I recently pulled a study Bible off the shelf that I used to use before I got the Bible I use now. I opened it up to discover this rather humorous note. I have no idea who wrote it and put it there or when it was done, but it was good for a laugh.

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8 March 2010 note: I had a professor in college who, for our American history class, thought it would be fun to go outside on a nice spring day and shoot a pellet gun at a target to really get into the context of the American West. If nothing else, it was a lot of fun.

The red circle was my first shot (click picture to enlarge and see). Almost as good as the American cowboys and gunslingers we were learning about. I'm no Annie Oakley, though.

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Well, the boys trying to set the record for watching TV the longest in a restaurant have succeeded. Here's the story from the Grand Rapids Press.

Tuned-in teens beat Guinness mark for non-stop TV watching
Thursday, August 19, 2004
By Tricia Woolfenden
The Grand Rapids Press

This gives a whole new meaning to the term "must-see TV."

In an attempt to set a Guinness World Record, Chris Dean, 16, and Mike Dudek, 17 -- both of Grand Rapids -- spent more than two consecutive days awake and watching television at the International House of Pancakes, 3796 Alpine Ave. NW.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, the high school seniors logged in 52 hours of constant viewing time, surpassing the Guinness mark of 50 hours and seven minutes.

"We've got a record under our belts," said Dudek, a senior at Creston High School.
Confirmation of the record could take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, said Dean, a senior at Northview High School, because documentation must be sent to Guinness.

Locally, the teens set up a TV in the restaurant's smoking section, where staff, friends and onlookers peeked in with curiosity. According to rules set by Guinness, Dudek and Dean were required to remain awake, with their eyes on the television screen at all times. They were given a five-minute break every hour, and trips to the restroom were permitted only during a 15-minute break, every eight hours.

In addition, the two had to complete their task in a public place and keep a log book and video documentary of their activities. They dined exclusively off the IHOP menu -- taking occasional shots of maple syrup -- because outside food was not permitted.

Dean and Dudek set up their viewing station at IHOP because it is open 24 hours a day and the management was willing to participate. The staff was helpful to the pair and was "entertained" by the process.

"It's a strange thing to want to do," said Virgil Sandberg, a waiter at IHOP. "It's probably one of the strangest things I've ever seen here."

Dean's parents, Gordon and Brenda Dean, helped document the event and said they were proud of their son's unorthodox achievement.

"He has to be good at something, this is just as well," Gordon said. "He set a goal and reached it."

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The Scene: The IHOP Restaurant, 3796 Alpine Ave. NW, Comstock Park, MI 49321
The Position: Corner booth adjacent to the smoking section
On the Table: A menu, decaf coffee pot, several pancake toppings (boysenberry, blueberry, butter pecan, and strawberry), as well as the usual assortment of sugar, salt, and pepper
On the Radio: "Slow Down, Take it Easy" (?), presumably by a band something like AC/DC or Led Zeppelin

4:10pm -- I had come to the restaurant to work on an article for the first issue of Redeemer's student newspaper, The Crown. My girlfriend was to work the 4-9pm shift, though she doubted she would work the full hours, as Monday's prove to be slow. I decided, that in addition to writing the article, I'd simultaneously do a little sociological study (at least, I guess that's what you'd call it), and write a short story for pleasure. My idea was to sit here and look busy, but at the same time listen in on random conversations to see what kind of things people say, or just observe what they do. At this point, there is only one table near me with people in it, African-American fellow with two little kids deciding on what they should eat. "Look at me, and tell me what you want. Do you want fries?" The little boy whimpers and doesn't give a straight answer. Meanwhile the little girl continuously ducks under the table to look for something, presumably a dropped crayon.

4:29pm -- The little African-American boy is crying as his father gets them up to leave. "I don't want these shoes!" He had taken off his shoes earlier I assume, and it must have been out of disgust, though they looked half-decent to me.

4:34pm -- I was just informed that there is a group of three boys in the corner of the smoking section who are attempting to set a world record for watching TV the longest in a restaurant. They are trying for three days of straight watching (good thing IHOP is a 24-hour restaurant). They have 2 days, 22 hours and 25 minutes remaining.

4:47pm -- An employee of the restaurant, just starting his shift, asked me if I was part of the group of boys watching TV. I replied no, and he answered me with, "Oh, so just chillin'." Yep, just chillin.

5:09pm -- An older couple just came in. The waitress took their order, and she told them what type of vegetables they had once the couple had asked. At this point, the old woman proceeded to give the waitress a run-down on why she couldn't eat certain type of vegetables. Then she explained how her hashbrowns had to be done to a very specific shade of brown. The waitress must have been standing there for ten minutes. But hey, I guess if you can only eat things certain ways, they ought to know it.

5:56pm -- Just finished my dinner. The IHOP burger with bacon and cheese is highly recommended. The restaurant is quite a bit busier now, and I have one group of three women sitting at the table just across from me. It's behind a divider, but I can probably still hear them. Most of the people coming in are asking about the boys in the corner watching TV, and many either grin or chuckle when they hear about their record-breaking attempt.

6:11pm -- Why do three women together always equal lots of laughing? What do they talk about? They're not talking loud enough for me to hear them.

6:38pm -- The boys watching TV continue to do so, but beneath their countdown clock, they have written, "Screw the Germans, and ummm…please give us your money." I noticed they were watching the Olympics. 2 days, 20 hours, and 22 minutes remaining.

6:53pm -- A new couple coming in has just asked about what the boys in the corner are doing, and when they were told, the man broke into rather loud fits of seemingly uncontrollable laughter. A little annoying. Apparently the boys get 20% discount on food.

7:02pm -- Okay, this experiment has worn out its fun. I'm calling it quits here. I'm obviously not meant to be a sociologist, even though I do enjoy watching people, but not if I have to make notes on it. Plus the waitresses aren't sitting anyone near me. And there still can't be more than 20 people in here. So this is it. Thanks for visiting IHOP.

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