Happy Halloween!!!

Sorry. I've been very busy here lately. I'm going to post a fun story this weekend. This will hold you over until then. You'll scream in horror over these Halloween costumes of years past. Here is a pumpkin I carved this year. Unfortunatly, I didn't get a picture of the one the wife did. And she NEVER carved one before!!! I'm such a bad husband. Maybe this picture of her Halloween costume will help. (I don't think so...) Catch you on the flipside! Next Time: Adventures of the Swarr Kind or I'm Surprised I'm Not Dead!

My friend Dave was Hellboy. Great costume!

Return to Somerset

Okay, we got out there safelyand home, too. Updates galore! My old church has been bought by the hospital next door and is scheduled to be torn down some time July 2007. The new church is being built as we speak. The old church in order to be repaired it would cost over $1,000,000 and there is no room to expand. It's sad it's going down, but the needs of the many out way the needs of the few or the one (thank you Star Trek.) I'm okay with since I got to go. Also, my old house is still there. And, finally, we got to the Flight 93 Memorial, a lady from Texas was playing the bagpipes. It was very sad, especially when she started playing "Amazing Grace". Wow. So without further ado.... PICTURES!!!!!
So there you go. Catch you on the flipside. Next Time: HERE COMES THE FUN!!!!!

Adventure.Excitement. The Schaeffers Grave These Things.

This episode is a little early this week. We're taking a little trip this weekend. What started as a little drive to look at the leaves changing color this fall, is turning into a major adventure. We are going to Somerset, PA. What in the sam hill is in Somerset? When I was little, I lived there for about 4 to 5 years. There's not much out there, except for the Flight 93 Memorial. Still, we're going to go. Drive out, look at the trees and the beautiful scenery, go to church and drive back. The wife doesn't know what she's getting into. I CAN"T WAIT!!! It's so awesome out there. If I had the money, I would've bought our old house and use it for a cabin and hunting camp. Anyway here are some pictures I took the last time I was out there in 2002.

The picture, to the right,is where I lived. It was a traditional farmhouse with a big barn. The rats who own the land tore down the barn. They dropped the property value when they did that in my book. Next, that is the church we went to. It was huge! It reminded me of a castle. I heard the last time I was out there, the hosptial across the street was going to tear down the church and expand their building and/or put in a bigger parking lot.What the heck?!?! Nothing is sacred anymore. I'll update this story when we go out there. I hope it's still there. That would be sad.
Here, below, we have Seven Spring Ski Resort. My Dad worked there during the third shift over the winter running a snow machine. A very nice and beautiful place. I doubt we'll get there this trip. Finally, here is the one thing everyone must go and see while out there, the Flight 93 Memorial. When I first went there, I had tears in my eyes. It's one of those places you could here a pin drop a mile away. Very quiet. So, that's what's happening here. We hoping for a good trip. I got a digital camera just for this trip. Catch you on the flipside. Next Time: An All Picture Post of Our Trip! (gotta put this thing through the Schaeffer test!)



SPECIAL ALERT!!!! COMING SOON!!! Who Are These People and Why Do They Look So Happy?? Find out the gory details in the next few weeks!!

Do I REALLY Know What I'm Doing??!?

So, a couple weeks ago, the wife and I started to help at our church. We are the teather aides for the 6th through 8th grades (middle school - junior high for all you old time manheim central vets) for the Wednesday night youth program. We didn't know what to expect. They're good kids, unfocused, maybe unruly sometimes, but good kids. Helping out like this is fun. It's funny, the wife and I already have a favorite. I know, when you're a teacher, you don't play favorites. This girl is the quietest out of the bunch. If the others would calm down a little, I can imagine what can get done. Our average class size is 10 to 12 for now. After November, as the other teacher told us, the class grows to about 20 to 25. Oh, boy. Compared to when my brother and I were going to Weds. Night Church - that was the size of ALL the class combined sometimes. Most of the class are girls. (yikes!) The boys that come, sometimes, are distracting the girls (of course..). I think, if they all were quiet one day, I would think something bad happened to them. I hope that their energy rubs off onto me. Though, I am happy that all these kids are coming to learn about being a better Christian. Anyway, here's a shout out to all those kids in our class. Remember, kids: Stick with us here. It's almost over. Don't loose us yet. Catch you on the flipside. Next Time: I Don't Know, Maybe The Wife Will Write One.

It's My Burfday.... LEAVE ME ALONE!!!

I hate birthdays. I really didn't before. They were a fun time of happiness and joy. I can remember my first birthday party - that I helped prepare. I turned ten. I remember inviting my friends from school, Joe, Jeff, and Ryan. We watched the original War Of The Worlds. I forgot what one of the guys got me, but i remember getting a Transformer (Shrapnel the Insecticon - the first transformer i ever got), and a stuffed Ewok from Star Wars. Fun times. Well, that all gone now, and birthdays are another excuse for people to drive me to the asylum. First, I hate the birthday song. It embarrasses the person who sings it and who it being sung to. More the latter. Contrary to popular belief, I don't like being made a spectical of in public places, unless I'm doing it myself. And the birthday song does that. It puts you on the spot people you've never met stare at you sizing you up, thinking, "oh, look at him, that poor fat OLD sucker! Ha, ha!" All eyes are on you, watching you from the first bar of that blankety-blank song to right when you leave or they leave. Next, surprise parties. Evening. You come home from work and you want to relax, quietly. Well, you walk in the door, kick off your shoes, SHOOT THE BUNNY REALLY LOUD and all your friends jump out saying "surprise" (at that moment they would be surprised.) You're red and of need of new pants and they are pretty much thinking the S.W.A.T. team just launched tear gas into the room. Parties are best when you know about them. That way you wont get caught in a compromising position. Finally, there is some things that are okay about birthdays... presents (hahaha, gimme gimme), cake (as long as it's not to sweet, I threw out a whole cake because it looked to sickingly sweet. I couldn't eat it.), and be able to do what you want. That means if you don't want a surprise party - no surprise party. If you don't want singing - no singing. People are gonna have to live with these ideas. Hey, if they want that kind of stuff on their birthdays, that's cool. I just had my birthday on Friday. I said REPEATEDLY (still love you wife) NO SINGING. Of course, while we sat, I could see that wait staff gathering ready to spring their trap. I got up and went to the bathroom. I didn't care. I didn't want singing and I'll stand by that. It's my burfday... LEAVE ME ALONE!!!! So thats this weeks installment. Of course, that little statement will get me into trouble, but that's normal. Remember, folks, this is MY OPINION, not my wife's. I may not like it, but if she wants sung to, well, I'm gonna have to do it. catch you on the flip side... Next Time: Do I Really Know What I'm Doing???