(Why is Jesus in the subject field?  To get by my uncle's spam filter.)

IN WHICH We Are Reminded Of Josh's Shady Past, Shocked By Unforeseen Difficulties, AND Repeatedly Surprised.

Now don't get me wrong.  I have nothing against Josh Jones.  I spent two quite pleasant years as his roommate, and enjoy his company a great deal.  When he laughs, which he does often, he laughs very loudly - sometimes loud enough to make old women at nearby tables clutch their handbags to their chest and ask for that last cup of decaf to go.  And if you can't make a lot of people laugh, you might as well make one person laugh loud enough to scare children.

But when it comes to travel, Josh has been somewhat less than dependable.

Recall the first Journey to Jersey, when he first had to beg a friend of his for her car, then depended on me to find a replacement when it broke down like the pathetic heap of rusted metal it was.

Or our third baseball game, when he initially committed, paid me in books for the ticket, then began to waver, finally leaving a message on my voice mail the day of the trip, saying that he wouldn't be going, leaving me to find a replacement literally as we were leaving.

So when he committed to the ticket, I worried that his initial exuberance would transform into reluctance, and he would relapse into his old habits...and sure enough, when I went up to him for the fifth time to ensure he was coming, he sort of looked down.

"Well, here's the thing."  Just like old times.  "I have a big test that day and the class is in the afternoon, so I have to stay and take it."

Urgh.

"Couldn't you take the test early?"

His face scrunched up into a kind of frowny look.  "I don't think so.  We haven't had a test in this class since 1973, so it's going to have a lot of stuff on it."

Maybe I got the date wrong; I don't remember.  Despair has a way of doing that to you.  I had just told Mike Jordan that we would use all three of the tickets, and what fool would turn his back on a free NBA game??

A bit saddened, but still putting my hopes in the early test date, I went to the night's RA meeting.  Disillusionment had just begun.

TO BE CONTINUED

Part Three

NHS Speech

"My View" Editorial

The October Surprise
|  Round 1 |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |
|   6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |
|  11  |  12  |  Final Bell  |

Journey to Jersey II
|  Intro  |  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |
|   6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |
|  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |

Journey to Jersey I
|  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |   6  |  7  |  8  |
|  9  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |
|  15  |  16  |  17  |  18  |  19  |  20  |

An Epic Saga
|  Act  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |
|   6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |
|  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |  16  |

Christian Rock Email

Freshman Room Draw
|  Part One  |  Two  |
|  Three  |  Four  |  Five  |