Sunday St Charles blues

It's been three weeks since Sunday morning classes ended at First Baptist. I am amazed how isolated I feel.

A Big ROH Weekend

I'm really looking forward to what direction ROH goes (deeper talent roster) and a big answer comes this weekend. On Friday, ROH returns to Dayton, OH for Survival of the fittest. I have to be honest, I've never done well at predicting these singles matches followed by the 6-corner survival. Although I did correctly pick Eddie Edwards to win last year. Here are my predictions (winners highlighted in bold).

Champions Challenge
Davey Richards & Jay Lethal vs World's Greatest Tag Team

Singles Action
El Generico vs Steve Corino

SOTF Qualifying Matches
Rhett Titus vs. Roderick Strong with Truth Martini

Eddie Edwards vs. "The Prodigy" Mike Bennett

Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The Bravado Brothers

Kenny King vs. Michael Elgin vs. Adam Cole vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Andy "Right Leg" Ridge

Finals
Rhett Titus vs Kenny King vs Jay Briscoe vs Mark Briscoe vs Mike Bennett vs Kyle O' Reilly

Top 3 picks
1) Kenny King
2) Kyle O'Reilly
3) Michael Elgin

I definitely think the winner either comes from the 4-corner survival or the Edwards vs Bennett contests.

And one night later, Ring of Honor's tenth annual Glory By Honor event comes to Chicago. I will, of course, be in attendance, skipping Rangers vs Canadiens and a Willow Creek Church singles event.

ROH World Title Match
Davey Richards vs. El Generico

World Tag Team Title Match
Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas vs. The All Night Express (Kenny King & Rhett Titus)

Proving Ground Match
World TV Champion Jay Lethal vs. Roderick Strong with Truth Martini

Tag Team Challenge Match
Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The Young Bucks

Special Challenge Match
"Die Hard" Eddie Edwards vs. Kyle O'Reilly

Singles Action
Jimmy Jacobs with Steve Corino vs. “The Dominant Male” Tommaso Ciampa with The Embassy

Four Corner Survival
Adam Cole vs. “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin vs. “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett vs. Grizzly Redwood

Better to cut ties

There are pivotal moments in everybody's social life. It can be a conversation, an event, a happening, whatever, and as that event happens, we know that someone has either become a close friend or that they are drifting away. And then there are times where relationships get severed.

So I wrote one or two angry facebook status updates on the disgrace that the New York Jets put on. And this morning, I get a fb message from my old buddy CB. Now CB and I go back a few a years. I have known him five years this December, to be exact. I've always thought he had a good head on his shoulders. He's organized ultimate frisbee soccer. He's excellent at engaging non-believers in discussions about faith, something that I would like to be better at. He made a significant contribution to my Kentucky missions trip last year as well. And I will not forget any of those things.

But just over a year ago, he started dating MR. And I knew MR for a few months prior, I think it was Memorial Day at the house near Josef's Deli when I met her. We shared a nice conversation that day over a game of bags. I was somewhat interested in her, I'm not going to shy away from that. I had considered asking her out, but she was going to a different church, so I really wasn't able to spend much time with her. And I guess I didn't want to appear too aggressive. So I decided to just be nice whenever she came around.

Next thing I knew, it was Labor Day 2010. The Mets got embarrassed by the Cubs, what else is new? I drove straight from the North Side to the intersection of Fabyan Parkway and 25 in Geneva, which took almost 90 minutes. There was ultimate frisbee soccer and a cookout. Much to my surprise, I found out she and CB had been together for a few weeks. And I guess it never cooled down, even to this day.

I was caught a bit off guard, so I decided to keep my distance from MR, not so much CB. I was still hanging with Chris twice a week, on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. But I didn't understand why MR took a few weeks to accept my friend request on fb; I thought that was strange. CB even confronted me about if I had a problem with their relationship. Now I was just his casual friend, so why he would ask me that, who knows? I told him I just didn't understand the fb delay. I guess that was true, but it wasn't the complete truth.

So, it went on for a year. I didn't really care for the sight of them together, but I dealt with it. And CB and I remained friends, so I thought, while MR was the one person in all of Come Thirsty who acted as if I didn't even exist. And so this past week, I saw 37 engagement photos of them up on fb. I've already ranted on the foolishness of this idea; I'm not going into it again.

Then around 1:30 pm, I get a message from CB that both he and MR have decided to defriend me from fb due to my language on Sunday night. The funny thing is CB confronted me about the last time I wrote anything with profanity back in January. And he ripped into me like I had just committed murder. It's so funny how he didn't respond to anything I wrote in the following ten months. So I find it somewhat amusing that both of them decide to do this to me simultaneously like I'm this pervasive negative influence on society. I'm sure I won't get an invitation to their wedding, but I'd just as soon disinvite myself first.

I am a human being. I feel many different emotions at different times. I'm not scared to express myself. And if someone's expectation of me to be their friend is to live a perfect life, to be a robot void of anger or loneliness or fear, well, I'd just as soon stay away from that type of person. I guess neither of them have ever screwed up in the last year, so what the hey, I guess they must be perfect for each other.

One more wrinkle. CB is coming to Feasting and Fellowship on Wednesday night for the first time in maybe two months. It's the group's 2-year anniversary. I don't really plan to say anything to him outside of the text we will be examining. We'll see what happens.

Jets vs. Patriots live blog

Was going to drink Sam Adams Oktoberfest tonight, but then I remembered it is brewed in Massachusetts. Brooklyn Pilsner instead...

7:31: Kickoff to McKnight. Takes it to the 32. That crowd is crazy!

7:38: The Jets passing game looked amazing. But the Pats bend, don't break. And Nick Folk blows a 24-yard field goal attempt. Are you kidding me?

7:45: The defense decided not to show up initially. Chad OchoCinco actually made a catch. They do stop New England eventually. But Kyle Wilson drops a sure INT on 3rd down and Gostowski drills a 50-yard field goal. 3-0.

7:56: Drive stalls at midfield Sanchez overthrows a receiver by 50 feet. Terrible punt on top of it. This is looking terrible.

8:01: 53 yards to Ocho Cinco. I am beside myself.

8:03: Field goal. 6-0.

8:08: Sanchez sacked by Andre Carter, who was not even blocked. First quarter over and this is looking like SOJ.

8:13: The Jets convert a 3rd and 17...only to have it overturned on offensive pass interference. That asshole Edelman pulls of a 16-yard punt return. Amazing how bad this is.

8:19: 3 and out and the 3rd INT dropped. The offense better get going and quick.

8:23: Burress with a fine diving catch over the middle for a first down. The offense is showing the ability to move the ball, but if you don't get points...

8:24: The offensive line sucks tonight. Andre Carter looks like Lawrence Taylor.

8:32: Punt down to the 7-yard line. 3 and out. Kerley does nothing with the return. Time to go to work. 7:34 left in the second quarter. Oh BTW, 10-yard penalty on the Jets. Penalties, missed coverages, dropped INT's, the missed field goal. God help us.

8:40: Sacked again. This offense continues to suck against the worst defense in football. Punt to the 8.

8:44: Safety! Jamaal Westerman slams Mr. Overrated in the end zone! 4:44 to go.

8:47: Joe McKnight has no burst whatsoever. The toe is clearly bothering him. Cromartie should return in the second half. Devin McCourty injured his right shoulder and likely will not return. A very thin NE secondary is only getting more vulnerable. But the o-line must protect Sanchez.

8:50: Tomlinson with a big 16-yard run up the middle. Down to the NE 32. 2:30 left in the half.

8:51: Patrick Turner (Who?) 22 yards over the middle. They're at the NE 10! Two-minute warning.

8:54: On 2nd down, Keller catches a pass at the 3. So it's 3rd and goal from the 2. I would run it here. Time out.

8:56: Four WR and Greene. Sanchez in the shotgun and runs it in! TD Jets! 9-6!

9:03: Welker and Gronkowski embarrass the defense. Eric Smith with a hideous 15-yard face mask penalty.

9:07: That fucker Gronkowski. 13-9 New England. I am in a horrible mood right now.

9:29: 3 and out. But Gronkowski could have made that sideline catch though. Jim Leonhard returns this punt...and not for much. I'll be stunned to see McKnight again tonight.

9:32: Jets start on their own 45. Very good field position. Three straight incompletions. WTF.

9:36: David Harris with a huge open field tackle. Joe Fucking McKnight fumbles the punt. They are giving everything away.

Into the cold

Well the days of the high temperature not reaching 40 have arrived. Let's bullet it today.

1) Whose Facebook is so embarrassing that they post zero for a month and then throw up 37 engagement photos? MR. I understand wedding photos? But who gives a rat's ass about an engagement photo? What makes it distinctive than any other photo in the park, on the beach, or wherever?

2) Jamey Johnson. Awesome singer/songwriter.

3) Sunday morning at First Baptist are over. I went back to Wheaton Bible Church today and it was good to be back. I brought Pastor Bugh's book, "When the Bottom Drops Out" and I'm excited to read it.

4) Mom leaves tomorrow for another tour, this one to exotic Branson, MO. That'll be the last one for a while. Unfortunately, she gets home Thursday night, right at the same time the Jets are playing the Broncos. Yep, I'll be DVR'ing.

5) The Rangers have won six straight games and I am feeling good about that. The new line of Gaborik, Anisimov, and Stepan has been generating a lot of offense. The power play is moving the puck very effectively and scoring at a respectable rate. At least it is not the albatross it has been for the last few years. And Ryan McDonagh looks like he will be a fixture on defense for 10 years. If only Marc Staal was healthy...

6) Went to the Improv last night and saw Chris Porter perform. Kind of a bitter observational comic. A little more blue language than I needed. Some parts were funny, some just weren't. Decent job, just not anyone I'd pay to see. And my ginger peach decaf tea cost 6 bucks! By comparison, I could have had two beers for $8!

7) Grilling Guy Fieri Bloody Mary flank steak from Costco. Should be interesting...

8) Work is moving back to Hoffman Estates next Monday. The shorter commute is certainly good for me, except on Wednesdays. But there is that 12-9 shift that is rearing its very ugly, beastly head. And this job better not turn into a call center...

9) 34 days till Los Angeles. 38 days till San Diego. 54 days till New Orleans.

10) 2:30 till Jets vs Patriots. A win tonight and the Jets claim sole possession of first place in the AFC East. Now is the time!