Joey:

Well, we're moving back up the coast.  It hasn't changed much since the way down.  Except that the shore is on the left hand side instead of the right.  I bought a "Carolina Jasmine" plant, first as something to draw because it was so beautiful and vibrant... but then I realized it would make a nice gift for someone back home.  Maybe Mrs. Leery.  It's hard for me to imagine what it's going to be like when I get home so I haven't reallly given it much thought.  But the reality is starting to creep in slowly, as I remember things, practical things, like my summer reading list for English, like how soon the SATs will be coming up, like college applications... But it's almost impossible to think about these things when Pacey is showing me sea birds and jellyfish and otters... He's so content to live in the present moment.  It's amazing to me.  And sometimes annoying because he refuses to plan for anything and sometimes he gets upset when I even talk about the future.  But can I help it?  I want to live the moment - I want ot experience the day just for what it is - but there's a reality that I want my life to be different from the rest of the Potters' screwed up lives.  they just let life happen, and mom ended up dying young and poor, dad ended up in jail, and my sister ended up an unmarried mom way before she was ready.  And if I didn't worry about the future... that's how I'd end up, too.

Pacey is so funny!  I can't believe he spent what precious few dollars we have to these ridiculously cheesy t-shirts!  I already brought Alexander one of those "My aunt went to Florida and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" things, and a bib with a picture of baby Mickey Mouse on it.  But on the cheese-o-meter I think this ranks even higher.  Corny garb aside, I love this place.  But I've thought that about every place we've been.  Every place we go I look up all the colleges there and wonder if I have any shot of getting a scholarship to go to Duke, or UVA, or Emory... there are so many possibilities... and so many choices to make! Or, then again, if I don't get a scholarship there won't be any chance at all and I'll be off to C³ (aka Capside Community College).  Okay, Pacey is telling me they're selling funnel cake at the next port.  I gotta go!
 

Pacey:

(E-mail)
From: DWitter
To: PWitter

Hello, wandering brother...

I bring tidings from that small coastal town... you know, the place you inhabit when you're not cruising the Atlantic.  Dad would like me to remind you that you forgot to check in this week with your 20 (i.e. your location).  That's dad's way of saying he's worried about you, so drop a line, okay.  By the way he says you got some mail from school, but that you'll have to come pick it up yourself when you get back because Kerry's kids dropped it in the dog food.  So it's a bit smelly.  Everyone else there is the usual chaotic disorder.  And thus the reason I moved out. Little did I know I'd get stuck with stray siblings.

So, check in with dad, don't spend all your money, and try to bring Joey back in one piece.

10-4

Doug

I ask you, what normal person signs their email "10-4?"  I guess that's what happens when you spend an inordinate amount of time flirting wiht your fellow officers on the police radio... I'll tell ya on thing.  I've discovered I have a goal.  And my goal is not to enter the field of law enforcement.  If I accomplish that... I'll have achieved my goal.  In the mean time, my more immediate goal is to catch dinner.  And to watch the sunset with Joey...

When i Rome, do as the Romans... and when a tourist... well, you get the idea.  I think I'm going to give this to my dad, just to see the look on his face.  It's sad, but when you grow up fully aware of the fact that there is no way you're possibly going to please the folks that spawned you, you start coming up with ways to aggravate them. This is a documented phenomenon and I don't think it is uniquely indigenous to the Witter clan, but they certainly are a paradigmatic case study.  Anway, enough thinking about my insane kinfolk.

I think Joey was my cosmic reward for putting up with their crap for so many years.  Some lame song my sister always used to play had some line where the guy said he knew he was going to heaven cause he'd "done his time in hell."  That is it.  Joey's like my heaven on Earth.  But so is funnel cake... and I'm gonna go eat some before Joey chows it all down! Later!