Happy 2006!

We had a really nice day yesterday. Took the dogs for a walk in the woods during a break in the rain. As we were walking, we heard a crack and an explosion--it was a massive redwood falling. After that we kept our eyes up in case we needed to get out of the way of another tree, since there were already many down. I made a nice dinner which we ate by candlelight. Emilio's brother called from Queretaro, Mexico where he was spending the night alone while his wife and kids were celebrating with her family. It was nice to talk to him for a while; I managed to pass the phone to Emilio before he started too far down the path of penitence for past sins.

Emilio and Sebastian had watched an action movie earlier and then the three of us sat down to a nice fire and watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I love Charlie Kaufman movies. We went to sleep at 10 pm. At 11:59 I awoke to the usual New Year's sounds of automatic gunfire and firecrackers and fell back to sleep, dreaming all the while of the movie we'd just seen. This morning we made our lists of resolutions--we didn't do this last year but it's nice every once in a while to take stock, especially when both of us are suddenly self-employed.

Tonight at Grace I'll be singing Christmas carols, which will be nice. I think I'll do O Holy Night at communion unless there's an objection.

Here's to a new year and a new chapter in my life, with a new career as a full-time musician! May all of my friends, family, musicians and fellow humans find peace and fulfillment in 2006!