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June. A Sunday sometime between 1988 and 1990—I can’t remember exactly, and I’m too lazy to try to find out, but this was when I rented the top floor of a big old house on the corner of Third and Jefferson in Lexington. Wednesday through Saturday, I opened at Comedy On Broadway with Art Divitas featuring and Dennis Piper headlining. My first real stand-up comedy gig. It paid $200. Cash. Sunday was unseasonably hot in a month of unseasonable heat. $200 in my pocket, I decided

Crushes There was a girl back home whom I was truly, deeply, madly in love with, as in love as any boy who had never been in love could be. We had both dated others, were never exclusive, and, looking back, were probably—really—just the absolute best of friends—but that read as love to me. I still have that glow in my heart. That said, college was a revelation. Here was a literal surfeit of NEW girls. Women! Women I had not spent most of 12 years being acquainted with in on

Author's Note: It's been a busy week, so I kind of half-assed this installment. Sorry, not sorry. Pledging continued, and a few guys who didn’t go through the official rush joined during open rush a couple of weeks later. Those of us who were freshmen settled into a new post-high school reality. For most of us, it was the first time we were away from home for an extended period. No parents, no siblings, no pets. Our accustomed safety nets were suddenly anything from a quic

After the mixers, parties, hangovers, and a couple of weeks of normal freshman life on a small college campus, Fraternity Rush was finally winding down, with bids extended and decisions made. I got bids from Sigma Nu and Sigma Phi Epsilon, and I had to make my decision before leaving Dean of Students Gorell’s office. I chose the Sig Eps, and, looking back, I think it was for a few reasons: the Snakes reminded me A LOT of the Omega Theta Pi fraternity in Animal House , and t