Monday, February 4, 2019

February 4 – “SOUPer Bowl Special”


Great day in church again yesterday.  Those counting had totals ranging from 77 to 87.  I’m pretty sure there were around 83.  We had locals and our beloved Snowbirds and even a few brand new visitors.  One unexpected guest was a couple from the Seaside past who moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Tom and Cathy Bollman.  Always good to see a Seasider come back to check in. 

The SOUPer Bowl Commercial Party was also a fun time.  We had seventeen people gathered together, all cheering for their respective team.  Actually that is not a very accurate statement.  Any cheering going on from the ones watching the game would better be described as rooting against the Patriots.  Or for finally getting another Bingo square covered.  Or for an especially good chunk of crab meat.  Or maybe for seconds on a bowl of chili.  Yep.  The masses were just not very “into” this particular Super Bowl.  Oh, the commercials were passable at least, although none were really spectacular.  I’m pretty sure the beer companies spent the most money at five million for each 30 second spot. 

Chris made two big batches of chili, one somewhat hotter than the other.  I didn’t taste that one.  My stomach is just not built for the mega-spice attractions.  Sam brought her signature crab dip, which I did my best to hide from the rest of the guests.  That is always by far my favorite food of the evening, although the seven-layer dip came in a pretty close second.  Oh, and the fried cheese.  Gotta love fried cheese. 

We did play some games.  I put together a trivia game, the highlight of which was the first ever facial recognition section of people connected to this year’s event.  Actors, football player, coaches – anyone related in any way to the spectacle on television – were fair game.  As it turned out Cory (the cop, not the fiddle player) got all the faces correct but one.  He just couldn’t figure out the quarterback of the Rams.  Of course, the photo made him look like a movie star.  Then there were the Bingo games.  Three options this year.  The easy, generic version, with answers found relating to commercials and football.  The middle of the road version, with commercials being cited.  And the all-new, most difficult version with company logos instead of actual words, kind of a visual verse version of bingo.  James smoked everyone with the first Bingo.  He then drew a super bowl advertiser’s name from a bag and received something that advertiser advertises.  He was one of the lucky ones.  He won a big old bag of Doritos.  Cory (again, the cop, not the fiddler) actually picked up wins in the full card Bingo and the trivia games.  The advertisers he drew?  Colgate, which garnered him a brand new tube of toothpaste.  And Avacados from Mexico, which reaped none other than … not one, but TWO avacacados.  Several other winners took home the eight-pack of Pepsi and the cans of Pringles and the can of Peanuts. 

All in all, I would say the night was a success.  After everybody left and we got the house cleaned up, we even watched some of that new show, The World’s Best.  Glorified version of America’s Got Talent.  Odd that the show ended with the escape artist trapped inside a cube of water and eerie music playing and close-ups of celebrity judges’ horrified faces.  You have to wait until Wednesday to find out what happens.  Yeah … nope.  Not impressed. 

Psalms 139:1-4 says, “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.”

Father, thank you for the friends who joined us last night.  May the fellowship work your magic and develop intimacy among the Body of Christ.  Amen.

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