November 28, 1996 – Thursday – 6:30 p.m.

Vince and I went to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this morning.  New York City is huge.  Tons of people were all around.  I’ve never been colder in my life.  My feet felt like blocks of ice.  I couldn’t believe it.

We got off the subway and I couldn’t keep my eyes off the skyscrapers.  Vince kept telling me to look straight ahead or I was going to get robbed.  I’m so small.  I’ve seen so many movies that took place in New York, but it still blew my mind.  So many homeless people were around.  They looked so hungry.  We stopped to get a bagel and I’ve never seen so many options for a bagel before.  And the guy at the counter didn’t say, “May I help you?”  He just expected me to shout my order at him.  I froze.  Everyone around me was yelling bagel orders, I homeless guy was looking at me to buy him something to eat….whew…it’s a very big world.

The cliche is true.  It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.  In fact, I don’t want to live anywhere near it.  Give me a nice place out in the country.  That suits me perfectly.

Miss Saigon is tomorrow.  Last Thanksgiving I saw The Phantom of the Opera.  It used to be my tradition to go see a movie on Thanksgiving day; now it seems my new tradition is going to a Broadway Show for Thanksgiving.

I’m growing up.

 

 

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November 27, 1996 – Wednesday – 10:00 p.m.

I’m having a great time.  Vince is feeling better.  Today we spent most of the day playing this computer game called MYST.  It was really relaxing, just the two of us working on that together, solving the puzzles, etc.

His sister Jennifer flew in from her college.  Tonight, she and Vince and I went to their grandparent’s house.  We ate lasagna and played pool and ping pong.

Tomorrow, the three of us are going to the big parade in the city.

For Friday, Vince’s stepfather got everybody Miss Saigon tickets.

On Saturday, we are going into the city again to go to an IMAX theater.

We fly home on Sunday.  Wow!

November 26, 1996 – Tuesday – 10:15 p.m.

It’s a whole different world up here.  Everybody’s in a hurry.  Everybody is picky.  This is weird.  It’s cool, but weird.  I don’t know what to say.

Vince got sick and threw up at the airport and on the drive to his house.

Everyone sounds funny and no one is smiling.

I’m a little uncomfortable.

November 26, 1996 – Tuesday – 2:30 p.m.

We are in the air right now.  It’s a small propeller jet.  Vince is across the aisle from me.  I’m drinking sprite and eating peanuts.  We’re above the clouds.  I’m flying again.

Sharon, Laura, and Hannah drove us here.  They are perhaps the three most beautiful women on the planet.  May I always have those faces in my life.

We land in Pittsburgh, then fly to Islip, NY.  I’m excited.

November 26, 1996 – Tuesday – 8:35 a.m.

Vince and I are leaving in three hours.

New York City!

Little me is going to New York City!!

I went to Banner Elk Christian Fellowship on Sunday.  It was great.  Afterwards, the college students from App. State and LMC went to eat at a family’s house.  I was in a room full of people I didn’t know.

Bible study was great at Sharon’s last night.  Timothy came.

Sharon gave me a $100 bill and told me to have a good time in New York.  How great is that woman!

Well, I have got to pack!

November 23, 1996 – Saturday – 3:15 p.m.

Oh God…I hurt so bad inside.  Last night…oh forget about last night.  I just spent an hour with Abigail.  We were in Timothy’s room.  I was helping her with a research paper.  Timothy had to leave…we were alone.  She is amazing.  I asked her how K.C. was doing.  She began talking about him.  Whenever she talks about him her whole body perks up.  They sing together and go around to different churches to minister.  I’ve never heard anyone sing as beautifully as Abigail

Vince and Laura are absolutely perfect together.  Vince is so happy; Laura’s face is twice as bright and beautiful when she is next to him.

Curtis is seeing Ryan.  He even has a new smile on his face.

Nobody wants me.  Is there any hope God?  I can’t do this alone.

Forget it.  I’ll just wait on you.  I’m waiting for some girl, but she’ll never come.  You’re the only thing that will last until the end and beyond.

November 20, 1996 – Wednesday – 8:45 p.m.

I told Timothy that Jessica and I went for a walk.  Then at lunch yesterday while I was talking to Abigail, Timothy came over and said, “who ya talkin’ bout?  Jessica?”

I pretended like he didn’t say anything since Abigail is Jessica’s roommate.

But then he mentioned something in front of Ann-Marie today.  She asked me directly if I liked Jessica.  I stuttered, but then finally said, “I just think she’s adorable.”

Abigail appeared on the scene and she had a smile on her face, something I haven’t seen for a week.  She’s been going through a rough time since her parents are moving and she feels like she should be there with them during the transition.

It really hurts me when I see either Abigail, Jessica, or Shawna hurt.  I’ve grown attached to them.  They mean the world to me.  I’m sure somebody has said something to Jessica, but she continues to be loads of fun.  Maybe she likes me too.  But then again, maybe not.

Those girls, Josh, Timothy, Ann-Marie; they are the best things that have happened this semester.  Bless them Lord.  Bless them.

November 19, 1996 – Tuesday – 3:00 a.m.

I’ve been up all night working on my play.

Rachel Anne got sick Sunday morning, so she didn’t go to church, but she did go with me on Sunday night.  She had fun.  Hopefully she come with me again.

That night when I got back, I called up Jessica and asked her if she would like to walk over to Wildcat Lake and go swinging.  She said yes.  So we went.  We spent about an hour and a half together and really had a lot of fun.  We talked the whole time.  She’s so cool.  Thanks for bringing her here Lord.

One week until New York!

November 17, 1996 – Sunday – 8:30 a.m.

Vince, Abigail, Shawna, Jessica, and I had a great time going shopping Wednesday.  I even bought Cindy Morgan’s new CD.  The next day we played Christmas music and put the shoeboxes together for Operation Christmas Child.  We wrapped them up beautifully.  It was such a fun and precious time.

The dance concert has been going on all weekend.  I was the Assistant Stage Manager.  I enjoyed myself.  My Stage Manager even bought me flowers.

Dawn and I got called back for Children of A Lesser God.  We learned another scene and performed it in front of a video camera on Friday.  I had to yell and scream and get angry.  It was fun, but stressful.  I don’t know how angry people have the energy to be mad all the time.

I am in the process of rewriting my one act.  I’m adding another character.

Timothy has been hanging out with me a lot.  He is a musical theater major.  He used to be gay, but he’s talked with Tracey and me and he has denounced that lifestyle and given his life to God.  His home town is only about 30 minutes down the road from my house.  He comes to church with us.

Rachel Anne wants to go to church with me this morning as well.

Life is fun and special.  I’m just walking along this road of life; enjoying the snowcapped mountains.

November 11, 1996 – Monday – 10:10 a.m.

The snow hasn’t stopped.

Saturday evening Curtis came into my room to borrow a movie to watch with his new girlfriend.  Her name is Ryan, and she’s going to App State, but it’s not my Ryan from back home.  At dinner that evening I was talking about how cute and funny Curtis sounded when he came to ask for a movie because he hates watching movies.

Jeni spoke up, “Jacob, you’re not being very sensitive.”

I turned to see Ann-Marie was almost in tears.  She is so overdramatic.  I apologized.  I didn’t know she had THAT big of a crush on Curtis.  I called her that evening and apologized again.  She was crying when she picked up the phone.  We talked for a while, but then she said that she didn’t feel comfortable talking to me about it and she said goodbye.

She’s a strange girl.

Yesterday, Abigail was sitting alone and all of her friends (Jeni, Tracey, Ann-Marie) were sitting at our table.  There wasn’t enough room, so I gave up my seat and just went back to my room so she could sit with her friends instead of sitting alone.

Abigail seems very strong in her Christian walk and I think Ann-Marie takes her for granted.  At least that’s the way I perceive it.

In 15 days Vince and I will fly up to New York.  That means I have 15 days to finish all of my work.  I want to get all of my work done so I can have a truly relaxing time in the big city.  Once we get back from Thanksgiving break we only have one week of classes before finals week.

I’ll be back in Siler City in about a month.  I will have not been home in over six months.

Can another winter already be here?