Bowling Pics (3-22-09)

These are some pis taken on Sunday (3-22-09). They were taken at Lakeview Lanes here in Silver Creek. They feature some really cool people, my friends Paul and Naomi. Also in attendance were Paul's mom, and their baby son, Jonah. Jonah let me hold him for a bit without fussing. How rad is that!

Enjoy the pics!

More St. Paddy's With The Kofahls Pics

Here's more photos from yesterday.

St. Paddy's With The Kofahls Pics

So, I had a truly ecumenical experience yesterday. And this one didn't involve joint worship! (See! It CAN be done!) I went to Bolivar, NY to hang with my buddy Matt and his family. It was essentially a Lutheran pastor and a Methodist pastor celebrating the life of a Roman Catholic. We all had a terrific time! The ribs were grilled to perfection, the rest of dinner was excellent as well. In fact the only thing which might have marred the evening was that the Guinness was frozen. But this ice cream we had for dessert more than made up for that.

After dinner we watched part of last night Sabres-Senators suckfest.

Thanks for a great time, Matt and Mary!
And, it was great meeting you, Andy!

Enjoy the pics, dear readers!

A Brief Survey

My buddy Nik (a/k/a "My quarterback...my teammate")posted this in a note on Facebook. It's a brief survey to see how well you know somebody. So, I'm posting it here.

It should be noted that knowing a bunch of facts about someone doesn't always mean that you know them. Just had to throw that in there.

Anyway, here's the questions. Feel free to respond by leaving a comment.

1. The love of my life:
2. Where you and I met:
3. Take a stab at my middle name:
4. How long you've known me:
5. The last time that we saw each other:
6. Would I ever go sky diving?
7. Your first impression of me upon meeting me/seeing me:
8. Am I funny?
9. My favorite type of music and song:
10. Can I sing?
11. The best feature about me:
12. What do I want to do more than anything?
13. What is one thing that you think I should do?
14. Do I have any special talents? If so, what are they?
15. Would you call me preppy, average, sporty, punk, hippie, glam, nerdy, snobby, or something else?
16. Have you ever hugged me?
17. My favorite food:
18. Have you ever had a crush on me?
19. If there was one good nickname for me, it would be:
20. Your favorite memory of me:
21. If you and I were stranded on a desert island, I would bring:
22. Do I believe in God?
23. Who is my best friend?
24. Can i dance?
25. One random thing you know about me:
26. My favorite drink:
27. Am i smart? If yes, more book smart or street smart?
28. Would you ever be embarrassed to go in public with me?
29. What is one thing you've wanted to always tell me but couldn't?
30. Have I ever done something nice for you? If yes, what?
31. What is something that would make me upset?
32. Will you re-post this so I can fill this out for you?

Fellow Pastor- Good Story

The guy in the pic with me is a fellow pastor and friend of mine, Rev. Peter Richert in Mt. Pocono, PA. It's actually a pretty good story of how we got to be friends. Here's the tale:

We both served our vicarges in Northern IL. He was in Lockport, I was in Joliet. Our churches were in the same circuit. So, we got to know each other there. We both got ordained on the same day (Me in STL, him in Mt. Pocono). And we serve churches in the same district. What are the odds?

I realize there's a ton of LCMS jargon in there. Sorry about that. For an explanation, ask your local LCMS pastor. Or email me. Whichever is easier for you.

Nicole's Party Pics

Here's some pics from a party I went to Friday night. It was hosted by my friend Nicole in honor of her birthday. She's the gal inthe top picture. Enjoy!

And Happy B-Day, Nicole!

Golfing With Paul

So, Thursday (10-16-08) was my birthday. I spent part of it golfing with my friend and parishioner, Paul. We went to Rosebrook Golf Course near Silver Creek. It was really wet out there, but it was really a chance to hang out and swing the clubs. We didn't keep score (mercifully). Enjoy the pics!

Golfing with Tom and Travis

I took the day off yesterday and went golfing with 2 fellow LCMS pastors. We played a version of golf called "best ball". If that's an unfamiliar term, it's where everybody hits, and then you play from not where your ball lands, but from the best shot. Lots of fun! We all had a terrific time.

It was great to be out in the fall foliage. Nobody kept score. It was just a chance to hang out and hit the links. These pics were taken at Concord Crest Golf Course near Springville, NY. Enjoy the pics!

A Day At Niagara Falls- Canadian Side

Here's the photos from the Canadian side. What an enjoyable couple of hours! We ate at this place called Boston Pizza. I made the group try poutine. I happen to love it, but the group was kind of skeptical. However, they were won over with one taste.

I love Canada. I know it's Niagara Falls, and it's kind of geared toward tourists, but I love it. (I have also been to Toronto and loved that). There's just such a different vibe up there. It's kind of hard to explain. Maybe it's just me.

I know the US doesn't necessarily have the greatest reputation in the world right now. But the people in Canada that I've encountered are really great. Kudos to you, Canada! From this humble American, you have a great country.

A Day at Niagara Falls- American Side

Yesterday, the four of us (me and the Joliet people) went to Niagara Falls. And yes, we did hit both sides. Here's the pictures from the American side. A fun day was had by all.

Who These People Are

Here are some head shots of my friends who came to visit me and serve as the choir for my congregation's 125th anniversary. These were taken last night (Saturday, 8/10/08) at the Clarion hotel in Dunkirk, NY. From top to bottom they are: Bob, Kim, Mary, and Tracy.

An Evening At The Anchor Bar

So, last night, we went to the Buffalo icon known as The Anchor Bar. It's the birthplace of Buffalo Wings, for those who may not know. Anyway, it was me, my sister Missy, and some friends from Joliet, IL (Tracy, Mary, Bob, and Kim). We all had a terrific time.

I told everybody that The Anchor Bar had the best wings in the world. And "if you disagree, I will come into your room at night and punch you repeatedly." Nobody disagreed, even outside of the fear of reprisal. Anyway, we ate the wings, heard the Jazz music, had some rounds of Blue, and just enjoyed life.

Enjoy the pics. The first one was taken in the van on the way to Buffalo. I tried to get a shot of the sunset.

Golfing with Eric

Today was a great day! I got to go golfing with my buddy Eric. Both of us are terrible golfers. But today, we both broke 100! That was my first time breaking 100. It's amazing how much lower your score gets when you don't shoot a 10 on the first or any tee. Anyway, here's some picture of us. there were taken on my camera phone at Grandview golf course in Angola, NY. The top 2 are him, and I'm the bottom pic.

"We all had a terrific time."

So, today was a good day. I had lunch with a friend (who picked up the tab), went to a movie with another friend & his kids, then went to a murder-mystery picnic. This post is mostly about the picnic.

One of the highlights was somebody brought these amazing homemade pickles. They were just out of this world good! One of the people I talked to asked, "With all the pickles you can buy at the store, why would someone go through the trouble of making their own?" Then his wife made him try one. The look on his face when he tried it prompted me to say, "That's why someone would make their own."

All in all a good time was had by all. Plus I leaned to play this one game that I hadn't encountered until I moved up here. There's several names for it. You basically throw bolas at this ladder and try to score points. It's more challenging than it looks, and is really a lot of fun.