Every once and awhile, I like to attempt the impossible, or at least the extremely challenging, and this weekend I pushed myself pretty hard.

As previously mentioned, last night I went to the Silversun Pickups/Muse concert out in suburban Gwinnett County. I got home, posted last night's blog about the previous night's television controversy, and went straight to bed, my ears still ringing from the concert.

This morning, I got up and headed to Chattanooga for my monthly visit with the sangha up there. It was a special day - actually, every day's a special day - but today we were also hosting the abbot from the Atlanta Soto Zen Center, Taiun Michael Elliston, Roshi, and his shuso (head student) from this winter's ango (practice period). So, I got up, brewed some coffee, and headed north for the Sunday service.

But the challenge was that there was also a meeting and presentation back in Atlanta regarding the comprehensive plan we're pulling together with Georgia Tech for the alliance of local neighborhoods. It was not mandatory that I be there, but I did want to show my support. The meeting was scheduled to start at 5, and the service at Chattanooga ends at 2, and since Chattanooga is a two-hour drive from Atlanta, it shouldn't have been a problem - I had three hours to make a two-hour drive. But the service went long, and I didn't get out of there until a little after 3:00. That left me approximately 110 minutes to make a 120-minute drive.

Need I point out that I drove fast?

I was able, but just barely, to just make it back for the meeting by 5:00 right on the nose. So after a three-hour rock concert, a two-hour drive to Chattanooga, three hours of zazen and dharma discussion, and another two-hour drive (made in an hour and 50 minutes), I then participated in a two-hour discussion on civil planning.

There's not much to say about the Chattanooga visit or the planning meeting, but I still plan on posting a review of the concert sometime soon (but not tonight), as this evening, I still have to prepare my dharma talk for tomorrow's Monday Night Zazen and watch Big Love, and get to bed in time to be alert for a client meeting at work tomorrow. And all of this on top of the on-going Emily Experiment.