Last night, after staying up far later than I should (I think I fell asleep around 1:00 AM), shortly before 3:00 AM my cell phone pager woke me. A server at work had rebooted for some reason, and our monitoring system paged me. The machine came back up and seemed okay. I figured diagnosis could wait until another time.

But I didn't get back to sleep. I'd forgotten to read my daily chapter from The Book of Mormon (I was supposed to read chapter 16 of Alma, an exciting one where the wicked folks of Ammonihah are destroyed). But I was too distracted, and instead turned to browsing 'blog entries I came across of other members of the LDS faith. Wow! I didn't realize there were so many LDS bloggers around!

By the time I was feeling tired again, I looked up from my computer and discovered I'd been browsing 'blogs for six hours. Holy cow! Where did the time go? And now I was tired, really tired, you know, the can-hardly-keep-your-eyes-open tired.

Today was the day I planned to spend cleaning my filthy house. My friend and former roommate, Scott, will arrive to visit for Thanksgiving, staying a few weeks at my place from Missouri on Monday. Today was the last possible day I procrastinated the cleaning job to, and this pig sty absolutely needs some heavy cleaning. Being a bachelor who lives alone and who hasn't entertained visitors for quite some time, I've let the laundry, dishes, clutter, and filth accumulate, finding many more diversions to spend my free time at.

So what did I do? Clean? Sleep? Nope, neither. I spent another few hours reading 'blogs, and even joined a 'blog web ring of bloggers who are LDS and single. Oh, and I fixed a few minor bugs on my web site. Brilliant move, Aaron! Not.

Then I crashed. Well now it's evening and my living room, hallway, kitchen, and to some small extent, my guest bedroom where Scott will be staying, are as yet unscathed by the hand of cleanliness. *sigh*

So do I clean? No, I write this 'blog entry, while listening to some early Christmas Music. I set iTunes on my computer in the other room to play all my Christmas music, cranked up the volume, then sat down on the living room sofa to mince words here (using my laptop, as my workstation is occupied being musical).

Not only didn't I clean, but I haven't read Alma 16 yet. So here goes, I'm gonna repent. As soon as I post this, I'm going to get something done in this house, at least make a dent in things before I retire. And I'll read Alma 16, and 17 too, to catch up.

A cleanin' I now go, a cleanin' I now go!

P.S. The music is good! I always forget how much I love Christmas music. It's a mixture of all sorts of flavors, from G.R.P. and David Benoit jazz Christmas stuff, Nat King Cole (Does any other song than Nat's rendition of "The Christmas Song" epitomize Christmas music? I think not.), stuff from the Elf soundtrack (Fun movie, great music!), Mannheim Steamroller's first two Christmas albums (I regret buying their third), a smattering of Bing Crosby classics, to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (their Christmas album I acquired last year is marvelous), BYU Singers, and even some choir or vocal ensemble from the University of Utah. Delightful!

P.P.S I had to take a cleaning break and update my postscript. I just have to say that the MoTab's "Fantasy on 'What Child Is This?'" from their A Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas album (A Telarc CD—Telarc has a good rep. with me for quality recordings.) is particularly exquisite. Hauntingly beautiful!

P.P.P.S. Ooh, now Marian McPartland's Concord Jazz rendition of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is on. Smooth! Piano jazz like she can play... Aahhh! Mmmm, mmmm, good!