Weary in the middle

This was one of those lunches I desperately wish I could do over again. Six wasted dollars. An Italian beef sandwich with mozzarella and hot peppers from the deli at work. The thinly sliced beef tasted very grainy, no juice or gravy to speak of. And I like the taste of hot giardinera as much as anyone, but these peppers were so hot, that I can still feel the flame filling up my stomach.

So it is now Friday night, around 10 pm and I had a great blackened salmon for dinner. I mention that because Mom brought this buffalo mac and cheese to go with it. I don't know, despite what Dave Delp told me about how good that dish is, I would not get it again. It was just so hot, like just plain hot cheddar cheese. Although some chicken might help it. On that note, I'm now gorging on pretzels and peanut butter. My favorite crave junk food combo going back to high school. Maybe not the best idea, considering I have to wake up on Saturday morning at 5:30 to do the Ride For Refugees. I hear I'll be an intersection coordinator. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I am looking forward to it.

Then in the afternoon, comes my first bachelor party ever. And I think this is the first time I have played Whirlyball in five years. That was with Wheaton Bible Church. I remember Geddes being there. And it was my one date with Taylor. She was kinda cool, but I guess dating someone from work brings on a lot of unnecessary complications. I know she started dating someone else within a month of that day. And with my history, she probably married the boy. But that's all well and good.

I have one week until I leave for Jasper County, Kentucky and I can't believe how fast this is approaching. I'm not too nervous, I am excited, I guess it doesn't seem like it is approaching so soon. Maybe I should start some packing this weekend. Meanwhile, I am watching Coal Miner's Daughter...

I feel pretty good about the New York Jets after three games. I'm pretty sure they will beat Buffalo on Sunday as long as they don't turn the ball over or take penalties. Play a solid fundamental game, and that should really be enough to win a third straight division game.

Omar, Jerry, goodbye. Don't let the door hit you in your rear ends on the way out.

Maranatha: Round 2-Days 2 & 3

I woke up around 7:45 to the sound of heavy rain beating on the roof. It was not expected to start falling until noon, so this was a very unwelcome surprise. Still feeling beat up, I played "Whipping Post" on the stereo. I headed over to the gym and since I could not access the weight room, I shot baskets. I think Jerome James has a higher shooting percentage than I do. I then spent a half hour reading my Kentucky trip journal before heading back to Cambodia for devotion time. Wax paper and honey. After about a half-hour of indecision, we all went to the gym, where we played volleyball and basketball for a while. For volleyball, Frank and Strait just would not pass. I think in three games, we had maybe one respectable volley where teamwork was involved. After trying some set passes, and realizing there would not be a lot of spiking, I realized hitting back and forth was the safest way to go. Matt, Carl, and I spent about 10 minutes trying to sink half-court shots, before I finally banked one in.

Strait and I became fans of the matching La-Z-Boys recliners in the living room. We spent a few hours on those chairs talking about everything from food to work to history. And we broke out into many random songs like "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and Lukenbach, Texas". Not sure anyone else in Cambodia knew what we were singing about. For lunch, we rain-grilled. Very good chicken breasts, along with the worst frozen burgers I have ever had. I think we talked about bacon for 10-15 minutes too. And it came up several more times that day. At the end of the day, almost every topic in the world could probably be traced back to bacon. Kinda like the six steps to Kevin Bacon.

J-Schu's 2 pm sun theory was absolutely dashed. Even though the rain had stopped by 1:30, it was gray clouds as far as we could see. I don't think any blue sky was spotted all day. Nevertheless, while the latecomers went touring, Chris, Carl, Strait, and I played mini-golf on a course that had not exactly drained. Eight of the nine holes were not holes, they were puddles. We sank a bunch of aces, including Strait who drained one on the long hole #7, following which he did this weird one-legged twirl hop-around. It was quite a cool moment. Chris won the first round and I won the second.

By 5 pm, we were not too hungry, so we headed straight to the prayer tower for some devotion town. It's almost like a treehouse; all wood, a few benches inside with some Bibles. No frills, just simple. The views were cool, I just wish we had some sunshine. Who knows how far into the distance we could have seen? Matt talked about re-charging. On the way back, Frank, Chris, Carl, and I took a different path. Somehow, we wound up back on the same path, so I guess we made a big semi-circle. Grabbed my only shower after getting back and it felt very refreshing. But with one bathroom for seven guys, I'm glad I brought my shower sandals. Meanwhile, the four ladies had two bathrooms. Dang, it's hard being a guy...

Dinner was mostacciolli with salad and garlic bread. I still don't know the difference between the mostaccioli noodle and the penne noodle. The former probably costs more because it's a much longer word. Anyway, I played Blokus for the first time and was not happy with my initial performance though I did do better the second time around. I think I went from 29 squares left down to 12. I bet I could have won with one or two more games. Moreso, I think Dad would have really liked playing that game. Then came a wild session of Catchphrase, which our group had not played in quite a few months. We played three rounds and now that I have watched the videos back, I realize Frank and I would just burst out laughing, sometimes for no reason. And Carl was sitting right between us, very stoic and poised. It was so cool. I could have stayed up for hours, but instead a few of us remained awake, and watched videos we'd shot and examined a few photos. I think it was myself, Strait, Dec, Christine, and A-Wall.

I woke up on Sunday around 8:20, giving me about 90 minutes before we were leaving for Unity Reformed Church. Thankfully, we woke up to sun, a moderate breeze, and a temperature around 65 degrees. Without time to hit the gym, I walked across the road, over the bridge, and down the hill to the bank of the river. I sat there and basically prayed for about 20 minutes.

We arrived at church and were reminded just how welcoming that group is. It's not too small, certainly not large, but there are events going on, and everyone seems to know everyone. I think I shook hands with 20 people, it really was very good. I wish more non-believers would somehow find their way into a church like this one. The pastor, who is originally from the Hinsdale, IL area, spoke about different kinds of pride. And the cookies tasted excellent too.

Then we headed to Logan's, where I took over the free jukebox. Played some Fogerty, some Croce, some Allman Brothers Band, some Marshall Tucker, some Kenny Rogers. Somehow, I found myself talking music with Danny Boy. Admittedly, I ribbed him a little bit during the weekend and he had snapped at me the previous night, but our common interest in older music did get us talking. The fact that he knew the story of the genesis of the Buffalo Springfield With Stephen Stills spotting Neil Young's hearse in LA really impressed me. I enjoyed my 16 oz ribeye, mashed potatoes, and broccoli quite a bit. Logan's does serve some good food, though the nearest one to me is located about 3 hours away.

We got back and Carl and I snuck in 10 quick minutes of tennis in our church clothes. It was a little silly, but we enjoyed it. I guess we left the site around 2:30. Though I was Matt's co-pilot, I yawned at least eight times and fell asleep for about 45 minutes or so. I guess I was pretty anxious to get home. I had left my car in Glendale Heights, so I drove Jenny and A-Wall back before finally heading home. I guess I got back in the door around 6 p.m., counting the hour we gained going back to CST.

One week later, it seems like a pretty distant memory. I guess life still tries to remain hectic even when I determine to slow down for a few hours or a few days.

A few late night thoughts

1) To uncletomthall, thank you for putting one of the best collections of country music I have ever seen up on Youtube. Pirates of the Mississippi, The Remingtons, Clinton Gregory, Lee Roy Parnell, George Ducas, Dean Dillon, Davis Daniel, Ken Mellons, the names go on and on.

2) Two/three more weeks of insanity at work. Then all this FFELP madness should be behind me. When it's over, they should owe me a lunch.

3) Night of Champions is this Sunday and I get to go. My dream scenario: Jets beat Patriots, Danielson and Sheamus win their matches.

4) The Bible teaches me to be content with what I have and I think that's a warning against greed. I recognize my gifts, but inside, I really do want more. My own place to live, a job that pays more cash, maybe a girl. But with all that stuff comes its own set of hassles. Funny, the irony of this world. It really is making more sense that when my priority is attaining the things of this world, I can never attain enough to keep me satisfied.

5) Mets have won three straight. But now Mejia has a strain in his pitching shoulder! These incompetent bastards!

6) God, please bless us in this house tonight. We need it so much. Amen.

Song pick: "I'm Holding My Own" Lee Roy Parnell

And the life you left behind has to led to lives I've never known.

Maranatha: Round 2-Day 1

Well, I am back in the dungeon. I started writing this Tuesday and five days later, I'm going to try to write this. It has been a hard week for me, physically and definitely mentally. I'd like to think the pain had produced some spiritual seeds, to use an analogy, that will make me stronger and sounder in my faith. But I don't think it's for me to judge. I hope people can see it and I hope the Lord thinks so too. I just wish it didn't take such cataclysmic events for it to take place.

Anyway, let's recap this year's Come Thirsty retreat. I arrived at J-Schu's house around 8:30 and was very surprised to see A-Wall there. Thought she was going to Florida with Candy, but I guess plans fell through. So after loading a ton of luggage in my Accord, we headed for Dec's house. Little did he know the jokes already started. In J-Schu's house, she referred to Matt Strait, who was also going with his gf. Jen, at one point, when trying to differentiate between the Matt's said "He's straight". I looked at her in disbelief before figuring out the last name pun. I was thinking if this Matt is straight, what does that make the other one?

Anyway, I rode with Dec and A-Wall while J-Shu rode with Matt and Christine into Michigan. Plenty of bonding time...We ate lunch at the same Panera as two years ago in Benton Harbor. Outside, they have this Family Style sculpture which looks like a terrified guy diving into a pack of dolphins. Not sure where the name come from, but we took a few snapshots anyway. The other Matt climbed into our car for the remaining ride. We quickly noticed the billboard for this creepy, cryptic-looking lawyer, Peter J. Johnson. He is balding slightly with medium0length dark blonde hair and a barely-visible thin mustache that is trying to decide if it wants to crawl back in his face and hide. About 20 minutes later, we saw a bumper sticker on an SUV that said
k2tog. Being the curious guy I am, I googled it on my Blackberry. It led me to an environmentally-conscious knitting shop in California. This was the mission statement:

"We believe in the power of knitting to create community and help others. Again and again, we have seen how knitting together, we can transform a frustration with the world into something useful, even beautiful."

After 15 minutes of non-stop laughing, we went through Grand Haven, which was filled with these wooden shoe shops. That reminded Dec of Teutopolis, IL, where their high school mascot is called the wooden shoes. They also have a great girls basketball town so I went to their wikipedia page and learned Teutopolis is 99.6% white and five state titles between 1986 and 2005. Amazing stuff. Matt played plenty of Casting Crowns and other Christian bands I cannot tell apart. It was pretty decent music, I must say. There was that one MercyMe song I heard the other day, I liked that. As we drove up the coast of Michigan on 31, we started getting squealing alerts from the other car. Except these went on for 10 minutes before we even arrived!

As we pulled up, I didn't notice anything too different. Same buildings, fields, colors, etc. After we checked in, we drove to Cambodia, our home building for the second straight time. Same uneven, rocky steps from the car to the door. I took the downstairs solo room once again, away from everyone else. As I was unloading luggage, I noticed M&C brought half a dozen tennis rackets. They agreed to play Amanda and I. Now I had not played tennis in 15 years maybe. And I know better than to ever get close to another tennis player. College memories. Although I did look sexy in that tennis halter top that night in Fenway Park... Took a while to get my feel back, but it didn't take me long to get my Sharapova grunt down. I did eventually knock down a few big serves. That came after knocking one or two over the fence and crashing left jaw first into the crossbar of the courts. I felt pain for several days afterwards, though I could still chew just fine. We eventually played a set and they took us in a close one 6-4. But I have to say, I enjoyed it.

After that, we took our tour. I weaseled my way into the mini-chapel and the group took some photos. We threw tennis balls around as we headed towards the beach. We weren't shocked to see the pool was locked, I guess they heard we were coming. The staff re-did the boardwalk while the firepit, playgrounds, rocking chairs, and volleyball court were all still in place. We walked up the stairs through the boardwalk the led through the woods. The bunny in the cage was gone, which was a shame. But wen went to the zip line and climbing wall before heading back towards the main part of the grounds. After Dec and I got back, we walked across the street to the bridge that ran over the river. Not many boats out, but a few cars whizzed by. We both noticed these huge spiderwebs on the bridges, about the size of dinner plates.

J-Schu prepared the chicken/potato casserole as Carl, Chris, and Frank pulled in, giving us 9 people in the house. We played "Would you rather?..." before dinner. I still can't remember how, but after dinner, a mixture of juggling/drumming broke out. Matt and J-Schu juggled tennis balls while I banged these ceramic salt and pepper shakers like they were maracas. Just one of those random moments that you know happened, but have no reason as to how or why.

The came a 4-hour marathon game of Qwelf. We had just started when Steph and Danny Boy showed up. Amazingly, no one faced any serious traffic during the 4-5 hour commute. Many classic moments, such as Chris saying "Excuse me, I feel a question coming on" about 30 times. But Strait stole the show. Irish jig dancing, beatboxing on his stomach, singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" in the style of a mad scientist. He is such a strait guy, pardon the pun, and to see him go along with the game, was really a fun moment. Daniel broke out into a black preacher/Fat Albert voice, J-Schu used Carl as her ventriloquist dummy and Frank stuffed ice down his pants.

By 12 am, I was done. I crashed and silently snuck downstairs and put on some music. Everything below my knees was aching. It didn't help that there was no window in my room, making breathing brutally hard. I guess a few people stayed up until 2 am and I have no idea how they did it.

2010 NFL predictions

AFC
East
1. Jets 11-5
2. Patriots 9-7
3. Dolphins 7-9
4. Bills 3-13

North
1. Ravens 12-4
2. Steelers 10-6
3. Bengals 8-8
4. Browns 4-12

South
1. Colts 12-4
2. Texans 10-6
3. Titans 6-10
4. Jaguars 3-13

West
1. Chargers 12-4
2. Raiders 8-8
3. Broncos 6-10
4. Chiefs 5-11

NFC
East
1. Cowboys 11-5
2. Giants 10-6
3. Eagles 8-8
4. Redskins 7-9

North
1. Packers 13-3
2. Vikings 10-6
3. Bears 7-9
4. Lions 4-12

South
1. Falcons 11-5
2. Saints 11-5
3. Panthers 5-11
4. Bucs 3-13

West
1. 49ers 10-6
2. Cardinals 8-8
3. Seahawks 6-10
4. Rams 4-12

AFC Divisional Playoffs
Ravens over Jets
Colts over Chargers

NFC Divisional Playoffs
Packers over Saints
Cowboys over Falcons

AFC Championship Game
Ravens over Colts

NFC Championship Game
Packers over Cowboys

Super Bowl
Packers over Ravens

Stunned and not stunned

By Sunday night, I finally reached the end of a very humbling situation. One that woke me up at 4:30 am on Sunday and required me to work and clean for a long time. Naturally, the Mets won the one game I did not attend in Chicago. And I was especially upset upon finding out around 8 p.m. that the Jets released fullback Tony Richardson, a 15-year veteran, who is one of their most noted and revered leaders. In fact, with the off-season releases of Thomas Jones and Alan Faneca, T-Rich may be considered their most notable leader on offense.

So Labor Day arrived and I was headed to work for a 6-hour shift. I woke up around 6:10, headed into the basement, sat at my desk, and flipped on the tube. Just my typical morning routine. I turn on ESPN Radio and I was absolutely dumbstruck at the caption on the bottom of my screen.

Jets and CB Darrelle Revis agree to 4-year contract.

With an empty house, I let out a huge tribal scream! The day prior, I had resigned myself that Revis would not suit up for at least the first two games of the season, if not longer. But the best defense in football has now added their best player and the best cover corner in the sport. The Super Bowl has now become a plausible goal again.

On the other hand, what I started to ponder about two weeks ago, then worry about a week ago, and then get aggravated about on Saturday, well, I guess it became official today. After all, it's on Facebook, so it's gospel truth. My typical horseshit luck in that department. What a waste.

Moving on, 5 quick hits.

1) I'm very excited for the CT retreat this weekend. Looking at the people going and comparing to what we had two years ago, I realize some things have to change over time.

2) At the same time, I have to miss a Kentucky meeting, Festival of the Vine, and the Ring of Honor PPV.

3) I am really in the mood for some Lucky Monk pizza. That spinach, San Marzano tomato, and goat cheese combo tastes so good...

4) I'm not much of a John Cena fan, but I thought he carried himself tremendously well in his interview with Boomer and Carton on the FAN today. He came across the airwaves as articulate, entertaining, and engaging. And his rap on Craig was priceless.

5) Itunes need to get with the program and get some Lee Roy Parnell music on there.

ABSOLUTE washout

Two more pathetic losses in that dump of a ballpark at the corner of Addison and Clark. Two more three-run homers. Mike Nickeas better haul his ass back to Buffalo. He can't hit and he can't hold on to the baseball. Luis Castillo still sucks. Ike Davis will be lucky to have a career on the level of Lyle Overbay. Mejia is just another hype on his way to failing, despite his "hellacious" curveball. Wright, Pagan, and Beltran hit the ball pretty well, so I will not get on them. But I was so miserable by Saturday, I took off in the sixth inning. I skipped out on meeting Dec's nephew as well as Cerrone and Berg from metsblog.com. And I really wanted to meet all of them. But after suffering this much, I could not bear to stay around. And this marks the first time I wanted to punch out a 7-year-old when I wasn't on an airplane. He would not stop yelling "Let's Go Cubbies!" My advice to him is simple. Learn the number 1908. You'll know it for decades on end. I did meet quite a few Mets fans from both in the city from the east. That was very cool. Always good to see Julie as well. Iowa football fans did not need to take over Merkle's though.

I know I should not care that much, I know this team is more dead than a 80-year-old milk. Yet I care. I seriously wish I could do my life over again so I could know zero about sports. Maybe I would be a man of the arts.

And Bernie officially takes the son of Ricky away... I shouldn't be shocked. She's so good with her stiletto...

I did score five goals at frisbee, including another trademark bomb from midfield. I mad sure to give Ricky's son a look after that one! Then again, I know the deal. It meant zero. That goal and a nickel gets me five cents.

So Glen Ellyn is also coming this weekend. The hits just keep on comin'!

Epilogue: Jim + Jeremiah + Corona + Sunset Wheat = A rough evening. Not doing that again.

NY recap

The alarm clock began buzzing at 3:30 AM, leaving me one hour to get ready to leave. We left the house almost on time and after weaving through 20 miles of orange road cones on 290 and 294 (Thank you Mr. President), we eventually boarded a 6:30 flight for LaGuardia Airport.

Two five-year-olds in the row were sitting right in front of me in the bulkhead row. Keep in mind both their parents were sitting across the aisle and two rows back. I think the airline should have had one parent sit with one child. So the boy and girl basically screamed at each other for all 2 hours and 15 minutes. Thank God for my headphones. As we walked past the security line at Newark, Mom recognized Judy, one of her old friends from San Diego, in the security line.

Dad pulled up outside the airport and we headed towards Manhattan. We had to deal with a lot of traffic on the Outerbridge, as three lines were merging into one. We drove through Jersey City and saw the Liberty Science Center as well as a great view of the side of the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline. The weather conditions could not have been much better: 85 degrees, the sky a magnificent shade of deep blue, and not a cloud to be spotted.

We took the Holland Tunnel into Manhattan and drove through Chelsea towards the Upper East Side. For lunch, we went to JG Mellon, an old restaurant/bar I saw on the Best Thing I Ever Ate as well as on Oprah's Top 20 Burger list. It's this old school bar, wooden interior with no TV's and about 15 or 20 tables. We sat outside on 74th and 3rd and I did a little bird-watching and noticed tons of dogs walking by. How could I miss them. Since the burgers cost $10 and the app's were a little pricey, we just went with burgers and two orders of cottage fries. Though the burgers weren't huge, they were thick. They came with a rick, thick cheddar cheese, coarsely chopped bacon (just 70 cents extra), very thinly sliced red onion, and dill pickle chips. Nothing else is really needed, though a slice of tomato would have been good too. The burger was incredible juicy, the roll was soft, yet held up very well, the cheese was melted, and a little dijon mustard made for an excellent burger experience. The sliced cottage fries were hot and crisp with a nice amount of chew on them. The one negative was there are no free refills on soft drinks. Though our server did mention that after we drank our firsts, that should be mentioned on the menu.

From there, we drove into midtown, towards 5th Avenue. We walked around Rockefeller Center,and saw Radio City Music Hall, the Ed Sullivan Theater, and the studios of CBS, FOX, SNY, and NBC (Conan tapings). We almost went into the observatory deck at Rockefeller, but for $21 a pop, that was a little bit too much. Besides, the view from the airplane that morning was pretty decent anyway.

Mom has a cruise tour coming up soon and the powers that be have arranged a formal evening. So we went to Anthropologie while she shopped, only to buy nothing at all. Meanwhile, I searched around the NHL Store and the new Jets team Store on Madison Avenue. At the latter, I thought about getting this green and black Jets polo shirt. But everything came in 3XL and 4XL. I guess they thought Rex was going to drop in any minute.

Around 3 p.m., we headed back to the parking garage, where we paid $33 to park for under three hours. We drove back through the Lincoln Tunnel into New Jersey, past the Meadowlands complex, and down Route 3. We continued shopping in New Jersey, which is smart, since you don't pay a sales tax in the state. Then again, we did go to the Short Hills Mall in Bridgewater, one of the bougiest malls in the country. Mom searched some more, while Dad and I mostly stood around, just waiting for something to do. She came up empty again and I was starting to feel pretty fatigued by this point. We then drove south to Old Bridge, about 20 minutes south of Edison.

We had dinner at Ponte Vecchio, which is owned by the same people that own Lou Ca’s, a great Italian seafood restaurant in Edison. I still can't get my mind off of the four old people standing right in the doorway with their backs towards us, as they blocked us from entering the restaurant. I thought that was a little inconsiderate and self-absorbing. Anyway, we quickly got our loaf of hot semolina bread with olive oil for dipping, always a tremendous start to any evening meal.

Mom had Boston Bibb salad and a Sicilian swordfish while Dad went two of his usuals, shrimp and crabmeat cocktail and tilapia oreganato.As for me, I had a disappointing experience with a swordfish dish the last time, so I mixed it up. I went with a cold mixed seafood salad of shrimp, crabmeat, and scallops and Chicken Giambotta; three thinly sliced chicken cutlets with slices of sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, and sweet sherry peppers all served in a lightly colored sauce dominated by lemon, white wine, and garlic. Tremendous flavor. Oh, I did somehow sneak in a slice of NY cheesecake with a dollop of the sweetest whipped cream imaginable. My stomach was in pain the rest of the night. Funny, how that never happens here at home.

Even thought I brought Sequence and Yahtzee along, Mom and I were both pretty beat by 7:30 p.m. So we turned on the Cablevision music channels. We basically flipped through the oldies and country stations. Found some good ones, found some absolute clunkers. I guess the highlight was me dancing to "Then What" with my own unique brand of whiteness. I got into "I Think I Love You" also.

The next morning, we woke up around 6:30. Mom and I stopped in downtown Metuchen for some take-home good stuff. First we grabbed 16 bagels. In the store freezer, two sleeves of six frozen bagels each set us back about $3.70. I picked one bag of wheat everything and one bag of wheat sesame. So for about 31 cents per bagel, I'd say I made out awfully well. I added a cinnamon burst and of course, three poppyseed. From Bagels-4-U, we walked past Roberto’s Pizza to the Buttery Bake Shoppe. Though the loaf of seeded rye bread tempted me, I went with two pieces of crumb cake. I don't understand why I have not been able to find crumb cake in the suburban bakeries where I live. Anyway, the crumbs were probably 2/3 of the cake and it was incredibly sweet, sugary, and satisfying.

We planned to go to the Brooklyn Tabernacle for church. Mom had been there once a long time ago and so I researched the place. After turning of the BQE, we drove 5 miles down Atlantic Avenue, past the future home of the Barclay Center. We drove parallel to the L train towards an area with a lot of chop shops and small residences. We turned onto Thomas Boylan Avenue around 8:10 AM, well ahead of schedule. It was similar to the south side of Chicago.

As we drove down this tiny street, I thought it was a little unusual considering this church was supposed to be quite prominent and expansive. This neighborhood was filled with one-way streets and gated homes and shops. When the street dead-ended, Dad drove back, much to Mom's chagrin. I was a little bewildered and I just hoped everyone would just stay cool. As we drove back down Boylan again, looking for #58, we suddenly spotted the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Except it was the wrong one. Apparently there are two Brooklyn Tabernacles just five miles apart. I pulled up Blackberry directions and it turned out we passed the street, Smith St, ten minutes before. So Dad drove back west on Atlantic Avenue, hung a right on Smith, and we pulled into the parking lot around 8:40.

We walked through the lobby into the auditorium, which looked like a converted theater. There were seats on the sides of the building, the floor was slanted, and there was a large balcony. As for the makeup, there was a great range of age groups. There were seniors, families, a few young adults. I'm guessing the 20-something's came for the noon or 3 pm services. The racial makeup was mostly black with a healthy dose of whites along with a few Latinos and Asians as well. I liked how many socioeconomic backgrounds were represented instead of one type of demographic. It seems to be a church that is bringing many types of people together and isn't that one of the main missions that the church is supposed to be about?

Mom was disappointed early on that the choir was not going to perform in the service though. But I think she got past it once the music kicked in. The service lasted two solid hours and I think we sang for the entire first hour. The worship leader was a big, charismatic black man who looked like a fatter Steve Wonder with the dreads and dark glasses. We did everything from "Open the Eyes" to "Mighty to Save" to a few others I didn't even know. It was a very loud, spirit-filled, not the type of service I'm accustomed to seeing in the more reserved Midwest.
Pastor Jim Cymbala's message was called Gospel rewind. Basically, he asked us why do we not share Jesus with people? Why are we afraid to talk about him? Can I get an Amen? Pastor Jim even invited all the first-timers to come up after the service and give them a hug. As we walked out, Mom remarked "Just like Bill Hybels would do!" I had to admit, that was pretty funny. I used to be a much bigger hugger. For whatever reason, not so much now. Maybe it was easier to get away with in high school!

After paying the $10 to park and getting our car lowered (there is no space there), Dad drove ups 20 minutes away to LaGuardia Airport. on the way, we passed Citi Field where R.A. Dickey would mow down the lowly Houston Astros. I would have been smoking the Dickey pipe had I been there. Right before entering the security line, I noticed a Five Guys to my left and it's a good thing I had no appetite or time, for that matter.

Despite being #12 and 13 on the standby list, we made the 12:25 flight back to Chicago, which was completely full and I sat in the last row in the aisle between a married couple who rose up four times between them to use the bathroom. And since I sat in the last row, as I got up, I was finding myself engulfed in a line of people waiting to use the bathroom. I was also lucky enough to enjoy a great view of both engines, which meant I couldn’t see when we were landing. We actually had a sudden descent for about two seconds and I'll admit my stomach tightened up. As we did land, the first impact jolted me. But when nobody was screaming, well, I figured we were cool. And I’m sitting at my desk typing now, so I guess we were.

Waiting in the Weeds

Just coming on the end of August.
Another summer's promise almost gone.
And though I heard some wise men say that every dog will have his day,
They never mentioned that these dog days get so long.

1) It's 9:30 and I have to wake up at 4 am for a flight to NYC. I should be sleeping now.

2) Itunes gift cards rock! Picked some Steve Winwood, Emilio, Mel McDaniel, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, John Anderson, Kenny Chesney (pre-Jimmy Buffet phase), Little Anthony & the Imperials

3) I finally picked up "Grace" by Jeff Buckley. I've been hearing a ton about this record for 15 years. I know nothing of what I'm going to hear. I am excited though.

4) Walgreen's wants to charge me 270 bucks for a prescription skin cream and foam wash. I guess that's because I don't have prescription insurance. Come on, seriously, I can buy three Jets jerseys for that.

5) Speaking of which, I love Hard Knocks. I don't like the team's play in the pre-season. Mark Sanchez got outplayed tonight by Rex freakin' Grossman! And Nick Folk better not miss another extra point ever again. Darrelle Revis' holdout isn't the only thing that has me nervous.

6) I raised all the money for my Kentucky trip inside of 5 days. That is phenomenal.

7) Five amazing weekends in a row starting today:

• NYC
• Two Mets-Cubs games (Reading the obituary section would be more exciting)
• Kentucky Meeting, Festival of the Vine, ROH I-PPV from NYC
• Come Thirsty Retreat to Michigan
• Dragon Gate USA shows with the guys in Chicago and Milwaukee

8) I think if I could play one instrument, it would be bass. I can lurk in the background, yet I know how vital my role is. Then again, I'm the only one who would know.

9) I'm happy we had some hot days this summer. At least the temp finally reached 90 degrees a couple of times.

10) One of these days, these wide, arched feet will step foot in Canada.

The road goes on forever

1) Considering how my music tastes tend to lean towards country and classic rock, I don't know why it took so long to discover the Allman Brothers Band. I usually save this for the end, but I'm going to get it out of the way right now.

Song pick: "Whipping Post" Allman Brothers Band

2) Computer viruses suck. I'm just glad that we got ours removed. Only cost 90 bucks.

3) I really would like a Nick Mangold jersey.

4) My feet are hurting more these days. It's really hampering my ability to run and play frisbee. And after scoring eight goals in two weeks, I guess raised my expectations for myself way too high. Even though I scored once in all three games, I felt limited physically and mentally. Losing three straight doesn't help. And as soon as that final goal was scored, I left the field without an explanation for Best Buy. I had a phone to repair.

5) Two months until the burning ceremony.

6) Writing letters. Man, how many years has it been since I did that? The funny thing is, I still have a few letters laying around from some people I have not seen in a decade. They seem to mean more than an e-mail.

7) One more hits the dust. Just found out as I was typing. From downtown Chicago to downtown Wheaton to oblivion. What a shock...

8) I really thought I was going to bed by 11 tonight, especially after grabbing barely five hours last night. Thank God for music to cope. And to my buddies, Miller and Beam.

9) I feel like I've done a ton of lamenting here, but now my allergies are really bothering me. Took two Benadryls. If nothing else, I'll sleep well.

10) Looks like an empty Saturday. I guess the gym and post office will be on the agenda. Other than that, who really knows.

Michigan recap Part 2

I think there were 8 or 9 other guys in the attic sleeping along with me and I was the first to awake. I somehow managed to change clothes, gather my notebook, and walk across the wooden floor and down the stairs with no one waking up. I headed outside and got to experience a great sunrise. A bunch of people swam across the lake and back and while they did that, I decided to walk up and down the road for a half hour or so.

After having breakfast around 10 am, and loading the boat up on the dock or something, everybody just kind of hung around. Court and Christine got officially engaged, which I knew was coming. But after a few hours and nothing too exciting happening, I felt a little restless. A boat went out and they took off before I could grab a seat and I decided to get away for a while. I took my Ipod and went off by myself, first to the front yard and eventually to my "bed", where I caught up on my sleep. I remembered feeling that old feeling. Retreating to isolation and grabbing sleep. It's like Johnsonburg, Idaho Falls, Pawley's Island, Lake Geneva, and Tijuana all over again. I listened to Blueshirt Banter radio where I got a kick out of Rick Carpiniello telling old stories. But I was so mentally out of it, I actually skipped lunch. I guess that's a sign I'm not feeling too great. But I was scared that I was blowing the weekend. And it was amazing considering how good I felt that morning. I had felt like I was really progressing and growing that morning, and a just a few hours later, I felt like that scared little boy again.

Eventually, Court and Bobby grabbed me and we walked to a field and kicked the soccer ball around. I don't think I had touched a soccer ball since Ecuador in 2004. Not the most accurate kicks, but I guess I got through it. And man, did I sweat! Then Jared and Josh showed up and we played keepaway. Josh, in particular, was brutal to play against. He had some mad dribbling skills. But when Bobby tried to get fancy, I was able to take the ball away most of the time. Hey, I primarily played defense for 8 or 9 years.

So we went back to the dock and my feet and ankles were not feeling too good. I noticed Steve getting the speedboat ready for tubing. They may have already been doing it in the morning, but I wouldn't know. Though I was a little uneasy, I volunteered to go first along with Joe, and it was my first time trying this. Now Joe apparently had been doing this for a while and he asked Steve for a challenging ride. Steve obliged and my eyes bulged. I'm thinking what the hell am I in for. I guess it was an omen when it took me 3 or 4 minutes to get in the damn tube, which was embarrassing enough.

So we started with Kelsey at the back of the boat taking photos. Somehow, that gave me incentive to act a little more confident. We started out and on the second turn, I knew I would need a ton of strength to get through. Steve loved to make these sharp turns, sending Joe and I bouncing off the water like springs. Midway through, I yelled out to Joe "If one of us doesn't come back, I hope it's you!" But I was holding on pretty well and I was feeling pretty good. This was fun, a ton of adventure, and a decent challenge. So I showed off for Kelsey a little. I stuck my tongue out, then I took one hand off the handle. I think that's when she turned behind her and said "Dad, crank it up." Two minutes later, on hard left turn, I wiped out. Five minutes later, the ride ended and at thee end, I wiped out yet again, crashing upside down into the lake, leaving me a long ten-minute swim back to shore. As I sidestroked back, I wondered why I wore a white mesh shirt, seeing that it was now covered in black muck.

Here's what scared me though. As great as the rush was, I found myself thinking about wiping out twice. I knew that was not the right thing to do. I mean, I made a lot of successful turns and I know other people wiped out too. Maybe I should have tried it again. But instead I tanned on the dock.

Later on, we all got ice cream at this plant shop/trading post/convenient store. They even had Hot Pockets, which I made sure to mention to Alex and Amy... What was cool is that the kiddie size is $2 and consists of two scoops. I had orange/pineapple and enjoyed it very much. I would have selected a cherry flavor, since we were in Michigan. But of course, the only cherry option had chocolate as well. NO GOOD!

After getting back, everyone started to look a little tired. But Jared and I rallied the troops and we played sand volleyball. Of course, on the way back into the house, I slammed my right big toe on the ledge, busting it wide open. So we played long six games and I played with a bandage on my foot. Somehow, I don't think open wounds like sand. I had some solid serves, though my jumping wasn't great. For three straight games, I played in the front court with Steve and Josh. I guess they have that father/son dynamic. Every time Josh set the ball, I knew Steve was getting the chance to spike and not me. I didn't mind, I just thought it was ironic. Court and Jared played very aggressive for their team. For ours, Bobby took three games to put a serve in play, Kesley hit some great shots, and Steve loved launching these serves way up in the air. With the sun setting right in our faces and the wind blowing moderately, they must have been brutal to return. We won the first 3 games before, before they won 2. Finally, we played 4-on-4 and we won the last game. We walked 10 minutes back tot he house.

Now covered in muck and sand (got a few dives in there), I really wanted a shower. As Amy saw me come in the house, she somehow figured out what I had in mind. She beat me out. But that was fine. While most everyone else played Aggravation, I welcomed the feel of soap and water.

We had dinner around 8 p.m. and I must have had three plates of baked pasta and salad and three pieces of garlic bread. And since we had well water, I drank a ton of that H2O right out of the sink. I guess that's what happens when I skip a meal. As I was walking back towards the attic, I passed a computer and noticed a slide show of photos from the last two days. I started sifting through them. Kelsey showed up and we looked through a few of them. Why does someone else's silver shine so bright?

A little later in the evening, we took this slow barge boat, or whatever it's called, on the lake. It was just a long, slow cruise on a deck-style boat. Jared brought his Ipod and he and I "sang" some Queen songs. "Bohemian Rapshody", "We Will Rock You" and I think one other that I can't think of. We then did Dream On, thought it was a little late in the evening to hit those high notes. About halfway through "Love Shack", B-Jeff decided he had enough and told us so. We got quiet. Had one more molasses-ginger cookie after we got back, probably my fourth of the weekend.

So at the end, it was myself, Court, Jared, and Kelsey lounging on four separate recliners, footrests elevated, facing each other. We sort of wanted to play a game of some type, but no one was really willing to organize anything. Anyway, we all hit the sack. But on the couch, I saw a copy of Saturday's Detroit Free-Press and looked for a Mets score. These geniuses didn't even have the scores of the 7 pm games! Now if the California games are missing, I can understand. But to just have the one afternoon game's result in the next day's newspaper is just emBARRassing. As it turned out, it was probably for the best that I didn't know anything that was going on.

After waking up kind of early the next morning again, I went back to the dock to enjoy one more sunrise and revel in the sparkling water on the lake. After eating some sort of egg casserole and baked granola, we had a brief worship service on the back porch. After that, we all headed out back home.

I guess Court wanted to get back for Bible study and softball. So I went with him, Christine, and B-Jeff. Speaking of the latter, he and I had some really good talks that weekend. He is a wise dude. The drive up took 8 hours. The drive back took maybe 4:45.

It's now been 9 days since our two day trip ended. It feels like a lot longer. There were a lot of fun moments. I would like to think it was a good thing that I came. I guess other people can have opinions about that one. I really wanted to not think about certain kinds of expectations or hopes on this trip, but it was a struggle at times. I think I've identified a few issues I want to be better at. Acceptance still seems to be one of the big ones. But trying to get it through other people's approval is so fruitless. A chasing after the wind, as Ecclesiastes might say. And to have character and attitude that does not depend on circumstances is so important in this cruel, unjust, cynical world. I hope I can reach that point one of these days.

3 weeks

1) I have had no urge to write. Oh, things have been going on. Sometimes, I need to have nothing else going on at all and enough emotion stirring me up, whether positive or negative. This is damn negative.

2) Suffice to say, I have no idea how my parents make such brutal decisions regarding their lives after they divorced. I know they mean well, I know they love me, but good Lord, I hope I do certain things the exact opposite of how they have.

3) Softball continues to be going mediocre. We have a roster of 18 players. On average, between 6-8 are showing up each week. When I was gone last week, they went 1-1. they squashed a team that has won nothing all season on Saturday before dropping a 15-12 debacle to team we really should have beat on Sunday. So that put us in 12th place going into the weekend.

Naturally, we had another rainout on Saturday, leaving us to play my old team, FBCG 1, who had not lost a game yet. We had 7 guys show up and we had to borrow three players from FBCG 3. We trailed most of the way until the top of the fourth, when we scored six runs. As I recall, that gave us a 6-4 lead. But we thought we were up four. That would prove critical.

They came back with four in the bottom of the sixth. Somehow we tied it with two in the top of the seventh. So we thought we were up up two, but we were actually tied. With one away (I made the catch), they loaded the bases, thanks to a hit and two of our typical errors. They knock a two-hopper grounder back to the mound that our pitcher couldn't field, and they scored the game-ending run. We lose a great game in a brutal finish.

As for me, I batted 3rd and went 2-for-5, reached on an error, and scored twice. My hitting wasn't the best, but it was pretty solid. And I must have made six catches in left field. But the bottom line is this. We play two games next weekend, one against St. Peter's and one against FBCG 3. If we're going to qualify for the postseason, we need to win both. And it would be nice to see 10 of our own guys show up for a change. May sound crazy in this culture, but commitment actually means something to me.

4) OK, that was long. Here's a short one. The Mets are driving me up the freakin' wall. I'm now focusing on the Jets defensive line depth.

5) One more semi-long one. Ring of Honor recap. I would say this was a solid show that kept getting better and better. That building was incredibly hot and it may have been the first time I drank a bottle of water before intermission. Austin Aries returning to the ring in Daizee Haze's ring attire was one of the more disturbing, hilarious sights I have seen in ROH. The two best matches were Colt Cabana and El Generico vs. the American Wolves as well as the world title match between Tyler Black and Kevin Steen. Some heavy blood and some great back and forth action in that last match.

As for Rosa's, well, another double decker pizza hit the spot. On the mike, Q did three songs on his own. Eddie did the same old, same old. Pearce did "The Time of My Life" with a girl about half his size. Necro Butcher brought the house down when he sang "My Way" and Pearce had me sing the female lead on "Afternoon Delight". In his words, I am now a legend.

Michigan recap Part 1

Well, the Facebook invite said we were leaving at 12 p.m. I've done enough of these group events to know better. Without a set arrival time, I knew people would be arriving at 12 p.m. Long story short, we had to wait for Alex to get out of work. So we watched "Will it Blend" videos on You Tube, made smoothies, and finally left Geneva around 2 p.m. We picked up Kristen's brothers in Mokeno, outside Tinley Park. The story of the trip to Mecosta were quick food and traffic. Amy turned Alex and I on to salt and vinegar chips. Reminded me of Boston. After Alex made a wrong turn in that 80/94/294 mess, we lost at least an hour trying to get back on course. The traffic slowed so much Jared, Alex, and Court were tossing Sourpatch kids and cookies to each other from driver's seat to driver's seat.

The CD options were limited to show tunes and Christian music. I think there were a few times I put my Ipod on and zonked out. There was one burned mixed CD and I got to sing Grapevine, a cover of "That's Life," and there was even a Mindy Smith song on the CD as well. I really marked out when "Fighting For It All" came on.

We passed though Holland (thought of Ingrid), Rockford (my first time there in 15 years), and Grand Rapids. Going through Holland, I-196 only had one open lane traveling in each direction, slowing our route down even further. It wasn't until about 6:30 we got off the interstate and started taking a series of backroads north and east. We reached Remus, a town of maybe 300 people. Their downtown consists of four square blocks. Low and behold, there was a parade going through. Amy made me laugh when she exclaimed she had been driving for 20 years to Michigan and this was the first time there was anything going on in Remus. So we had to re-route. We eventually arrived in Mecosta at 8:30 EST.

The house was set right on a lake and was surrounded by other small vacation houses and near a campground where people had parked their trailers for camping. So it had very much of a getaway feel to it. We parked right next to a barn and walked across a small road to the house. There wasn't much room for 20 people to walk around, but we were made very welcome by the Hill family, especially her mom. I took my duffel bag upstairs and found the attic, where a dozen mattresses were laid out in two rows. There was just a little room to walk right down the middle, but we all had plenty of space. And thankfully, we had a fan up there. On the other hand, there were only two bathrooms in the house with one shower, so I knew hygiene would be hard to come by!

Bobby had brought a huge white plastic bucket along. It was filled with marinating chicken breasts and he grilled it while I headed down to the dock and stared out at the lake. B-Jeff was already there with his rod and reel. Of course, being a newlywed, he had to check in with his wife every half hour! Anyway, there was still a little light left and I could see this quiet island about two miles out. There were several different kinds of boats to use as well. Court and Jared soon joined me and we began lighting Roman candles and setting off bottle rockets on the water. I hadn't done this since summer camp days, if ever. The constant sparks and pops probably caught the attention of a few neighbors. Then we had dinner. Of course, Christine did a ton of cooking as well and she made a really good potato salad to go with the Buffalo-spiced birds that thankfully did not contain much mayo.

Afterwards, I headed down to the backyard. Emily, Amy's wacky cousin, was preparing a bonfire. The fact that she admitted she was a pyromaniac didn't surprise me, although she may have been kidding. Amy told me in the car that afternoon that she was a trip and her dry sense of humor and bluntness were on display. Josh, Amy's brother, came down with his guitar and he played a bunch of worship songs while we sang. When we got to "How Great Is Our God", I had to think of Mom. She would have liked hearing that.

By now, it was approaching 11:00. And I realized my cell phone was dead yet again. So I had no way to tell time. Not that I would need to, as things would turn out. We headed back up to the porch and hundreds of mosquitoes tried to join us. So we moved inside and about a dozen of us stayed behind and played Aggravation, a board game involving marbles and decks of cards that I ahd never played before. The match was myself and Amy against Alex and Jared. People told me it took twice as long as it should have. I got off to a great start, but Amy just drew some rough cards. Alex finished first and I came in second. Though we were one card away from losing on several occasions, Amy and I finally rallied to win. I let out a pretty notable scream; not sure if I woke anybody up. I think when the game ended it was around 12:30. Not sure if that's Eastern or Central. Anyway, I headed up to bed. Of course, my body needed a night to adjust to the mattress. I really don't think I was ever totally out of it all night long. I was in that annoying state where I tried to convince myself that I was asleep, but I knew I could open my eyes at any moment.

Ribfest recap

I left work at 12 p.m. on Thursday, July 1 and snuck in an hour of tanning by the poolside. Even if I'm not thrilled with my physique, I do feel healthier when my skin is tanned.

I drove an hour south to Cowlishaw Elementary school and took the school bus by myself to Knoch Park. After paying my $12 admission and entering the North gate, I was struck by the new geography. Previously, one stage was much larger than the other. Now both the north and south stages are the same size, giving a little balance to the entire park.

Since I hadn't eaten, I headed straight for the meat. Half of the vendors were located in the north end and the other half in the south end with a load of sponsor tents and the carnival placed right in the middle. I started with a roasted ear of corn, a $3 tradition. A very sweet ear, covered in butter, salt, and pepper. And I was very happy I brought along the dental floss. I headed to Pigfoot and Camp 31 for a couple of samplers. I wasn't thrilled the price was now $6 for 3 bones.
I had eaten at Pigfoot (West Salem, OH) a few years ago. They have an apple flavored BBQ sauce, and while I don't care for its strong sweetness, I like the concept. I stuck with the mild sauce and while they weren't very warm, the meat was very juicy and the meat fell off the bone. As for Camp 31 (Castleberry, Alabama), they were the one new vendor at this year's fest. The bones I had were very meaty and moist. I wasn't too thrilled with the sauce, which was very tomatoey and didn't have a very notable smoke flavor.

I headed back to the South stage and listened to the Steepwater Band perform for an hour. They are a power trio that plays an aggressive style of Chicago blues. Good stuff, but nothing I would spend my money on. I think I just laid on my beach towel with my shirt off tanning some more.

I headed back towards the north stage, where the West Side Winders, another trio played for an hour. These guys specialize in classic rockabilly and surf music. I sang along to songs like "That's All Right" and "Not Fade Away." The crowd seemed pretty apathetic though. Since Los Lonely Boys were set to start a half hour after the Winders ended, I headed back toward the north stage around 5:45.

With two fresh lemonades down, I was ready for round two of ribs. I hit Smokey Joe's (Mansfield, Ohio) for a sampler. I was very impressed with their juicy meat and spice blend. And bonus points for having cornbread available. Texas Outlaws is my traditional favorite and while the flavor was great as usual, I believe the ribs had to have been sitting out for a while. They were too cool in terms of temperature and that's a problem. Needing a break from the meat, I also grabbed some sweet potato fries with cinnamon sugar. Freshly fried, they were a great break from the pork.

Then Los Lonely Boys began their set; this was the second time I had seen them at Ribfest. "Senorita", "Nobody Else", and "Crazy Dream" were all great. I would have like to hear "My Way" or "Hollywood", but in 90 minutes, it's not possible to play every song. Henry Garza plays a soulful blues guitar and Jo-Jo and Ringo keep up a solid rhythm section. Also, Mom showed up and hung for a while. I give her props for buying me a water bottle, which I was desperate for after consuming all of that food. It amazes me how humans really desire to have thirst satisfied when lacking water.

Mom left just before "Heaven" began, so it was up to me to shout the lyrics. It is such a sweet experience with thousands of people singing "How far is heaven?" in semi-harmony. I'm sure I wasn't on-key as usual, but whatever. It's all about heart and soul in this case.

I had 30 minutes before Charlie Daniels began his show on the South Stage, which meant another 6-8 minute walk across the park. But I decided to grab desert. Now I could have gone with Dippin' Dots. Could have had some great Oberweis ice cream. Could have had a carrot cake cupcake from Hugo's Frog Bar. But I went with something special. Something unique. Something I couldn't get from many other palaces. I ordered a $4 deep fried Twinkie. It tasted like a funnel cake with a ton of powdered sugar and a hot creamy filling inside. A definite guilty pleasure. It was probably the one time I will ever eat that, but I'm glad I had the sack to try it one time.

So I continued my path south. I dropped my backpack and folding chair at the front of the stage and got to watch the whole show from the right of the stage in the front row. Charlie and the band played an incredible 90-minute show.

First, he played the same opener as three years ago which I don't know. Then he launched into "Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye", "The Legend of Wooley Swamp", and "Simple Man". As the band played these songs, a few people near me in the crowd, mostly teens and a few families, started staring at me. I was singing just about every lyric. One was a 45-year old drunk blonde gal, showing quite a bit of cleavage. She was with a guy and dancing kinda dirty with him. Then she got close to me. I knew the deal, she was one of those who was so out of it, she just wanted the feel of a younger guy. But I know better than that. I'm used to that sort of thing, so I didn't do much.

The band played an instrumental, "Black Ice", that included one of the best drum solos ever. It must have lasted 5 or 6 minutes. "Long Haired Country Boy", "Folsom Prison Blues", and "In America" also got their time. Then came the finale, albeit way too soon. "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" got everyone dancing, if they weren't already. Following the final fiddle solo, Charlie hollered into the mike, "That's how you do it son!", paying homage to his famous Geico commercial. The songs I wanted to hear and didn't included "The South's Gonna Do It Again" (I have no idea how they could leave this off), "Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues", and "Trudy".

As the show ended, I knew I had to beat the audience since I was standing in the front row and I also had to travel the entire length of the park since I had to reach the North gate. That took about 10 minutes or so. With a little bit of running, I caught the first bus back to Cowlishaw and eventually arrived home around 11.

Epilogue: I hit the gym the very next afternoon, I stepped on the scale, I had gained four pounds.

20 lonely songs

On those summer nights when I'm feeling alone, I like turning to my music. Here are 20 of the songs I play for those rough times. I guess it could be considered a countdown.

1. "Dreamin' Again" Jim Croce
2. "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" Al Green
3. "Drinkin' Me Lonely" Chris Young
4. "A Good Year for the Roses" George Jones & Alan Jackson
5. "Somebody Else's Moon" Collin Raye
6. "Fire and Smoke" Earl Thomas Conley
7. "I Never Go Around Mirrors" Keith Whitley
8. "Baby Blue" George Strait
9. "Silver Springs (Live)" Fleetwood Mac
10. "Last in Love" George Strait
11. "You'll Know Love" Kenny Rogers
12. "Second Hand Heart" Gary Morris
13. "Tired of Being Alone" Al Green
14. "More Than a Memory" Garth Brooks
15. "Alone" Bee Gees
16. "I Wish I Could Say That" Kenny Rogers
17. "Love Lost" Mindy Smith
18. "Who's Counting" Ronnie Milsap
19. "Lonesome Town" Rick Nelson
20. "It Was Almost Like a Song" Johnny Hartmann