  On the advice of a couple good friends who have already embarked on the Blog enterprise, I have decided to jump into the fray.
I remember the first time I heard of the idea of Blogging a year or so ago on some late afternoon 'get net savvy' type TV show, my first thought was "now all those pseudo-intellectual type guys who are wannabe writers will go around saying they're material has been published as a way to pick up girls".
Now while i've never had much luck enticing the ladies with anything I do or say, I certainly am a pseudo-intellectual, so I guess I at least half fit the bill. I study God for a living. (I know, I know, I can't believe they pay people to do that shit either but its true). Thus, many of my postings will probably be of an ecclesial nature: Either friendly ranting against my semi-FUNdamentalist Christian upbringing, or smitten remarks about post Vatican II Roman Catholicism. I used to fancy myself as one who had his ear to the ground on politics, art, music, and literature so there may be some of that too from time to time.
And, I bleed the copper and blue of the Edmonton Oilers so I will rise and fall with them like the tides of my life (hockey and Christianity are intimately connected... ask me about it sometime). But, for my first entry, I thought it would be appropriate to recall a few things about the two aforementioned friends who inspired me to do this: Jeff C. M.D., and Sir Robbie J. Jeff is my second longest serving friend. Our parents knew each other when the two of us were but toddlers. His Father is a gynocologist, his mother a benevolant dictator. While Jeff has 4 other siblings, I myself am an only child. They say only children develop fraternal bonds with one or two close friends. I would say Jeff is one of these.
Although we've been geographically quite far apart now for 7-8 years, and neither of us are very good at keeping in touch, we always pick right up where we left off. In the future I will call on him to perform my coronary bipass surgery or blast away my kidney stones. In return, I don't know, maybe I'll baptize his kids into the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. It all evens out, and we will always remain friends. Robbie I have known I believe since the end of the 7th grade. I remeber playing lunchtime pickup basketball against him on the outside courts at Hillcrest Jr. High (home of the Mustangs), and we were both the biggest guys on our teams.
I don't think I ever told him this but it was Pastor Paul Silcock who suggested Robbie and I become friends because we wanted to get him to come out to the Beulah Youth Group (damn Christians and their prostelytizing!). In spite of this, we did end up getting along very well and would go on to spend many an afternoon in Robbie's basement playing Super Nintendo, messing with the mind of our computer teacher Mr. Campsall, interacting with our special ed.
friends EJ, Roy, and Keith, and trying to avoid being yelled at to get our "heads out of our asses" by our Football coach Mr. Belmont. I've always appreciated Robbie's adventerous side, his diversity of tastes, his ability to work hard, and his very evident concern for others. So, thank you gents, and I'll see you in the days to come. 
