Three Grand

My church council approved funds of $3000 to remodel our youth room. That's really exciting! It's also unprecedented. My budget for the youth for the entire year is $150[1], and we struggle every year to raise enough money for mission trip. Even though $3000 isn't that much to make over our youth room with, it's still pretty amazing considering how little money we usually have to work with.

We actually have two rooms. Both are the size of a normal class room. One of them we call the Youth Room and that is where we do Sunday School and meet on Wednesday evenings. The other is referred to as the "Recreation Room", and is currently occupied by a worn out pool table an uncomfortable couch and an ugly, lime green book shelf[2]. My thought, which is shared by everyone, is to get rid of everything in both rooms and start fresh.

But what do we do? Painting is an obvious answer, but I don't see us using up the $3000 in just paint. What else? Since the money is coming out of our some memorial funds, where I know there is more money to spare, I think I can negotiate up to another $1000[3]. So, I'm open to suggestions. If it were your youth room, how would you spend the money[4]?


1. Ridiculous.
2. This room sucks!
3. Wishful thinking.
4. 52" plasma and a blue ray player?

A Fun New Game for the Pool

As many of you may know, my sister, Denise, plays golf with the Special Olympics. No, she is not very good. In fact she's pretty lousy[1], but she has a lot of fun playing and isn't that what it's all about[2]? Yesterday she had golf practice and her partner had something come up at the last minute. Fortunatly I was free and able to fill in. However, Denise doesn't really like playing with me very much because she says I'm too serious when we play. She is probably right. Regardless, we joined up with another pair and set out at Meadowbrook Golf Course to play a round of nine.

If you've play Meadowbrook before then you are well aware of the 8th hole. It's a truely unique hole. About 220 yards off the tee you'll encounter a 90 degree dog-leg to the right. You'll then have to hit the ball anoth 150 yards up a very steep hill. The difficulty of this hole is rediculous. I drive an excellent tee shot here. The hit was a little off line from what I intended but the ball carries quite well off of a tree and I end up in a pretty good spot to try and hit up the hill. As our group is rounding the dog leg we here some noises coming from one of the houses that border the golf course. It's sounds like kids playing, possibly swimming. The trees are thick and we can't really see through, but the kids are loud and easily heard. It's sounds at first like they are playing the classic game of Marco Polo. But then we realize Marco Polo isn't the name they're chanting. We listen for a second and then we realize what they are saying... Barack Obama. They weren't playing Marco Polo at all they were playing Barack Obama[3].

I found it a little hard to concentrate after that, mainly from the laughing. Not that it would have mattered, Denise and I were getting beaten badly by the other pair playing with us. But that's okay, we had fun, and that what it's really all about[4].


1. But aren't we all.
2. Actually that's not what its about. The inventors of the sport never intended for it to be fun or enjoyable.
3. I wonder what you call instead of "fish out of water"?
4. see number [2].

Money to burn

I finally got my economic stimulus check in the mail and now I have $300 that I need to pump back in to the economy immediatly. But I'm torn on the best way to spend my free money. Thus I've created a new poll so that others can tell me how to spend it.