Birmingham Chronicles, Day 6

Yesterday began with a kidnapping...sort of.

My higher-order life-liver sister Jilly and Barnstorming Pilot Husband Shane had a flight departing at noon or so from the airport. Kelsey and Shelby spent the night with their cousins...halfway between my in-laws and my mom's house. The girls wanted to see Jilly & Shane off, which meant me swinging by and picking them up. Well, I'd cleared all this with Kelsey on the cell phone but forgot to mention it to Aunt Jodie...who, upon my arrival headed off to the back of her house for something. We didn't have time to visit so I rounded up the girls quickly and got them in the van. I told my nephew to tell his mom we had to leave quickly and didn't know the plan for afterwards but we'd call them. Moral of the story: Don't depend on 12 & 14 year-olds to communicate clearly.

Then we ran some errands with Jilly & Shane. They wanted to grab some coffee at a local Starbucks and did so. I noticed this particular Starbucks had a whole lot of "5-Star Awards" framed and posted for all to see. They were framed and lined up and everything. While waiting for the final "holiday" drink of the year (egg-nog chai tea) to get prepared, I read the reason for the 5-Star Award: "For continuing excellence in the ability to provide the Starbucks experience for 100% of their customers." Ummm...isn't that what they're supposed to do?

Anyway, presents shipped back to the Bay Area, chai tea appreciated, along with the free excellent Starbucks experience, goodbye hugs given...

...and we were off to visit one of my teenagers from my very first student ministry, Haley. We did what old friends are supposed to do: Get caught up on everyone we had in common from those days in ministry. I hadn't seen her in 10 years (I see her older brother about every two years or so), but she's the first "kid" I've visited bringing her children in-tow...she's just as funny as ever, too.

Lots of thoughts about this, among them:

It's cool to remain friends with my former students.
It's strange to have former students in their 30's.
Some ministries in this town take forms that will keep their churches perpetuating, but won't help people understand a true walk with Christ.
I'm amazed at how many of my former teens have risen above that church perpetuation and are growing.
Sometimes, those kids you went through the most stuff with are the ones you appreciate seeing the grace of God in and through.

Then it was off to Milo's again...when you're only in town for a week you don't mind two visits in two days.

And then we had a photo shoot with Tracy's family. Neices & nephews with aunts & uncles. Grandparents with everybody. Husbands with wives. Children with parents. The whole deal. I couldn't help but think the snapshots my wife was taking would wind up in frames on prominent shelves & mantles relatively soon...and, being married to a photographer, we haven't had a family photo since the girls were about 4 and 2. And, is there anything more fun than having to watch the person who pushes the button try to beat the timer and get into position before the photo is taken?

After that, we all went to another great Birmingham restaurant, Lloyd's (which was jokingly in honor of our dog Lloyd's 4th birthday, coincidentally). I didn't even bother with the menu and went with the 16 oz. hamburger steak smothered in gravy and onions. I wiped up the extra gravy with their bread and got a side of onion rings. For those that have been there, you'll understand why that's one of the main meals that I'm having in my eternal dwelling place (the difference, I'd imagine, would be that my glorified body will remain in ultimate health afterwards, while today I can feel the blood rushing through my veins). I also played big shot and picked up the check. It is fun to do for my father-in-law, who has picked up untold amounts of checks on vacations and what not, though.

After that, we settled down and watched a lousy movie on DVD called The Island, but I was more interested in trying to get my niece to bring me cookies or stealing her princess crown or whatever. The older kids were iPodding or watching "A Knight's Tale" on the DVD in their room.

Well, I hope you feel like you got continuing excellence from today's Diner experience...otherwise I can't give myself an award for others to marvel at.