To Remember This Time: Days 17 & 18

There's a danger in waiting a week or more to record the events of a particular day: I forget things!  In my account of Day 15, for example, I should have included a virtual Bible study with my good friend Greta Ann on Thursday afternoon, and virtual d-time with good friends Ben and Melanie on Thursday night.  Those were some positive things in a stretch of days that leaned a little on the gloomy side.

Jumping back to the correct chronology...

The big event of Saturday, March 28 (Day 17) was a project that Jeff and I did, along with David's help.  LuJack, who leads our congregation, had asked us to make a video of Jeff and I speaking for a few minutes so that we could use it as a welcome for our church's online service the following day.  Sounds simple, right?

We chose what we thought was the best spot in the house for an attractive background, we dressed up (at least from the waist up since no one would see what we wore on the bottom) ;-), we gathered our thoughts about what we should say...and then the camera started rolling.

If you've never tried to make a video, you might think this was an easy task; but let me assure you, it was not!  We worked for maybe an hour that morning, trying to get a decent finished product--and then after LuJack had a chance to watch it and pointed out some things that we could do better, we tried for another hour (hour and a half? two hours? I'm not sure) that evening to try to improve it.

It alternated between intensely frustrating and uproariously hilarious, with the pendulum swinging for me more often to the hilarious side.  I had to really be stern with myself to keep from bursting out in laughter while Jeff was speaking as I recalled some of the bloopers we had made!  :D

We weren't reading from a prepared script, since the speaking style of both Jeff and I tends to be extemporaneous rather than prepared and polished.  In a live setting, I think it comes off well.  What we discovered was that in a look-at-a-camera-and-make-a-fabulous-perfect-video situation, it doesn't fly the greatest.

I'll tell you what though: my understanding of and sympathy for people who speak in a public setting (particularly an unrehearsed setting, like a news conference) and then are scrutinized on every single detail of their speech shot through the roof.  It is HARD--no, IMPOSSIBLE--to avoid making mistakes of some sort in such a situation, and to know that half the country is ready to jump down your throat if you misspeak puts incredible pressure on the speaker.  At least, our pressure wasn't that high!  ;-)

My respect for actors also increased.  Even though they get to rehearse exactly what to say and do, it's tough to stay in character as needed--and, in my case, not give in to laughter.  ;-)

David has been busy with a number of video projects people have asked him to do; but when he gets a chance, perhaps he'll put together a bloopers video of Jeff and I from that day so we can be humbled by how terribly we did...but laugh about it in the end.  ;-)  For now, here is a screenshot of us in action.  ;-)

Besides that big activity on Saturday, Jeff also took a trip to Walmart--not the usual one I go to around here, but a newer-to-us one that's probably about the same distance away.  He needed (or maybe just wanted) to go that day so we could have a special dinner requested by David: homemade hamburgers.  :)  He got hamburger buns, baked beans, potato salad, as well as other essential supplies that he stocks up on every time he ventures out (like milk).  :)

The dinner was delicious, and then we had an online d-time with our friends, Steve and Grace.  It still feels strange to be talking with them through Facebook Messenger and not face-to-face across the dinner table like we always used to do on Saturday nights!

Sunday morning, March 29 (Day 18) brought us together in our living room to tune in to our church's service that day.  If you're curious, you can check it out here!  :)  At 12:12, a video that David made begins, and immediately after that, at 15:58, you can see the fateful welcome Jeff and I recorded for this service.  :D

After that, we each sort of grabbed whatever food we wanted for lunch, and then met online again with the Bibletalk leaders from our congregation for a leaders meeting.

And then, it being Sunday afternoon, I took a nap.  :)

Usually on Sundays, our biggest meal of the day is the midday meal, followed by a light snacky supper in the evening, usually of popcorn and other munchies or leftovers.  But on this day, we saved our big meal for the evening and had spaghetti and our favorite Italian bread, a delightful find Jeff scored the day before at Walmart.

That night, I stayed up late bringing some order to the house and planning my thoughts for the coming week.  I was ready to put the malaise of the preceding week behind me and get the new week off to a fresh start.

I already believed it was going to be a better week for one simple reason: my birthday week was beginning!!  :)