It’s been a while since I did this. I was going to do one Wednesday night, but I was gloriously interrupted by my old college flame (Hi Lisa!) on the telephone. And last night I was tired, so I went to bed early.

--Yeah, Lisa is my old college flame. She and I had been e-mailing each other since this past spring. She’s living in Austin, Texas right now. She’s trying to get a job as a nanny. Please pray for her. She’s had some rough times over the past few years. I remember our last date: Election Day, 1988. We went to a movie, and we went shopping (Lisa and I almost always shopped when we went on dates). Wednesday night was the second-happiest night of my life. I was on the ’Net, checking my metroflog (www.metroflog.com/dougputhoff) to see if anyone replied to my recent post. Lisa did. Next I tried. to get her to talk via iGoogle. But I couldn’t. I sent a message to her. A few minutes later I heard my cellphone ring. I thought, Could it be her? I looked at the phone’s display screen. It was the area code of the number she’d given me a few months earlier. I pressed the answer button. “Lisa?” When I first heard her lovely voice over the speaker, I almost cried. I’m not sure what goings to happen next; I’m just taking it one day at a time. Nowadays, that’s the safest way to go.

--The happiest day of my life happened in 1985. It was my first semester at the University of Southern Indiana. I’d moved in with my Dad and Stepmother after I’d flunked out of Wright State University in Ohio while telling everybody I’d graduate that spring. I was on the staff on the school newspaper, the Shield. Also on the staff was an attractive brunette, a couple of years younger than I. She had just transferred from the University of Evansville.

Sometime in October--not exactly sure when--I was leaving photography class. Attractive Brunette was waiting was waiting for me. We talked for a few minutes. I was beginning to like her.

On a Monday afternoon, I went to school newspaper meeting. I got there early. A few minutes later Attractive Brunette appeared. She, Lisa, gave me a graduation picture of herself, with her name, address, and phone number on it. That made my decade. I asked her if she wanted to go to Halloween Madness with me, she said, “Yes.” I was on Cloud Nine. I left U.S.I. in a state of bliss greater than any I’d been in before or since.

Wednesday night came close, thought.

I’m still unmarried. I don’t barhop. For one thing, I don’t have a car. For another, I’m on medications, so I’m supposed to take alcoholic beverages. The closet I usually come to drinking one is when I drink an “O’Doul’s” when I’m out eating with my Mother and Stepfather (#3). As I said. I’m not sure what will happen next; I’m just taking it one day at a time.

--I remember my first date with Lisa. We went to Halloween Madness, but as we were heading toward the Student Center, I’d realized I’d locked myself out of the car. We had to get a security person to unlock it. Luckily most of our dates went better than that--except for that one we saw the “Friday the 13th” movie. I think I’ve written about that one.