(This is a quick announcement of a new MBIP page. Last year I did advertising to help cover the costs of the blog and I really thank the businesses that participated. I was going to try it again this year, but between trying to sell ads and then doing the billing and paper work, I realized it’s just too much time and a big hassle I don’t want to deal with. If you enjoy this blog and would like help out, please click here and read about how you can do that. Okay, enough of this dribble-drabble, on with the second coming of MBIP!)
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Is anybody out there? I’m hoping MBIP hasn’t been forgotten by everybody because we are back, Jack! If you’re reading this, thanks for being patient and for returning after the three month hiatus. I had an interesting three months and will be writing about that down the road, but for today’s welcome back post, I’m posting pictures from the first annual MBIP Summer Bowling Party that happened last Saturday night at St. Ann’s Church. It was a blast and you can share in the fun by scrolling down and checking out the photos from the party. Thanks to everyone who came to the party and thanks to all of you who are reading this. We’re back with new posts on a daily basis every day except Sunday, our day of rest and day-drinking! Cheers, beers and puppeteers!
Alright, here we are at St. Ann’s Bowling Alley in the back of the church. The bowling alley is in the basement, so let’s head on down.
Wow, the first thing I see is a classic pinball machine! I’ll take that as a good sign!
Just opposite the pinball machine is a pool table with a nice beer lamp hanging overhead. This place looks so cool! Hey, check out the table over there...
I brought the MBIP letters that I got from Julie’s Corner Store a couple of years ago.
There’s tables in the front room in front of the bowling alley...
And behind them is the bar! This place is so great!
This is Ron and Kathy, they’re going to be working the bar and taking care of the place tonight. They’re both really great and cool people and Ron recognized me from the blog, which is always nice! We had a nice time hanging out before the party officially got underway.
Here’s the four bowling lanes, this whole place is just such a hidden gem in Peoria. And anyone can rent it out, I’ll have more information about that later in this post. This is why I love doing MBIP, discovering places like this!
I love the old school look here at the end of the lanes where the pins are housed.
Meanwhile, back at the bar...
Check out this classic cash register! I love antique cash registers and this one is beautiful! And I like the Busch sign on top of it too!
There’s bowling trophy’s behind the bar and this one is so classic! A 1953 bowling pin trophy. How cool is that? Cool as the gang, my friends!
Check out the in-house boombox. We’re going to party like it’s 1989! I brought some CD’s from The MBIP World Headquarters and of course Joan Jett is on the top of the stack where she belongs! Everyone else is beneath her, literally! All hail Joan Jett!
Snacks!
More snacks! All we need now is some people!
And poof, here they are! I love it when this happens! Let’s go say hi to some of the guests...
Here’s MBIP wheelman, Scott Turley with his lovely wife, Moonbaby. You’ll be seeing more of Scott tomorrow, stay tuned!
Ha! I was really happy to see my old buddy, Jim “Butch” Borho showing up at the party. We’ve got quite the history together, especially when Jim, myself and my brother Jim all lived at Cannes Lane apartments! Crazy times and it was fun recalling some of them again. And check out the classic Blackhawks Stanley Cup t-shirt that Jim is sporting, nice!
Here’s MBIP semi-regulars and friends, Michelle and Todd looking fantastic as always! They’re having a patio party soon and of course that’ll be seen right here on MBIP!
Great to see MBIP Contributing Writer, Chip and his pretty wife Jenny at the party. They haven’t been on the blog since life was a Cabaret!
Here’s two more familiar faces and good friends, Joe and Danielle from ASDC! Danielle’s looking pretty as a picture as always and if you’re a patient at ASDC, there’s a patient appreciation day party on Monday, June 15th. Click here for all the information on that toothy party. Joe teaches school and has the whole summer off from work! I’m jealous, but the fact that he followed me back on Twitter that day made everything all okay again!
MBIP pal, Amber stopped by with Joe and Danielle, but she wasn't in the mood to have her picture taken. Earlier in the day she lost her greatest companion and friend of 14 years, Tweak. May he rest in peace. He'll be greatly missed by anyone who had the lucky pleasure to have met him. Thanks for making the effort to come to the party, Amber. Tweak will be missed and remembered fondly.
Always great to see Roxy and Greg and look forward to hanging out with them at The Heart of Illinois Fair this year. KISS guitarist and singer, Ace Frehley is going to be appearing and rumor has it that we’ll have backstage access and be able to get some photos of him. Stay tuned and get tickets here before it sells out!
Okay, this made my evening, Brian and Courtney Hennessey! Brian’s the youngest son of my friend Tim and he’s my Godson. Yes, I am his Godfather, so if anyone messes with either one of these two they sleep with the fishes! So good to see both of them, if you don’t remember, we blogged about these two on their wedding day and it’s one of my favorite posts!
And here’s another friend from back in the day, John Ingles who worked on POP magazine with me all those years ago! Check out the Smiley Graphix t-shirt! If you have any graphic needs, that’s the place to call on!
Here’s the official MBIP microwave chef and friend, Jon, with Danielle who’s showing off her index finger!
More people have shown up and the party is in full swing! Woo, hoo, foo and glue!
This is too cool, two generations of really good friends of mine! That’s Tina on the left, the mother of the aforementioned and pictured Godson, Brian and the Stokowski family. That’s Pat and Sheila to the left and Moon and Chris to the right. So happy they all came to the party and it was great to see all of them again!
We’ve seen Tina, we’ve seen Brian and now one of my very best friends since we’ve been about 13-years-old, Tim Hennessey literally comes into the picture posing with Danielle and Moon, who apparently got his beer dosed with some kind of weirdness. And look, Danielle’s showing off her index finger again! Sheesh! Don’t get me wrong, I love Danielle and she’s one of the greatest people in the world, but I think I’m going to get a hacksaw and saw that goddamned finger off, because, quite frankly, I’m tired of her showboating it in pictures! Yeah, it’s a pretty index finger, but enough is enough!
Holy freaking moley it’s, MBIP pal, Stacy Peterson (second from right, looking cute as a button in her red-striped shirt) showed up with a large group of people and it turns out she’s formed an Electric Light Orchestra cover band and these are the members of the band. I love that ELO!
The bowling shoes are located behind the bar...
And bowling balls are back here in this side room. So let’s start bowling people!
Wow, they do whatever I tell them to do! What a great group of people! I love it!
Here’s a guy I’ve been friends with since grade school, Chris Cassidy. He’s also the guy responsible for and runs the yearly Summer Camp Festival. Chris, Moon and I lived in a house on Douglas and Russell right off Main Street in 1980 and that was quite a year from what they tell me. I was such a drunken, drugged up mess it’s a little bit of a fog for me. One of the best memories for me that I do recall is Chris and I having a really serious discussion at about three in the morning about going to an all night Kroger’s store and buying meat and hanging it from the ceiling. I have no idea how we’re still alive!
He’s Mr. and Mrs. Pool Party! These two have had summer pool parties for years and invite my brother, Tom and I’ve never been invited. Look at them laughing at me and mocking me when I told them this! Damn them all to hell!
She’s a pinball wizard! Stacy is making those buzzers and bells go wild!
Here’s Tim and Gavra showing up outside. Gavra gave me a really nice card and an Annie LIebowitz postcard and made a donation to the beer fund for the night and that was really nice and sweet of her to do! She’ll be playing at the Tartan Inn on June 11th and I’m going to be doing a post from there. So, yeah, stay tuned for that!
I was really happy to see my friends, Mike, Beth and Jessica Flores at the party! Thanks to Jessica who had to be forced to be in this photo! Wonderful to see you guys!
This was a nice suprise, Roxy is flanked by Jim and Kriss and while I never blog about work, Jim and I indirectly work with each other sometimes!
Now the party is complete! Legendary West Peorian, Bad Brad showed up and is pictured here with Michelle and Todd!
Maybe 18 beers on an empty stomach wasn’t the best of all ideas! Thanks so much for everyone who showed up and to Ron and Kathy for being excellent bartenders and helping out to run the party. If you’d like information on renting this wonderful place out for a party (and the rates are unbelievably inexpensive) check out the link below. Thanks for coming back and reading and we’ll see you all tomorrow!
St. Ann’s Bowling Alley
1010 S. Louisa Street
Peoria
309-673-9511
Related post: A Pause For The Cause.
Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!
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Bonus Art From Jaws The Cabbie!
Jaws the Cabbie sent in this art to go along with his comment. Ha! Thanks, Jaws!
