Catholic Schools Week Madness

This week, Oddwalk is lucky enough to be booked into a bunch of schools and one parish for Catholic Schools Week. Our travels take us first to Mid-Missouri and then to Southern Illinois.

This year's CSW theme is "Catholic Schools: The Good News in Education". Here's our crazy week:


-Monday, January 29 - St. Peter School, Jefferson City, MO
-Monday, January 29 - St. Andrew School, Tipton, MO
-Wednesday, January 31 - Queen of Peace School, Belleville, IL
-Thursday, February 1 - Immaculate Conception School, Columbia, IL
-Thursday, February 1 - Immaculate Conception Parish, Columbia, IL
-Friday, February 2 - St. Andrew School, Murphysboro, IL
-Friday, February 2 - St. Mary School, Belleville, IL

Please join us in praying for these students and parishioners this week.

National Kazoo Day

Our friends at Popple are gearing up for a very important day, NATIONAL KAZOO DAY! This world-changing event will be celebrated on Sunday, January 28, 2007. According to the website for National Kazoo Day:

In 1983, while browsing through Readers Digest, Chaplain Rahn saw a note
on National Tuba Day. If tubas, why not kazoos?
Chaplain Rahn and the Joyful Noise Kazoo Band decided
to DO something and establish National Kazoo Day.
Unfortunately the oldest kazoo band in the world (average age 88.6666)
initially had some difficulty making their voices heard.
They were wisely referred by "How To Kazoo" author Barbara Stewart
to the Associated Press , which had no hearing problem whatsoever
-- and the rest is kazoo history.

Oddwalk intends to celebrate in the usual way.

Speaking of haircuts...

Over at pitterpatters, there's an opinion gathering as to whose hair Fu Rao's here most resembles: Elvis, Bart Simpson, and the North Korean dictator guy are among the candidates. Check it out!

So, Erin got a haircut

Orin's wife Erin, that is, and she may or may not be so happy about how it turned out:




She's not exactly sure how it happened, actually. Orin thinks it involves aliens. Or penguins. Maybe the CIA?

Neil Diamond is our friend

Are you?

Today!

Um... Er... Um... Well... Really??

We know you want to order this... so (but be forwarned, read the reviews first), click here for Amazon's page.

Introducing Maia Lauren Puckett

Yesterday morning, Becca Puckett (sister of Erin Cerneka) gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Maia Lauren. Becca and baby are doing well. You can read about it at the Cerneka Family Adventures blog. Oddwalk would like to extend congratulations to Becca, her husband Andy, and their new daughter, Maia.

A Rockin' Birthday

Oddwalk would like to wish our friend Ricky a very happy birthday this coming Sunday. Shannon, Erin, and family traveled to Columbia, MO tonight to have dinner and hang out with Ricky's family and friends. It was quite the bash. It featured:

miniature guitar heros:



and bobbing for Noah's toys:



Happy Birthday Ricky!

Greg Hits Hollywood - Literally

Thanks again to Popple!

Toaster Amps?

I guess if Orin got a new keytar, Shannon could get one of these:

http://www.hottieamps.com/

Thanks to Cribbly for the link!

Rubot II

Orin knows how to solve a Rubik's Cube too, but not with such style and flair:

Best Laugh Ever

Make sure you get at least a couple minutes in:

Go Fightin' ...um...Verns?

This Saturday, Oddwalk was scheduled to do a presentation for 6-8th graders at St. Mary Catholic Church in Mt. Vernon, IL. The plans were going along just fine until the girls basketball team of St. Mary's Grade School turned into the Harlem Globetrotters. Their winning ways have placed them in the State Championship...on Saturday. Their appearance in this game marks the first time the girls basketball team has ever made it to the State Championship game.

After a lot of back and forth, trying to adjust start time of our show that evening, the decision was ultimately made to postpone the event. While Oddwalk is disappointed that we'll have to wait to bring our two-man circus to Mt. Vernon, we couldn't be happier for the girls. Congratulations!

Good Luck in the game on Saturday. We'll be praying for you!

An Ode to DCYC 2007

Diocese of Austin, TX DCYC, that is, as composed by the DCYC committee:

"Another day, and yet another year has past,
Oh, how I wish DCYC would forever last!
The musty smells of the crowded dance floor, the soggy sandwiches of a Saturday lunch,
Shannon & Orin from Oddwalk Ministries sure were a crazy bunch!
As we sang along to their songs and danced to the Matilda Gorilla,
I think it’s safe to say, nothing about this year could be called vanilla!"

Read the rest here!

The Simpsons, Anime-style

Originally here, found at Gene's blog:

Another Keytar in a Commercial!

This one for a new Mountain Doo drink, MDX. When you get to the MDX site, click the 2nd little square; advertising hilarity ensues.

Another SNL Keytar Sighting

On last saturday's SNL, as poorly photographed by Orin's Treo (did I mention I wanted an iPhone?): spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parmesan, playing a keytar (and a saxophone, and a tambourine). Whee! Appears to be a Casio AZ-1.

Such poor technique on the keytar though... *sigh*

Yes, Orin knows a little too much about keytars. More than he ever thought he would.

Prayers for Ministry

A friend of Oddwalk's, Fr. Ron Meyer, OMI visits rural parishes and attempts renewal programs within them. Orin has helped with one local to St. Louis before. Oddwalk understands what it's like to be "on the road for God" -- Fr Ron writes with this prayer request:

Dear Orin,
Greetings from the Motel 8 in Meridian, MS ... yes, Mississippi! I'm on
my way (from Lowell) to Texas for a series of Missions ... AND WE NEED
PRAYERS!

Not only will we have a smaller team than we planned, but we'll be
working mostly in Spanish (which I only learned to speak/understand a
month ago after two months in Mexico!) ... and we're being opposed by
those who don't like our Roman Catholic way of doing things. It's going
to be an uphill battle against the devil this time ... but one made
possible by the victory of Jesus Christ over evil and the graces
available to us through prayer and sacrifice. Your prayers (and the
prayers of anyone else you might be able to recruit among your many
'ODDWALK' associates) are very important in this effort.

God bless you for supporting us (a team of Oblate Clergy and Laity) as
we go about spreading God's Word, under Mary's care and protected by
the Saints and Angels who enjoy one another in God's presence. Remember
us especially when you find yourself in the presence of the Blessed
Sacrament. We'll return the favor during our daily hour before the
Eucharist.

On the Road for God ... about 350 miles East of Houston TX
Fr. Ron Meyer, OMI

The Crowd or the Cross / We Will Go, Lord

The end of our last keynote, Austin TX, January 7, 2007:



(last clip for a while, we promise)

Teenagers in my Car

Again, recorded at the Austin, TX diocesan youth conference, January 7, 2007:

Oddwalk: Stayin' Alive

Karaoke at the Diocese of Austin TX Youth Conference, January 6, 2007:



We might note that this video is completely unedited.

The passing of a keytar

Sunday morning, Orin's keytar, the Yamaha SHS-10, blew a key, the G right in the middle of the keyboard. Repair and resuscitation attempts have proved futile.

Right in the middle of "Get It Together" the keytar key snapped off. In an attempt to reattach it later, half of the keys became non-functional. Alas, the keytar has passed. It will be kept for sentimental reasons and possibly for pictures and marketing purposes...

However, while it could never be replaced, a new keytar is on the way - yes, an actual, honest-to-goodness new keytar, a Roland AX-7, pictured here:



Should arrive in about a week. Woo!

Sorry, Beloved Treo

Orin needs an iPhone!

(View the keynote demo of it here!)

Tell us how you really feel.

“Shannon Cerneka and Orin Johnson of Oddwalk Ministries are impressive Catholic artists and performers: energetic, entertaining, and exciting. They were keynote speakers and workshop presenters for our annual weekend diocesan Catholic youth ministry conference and did an absolutely fantastic job! Oddwalk Ministries provides lots of fun, laughs, and humor as they ‘work’ the crowd. They are Catholic young men who are theologically solid, pastorally relevant, and spiritually attuned to the young church, which empowers adolescents and adults alike to continue to embark upon the journey of conversion, faith, and life.”

Art Canales, D. Min.,
Director, Office of Youth Ministry
Diocese of Austin, Texas

Winnie the Pooh?

What does Shannon's daughter Madeleine call the lovable creature you see here?

Click here to find out.

OddPlug for DJ Bill Lage

At NFCYM last December in Las Vegas:

Distorted Sense of Beauty

Thanks to our friends at Popple:

Our culture often feeds us a false sense of beauty. We often get confused into thinking that our natural looks aren't good enough. We think that God messed up.

This video has been floating around for awhile. Check it out.

Just Because...

We've added the full "Just Because You Can" from our CD "Little Steps" to the Gcast thingy on the blog, myspace, and main site. Enjoy!

Ramen Inventor Passes Away

Instant Ramen Inventor Dies at 96
The Yomiuri Shimbun

Momofuku Ando, inventor of instant ramen and founder and chairman of Nissin Food Products Co. in Osaka, died of a heart attack Friday. He was 96.

Quick Austin TX DCYC recap

" hey i went to dcyc. you guys are off the foshizzle. you 2 rock "

- posted by Boldy Going No Where on our myspace page.

We hope to have a full recap, pictures and - for the first time - some video soon - sit tight!

And for those curious, Erin is back home today! Yay!

Gene's Top Ten of 2006

See Gene's top ten blog posts of 2006 right here! Worth a visit.

Another Adoption Saga

You may recall Oddwalk's friends Brad and Joia's adoption tales at this blog. Orin and Erin's friends Jason and Corinne are going through much the same process right now, and today saw their first pictures of their new daughter. Read more here!

365 Churches in 365 Days

Check out our friend David Heimann's incredible global pilgrimage here!

Cerneka Christmas Fun

Here are some pictures of Shannon's family during Christmas.


Noah and Madeleine hanging out in their Christmas PJs:



Madeleine really is happy to be with Santa. We're not sure what happened here:



Homer is overcome with Christmas joy:



Shannon's (trying to be) Holy Family:



We hope you and your family enjoyed a Merry Christmas. We wish you many blessings during 2007 and beyond!