Nifty Noodles/ Gut Check
11/19/01
This whirlwind weekend started with a five hour drive to Lake Havasu City on the border of California and Arizona. These days it would have taken as much time to fly as to drive. It was a wonderful feeling to be in control of my own destiny for a change. No time was wasted and the drive through the desert in the morning was breathtaking. I can see why Jesus went to the desert to pray. It does have a spiritual center to it... Stark, basic, seemingly endless and pure without amenity. I should add Solitary as well.

I liked it. God knows how to landscape.

The gig was a ticketed event produced by Calvary Chapel in Lake Havasu. The city is a known party town on the river... I referred to them as Lake "have a sinners". It was so dry that I did some damage to my voice. I didn't realize how much until the next morning.

I spent the next day driving back to Huntington Beach to sing the National Anthem at my son's request. He was graduating from Santa Ana College Fire Academy. I wasn't prepared for the emotions I felt at this one of a kind event in the on going drama of life.

In light of the sacrifices of 342 fire fighters on September 11th, my son's choice of career seemed extra special to me. It is a "ministry" of another kind, but still I see the ministry of it... The ceremony was outstanding, I laughed, I cried... I went to the party. Friends and family were there. What a wonderful thing to have... Community and a place to belong. I was a proud dad.

I had to leave the same night to catch a red eye to Philly for a morning and evening of songs at a church in Delaware. I drove straight to the church. In time to sing and share a few thoughts at the end of the first morning service. I had remembered something the boys learned in the Academy... Don't remember exactly how it goes but it was like "the three most important things... Etc....attitude, attitude and attitude"

I applied the lesson to Sunday morning. I had very little voice and very little sleep. This is when knowing God personally is important. This is when you find out if you have any depth in your character past your immediate talents. A good attitude is all I could bring to this event. I was surprised at what God showed me when I wasn't capable of delivering my regular fare.

Sunday night could have been the worst gig of my life... Just a thin line kept me from slipping over the edge of a great depression... My attitude. My desire this night was more to speak of my joy in having a relationship with my 19 year old son and seeing him excel. I shared my satisfaction in knowing God and letting him deliver me time and again from my adversity. I leaned completely on his strength and shared more about why I wrote the songs. I played selected tunes straight off the records and kind of acted them out as I "lip synced" most of the night. The people here were very gracious.

It was a two hour show with lots of new "stand up" material.. And there was ministry in that laughter. And I grew up a little more. I gave away some CD's and ink pens to a few folks. Worried that people would feel cheated... One lady did express some disappointment that I did not sing "a heart like mine" ... ( Yea well mine would have had a heart attack trying to sing that with no voice).

It's a new day Y'all and I'm getting out of the witness protection plan. I'm gonna join the human race and and lay aside some of my pet peeves. I'm gonna give up my demands to be appreciated for anything. I'm gonna trust God to deliver me in my final few decades and get off the sidelines even if I have to find a new game to play in.

O.K. So there's THAT! bryan d

Nifty Noodles/ On The Books
November 4, 2001
Now about the book we've been working on all summer for those of you wondering.

I have a 342 page manuscript of "It's not about me" unfortunately it's still too much about me to be interesting to any publishers.

I need to release a much smaller book if I'm gonna sell it alone on my website and at concerts.

The title needs to pick the interest of people outside of my fan base they say... A title like "how to keep the elephants off your air hose" Or "ten stupid things singers do to mess up their lives" You see where I'm going here?

I think there will be a book coming from me that will be funny.. interesting to the average by stander and with "insight for application that you can read in a couple of hours" eventually.

I'd like to thank those of of you who sent in written comments to be published... Maybe I can have 'em read at my funeral... They were quite flattering to me. Bob Carlisle also wrote a wonderful forward that maybe I'll let you read someday... I might hang it on my wall in the studio to remind me of the support from friends that I have.

Clearly the publishing business is a new line of work to get into. I am humbled by the mistakes I've already made.

I do plan to write another effort... But this book at present is mostly the "Nifty noodles" which most of you reading this have read before.

It is my opinion and that of several of my friends that I could do better. And once a book is out there it is permanent.

Jeanne Halsey was very helpful in getting me started on this effort. And I think she is disappointed as well at our inability to motivate a publisher.

So I need to get this right. Bare with me. I do want to do this.

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