Back to College

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Matt hit the road back to school this past weekend.

It's funny but I remember each trip back to start a new year.

Year One: 1982

I got to Gannon without a friend in the world. I knew one guy who was going there, but I didn't like him much. He had played on the Eden basketball team. He gave me a finger in line for my first meal. We became good buddies. Still that first night I laid in bed and nearly cried. I missed my Mom. Thankfully I was drunk and I got to sleep fairly quickly.

Year Two: 1983

We all returned a couple of days early. We drank a half-keg a beer the first night back and met the freshman girls as they unpacked their cars. Two days in and they all hated all of us. Thank God I'd had enough beer. The rejection wasn't so bad.

Year Three: 1984

Our roommate had sublet our apartment to two very attractive girls. We had no idea. My mother dropped me off and eyed up the situation.

"You can't stay here with two girls," Mom said.

But I did.

The girls wanted nothing to do with me. Thankfully I tipped a few those first few days. The fact that they despised me was well-received.

Year Four: 1985

I had my tuition money in my pocket. I arrived two days early. Midway through the drunken mess of a party on the first night we found out that Springsteen was playing in Toronto.

We took the tuition money and headed out, scalping tickets in the CNE parking lot.

Bruce played forever that night.

We drove all the way back to Erie.

Already worn out and I was three hundred bucks short to pay for classes.

I sold my car stereo to make up the difference.

We also got detained at the border on the way in because of this exchange:

Border Patrol Guy: Why were you in Canada?

Me: We went to the concert.

Border Patrol Guy: What concert?

Me: Bruce.

Border Patrol Guy: Bruce who?

Me: Springsteen.

Border Patrol Guy: Who's that?

Me: Do you live under a rock?

We were good and searched that night. My partner in crime wanted to absolutely skin me.

So, Matt packed the car and headed out. He was going to be getting there a day early.

I don't even wanna' know what he's up to.

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