And this is why I don’t bet…

Every now and then, God shows me why it’s a good idea I don’t bet on games. This past weekend was one of those times. But before we get to that, let’s talk about my weekend.

MR and Daddy Camp Out in the Den Night went great (we watched ALF).

Saturday was fun… I went to Drayton Hall Plantation for a MOJA Luncheon honoring a number of people (one of them was my good friend Dr. Faison… who was honored twice). I had a great time. I tried to keep my voice down so that the only people to hear my racial-based humor were the people at my table (who, I have to say, were pretty good in the racial-based humor department themselves). I can’t be 100% sure on this, but I’d be willing to bet I was the only white male there who voted in the Republican Primary earlier this year. Still, I (and my table) had a great time.

Saturday afternoon, I went home to prepare my Sunday School lesson (yes, I was preparing it the day before, don’t judge me). After about 30 minutes, I was informed that we needed to get ready for Caroline’s birthday party. “Getting ready” means different things to different people. For me, it means throwing on shorts, a shirt, and shoes. Let’s face it, in my weight class there’s no use spending a lot of time trying to “look good”. For The Wife, “getting ready” means looking in our closet that is packed very tight with clothes… not finding anything to wear, spending far too much time in front of the mirror (doing God only knows what), then heading back to the closet to look for something to wear (still with no success), then going to get the girls ready (this is the part that even after 4 , almost 5, years I still can’t seem to account for when I try to figure out when I need to start getting ready)… After getting the girls ready (with my help, thank you) she then heads back to the closet where we find that God does, indeed, answer prayers (mine) and she is able to find something that “will do”. We then went to the party (arriving late, but I’m not going to start that fight again). At the party I did my best to see if anyone else would like to teach the next day (none did). Anyway, the party was great (nobody got hurt) and I got to meet Ashley’s sister (who works with Doubting Teri).

After the party we went home so I could prepare my lesson for Sunday.

Now for Sunday... just to be clear here, I’m at the bottom of the Providence Sunday School Teacher Depth Chart. If this were a pitching rotation, I’d be in the bullpen as the long relief/spot starter. So expectations are usually pretty low when I’m at the front of the class. Anyway, I was given the task of teaching chapters 7, 8, 9, AND 10 of Exodus. Long story short... I did the best I could and I don’t think anyone is going to quit the church over what I said, so I’ve got that going for me. A large part of my lesson was having people read from the Bible. Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure KC ended up talking more (due to his reading the longer passages) than I did.

After Sunday School we went out to eat with others from our class and had a great time. Another group was coming in as we left, so we didn’t even have to put the tables back the way they were before we got there. After lunch, The Wife and I (along with the girls) went shopping. I got a couple pairs of pants, some socks, and a couple of ties. The Wife emptied out two stores buys clothes for the girls. If you have a girl that is the size of Susie or Mary Ruth, don’t bother going to any of the stores in Tanger Outlet because they are empty. All of those clothes are now in our house. I knew I was in trouble when I saw The Wife leaving a store and I asked her how much she spent. She proceeded to tell me how much she saved. But I didn’t ask how much she saved; I asked how much she spent. I’m still not sure how much was spent.

But enough about my weekend... let’s see just how bad my predictions were.

The I’m just sayin... Football Predictions Results

Friday Night
James Island at Beaufort – I picked JI to win... and boy was I WRONG. The Trojans lost 0-36.

Summerville vs West Ashley – I never thought I’d say this, but thank goodness for Summerville. I picked the Green Wave to win and win they did (28-7).

Ashley Ridge at Wando – I picked Ashley Ridge... and I was wrong. They lost 20-36.

Fort Dorchester at Colleton County – I thought Fort Dorchester would fall to Colleton County... but the Patriots were able to pull out the win 31-21.

So I headed into Saturday with a 1-3 record.

Saturday
Clemson vs #16 Miami – Clemson didn’t play the way I thought they would. I picked the Tigers to win and I was wrong. They lost 21-30. To be fair, there’s no way I could have predicted 6 turnovers for Clemson. Wow...

Navy at Air Force – I didn’t think Air Force had a chance, but they proved me wrong. I’m not sure what is going on with Navy, but I hope they turn things around. Navy lost 6-14.

CSU and The Revolutionary War Heroes were both off last week.

So I went winless on Saturday.

Sunday
Pittsburgh vs Baltimore – I thought the Steelers would win. I got home in time to see Baltimore with a 4th and goal with a little under 3 minutes left in the game with the Steelers winning 14-10. The Steelers D got the stop and I thought that I might end my weekend on a high note. I thought wrong. Baltimore kept the Steelers from getting a first down, got the ball back, and scored a TD. The Steelers lost 14-17.

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Private First Class Oscar P. Austin (US Marine Corps) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on February 23, 1969 West of Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an assistant machine gunner with Company E, in connection with operations against enemy forces. During the early morning hours Pfc. Austin's observation post was subjected to a fierce ground attack by a large North Vietnamese Army force supported by a heavy volume of hand grenades, satchel charges, and small arms fire. Observing that 1 of his wounded companions had fallen unconscious in a position dangerously exposed to the hostile fire, Pfc. Austin unhesitatingly left the relative security of his fighting hole and, with complete disregard for his safety, raced across the fire-swept terrain to assist the marine to a covered location. As he neared the casualty, he observed an enemy grenade land nearby and, reacting instantly, leaped between the injured marine and the lethal object, absorbing the effects of its detonation. As he ignored his painful injuries and turned to examine the wounded man, he saw a North Vietnamese Army soldier aiming a weapon at his unconscious companion. With full knowledge of the probable consequences and thinking only to protect the marine, Pfc. Austin resolutely threw himself between the casualty and the hostile soldier, and, in doing, was mortally wounded. Pfc. Austin's indomitable courage, inspiring initiative and selfless devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Sergeant William G. Austin (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on December 29, 1890 at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. His citation reads:

While the Indians were concealed in a ravine, assisted men on the skirmish line, directing their fire, etc., and using every effort to dislodge the enemy.

Seaman James Avery (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on August 5, 1864 in Mobile Bay. His citation reads:

Served on board the U.S.S. Metacomet. As a member of the boat's crew which went to the rescue of the U.S. monitor Tecumseh when that vessel was struck by a torpedo in passing the enemy forts in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864, S/man Avery braved the enemy fire which was said by the admiral to be "one of the most galling" he had ever seen, and aided in rescuing from death 10 of the crew of the Tecumseh, eliciting the admiration of both friend and foe.