I will be on bidwell parkway tonight. Thanks for asking.

A couple other bullet points, since I never post anymore.

-A friend from the last church I served died last week. Funerals are never fun, but they really stink when you are older than the deceased.

-I am all for health care reform, but every two weeks, a big part of my paycheck goes to BlueCross, who is lobbying against it. If I were serious about what I believe in, I would forego health insurance until everyone can get it.

-Yes, cash for clunkers, is more about stimulating the economy and getting the auto makers back in business then cleaning up the air. I almost took the deal, because we could use a four-door instead of a pick-up, and we would never get $4500 for the truck otherwise. But I haven't, and the program will likely die before I get to it.

-Steelers training camp has begun. I love it.

-I need to play disc golf a few more times while I still can. If you want to join, let me know. I can share discs and provide some instruction.

-working (still) on a logo for the church. It looks like we will have a bright, urban, classic, lampost as our pic, with a font that is simultaneously old and fresh. The pic will come when it is done.

-I took a dead rat out of my backyard yesterday. That had been nesting next door. Dead rats aren't as good as pet rats or lab rats, but after those, dead rats are the best kind.

-I want to ride a bike from Buffalo to Albany on the Erie Canal. Maybe next summer.

Every week at the Bidwell concerts, a group of people goes whole hog and sets up a table with good food and drink and basically puts everybody else to shame with their commitment to enjoying the show. Maybe this can be an inspiration for us?

I am willing to arrive early and set up a table. I'm thinking every (e:peep) BYOB and an appetizer/snack to share. What do you think?

Next Tuesday is Outer Circle Orchestra.

My friend Thomas is a computer guy (Web stuff, I'm pretty sure) and got laid off. Anybody know anybody that's hiring?

I also have another friend that is looking for a pastor/preaching/chaplain gig, but I figure the former job has a better chance on (e:strip).

I will be there. You should be there. It starts at 7.

1. Outdoor concerts.

2. Shorts.

3. Sandals.

4. Less work to be done.

5. Traveling.

6. Fresh vegetables.

7. Fireworks.

8. Eating dinner on the front porch.

9. NFL Training camp fast approaching.

10. Sun.


I know, boring--but I haven't posted all month. Maybe I will have a real opinion soon.

(e:janelle) ran hard today, and embarrassed me off the couch, so I jumped on my bike. In addition to grabbing my helmet (a new habit), I also grabbed my passport. There is a nice bike path on the other side of the Niagara River, and along Lake Erie. It's a great ride.

One warning though--the ride from Canada to the USA is uphill, so be prepared for hard work going home.

I took some pics. I may post them later or maybe even make a movie.

Because I have posted more on Buffalo Rising than here. Please forgive me.

Tonight I am hosting a back yard movie party. Guess where we will be watching Religulous?



yeah. My back yard. I think we are going to have a fire, too, so it should be fun.

BYOLCOB (Bring your own Lawn Chair or Blanket)

265 Lexington Ave 7pm.

I haven't been posting much, and shouldn't be posting now--I'm kinda busy. But (e:heidi) shared her Shango gift certificate that she couldn't use, so (e:janelle) and I used it last night.

Shango was good. We just had drinks and apps. I had what the tap said was a Flying Bison Maibock, but seemed to be something different. It was still tasty, so no complaints. Sweet Potato fries were amazing, the quesadillas were, too.

It was way better than last week when we went to La Docle Vita. Overcrowded, loud, and bad service. I sent a feedback email and they didn't respond. Oh yeah, and the website is ugly and noisy

So, next time you go out, choose Shango over La Dolce Vita. And if you can, have (e:Heidi) share a gift to pay for it! (THANKS AGAIN!)

When you make a funny movie look like a not funny movie, it is funny.

I was feeling kind of bad about my slothfulness on such a nice day, and somehow, walking to Sprinkles, the new ice cream bar in Delish didn't help for some reason. Maybe if I would have only had one scoop.

Just an aside--the Delish people are great, and so is the ice cream bar. It's worth a trip for the treat.

So anyway, even though the wind and the rain were threatening, I decided to head out on my bike, and it was a good choice. I highly recommend this ride.

I rode from my home to the island at the end of W. Ferry. This was the toughest part of the ride, as it was directly into the wind. It was also the only part of the ride that I had to deal with traffic. For those who fear "urban" neighborhoods, this was the only part that looked scary. But with all of the people outside, there was absolutely no reason to be afraid.

From the Island, I headed North on the Riverwalk. The river was beautiful, there were birds, and old guys fishing, and kids rolling down the hill with their mother. Windy, but flat the whole way, and is was a cross wind, which is much better than riding into it. Nice views of fancy houses across the river, too.

From the unfortunately named Squaw Island, I headed inland. It was a little bit confusing finding the path, but not really. Even though I was tempted to continue all the way to Tonawanda, I wanted to ride the Scajequeda path, which (to my shame) I have never done.

A great ride. Views of the creek, nice trees, and a look at the back of Amherst street. In case you were thinking of dumpster diving at Wegman's you can't. Trash goes from inside the store into the compactor. There is a nice playground behind Our Lady of Blackrock (I forget the church's real name).

Everytime I went under an underpass it was clearly marked, and a note was made that the clearance was ten feet. Maybe not necessary for a bike path. Maybe better signs at the Grant Street Crossing would be a better choice.

From there, the path goes past the back of the historical society and the Japanese garden. Again, I can't believe I haven't been there before--a beautiful place. (And backtracking a bit--Rock Harbor Commons looks cool, too. I am going to have to make an event there this summer, and I will ride straight there on the riverwalk).

Across the pedestrian bridge, around Hoyt lake (nice statues) and onto Lincoln parkway. Lincoln parkway to Bidwell parkway, to Richmond (with quick stops on Richmond to visit an estate sale, a car accident, and a friend who was in her yard). Richmond to the house.

Good exercise, but not too much. A photographer could make this an all-day trip (but I didn't bring a camera and wanted to break a sweat).

Buffalo really is a well planned city, and a great place for a bike ride.