she isn’t comfortable with singing them now.  Unfortunately after they have their act together, Shaq cancels on em, and wouldn’t ya know.  Salt has the solution.  She asks Pepa to perform at her church, and yes as you can sense the obvious, “Yes” they did what you think they did.  They sang “Whatta Man” mixed in some Amen’s and some Hallelujah’s, and somehow rewrote the song to be about Jesus.  Salt had to confirm for Pepa what she could wear on stage, and in the midst of the performance, Pepa gotta a bit to into it and as her trunk started shakin, Salt smacked her back into submission.

(I could go on, but to describe it any more would waste our time more)

Two thoughts:

1. Vh1 made Christians look absurd and that was annoying, but expected.

2. Salt gave them all the ammo they needed.

p.s. forgive me for watching such petty expressions of entertainment.

Above you see a picture (a poor one) of a group of 15 or so old dudes that were hanging out at Panera Bread this morning. They all came in together, stood in line together, sat down together, drank coffee, at breakfast, chatted, made fun of each other, listened, told stories. It was really cool, they all sat around the table and simply enjoyed retirement with each other.

I sat in my booth by myself, looked at my computer, watched and tried to take a picture of them as discretely as possible because it felt weird. These guys made me really happy. Even though I didn’t get to be a part of their conversation or breakfast, their experience was shared with me and in some way grabbed my soul.

I could not get passed how important friendship is. I was blown away at this group of really old dudes that don’t want to do life alone, and don’t. They also aren’t trying real hard, they just liked to be around each other, and are intentional about having breakfast together. It was special, but it wasn’t forced. It was really natrual, and just pretty cool.

It looked so much like Da Vinci’s “Last Supper,” I couldn’t get the image out of my head. I know the picture looks more like some sorry secret agent’s attempt at “capturing a moment,” but the moment was unmistakable. We need this, I need this, these guys need this. I love that the last supper is all about Jesus and yet it, all about them together with Jesus. This seemed to be one of the best representations of The Table that I have seen. They didn’t pray, and they may not have “remembered” anything, but for me I could see it in what was happening. I needed it even via osmosis.

Do you remember that cornflakes commercial way back…”taste em again for the first time.”  It may have been special K, but nonetheless, the phrase is the same.

Well, I feeling like that with life today.  Like I woke up this morning for the first time in a long time, and I tasted it.  The last few years have been wild for me, and feel like I have not really stopped to breath, or been able to much of anything constructive.  But, every once in awhile over the last few months, I sense a break in the fog, a “light” and the end, and maybe even a spark somewhere out there.  Today, I felt like I actually tasted life again for the first time…

it was good.