THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

The paths I have taken in my life have had many twists and turns, as life does, and some days it just blows my mind how things have turned out so far. Careful what you plan, none of it may go the way you think!

Shortly after our arrival in Lahaina, Maui, my girlfriend found herself a boyfriend. Within a week, at her suggestion, we dumped the apartment we were renting and moved in with him. Being younger and quite daft, I just followed along. They slept in his bedroom, generously giving me the old, dusty couch in the living room, which I shared with a giant black spider I called Fred, who sat on the wall and stared at me till I went to sleep.

First stop was Lahr, Germany, where we stayed in the barracks on the military base. We went to the cantina first thing and were invited to join the guys, who ordered trays and trays of beer and this white stuff in small bottles that they downed after every beer. Some kind of schnapps, I guess. I never knew how much booze soldiers could drink in one night! (Not that there’s anything wrong with that…) We danced all night long and tried to keep up with them. At the morning rehea