LJ Idol Presents:

...here we go again...

It always seems to be with a writer (or writers) whose work I like and respect quite a bit, too. Well, crisp_sobriety, welcome to Tribe Redemption. We have cookies cupcakes.

Regarding this week's elimination...

It's never been a secret that talonkarrde88 is a good friend of mine. He's actually the one that convinced me to play Idol again in the first place, after I went, "no, I'm going to have summer interns and my life is going to be Hell and I don't want to do it." He was the "little bird" I posted about when I threw in my lot with everyone else and signed up to play, and while I may say that it was a group effort, the truth is, if he hadn't prodded me to do it, I wouldn't be here.

Sean has edited more of my pieces than I can count, has gently encouraged me (or sometimes gone, "no, seriously, scrap it, it sucks" :) ) every step of the way, and has generally been the best that you can ask for in a friend, especially one that you're competing with, head-to-head, in Idol (as we have been the last few weeks).

I'm sad to see him go. We're at the point where I'm sad to anyone go, but I'm especially sad to see Sean go. I've enjoyed reading what he's come up with, week after week, and I was sort of hoping, even watching the poll this afternoon, that there would be some kind of minor miracle and he'd be left standing in the top 8 with me. Instead, immunity comes into play and we keep hosticle_fifer, who wrote a great piece last week and fully deserves it, and I have to watch one of my favorite people get phased out. Lame.

talonkarrde88, keep writing. And don't worry—I won't hold you to that bet now. ;)