Here we are, gang!

Today is my double-shift in the middle of a 7-shift stretch! And I am actually feeling really good.

And yesterday I managed to do some quick shopping before my shift, then got home, took care of the cats, showered/washed my hair, did yoga, made dinner, studied my French, read a chapter in The Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus (only one chapter left to read), AND THEN–

Yes, a chapter and a half in a new scholarly/academic book (2024) we’re reading in James Tabor’s Patreon Research Group:

“Studies of the historical Jesus typically reduce John the Baptist to a subordinate role in the story of Christian origins. This meticulous historical study focuses on John himself, revealing his extensive and enduring influence.”

My copy of the book just arrived yesterday, so I am already about 200 pages behind everyone else!! So I got a lot of reading to do!!

Good Lord, right? (I’m not saying that because it’s Palm Sunday…) I had enough on my List of Things To Do before the book got here…

We’re supposed to read about 200 pages before each monthly Zoom meeting, in order for us to all “be on the same page,” as it were. Yesterday was the first Zoom pertaining to this book, hence the reason why I am already 200 pages behind.

Anyway!

Wow! What a great book. I can’t really discuss outside of the group, why we are reading this book. But already, I am learning so much about things I never even considered before.

We were also told by James Tabor to buy this book (2004) and luckily, I was able to get it used, because Amazon is selling it for $83:

“…The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene approaches Christian Testament sources through analysis of legend, archaeology, and gnostic/apocryphal traditions. This is the story of the suppression and distortion of a powerful woman leader – Schaberg presents Mary Magdalene as successor to Jesus in a challenging alternative to the Petrine primacy.”

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And then after I was done reading for the night, I watched another rerun of “Archer” (decidedly not Christian in any way), and then, by candlelight, listened to Chapter 17 (3 more chapters to go!) of the audiobook, The Quest of the Historical Jesus by Albert Schweitzer. (On LibriVox)

You would probably think that my entire life is consumed by quests to sort of conquer the New Testament in some way, but you’d be kind of wrong about that.

Mostly I think about:

ME: What the fuck am I doing on this fucking planet? How the fuck did I get here?

ME: Where did all these cats come from? I didn’t always have so many cats!

And sometimes–

ME: How come autism is called neurodivergence now? What the fuck is up with that? More fucking around with language just to fuck with people’s heads…

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Anyway.

I don’t have too many “here’s this’s” for today, but here’s this!

Keith and Mick Taylor between flghts in 1972:

Keith buying some drugs some THINGS in a market in France in 1971:

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And here’s this!

Johnny Depp coming out of a trailer only last week!

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And here’s a different Johnny!

From Phyllis Stein, Johnny Thunders in his kitchen in NYC, 1977:

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And here’s this!

Nick Cave, photo taken by Warren Ellis using a special camera that makes people’s fingers look really, really long:

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And that’s actually it for today because I want to just sort of chill a little bit before I head to town.

Today, I will finally be with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man and his daughter (she arrived last evening). Followed by a shift with the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat (and I’m hoping his stay in the hospital last weekend wasn’t too terrible).

And then drive the 30 miles back home and do my usual:

ME: What the fuck am I doing on this fucking planet? How the fuck did I get here?

ME: Where did all these cats come from? I didn’t always have so many cats!

Meanwhile!

Enjoy your Palm Sunday if you celebrate it, otherwise just have a great Sunday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

This whole album ended up being my driving-to-town music yesterday! (See yesterday’s post.)

And here’s yet another reason why listening to this record at top volume was much more important than going to school!!! (And still is!!)

“Mystery Dance,” 1977. Elvis Costello, from My Aim is True. Enjoy, gang!!!

“Mystery Dance”

Romeo was restless, he was ready to kill.
He jumped out the window cause he couldn’t sit still.
Juliet was waiting with a safety net.
He said “Don’t bury me cause I’m not dead yet”.

[Chorus:]
Why don’t you tell me ’bout the mystery dance.
I wanna know about the mystery dance.
Why don’t you show me,
’cause I’ve tried and I’ve tried,
and I’m still mystified.
I can’t do it anymore and I’m not satisfied.
I can’t do it anymore and I’m not satisfied.

Well I remember when the lights went out
and I was tryin’ to make it look like it was never in doubt.
She thought that I knew, and I thought that she knew,
so both of us were willing, but we didn’t know how to do it.

[Chorus]

Well I was down under the covers in the middle of the night,
tryin’ to discover my left foot from my right.
You can see those pictures in any magazine.
But what’s the use of looking when you don’t know what they mean.

[Chorus]

c -1977 Elvis Costello