Monday, February 11, 2008

Weird winter weather and other puzzles

Tonight Southern Illinois is in the grips of a ice-storm, complete with thunder and lightning - how weird. We've got several inches of sleet - kind of like living in a world covered with Slushy. Since I was a little boy I've always heard the saying "Don't like the weather in Southern Illinois...just wait...it'll change." In the past month we've had two snow/ice storms and several severe thunderstorm systems complete with hail, winds and even tornadoes. On two consecutive Tuesdays we had Tornado warnings. Both times I rode them out with 5th/6th grade boys in locker rooms - once in the middle of practice, once 3 minutes into a game.

This weather is similar to the Depressed Men meeting locations for the last few months. One time here, another time there, 3 weeks somewhere else. If you don't pay attention to the emails you may not know where we're at on any given Thursday.

We have begun a dialogue regarding the possibility of finding a more permanent location where we can meet. While we have been able to keep meeting each week at a location (where smoking was allowed) all of the locations since the first of the year have been at members homes. While the hospitality is great, it naturally limits participation to those that know the host and/or at least feel comfortable going there. We desire to have a central place that we can meet regularly, where more folks will feel comfortable just stopping in to visit.

Through the kindness of a Christian bookstore owner in Tyler, TX (the Scroll) we are setting up a private online forum where we can discuss this issue. Watch for the link on the website as soon as it is available.

Peace