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Drew's Journal

drew
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08/05/2007 12:03 #40388

Tonight
My Installation: 7pm at Lafayette church tonight. Looking forward to it (things went well this morning.)

Tomorrow I get breakfast with my family before they go. I think they've already done Pano's. Anyone have another breakfast place to recommend?

Should be fun. We even get to host my Grammy overnight.
jenks - 08/05/07 15:32
AND- if you get the early bird breakfast at Amy's place (before 9 maybe?) it something ridiculous like 2 eggs, toast, and hashbrowns for 99c. Yes, 99 cents.
Last week a friend and I had that breakfast for 2, 2 coffees, and left a tip for $5.

And even if you go after 9 it's still cheap.

And the Lake Effect diner is more or less across the street from Amy's, and is also supposed to be good for breakfast but I haven't been.
fellyconnelly - 08/05/07 15:17
whats the deal with panos anyway? there is always a ton of people there!
james - 08/05/07 12:47
Amy's Place on Main st.

They have a ton of regular breafast favorites as well as a giant Lebganese menu. This place is not so much a restaurant but a Buffalo institution.

The place is small and crowded, so I wouldn't recommend taking more than four people unless you are going off hours.
mrmike - 08/05/07 12:12
Take em to the Towne on Elmwood and Allen

08/03/2007 13:35 #40369

What would Jesus Drive?
Category: cars
Ok. I really don't know. But I DO know that the Smart cars that are being test-driven on Elmwood are AWESOME, and even if you don't like small cars as much as I do, you will surely like the free starbucks gift card ($10) that you get for filling out the short survey after driving the car. Check out the cars next to the Starbucks by ETS.


ladycroft - 08/04/07 02:19
First time I saw a Smart car in Paris I thought it was the shizzle! James, I think the reason it wouldn't go too far or fast is because it was designed as a commuiting city car. Just to get you from A to B and be able to squeeze into parking spaces. I thought the US version was a hybrid though, it stinks if they're not! Plus, they cost a lot, imo. I mean really you're getting half a car :)
drew - 08/04/07 01:07
The ones to be sold in the US are niether battery nor diesel. They are gasoline and get 40mpg. Which means they are on the same technology that my Metro had years ago, but are still better than most of what's out there today--although the Yaris is a pretty darn good car (and would likely be my first choice if I was buying new today).

That being said, you can take a test drive on Sat or Sunday and get a free starbucks card, like it or not.
james - 08/03/07 19:47
Seriously Drew. I was reading about them and was excited. But then I found out that certain models don't meet our emissions standards because they run on diesel?

I think the model that is being test driven is entirely battery driven. Which is dandy, except it takes six hours to charge, maxes out at 80 MPH, and can only got 160 miles before needing a recharge. WTF?

I am so glad our car died in October and I got a Yaris. My tank is half empty and I have gone 200 miles before needing to refill its ten gallon tank.
drew - 08/03/07 17:08
Just found out that they don't have the good gas milage engines that others ones in other countries have. Why do people think that Americans prefer crap? Probably because we spend so much money on it!
tinypliny - 08/03/07 16:09
I think those might be just the cars I would be willing to take the driving test for. :) They SO remind me of home and everything happy!
theecarey - 08/03/07 15:26
oh I really want to test drive one!
jim - 08/03/07 14:53
(e:Paul) really wants one of those, he'll be sad he missed the test drive.

08/01/2007 13:39 #40342

Homeless story
Category: homeless
Good reading.

An interesting story about homelessness

ladycroft - 08/02/07 11:55
what organization are you affiliated with for your facilitator certification!? cool :)
metalpeter - 08/01/07 18:39
That is an interesting story. I did not read the article that it had a link to. But that being said I know it was a joke when George Carlin said it but it is so true. Whey do we call them homeless they are houseless Home is a state of being or mind. If you live in on the street and love it and wouldn't have it any other way then the street can be your home. The same thing happens to some people in Jail or prison. Yeah you aren't free but some people get outside and can't function so they commit a crime to go back. I knew someone who joked around about when he went back to jail it was like a family reunion (I think he only meant in the begining). In any event I never thought of people who have jobs but who don't have enough money for rent and food.
hodown - 08/01/07 14:58
That's an interesting article. It reminds me of when I was doing an internship with the town supervisor Carl Calabrese. I had asked about homeless shelters in the town and village (Ken-ton). He told me there were no homless people in Ken-ton and that why there wasn't one. When I asked him about the homeless person I had seen sleeping on the steps of Kenmore Middle he told me that the man prob didnt live in kenmore and was just passing through.

07/31/2007 16:14 #40329

Fun stuff coming up . . .
Category: church
Ok, maybe not as much fun as a Soul Asylum concert (which I have to miss! Dang!), but still better than one would expect.

In addition to the regular goings on at my church (like worship with sermons from yours truly, every Sunday at 10am), there are three special events this month.

1. My "installation." Ok. I will be the first to say that installations for people are weird. Dishwashers get installed, not people. But the rules say that I have to be "installed," so that's what we are doing. Which basically means that friends and people from other churches join in having a celebration that thanks God that I am the pastor at the church. So it's the closest thing to a "Drew party," that I will ever let the church have. Still, there is a guest speaker and a reception with gourmet mini-pizzas afterwards. Special music, too. It happens this Sunday at 7pm.

2. Vacation Bible School. Wow. You thought "installation" was badly named. Why would kids want to go to school on vacation? Bible school at that? Still, its better than it sounds. Lots of fun for the kids, and I will have a special class for the grown ups. Why is that fun? Because the kids are studying old testament stories and I am teaching the "adult" versions of them--and they are pretty darn intriguing. Plus, everybody gets a free dinner. Gotta like that, right?

3. The Elmwood Village celebration of Community. This is on the 25th, right after the last act on the Saturday night of the Elmwood Arts Fest. It's not just my church, but lots of different communities from around the Elmwood strip thanking God/a higher power/whoever/each other for the nice things about this place and asking God/whoever/etc. to help us in the ways that we fall short. We're going to sing some happy uplifting songs, too. All that, and the it will be quick enough to let everyone get on with their Saturday Night celebration. What could be better?


Good stuff going on at Lafayette Church. Hope to see you there. Shameless plug over.
drew - 08/01/07 11:42
yeah. that's us.

We have some stuff like that too, but not so much in the Summer. Just like our UU friends.
mrmike - 08/01/07 09:17
In the non summer months, the UU church on Elmwood has adult religious ed and small group ministry. I joined one of the small groups and it's an interesting way to connect with people you might otherwise miss in usual comings and goings.
jenks - 07/31/07 17:23
I was walking down elmwood to spot yesterday, and passed this huuuuge chuch, and I think the cross was lafayette, and it dawned on me- is THAT your church? for some reason I thought it was on Richmond. Brain fart.

I just learned recently that sunday school isn't just for kids. Who knew!
My pseudo-non-BF goes. Well, more often than not he sleeps through it. But he SAYS he goes!

07/29/2007 21:06 #40302

been a while . . .
I haven't posted because I was on vacation. The beach is nice.

I also took a quick sample of the garden walk. Also nice.

It inspired me. I will have a nice water garden next year.
metalpeter - 07/30/07 18:07
I know nothing about gardening really but one person who had falls also did some things with bubles and said that during the winter it doesn't really frezze I think he had fish in there also. I don't know who you could talk to, or where you would reserch how to do that but it sounds pretty cool.
tinypliny - 07/29/07 21:37
Hey, welcome back!! Hope you had a relaxing vacation. I went to your church last week - but was told that you were on vacation.

Congratulations on the upcoming big event! :)