Need a turnaround

Let's move on. It's not always easy, but I need to. Pastor Shane said in church to try not complaining today and instead being thankful. On a football Sunday, even when the Jets don't play, that's almost impossible. But I won't do it here, I'll try to follow what he said...

1) I still want to go to Springfield. I'm going to make it happen. I need it. We both need it.

2) I bought a new camera today. A silver Canon PowerShot A4000 IS for $105, which usually costs $180. And I got a free memory card too. Not bad.

3) Davey Richards vs Michael Elgin at AAW last night was simply one of the best live wrestling matches I have seen in a long time. Just amazing to watch.

4) I could have a 7 lb turducken shipped to my house for $100 or for the same price, I could get a shipment of two gallons of Garrett's popcorn. Only one of those seem to justify the pricetag.

5) Thanks to Matt Pecora for having small group over Friday night. I needed it in the worse way. We watched Tropic Thunder and the Boondock Saints. Those are not exactly the most Christian-oriented films, but it was still fun. Alison left 3/4 of the way through the first movie; I guess we'll get Finding Nemo for her next time. Hey, she recommended it...

At least in pro wrestling, unlike real sports, the good guy wins sometimes...

Song pick: "You Can Dream of Me" Steve Wariner

Depressed. Disgusted. Miserable.

I knew the Jets would disgrace themselves on national TV yet again. They did. And fuck these Giants fans and Patriots fans rubbing it in.

Jeremiah Weed time.

Break it off (VERY ANGRY)

What I'd really like to say to CI, for calling herself a die-hard Yankee/Giant fans when she's 23 years old and spoiled as can be, with 7 titles in her life, where as I have 1 in 30 years...

Screw you. You have been alive 23 years. In that period of time, you have won 7 titles. I have been alive 31 years and have one title to speak of. None of my teams have even reached a final since 2000 when the Mets lost to your evil empire, the fucking Yankees.

You say if your team loses a game, you shake it off and move on. And you have the nerve to say that I should do the same. Well, I'm sure it's a whole hell of a lot easier to move on, when you have so many blissful memories to look back on. I have nothing in my history but teases embarrassment, and garbage.

You and your fellow worshipers of the Evil Empires ruined my Christmas last year. And although you claim you don't root against my teams, it's so obvious I know you and the rest of these rude, cruel, arrogant, condescending bullies live to see me and my bretheren lose, agonize, and suffer. It's the way it goes in Mets Yankees. now it's Jets and little boy blue.

And then on your Twitter account, you have the balls to say you are a die-hard Giant/Yankee/Ranger fan. Spare me. With two of those teams, you've never had to suffer a day in your damn life. You're a fraudulent bandwagon jumper without a single clue about loyalty, devotion, or persistence through painful times...So put this as classy as I can put it, screw you.

Challenges and oppression with some hope

The last seven days have really challenged me in a lot of different parts of my life. I don't really want to dwell on it for too long, it's a week I really just want to put behind me. But I feel it's at least necessary to record what happened.

1) So on Sunday, I cancelled my Discover credit card. For the second time in ten days, a fraudulent transaction was done on my card, this one for $255. So I ordered a new card and it just arrived yesterday. I know it's important for me to establish good credit, but I really wish I could live without a credit card.

2) As of Monday, my Ohio trip has been postponed indefinitely. She just thinks I need to be in a different place in my life before we meet. At least we're still talking though. I really want to meet her still.

3) On Tuesday, my boss' boss' boss apparently saw me with a video up for a seconds and I got a verbal lashing over it. I admit when I'm bored, I am prone to pulling up a video. And I had You tube up for a few seconds, and maybe I shouldn't have done that, I have no problem owning up. But he had the nerve to accuse me of not taking pride in my work and actually to call me unprofessional. This guy has never worked closely with me ever. He doesn't know me, he doesn't know how hard I work, and he only focuses on the few negatives. I walked slowly out of his office feeling humiliated, belittled, and about two feet tall. I just wanted to go home right there.

4) Election Night. We re-elected Barack Obama, as I expected. But I didn't expect him to win by such a definitive margin. And Tammy freaking Duckworth beat Joe Walsh for Congress. I'm really worried this country is getting way way too liberal as people my age are growing up and raising kids to think just like them.

5) I watched the election coverage at my friend Matt Williams' apartment in downtown Wheaton. A few people from group showed up like Natalie, Andrea, Alison, and Clarissa. And after what happened back on Memorial Day weekend, anytime Clarissa and I are in the same place, there's going to be tension, even if we never say it. Andrea is just so pretty and cool. I'm amazed she's still single. But I just have a feeling she's not the one for me.

5) On Wednesday morning, I couldn't even bring myself to go to the gym. I felt that down and depressed. I'm not even sure how I managed to fall asleep the night before.

7) So after a very busy day at work, where it seemed I had to answer an extraordinary amount of e-mails, I arrive home at 6:30, where I'm safe. I opened the garage and my Mom's car was not there. I thought that was strange, but maybe she was working some OT. And when I saw her laying on the couch watching TV, I froze. I knew something had to be horribly wrong. I asked her where the car was. she said she didn't want to talk. I walked into the kitchen and on the table, found a voucher for a cab from O'Hare to St. Charles. Then I went downstairs and saw a webpage for a suspension from American Airlines and an attorney's homepage.

After a few minutes, she called me upstairs and I ran up the stairs immediately. I sat on the opposite side of the couch and I listened as she explained the situation. Basically, she was working a flight and had a bottle of water out and was sending a quick text message. Her supervisor saw her and got on her case. My mom, heaven forbid, stood up for herself. She explained how there seem to be different expectations at different times for things like uniforms, etiquette, etc. Before long, she got called into an office. This bitch of a supervisor accused Mom of being high and/or drunk. She said someone had called to complain about Mom, which wasn't true. She was just making this shit up as she went. Well, Mom got tested and she swiftly passed the booze test. The drug test will clear her when it comes back in by Monday.

But because there was a report, it is locked into the American Airlines system computer and people from all over the country now know about it, including her friends and people she goes to church with. And because there was a report, they took her work keys, ID, and would not let her drive home. That's where the cab came in. She was suspended for three days with pay. Nothing wrong with that, especially since Mom wasn't going to be at the airport for any of the next three days anyway. And if that's not enough, her flight privileges have been suspended. Which means I can't fly. Which then means I may not be able to visit New York in early December or travel for Christmas. So this

There will be an investigation into all of this, make no mistake. And when Mom's name gets cleared, we just may sue the company. Defamation of character, slander, false accusations, trauma. So this can be a pretty impressive payoff. If all goes well, maybe, just maybe, Mom can retire from American Airlines, which she wants to do, and pay for her insurance without American Airlines. And I personally hope this woman, at the very least, gets demoted. Because how can Mom go back and work for this same woman who tried to destroy her reputation, which she has spent 47 years building at that company?

8) Onto Thursday. That day. I knew I had at least one meeting ahead of me. I arrived to the office at 9 am and one hour later, I had a past due cash meeting with my boss and his. It was supposed to last 30 minutes and it turned into an hour and 15. Even though I think I had changed my approach to how I work, they didn't seem to think so. After that, I wound up having a 15 minute meeting with my boss on how to work standard term grants, since I want to pick that up.

Then around 1 pm, the two of them called me in again where they gave me my bullshit Corrective Action Plan, regarding my video watching. It's to the point where if I just open a radio station just to mute it, I feel like I need to look over my shoulder. I just wanted out of that office so much.

And around 3 pm, the final indignity of all. The CEO sends the entire company an e-mail that due to low enrollments and not meeting expenses, we're laying off 7 percent of the staff and teaching out 23 campuses. I have no idea if I'll be affected or not...

9) Mom left for her tour on Friday morning to the southeast, so I woke up at 4:30 to drive her to Rosemont. I also stopped at Mariano's to pick up some groceries, including a cinnamon creme cake for work. At least Friday wasn't too painful a day in the office. In other words, I had no meetings to attend. Of course, when I got home and opened the paper from that morning, the Daily Herald business section featured its lead story...CEC laying off 900 employees. That's a cold, mean slap of reality right in the face.

Right now, my perspective is this. I've been with that company six years now. Never been promoted , I probably never will be. Maybe it is time to move on and I really don't have a huge problem with that. I just pray to God that I can find something quickly. Because the thought of not making any money scares me.

10) Last night, I updated my resume and filled out a LinkedIn profile. I have no real idea what kind of jobs I will find, but we'll see. Tomorrow morning, I may take a much closer look at the Classified section of the Daily Herald. Now I have a whole Saturday in front of me and no real idea what I'll do with it, besides writing this apparently! Some quiet time might be smart...

P.S. I want to end with some positives.

1) At least the Knicks are 4-0!

2) In all seriousness, I'm glad I have a faithful, everlasting God and people I love and love me in my corner.

3) Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."

Questions

1) When you can't decide on anything that can make you happy, what do you do?

2) This is the third time in for months I have had to address fraud on either my credit card or debit card. Why do some people have nothing else to do but try to ruin someone's life?

3) Why do I continue to date women who want me to suffer?

4) Why do I find myself getting drawn in by long distance relationships?

5) Why do only rich people have a fair chance to pursue their dreams in America?

6) Why was I cursed to be a Mets, Jets, Rangers, Knicks fan?

7) Why did the Knicks change their uniforms? The trim on the side looked so cool.

8) Why are these natural disasters happening so much more frequently?

9) Why even engage in comments on articles and personal opinions on the Internet? Does anything good ever come from it?

10) Why am I looking forward to traveling to Columbus and Springfield, OH more than New York and Hartford a month later? Actually I think I know the answer to that one..

Champs For Charity recap

Arrived around 6:00, so I had a half hour to stand in line before the doors opened.
Had a fifth row seat, right beside the Chicago team bench.
There was a silent auction for 5 or 6 different items. the cheapest started at $250, so I was not about to bid on anything.
Met up with Q and the Jew
Players came on the ice around 7:15
Carcillo misses his own intro
Ronald McDonald and the Great Clips mascot skate to Center Ice
Unfortunately, no Jim Cornelison to sing the anthem. they had some 12 year old girl, probably from the Ronald McDonald house.
11,649 still drowned it out

Chicago roster
Forwards: Patrick Sharp, Andrew Ladd, Jake Dowell, Jonathan Toews, Troy Brouwer, Jamal Mayers, Craig Adams, Adam Burish, Patrick Kane. Defense: Jim Vandermeer, James Wisniewski, Brian Campbell, Joe Corvo. Goaltenders: Craig Anderson. Coaches: Pete Kelly, Ryan Dempster.

World roster
Forwards: Bobby Ryan, Greg Campbell, Jordan Staal, Dan Carcillo, Mike Brown, Antti Miettinen, Shawn Thornton, Ville Leino, Jared Boll. Defense: Ryan Suter, Alex Goligoski, Kimmo Timonen, Tom Gilbert. Goaltenders: Nicklas Backstrom. Coaches: Robbie Gould, Jason Brandsetter.

Chicago's uniforms were white with medium blue trim and just a touch of red. They looked like Finland's national team
The World squad wore purple and black
Ryan Dempster, who coached Chicago, was dressed like Don Cherry.
I only saw five other people wearing a logo of an NHL team other than Chicago. I saw an Islander jersey, a Minnesota thermal shirt, a Winnipeg Jets jersey, and even a New York Americans sweater.
I sat next to a woman named Cheryl, probably in her 40's, she has season tickets to the Blackhawks that she splits three ways.
Of course, Q and the Jew see my conversing and they thought I was cougar hunting.
Toews scored only one goal
Bowling ball celebration, he rolled his helmet at his teammates, who were standing in a row and they all collapsed.
Saw Samantha Sharp, sitting across the rink from me
She's my co-worker, I sat next to her for a year, yet we've talked more over the last two months when we're not sitting together. Strange how that works out sometimes.
I went over to her during the first intermission, we chatted for maybe five minutes, and gave her a hug.
During second period, I got a slice of Connie's pizza, supreme, missed the table with the grated cheese, I needed it
Brawl Carcillo vs Dempster
"Detroit Sucks" chant
Only had to hear "Chelsea Dagger" after four or five of the Chicago goals. 15 would have been insane
Game finished 15-15 in regulation, they went to a 10-player shootout
Carcillo stopped and beat Anderson to his glove side, clinching the win for the World squad
Kane won the MVP, scoring five goals, including the game-tying goal with 1:34 left
Raised $323,500
I seriously need a new camera, the battery on this old Olympus stinks
If they auctioned off Dempster's jacket on E-Bay, they could have raised another $100,000!
Got a $7.99 haircut coupon from Great Clips as I was leaving, they were the big sponsor of the game.
Kissed Cheryl good night (on the cheek only)

Scoring Summary
First Period
W Ryan, W Gilbert, W Boll, C Kane, C Toews, C Ladd, C Adams (PS), W Staal, C Kane

Second Period
C Ladd, C Sharp, Brown, W Leino, W Goligoski, C Burish, W Timonen, C Sharp, C Kane, W Carcillo, C Corvo, W Ryan, W Staal, W Brookbank

Third Period
C Ladd, C Dowell, W Thornton, W Backstrom (PS), W Miettenen, W Carcillo, C Kane, C Kane

Shootout Summary
C Towes No
W Ryan Yes
C Sharp Yes
W Staal No
C Kane Yes
W Leino No
C Ladd No
W Timonen Yes
C Brouwer No
W Carcillo Yes

Heavy recap-The loooong week

1) Then the week began. Item #1 for Monday morning was not going to work in Hoffman Estates, that didn't begin until noon. Rather, I woke up at 3 am to drive to Austin’s saloon in Libertyville for a live taping of Mike and Mike. I left home at 3:30 am, arrived an hour later, and got a third row seat near Greenberg. I was probably maybe four steps away from the stage. And I wore my green Mangold jersey. It was fun despite still getting over the Jets horrible loss the previous afternoon. But the free 16 oz Old Style did help me feel better. We were a little quiet for the first hour, but once the beer and bloody marys started flowing, we turned into one rowdy bunch. Those four hours absolutely flew by.

2) The show was over by 9 a.m. and I had three hours to play with before I had to be in the office. Since the drive to Hoffman Estates was only going to take an hour, I decided to grab some breakfast. And how convenient is it that an Egg Harbor Café is right in downtown Libertyville. It's October, I wanted to get my pumpkin pancake fix. I didn't even need the menu, I ordered three amazing cakes filled with chopped pecans and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon butter. I got the combo and also got three strips of turkey bacon and scrambled eggs. Of course, I got a big 12-ounce glass of their orange-strawberry juice. Can't go to Egg Harbor without drinking that juice.

3) Temperature plummeted last night. It was 75 degrees Thursday morning, it’s down to 50 today. At least the rain is gone for a couple days. I can’t say the same about the east coast though…Hurricane Sandy, here we go…

4) After work on Thursday, I stepped outside into that cold and heavy wind along with some spitting rain. I didn’t even go to the gym. Take ‘n bake pizza

5) But last night was a big deal. After a month of chatting on Facebook, I talked to Julie from Ohio on the phone for the first time. And a conversation that I didn’t think would last too long wound up going 2 hours and 45 minutes. After dating Braves fans and Yankees fans, it is so refreshing to talk with a girl who is just as into the Mets as I am. She’s really cool. I mean, she even likes my Dr. Phil impression

6) And I may come to regret staying on the phone so late. Because left this morning for an 8-day tour to the southeast. I had to wake up at 4:45, so after feeling so tired yesterday, I’m probably going on four hours sleep! Mom's tour will take her through Lexington, Savannah, Charleston, and who knows where else. I just hope she doesn't have to deal with Hurricane Sandy.

7) Tonight is the Champs for Charity hockey game at the All State Arena. I’m already rocking my Henrik jersey. I have no idea who is going to be there, though I don’t know of any Rangers

8) All November NHL games canceled. Thank you Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr.

9) I’m so desperate for a daily sport that I am doing something I have not done in five or six years. I am participating in two fantasy basketball drafts this weekend.

10) The Knicks' age worries me. I think they'll be the 5th seed behind Miami, Boston, Indiana, and Brooklyn and then out in the second round, thanks to Miami.

11) My only set plans for Saturday are the gym and apple picking with the Willow Creek singles and Compass groups in Hobart, Indiana

12) At Butera, I was looking for some Naked juice. Apparently, it’s not available there anymore, at least not the flavors I usually buy. Instead, they sell the Alo drinks. I got a bottle of Aloe vera with wheatgrass. That’s a drink, not a lotion. I have no idea what it’s going to do for me. But I know wheatgrass is super healthy. And so the drink sounds healthy and tastes bad. That’s a good sign I’m getting healthy.

Heavy recap-Last weekend

1) So last Friday afternoon, around 5:15, I’m halfway through with my drive home from work. I was planning on going to Wal-Mart and Jewel Osco and then the gym before heading home for the night. All of a sudden, Natalie Cuevas sends me a text, asking me if I had any plans. Eventually, she asked me to go see a play with her that night. She told me she was getting out of work at 8 and the play started at 8:30. All of a sudden, I realized I was in a hurry. So I sped home, worked out on the total gym, cooked the lamb chops, baked potatoes, and asparagus, dressed, and got out the door as fast as I could. I drove 45 minutes north to her house in Algonquin. Domino was there to greet me Then I drove us 55 minutes south to the Drury Lane Theater in Oak Brook. And the show we saw along with her mother and her mother’s friend was Xanadu. Now the only Xanadu I knew of was the unfinished ski jump at the Meadowlands. This was one of the corniest shows I have ever seen. There were a few funny moments, but between all the disco, leg warmers, feminine colors, etc., yeah, I don’t think I’d spend money to watch this. I drove Natalie back north to Algonquin before heading back home to St. Charles, arriving a little after midnight. All in all, I drove four hours that day. I wouldn’t change it though.

2a) On Saturday, Mom and I planned on checking out Starved Rock State Park. But we slept a little later than we planned, so instead, we headed over to the Mayflower tours office in Downers Grove so she could get some photocopying done for her upcoming tours. The we grabbed lunch at J. Alexander’s, a place I’d heard of, but never been to before. We started by splitting the redwood salad, which came with field greens, rotisserie chicken, pecans, avocado, tomatoes, bacon, cheese, and croutons. I never eat croutons. Ever. But these weren't the typical crouton that's brick-hard and crispy all the way through. Rather, these chewy, and spongy, and tender. I was amazed how good they were. The chicken was cold and juicy. The crunch of the pecans and bacon worked great with the creaminess of the avocado as well. Instead of ranch, I got the champagne vinaigrette, and it tasted light and citrusy. For $15, that was a very good salad.

2b) The NY strip steak tacos were one of the items on the specialty menu. I hesitated to order them since they cost $15 and we would only be able to have one taco apiece. Well, I wish I had kept the order to myself. The adobo-spiced strip was grilled to a perfect medium-rare. They came in soft flour tortillas topped with a cilantro-sour cream sauce and chopped pico de gallo. It couldn't have been a much better taco. I don't know if these will remain a part of the menu, but if they are, I'd really recommend them.

2c) We also split a French dip sandwich with French fries. I'm usually not a French dip fan, but I heard their prime rib was really good so I figured I'd try it out. And mounds of pink roasted beef came on a French baguette. We also got sides of jus and horseradish sauce. The beef was incredibly juicy, and the horseradish, gave the sandwich just the right amount of kick. But...it was $18. For a French dip. Very good restaurant, not the most reasonable prices, but the quality of food is very, very good.

3) After lunch, Mom and I headed over to Von Maur in Oak Brook, where she had to return a few items. I really didn’t think I was ever going to buy anything there. But I checked out the sale rack and I wound up purchasing two shirts for around $85. One was a chocolate brown silk t-shirt. The other was a very nice plaid, orange, black, and white long-sleeve, button-down short that I could wear to church or work.

4) Then we drove back to the Charlestowne Mall. We went to see Taken 2, but as I we were walking in, right outside the box office, I saw this stand set up with tons of sports memorabilia. Banners, cards, pictures, pennants, etc. I wound up buying four pictures (Gary Carter, Mike Piazza, Mark Sanchez, Brian Leetch) for $18. As for the movie, even though the critics bashed it, I thought it was pretty solid for a sequel.

5) I only had about an hour to spend at home and charge my phone before I had to head out Singles Connect Night at Willow Creek. This was the first one I’d been able to attend this season, since I missed the first while I was in Baltimore. I saw Christina and Lib and for the first time since last May. Mike spoke about walking the talk. After we went downstairs for discussions, I was a little surprised that I got to be a table leader. At our table, we had five first-timers, one guy who was there for the second time, and me. Afterwards, we decided between Mario’s dance birthday party in Addison or Pinstripes. I chose Pinstripes and arrived first. For a while, there was just me, this pain in the neck named Pete and two girls, Heather Anne (the vegan priest) and Megan (the cute bilingual teacher in West Chicago) Eventually, about 15 people showed up. I ordered an Italian beef pizza and loved it. Braised beef, giardienira, mozzarella, tomatoes. Amazing.

6) I woke up around 8 on Sunday and hit the gym, which I almost never do on Sunday morning. Then I went to the late service at Willow Creek. I sat with Mike, Lindsay, Natasha, and Natalie. Then before small group, I headed over to Jersey’s to watch the early football games and eat a lousy chicken sandwich. Andrea, Manish, Alison, Natalie R, Natasha, Fil, Matt, and I all showed up as we went through Hebrews 6 and 7. Hey, if a 2:30 start is what it takes for people to come, I guess that is what has to happen.

7) I’ll skip the Jets disgrace in New England on Sunday.

Wearing a Wednesday out

1) So I woke up at 4:45 to take Mom to Rosemont for her latest and greatest tour. Then, I went straight to the gym and, now I'm working 12-9 tonight. Somehow, I'll find a way to get through this.

2) Just reviewed my MLB predictions. For the AL, I got 3 of 5 playoff teams correct and in the NL, well, I got 2. I picked two teams from the NL to make the playoffs and got both wrong. And no, the Mets were not any of the 4. But the fact that I picked Anaheim to win the World Series and they failed to even make the playoffs...I'd say that's a bad job.

3) I have two free tickets to Supercard of Honor 7 on April 5 in New York City. I really have no idea what my relationship status will be then, but I will be in Manhattan regardless. Maybe I'll hit Guy Fieri's place...

4) I really want to get back to Fifty 50 in Chicago. The triple-secret burger toppped with the pulled pork, Merkt's cheddar, and the mac n cheese waffle sounds like a trip to indulgence heaven. Maybe I'll add a little BBQ sauce...

5) I wish the guy on my street who bought the used police car would park it in a garage already. I'm tired of zipping around the curve and thinking a cop's watching me!

Sore legs...

So this morning marked the 1st (Possibly) Annual Wheaton Academy Alumni and Friends 5k. I woke up at 6 am and downed two slices of wheat toast with peanut butter along with half a gallon of water. I left home around 6:30 and arrived at my old high school around 6:45 am, just as the cross country team was setting the course up.

The conditions outside were not ideal for running. Thankfully, the sky was blue, but I was hoping for a temperature higher than 33 degrees. Unfortunately, running the three miles on treadmills was not an option. So I got my runners' bib and gray alumni-t-shirt, and immediately went back inside the fieldhouse. That weather was just too cold to stand around in doing nothing. I had a few brief conversations with some people around me, but there was nobody I recognized besides Felinski who assist coaches cross country anyway. Around 7:40, about 60 of us headed over to the grass practice field behind the school. We took a group photo, got the layout of the course from my old gym teacher, and he then said a quick prayer. I stood right at the starting line, sporting my Brooks Brothers sneakers, white compression socks, black mesh exercise shorts, long-sleeve black synthetic shirt, maroon t-shirt over that, red-orange fleece jacket, black Adidas headband, and black winter skull hat. Then I heard "Ready, set..." and the blowhorn didn't work. It sounded like somebody playing a trumpet with a wad of used chewing gum stuck inside.

Anyway, we started by going straight across Hawthorne Rd, then downhill, around the soccer field, slightly uphill, then back across Hawthorne Rd and across the practice field in the opposite direction that we had started. That took about five minutes and my hands were already getting numb because of the cold. And I really didn't know how fast I was running, but I knew I was pushing myself pretty hard. So we then went through the parking lot and then down the Prairie Path next to Prince Crossing Road for about two minutes. Then we made a left back onto the path for a pretty long straightaway before a quick left downhill turn, only to quickly turn right for a very steep uphill run for a few seconds. After that, we were back on the campus for a straightaway run past the softball field and back to the practice field.

The problem for me was I wasn't clear if we had to complete two laps or three laps before the finish. I did know there was and orange road cone set up near Hawthorne that we would have to turn around before heading toward the finish. So I really wasn't quite sure how to pace myself. I felt okay through the first lap, but I was having a lot of trouble breathing. The cold almost forced me to breathe through my mouth alone. I just made sure to breathe out as deeply as I could to help prevent those side cramps and thankfully, they never came. By the time I got back across Hawthorne on the second lap, I knew I was going to struggle. There were a few points where I wanted to just walk. But I knew if I did, getting myself to run again would only get harder. The only time I really slowed down was that last uphill rush. But a few moments later, when I saw a few people ahead of me turn around that orange cone, I knew I was almost finished. Even though I didn't really have a good sprint left in me, I was still able to pick my pace up a little bit. I crossed the finish line at the 23:18 mark, which was the eighth fastest finishing time. At the Willow Creek 5k, I finished at 28:45, and that was with a hard sprint for the last half mile, so I ran the three miles 5:27 faster than in April.

I immediately downed three small cups of water...I needed a tub of Gatorade. My right calf felt really tight, but other than that, I felt pretty good. Soon, I also saw George, the very energetic golden retriever crossing the line with his owner, so I got a cup of water for him too. He certainly appreciated it.

Then I headed over to the mini-tent where some snacks were set up for us. I took a mini-wheat bagel with cream cheese, half a banana, and a cup of blueberry yogurt that I still haven't eaten. Around 8:15, I took off and headed straight to the gym where I lay in the sauna and showered before a good soak in the whirlpool. I could have used a Swedish massage too...

Late Wednesday ponderings

1) I cannot go through the rest of my life with someone who will have victories and accomplishments to celebrate every year while I get mentally twisted and tortured. I’m trying to reduce the presence of sport in my life and in this situation I’ve been in for 18 months, it’s only going up and up.

2) I met a neat girl last Sunday at small group and we’ve had several conversations since. Including the one outside JT’s last Friday where we chatted about almost everything under the sun (including sex) for almost three hours. We get along really well. Next thing I know, I get a phone call from Matt P basically saying I need to watch my step. Because he’s going to ask her out for Halloween. He’s all but decided she’s going to be his next girlfriend. I wonder if she feels the same. I mean, can I really know within a week of knowing somebody that I want to ask them out? I would have said no, but then again, the deserter is a clear exception to that. One thing’s for sure, I don’t want to lose a good friend over a girl.

3) I’m listening to the first Presidential debate as I write this. I’m right wing on many issues, but I haven’t really invested my vote in Mitt Romney. I will probably pay more attention than I used to and get a really good feel for who I will vote for come November.

4) Amazing choke job by the American Ryder Cup team. And watching Phil Mickelson smile as Justin Rose rallied against him on Sunday made me absolutely sick. Hey Phil, how about showing a little competitive spirit like you did when you dominated with Keegan Bradley during the Friday and Saturday sessions?! Yes, I would have liked to have gone to Medinah to witness it first-hand. But at $250 a ticket, I don’t think that would have been worth it, especially when I can only watch one hole at a time.

5) Lucky’s doesn’t have the greatest food in the world. But after watching the Jets get bludgeoned, it’s a great way to ease the symptoms of pure depression. Several slices of capicola, fried egg, provolone cheese, fresh French fries, oil and vinegar cole slaw, and tomato slices on thick cut Italian bread. And the Breckenridge Agave Wheat draft beer from Denver turned out to be a stellar compliment to a very hearty sandwich.

6) I really enjoyed watching the Zac Brown Band in Tinley Park. It was a much more visual show than I anticipated with lots of lights and several smaller screens. And my God, those guys can play! I’d say “Colder Weather” and “Whiskey’s Gone” were my favorite songs to hear live. I even snuck in tiny bottles of Jack Daniels and Bacardi into the show and drank most of them. And considering a Coke would have cost me $9.00, I’d say it was a risk well worth taking.

7) But getting out of the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre was one of the absolute worst traffic jams I have ever been in that did not involve bad weather. I got in my car at 11:15 and I-80 West was only about two or three miles away. It took me no less than 45 minutes to drive those two or three miles. I did not get home until 1 AM and I only got 4 hours of sleep before waking up at 6 for work on Monday morning.

8) Looks like I’m going to Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar and Grill on Saturday afternoon after I pick up Mom at O’Hare. But I’m picking her up at 3:40. I really wonder how lively the place will be at 4 pm on a Saturday afternoon…I’m guessing I will see a lot more families than eye candy.

9) Adam the Jew is starting to wear on me. He has a very biting sense of humor and I can deal with that. I’m from New York, I have a sarcastic side to me, no question about it. But when that’s 95 percent of his communication, I really wonder if to him, I’m more of a friend or a punching bag.

10) 2.5 days to go till the Wheaton Academy Alumni and Friends 5k. I ran 2.25 miles on the treadmill today at 6.7 mph with an 0.5 upgrade. I have to say, my legs I didn’t feel too great after I was done. I think I’m going to pass on running Thursday night and do some light weights and maybe some time on the exercise bike. On April 21, I finished my first 5k in 28:45. I’m not sure what a realistic goal time is, but I definitely think I can break 27 minutes.

11) My biggest concern about the 5k is the possibility of a shower on Saturday. Because I have this suspicion that without a running track at my old high school, we’ll be running on the Prairie Path, which is dirt. The idea of running through mud would not be an ideal situation to run over three miles in. But I have my music playlist ready to go. I do wonder if I’ll see anyone I knew in high school though, who really knows how this morning will go.

Zac Brown Band setlist

Keep Me In Mind
Natural Disaster
As She's Walking Away
Who Knows
Colder Weather
Whiskey's Gone
Knee Deep
Can't You See

Acoustic Set
Problem of Freedom
All Apologies
One Day
Sweet Emotion

Free/Into the Mystic
It's Not Ok
Toes
Goodbye In Her Eyes
The Wind
Neon
Jump Right In
The Devil Went Down To Georgia

Encore
Uncaged
America the Beautiful
Chicken Fried

How much more can we take?! Really?!

It's been too long since I really let how I feel come out. But now that the New York Mets have been officially eliminated from playoff contention, which they have all but been out of since mid-July, now seems appropriate.

I hadn't been too bad for the last month. I knew they were dead. I knew they couldn't hit, let alone score. And they play so anemically at home, it boggles the mind. But these last two games have absolutely set me off. They lose the first game of this three-game set at home to Philadelphia. That's one thing, Cliff Lee is a great pitcher, I can understand that. But Game 2. Rookie phenom Matt Harvey pitches a phenomenal game. Seven innings, two hits, leaves the game with the lead. In his last innings, he got Chase Utley to ground out before fanning Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz. That would be the last inning Harvey would pitch this season. And the Mets lead 3-2 going into the 9th. It could have been larger had Andres Torres not bounced into a double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th. But Josh Edgin retires the first two in the top of the 9th. Up comes Utley. Following an eight-pitch at bat, Utley walks. Hello Howard. This guy had been injured half the season. He has barely hit a lefty all year long. Second pitch...BOOM. Slams one off the second deck of the right field stands. 3-2. Sd with a runner on first in the bottom of the 9th, the great David Wright grounds out. Ball game over.
And then last night. The only saving grace for me was I did not listen to or watch one second of this utter abomination. Mets starter Jeremy freaking Hefner does not record a single out. He allows six runs and Collin McHugh comes in and allows two more. 8-0 in the top of the first. I'm seeing this it a tthe gym while running on the treadmill and I'm screaming my head off at the TV! And just to rub it in, the Phillies add seven more in the top of the 9th. Including Josh Edgin surrendering a grand slam to guess who...Howard again. 16-1 final. The Mets are swept for the fourth time in their last five home series.

And I have to hear Hefner crying after the game about how embarrassed he was and how sorry he was. I'm sure he's a swell dude. I'm a compassionate guy, but I am out of any sympathy for this franchise and these incompetent players who have long ago quit on themselves, on their manager, and on their fans.

Being a fan of the Mets since July 8, 2012 has been one of the most miserable fan experiences of my life. Think about these facts.

1) Going into the last game before the All-Star break, which would be a 7-0 loss to the stinky Cubs, the Mets' record was 46-39. And they were right in the middle of the wild card hunt. Since that time, they have gone 20-44! They now have the fifth worst record in the NL, which after this series against Miami, will probably be the fourth-worst.

2) Last night, the Mets failed to exceed three runs for the 16th straight home game, two shy of matching the 1915 Yankees' major league record.

3) In their last 29 home games, the New York Mets boast a record of 4-25

4) The Atlanta Braves have more wins at Citi Field than the Mets do in the second half. One team has played six games there, the other has played 28!

5) In a span of 140 innings at home, they scored more than one run in those innings just one lousy time.

6) The Mets have gone 16 straight home games without scoring more than three runs, which is two games short of the all-time MLB record.

What kind of team loses 16-1 in September? The same outfit that lost 13-0 in August, 11-5 in July, 9-1 in June, 8-0 in May and 18-9 in April. The team where the best players don't lead, the youngsters don't develop, and the manager is helpless to do anything. The result? Our fourth straight irrelevant September, an empty ballpark, and a broken fanbase.

Go Orioles.

Lonely Wednesday night

No more travel till maybe mid-November. Back to the rants.

1) Instead of watching baseball again this year, I'd rather have my nuts pounded flat by a sledgehammer. Even with the Mets being so irrelevant, they still find ways to rip my heart out. And the Yankees sweep a doubleheader. I have to be the biggest idiot for dating a Yankees/Giants fan. It's just not going to end well.

2) Should I make the phone call to that condo on 12 Aberdeen Court in Schaumburg? I really have no desire to go there again after all that I was put through. But if someone who I trust believes it can help me grow as a man, maybe I should. But in the moment of decision, I probably wouldn't. 

3) Keith Whitley died way too soon. Even if it's been 23 years. God, that man had such a great voice for country music.

4) Two weeks till the Wheaton Academy alumni 5k. I started my training on Monday by running 2.1 miles and 21 minutes. Maybe I can run 2.5 miles on Thursday. But I know this. I ran my first 5k in a little over 29 minutes back in May. I want to see if I can do this one in under 25 minutes.

5) I'm enjoying Willow Creek's series on Proverbs. Two weeks down, and I look forward to seeing what I can learn over the next nine.

Song pick: "The Way It Was" Bee Gees

Baltimore recap-Part 2

I woke up around 8 on Friday and had a few quick bites of a Balance bar before heading downstairs to the gym. I ran on one of their two ellipticals for about 20 minutes and also did a few bench presses, lat pull downs, and arm work. I hopped back to the lobby and had a solid breakfast of eggs with ham and cheese and a Belgian waffle right off of the iron.

We left around 9:30 and began a mile-long walk northwest to one of Edgar Allan Poe's old homes. We actually passed through the University of Maryland-Baltimore medical school. That's where the first dental college in the world opened back in 18?? So we walked past the university and through a pretty dilapidated neighborhood. It wasn't quite the projects, I never felt concerned about my safety, but I would certainly call it low-income housing. Some broken glass on the streets and a lot of small brick homes connected to one an other. So we found the Poe House and it was a small two-story brick house. Although the website said the house opened at 10, the sign on the door told us otherwise. Hours: 12-6:30. No good!

So with that plan thwarted, we began walking another mile east on Lexington Avenue through the same very poor neighborhood. We passed by vendors selling jewelry And we arrived at Lexington Market, which their sign says is world famous. Before heading to Faidley's, we checked out some of the other food merchants. All I can say is it looked like a flea market for food in the projects. One of the staff saw me wearing my Ring of Honor t-shirt and we chatted for a few minutes about the company. So that was really cool. I did think when he tapped me on the shoulder that he was asking for a handout, but no, that wasn't the case, thankfully.

I still wanted to get a taste of Poe before I left Baltimore, just something besides sports and food. So we located his gravesite at the Westminster Cemetery at the corner of Fayette and Greene Streets, only about three blocks away form the market. His mother-in-law and wife are now buried in the same spot as well. I did not see any ravens around, although I was hoping...

We then walked straight east on Lombard St all the way to the Harbor. On our way, we picked up a deck of pinochle cards at CVS. My father plays this game a lot with Scott and his wife in their house in North Brunswick. We also saw the Phoenix Shot Tower, which at 234 feet, was the tallest structure in the United States until 1846. Nearby was the Holocaust Park. There was even a statue of a soldier down on one knee in a prayer-like position with a little girl standing behind him touching his shoulder. Apparently, Baltimore is erecting statues of Tim Tebow...

We went into the Barnes and Noble at the Harbor and spent a half hour browsing around the board games, books, e-readers, and music. I saw a Mitch Hedberg album, who my dad had never heard of, so I spent most of the next hour cracking Hedberg's classic observational humor and wit. Then we made our second stop at Panera, where I settled for water this time. Yes, I thought about grabbing that pumpkin pie bagel again, but I knew I had to save my appetite for dinner later. But my dad had a Panera card of some type and the cashier told us we could get a free smoothie. Sounded good to me, so I ordered a wildberry. Tasted pretty solid.

The shopping areas on the west side of the harbor looked pretty interesting, so we walked that way. J. Paul's looked like a really intriguing contemporary American restaurant, and I'm sure if we had another meal, we would have headed over there. One of the most interesting shops we saw was McCormick's World of Flavor. This place has only been open one month, but I've never seen an other shop like it. They specialize in spices, sauces, seasonings, etc. They even have some interactive features. In the corner was were two big monitors. I pressed the touch screen and a scent came out from these holes in the top. And I had to guess which spice it was. And the more I got correct, the bigger coupon I got off my purchase. I got 3 out of 4 for 15 percent off. The thing is my spice rack is so loaded anyway, there really wasn't anything I saw that I felt we really needed at home! We headed back to the room around 3 and he began teaching me pinochle. I picked up the rules pretty quickly, it just took some time for me to grasp the strategy, like what card to play when. So I had to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em...

We had a dinner reservation at 6 pm, but we had one more stop to make first. Around 4 pm, we walked to the Renaissance hotel, right across the street from the harbor. I had the chance to meet my father's former boss at Barnes and Noble, named Cary. He was in town along with his family, since his niece was getting married. He now lives in Ann Arbor and he is a very friendly, outgoing guy. I also met his parents, his brother, and one of his sisters. Very nice and fun family to hang around, no doubt about it. I wish I still had that opportunity. I drank a bacardi oak and Coke (ok, it was probably Pepsi, sadly) on happy hour and around 5:30, Dad and I left for Fogo de Chao.

I hadn't been to a Brazilian steakhouse in maybe two years and it had been probably five for him. Even thought Morton's or Capital Grille would have been great choices too, Fogo was a place I really wanted to try. One of the highlights was the attentive, friendly service. Dirty plates quickly get replaced by fresh ones, water glasses stay full, and the manager came by and asked if we were enjoying our experience. Also, I was allowed to try a sample of red wine before actually ordering a glass, which is a huge deal for me. For the salad bar, I loved that they feature several types of olive oils and vinegars, along with a pepper mill. I went heavy on the tomatoes, roasted zucchini, artichoke hearts, and thick-sliced bread. And the sopprasetta and proscuitto are so full of flavor, they can't be skipped. They can go a long way towards converting a vegetarian!

And the meat. Ah, where do I start? I wasn't a fan of the linguica, but I went nuts over everything else. Their pork ribs prove that ribs don't need a sauce to taste amazing. The ribeye was cut really thick, I probably had three pieces. The chicken legs were the biggest surprise for me. They had a little spice, the skin crunched, and the meat was moist as could be. And the steak with garlic, well, it's dang near impossible to top. And I made sure to eat a few fried bananas, especially after eating all that meat. They really helped settle my stomach down.

After it was all over, we were both very glad we had a mile-long walk back to the hotel. The one thing that I thought was really strange was the line outside Pickles pub, which is right next to the Hampton Inn. It's just a little dive across from Camden Yards, but even at 7:30 pm, I swear the line must have been 100 people long for sure.

So, we settled in and without a lot of good options on TV, I turned on Undercover Boss. We found it interesting that the boss was the President of Kendall Jackson wine estates. It was like Mom was haunting us and when I told her about it, she thought it was really funny too. Then, we watched an episode of Two and a Half Men. Dad's not a big fan of it, he's never really been into a lot of comedies, but high school football on ESPN wasn't doing it for me. Then we finished the pinochle game, which I won, albeit with a little coaching from him. I challenged him to one more and beat him handily again. I do like the game, I just don't know who I can play it with.

I fell asleep around midnight and woke up around 6:30 Saturday morning. The light rail to BWI Airport arrived about 20 minutes late, but I still made it with plenty of time to spare for my 9:30 flight. This airport seemed really different than any I had been to. At BWI, the longest line was to check in the luggage, maybe 40 people long. But I found a self-service kiosk in no time and I printed my boarding card. But what really surprised me was that there was no wait for the security line. And then, the terminal was essentially empty. Even though the plane was just about full, I made it on, landed around 10:45 and got home just before noon.

Ring of Honor I-PPV live tonight in Chicago Ridge!