One Quarter Down, Four More to Go

I haven't been posting very often recently and it's basically been because I've been busy finishing my summer quarter. Apparently, what most seminaries forget to tell you is that while an M.Div may take 3 years to complete, it would be 3 years, full-time, including summers. There's this weird expectation that, "Of course you'll take summer classes." So, while at times I wonder about the academic excellence required at the seminary level, I will admit that it is a gruelling 3 years.

I am kinda on the 3 year track. I started back in September 2004. I'm now slated to finish my schoolwork at around this time next year. Four quarters left to go (now that I've finished my final research paper for the Gospels class). Fall '06, Winter '07, Spring '07, and Summer '07 and I'll be done.

Yes, there will be a graduation ceremony. It'll be sometime in early June next year. It'll be more than likely on June 2nd at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park. I'll post details as they come. I won't be completely finished with everything then (I would still have a summer quarter to go), but hey, it's better than waiting one more year for the ceremony to come around again.

The Benitez Dilemma

After a merciless drubbing on my fantasy baseball team thereby ending my playoff hopes (the score was 0-10), I have now turned my attention to the football season. I guess I could continue playing fantasy baseball, but then the highest placing I could get would be 7th. I just don't think my ego could take playing fantasy baseball when 7th place is in stake.

So... on to football. My team isn't superstar laced, though I think it may be one of the deeper teams in the league. Basically, I'm expecting to get whomped on early in the season, but then as the injuries start racking up, I hope to make my push.

It also looks like I have a bit of a RB controversy in the makings right now for week 1 (a la Mike Shanahan). My RBs are Ronnie Brown, Willie Parker, Reuben Droughns, and Dominic Rhodes. Two of them are playing tonight at the season opener. There are two RB slots on my starting squad. Who do I choose?

Ronnie Brown is going against Pittsburgh, Willie Parker against Miami, Droughns against New Orleans, and Rhodes against NY Giants. I've essentially illiminated Rhodes from my list for this week. That leaves with three: Brown, Parker, and Droughns.

Brown's going against Pittsburgh, but then I picked him up as my first round pick. I really don't want to bench a first round pick especially in the first week. But well, I don't know. I think I'm beginning to understand Felipe Alou's mindset when it's a close game in the 9th inning. Do you go with what you think is right? Or do you go with the guy you paid a lot of money to?

Parker's going against a mediocre Miami run defense. But with Pittsburgh's running backs, the question seems to always be the same, who's going to get the touchdowns?

Droughns, well, Droughns is probably the weaker of the three but he's also going against the weakest defense of the three.

Which two do I choose?

Oh and by the way... I hate ESPN for taking away Monday Night Football. We've got ABC, PBS, NBC and a pair of rabbit ears. No cable. Boo.