OH FLORIDA - LAND OF WARMTH AND COLD

I was really enjoying telling people that I was going to Florida in the middle of January to sing a concert. (The "sing a concert" part also had a little bit of boasting, but the "going to Florida" part was just mean, rubbing in that THEY would be staying up north, in the cold weather, while I would be sitting around in shorts. Outside. Maybe next to a pool.

God doesn't like it when you do that. Sooooo - I arrived in Florida, unpacked my suitcase and settled in at the rectory of the church where I would be doing this concert. And the temperature dropped. Coldest week they've had in years. And when I say cold, I am not talking Florida cold (what in NY would be called perhaps chilly). I'm talking night-time temps in the 20's.

Now the people were wonderful - the parish is beautiful (see picture) and the concert was great fun. We had perhaps 400 people - the collection was encouraging (all the money went to the Xavier Society for the Blind, of course) - and there is even going to be a video. But the weather? Bah, humbug!

And of course, the day I left to return to New York, the temperature climbed back up to 75.

Next time I travel, I'm keeping my big mouth shut!

To the right is the picture of the young lady was was my accompanist in this adventure in southern singing. I did a show called "From Broadway to God," answering at least in part the oft-asked question, "How did you get from being an actor to being a priest?"

And here I am after the show with a very nice man who wanted to know the name of one of the songs I had sung as an encore piece. He said he was planning his funeral, and he very much wanted to include that song. The song was "Bring Him Home" from Les Miz.

Me, I want Dixieland at MY funeral.