Another funny Joe story

While in college, Joe went on a date with a girl from one of his classes. Let's call her Jill. He said the date was okay, but a little awkward. Apparently, he was her first real date ever.

They didn't go out again after that and he hadn't seen her since the weird date. Apparently, she thought that making out meant they were a couple. She showed up at his dorm room on Valentine's day with a cross stitch that read "Joe and Jill Forever". Not knowing what to do, but feeling like he should give her something in return, he dug into his pockets and gave her a handful of change.

I don't think Jill knew how to take that. I do't know why. What girl doesn't want change for Valentine's day???

I like to believe that she ran away stunned and hurt, but then bought a coke and a snack from a nearby vending machine to console herself.

Funny story Joe loved to tell

Joe would tell me these funny, yet kind of mean stories about things he would do to his highschool girlfriend, Celeste.

This is one of my favorites.

Celeste, Joe and some of their friends went to an amusement park one summer day. Joe was never a fan of rollercoaters, especially ones that loop-dee-loop. He said they made him nauseous. Celeste didn't believe him and pressured him to go on the ride by taunting him and calling him a chicken. So, to prove a point, he went on the ride. After it ended, but before they got out of their seats, Celeste asked "See, now that wasn't so bad was it?" Joe then vomited in her lap.

I believe they all went home after that.

Sinking In?

I have been thinking about what I wanted to write here for over a month now. I wanted to say the right things that would be a credit to what Joe meant to me. Unfortunately, I don't think I can put much of what I feel into words.

I think the first night I actually talked with Joe was at YiMay's during a Nintendo Night gathering, to which I'd brought an Atari 2600 collection of games. Joe kept wanting to play the old Atari stuff rather than the fancy-pants new games. After that, there were several times when Joe and I would go on nostalgic conversations about Sesame Street, the Muppets, Gigglesnort Hotel, Sid and Marty Krofft, or other strange phenomena related to being kids in the early 80s.

I think it was when Joe invited Jennifer and I to go out to Canyon of the Eagles for his birthday in 2005 that I got to know so many of the nice people that I call friends now. That trip was a great weekend getaway, and I still remember it fondly.

I was lying in bed the other night and not sleeping. The house was quiet, and for some reason, I thought about Joe for the first time in a while. I remembered hugging him that last time. I remembered that at some point while he was still able to walk around a bit, I made him laugh. In retrospect, I think I can see that Joe did what he wanted the way he wanted, without exceptions. I'm not sure if his death has really sunk in or not. I still keep thinking that he's out there doing his thing. And I'm still trying to put words to my feelings.