Today had to be about the best day I’ve had in months, for five reasons:

1) I woke up at eleven. Yeah, you heard me right.

2) I spent two hours at the coffee shop with God, Sara Groves (via my iPod), a carmel macchiato, and John chapter 15. I hadn’t felt more refreshed and encouraged in I don’t know how long.

3) I went to Weldon Barber for the first time. Men, if you are ever in the Spokane area, going to this place is a must. I’m not quite sure what it’s like when ladies go to the spa, but this must be the masculine equivalent. I entered into a large lobby with soft leather furniture and a huge plasma TV showing basketball. The girl at the desk greeted me, gave me a complimentary soda of my choice, and told me it would be about a 15 minute wait. After perusing Money magazine for a bit, another girl came out and got me, and then put a hot towel over my eyes while washing my hair, cut my hair, gave me a hot towel shave with a straight-edge razor, then washed my hair again to get rid of all the annoying clippings that usually itch for the rest of the day (along with another hot towel), and then offered me another drink as I was leaving. All for $20. For another four bucks (which I will certainly pay next time), I could have gotten a scalp massage as well. I left still taking in the great odor of the shaving gel she used. My “refreshed” feeling was now increased by a factor of ten.

4) Poker night with the guys. We quit after about four hours with two of us still at the table. Dave had the most by far, but I doubled my money, so I’m happy.

5) Poker night wouldn’t be poker night without the essential ingredients: beer and stogies. We also threw in barbequed bratwursts for good measure. I can still taste the cigar in my teeth and smell it in my sweater.

Ah…

This is a good album. A very solid, good worship album. Which is a terrible disappointment. After all, this is the band who recently released Share the Well, proving that despite losing two key songwriters (including singer and guitarist Derek Webb), they can still achieve excellence.

And it’s not the band’s fault in the least. I love Caedmon’s Call. I completely support what they want to do. Which is why I felt I had no option but to go out and buy their new album, even though I knew I would be sorely disappointed. And it is growing on me. But this is essentially a fund-raiser. An appeal from the band to the record label. The band will make a little money for the label, so they can go back and do what they really want to do. What they are really good at.

I hate this system. I despise the CCM mold and the garbage they force bands to produce. Perhaps even more so, I’m shocked that the market actually drives the drivel that lines the racks of Christian bookstores. Why would anybody in their right mind go out and buy another mass-produced worship album? They are all sounding more and more the same. Yet the customers do. So that’s where the money comes from, and that’s what the record labels want.

I for one, am glad this album is done and out of the way. I’m eager to see what Caedmon’s will do now that they can go back to the art, now that they can again produce something real, something genuine, something unique. Perhaps it won’t sell as well, but then, the gems will be kept from the swine. And I hope the band can fight the pressure enough to stay there.

Well, I’m finding the green cleared from my eyes
I am young and I am deep within the woods
What I’m discovering is far from the land I’ve heard tell of
But I’m not so vain to think that I’m the first

The first to see and to turn their eyes away
And I know that’s not a popular approach
And I’m also learning the rules to the game I’m supposed to play
And they are proving to be far beyond reproach

And just ’cause we subscribe to different paths
Doesn’t give you right to just sit and laugh

Can you still see from whence you’ve come
‘Cause I won’t bow down to a place so low
I think that you’re wrong and I think you’re wrong
I hope you don’t mind me saying so

It’s not as though this truck’s been up on blocks for years in my front yard
Waiting for the fuel of you to make it go
Well, I guess it all depends on who you answer to
Cause I still believe it’s Who not what you know

Why don’t you write me a letter or call me on the phone
Tell me of all the big important things we’ll do
I know you’re understanding of what freedom means to me
But I bet you won’t mention how you’ll hide me till I belong to you

All of these things you say I lack
You can keep just give my innocence back

If it comes right down to yes or no
Just lock the door and on my way I’ll go

Well don’t call us
We will call you

-Open Letter, by Derek Webb

…2003 Mazda Protegé ES. Fully loaded. 24k miles. Certified and still under the original warranty. I’d been putting this off for quite a while, just because I wasn’t eager to take on payments. This was my first time really negotiating like this, but I definitely wound up ahead. A pleasant surprise about myself, I guess… I got the dealer to come down to $2,200 below blue book.

*insert happy dance*