British chicks, etc.

WOW! What a day. Summed up in one word: hilarity.

I showed up at the Texaco gas station at 2:00 p.m. Yes that's right. In the town of Slidell, the Greyhound bus "station" is a gas station. I thought that was odd, also. The bus was supposed to arrive at 3, but was delayed till 3:35 in arriving because of nasty rainy weather.

When we got to New Orleans, we transferred, so everyone had to get off and wait another 1/2 hour. The interesting aspect of my day started with a vending machine. Actually I saw a girl with luggage start to walk over to an area with video games. I started thinking, "what is that girl going to do with all that luggage when she goes to play video games...plus she was in somewhat nice attire....not jeans or whatever...and I had trouble imagining playing Street Fighter. Eventually I watch and realise that there are vending machines over there. I think that's a great idea, so I dig for some money to go get something to eat...not out of hunger, but boredom. I made a casual comment to this girl that she can go ahead because I'll be awhile figuring out what I want to get. She replies that she's the same way...she takes forever to decide. We started joking around for a minute about stuff and eventually I settled on some Doritos...I left her still looking at the machine. Off and on we started kind of talking from a distance to each other across the rows of seats in the terminal. It turned out she was going back to Houston from a "vacation in New Orleans." I'll omit her name and call her Jessica (her name did start with a "J"). Eventually it was time to board.

Before I got on...I had a strange run in with the guy collecting tickets...I ended up being confused and he ended up looking at me like I was stupid. I didn't know what the heck this special reboarding pass was...but I thought I needed one since I was reboarding but he said I didn't and asked me if this was the same bus I had been on before. I said, "I don't know, sir. One like it at least...I was on the bus from Slidell to New Orleans." He said, "But was it the SAME bus?" At this point, I said, "Well I don't know if it was this one or one like it, you got me?" I think, 'I didn't observe the name rank and serial number...God only knows if it's the same bus!" I did laugh though...it was tensely funny.

I'll admit as I sat down I hoped Jessica would sit down next to me...she seemed like a nice girl and was attractive. Of course she asked if the seat was taken and it was most certainly not! On the 1.5 hour trip I had a great time conversing with her. She was a very extroverted person and very fun...and brought this introvert out of himself! We talked about everything from food to travel to family to personal lives to...eventually faith. I'll get to that. I try to joke a lot when chillin' with girls...if I can make them laugh I figure I'm doing alright...although theoretically they could be laughing AT me. Hmm. Never thought of that. :o)

Anyhow, after she used my mobile to call her friend and parents...she noticed my covenant ring. I explained to her that "no, I'm not engaged,"...that it's a symbol of Christian purity...that my belief in Jesus Christ is strong motivation for my commitment...that I believe in abstinence till marriage. I just love how it's like "dropping the bomb" whenever I explain the ring to people. She was very comfortable with it though.."you dont' meet many people like that" she says. Yeah tell me about it. She talked then about how she'd already failed in that regard...but that she was engaged and she showed me the guy she was going to marry. She started apologizing for cursing around me and stuff...I just tried to let my life be a witness and smile. I told her I'd pray for everything to work out for her. I have to be watchful in situations like this...because if I was trying to socialize with her for my own benefit...I would have compromised my Christian beliefs...but it turned out God used a vending machine earlier on to allow me to humbly speak to her...I hope that she takes thoughts about purity into her marriage if this is God's will for her.

I got to the terminal, I bid her goodbye, I wandered outside to find a Baton Rouge transit bus to go back to LSU. I found out that the next bus wouldn't be there for an hour, it was raining, and I had to stand at the bus stop...out in the open with no cover. Some girls near me found out the same thing at the same time and groaned as we walked down the street. I asked if they were going to LSU, and their reply immediately told me...

...they were British!

...and they had an umbrella!

...so there I stood with 3 very very very nice British girls...Leanne, Alex, and Amy...huddled under their teeny tiny elementary school kid sized umbrella. What is it about British girls?! AAAHH! Is it just me...someone help me out (!)...or are they so much sweeter than American girls. AAAHH!!! The kind so nice it just does something to a guy...
We laughed a lot about various things...including the southern word "y'all" (you all)...and various other Americanisms. I had fun learning a little more about the UK...we had 2 homeless people come up to us...but we tried explaining we really didn't have any money (i had just enough for a bus fare)...

And one woman I offered some pop tarts in my suitcase...but (!) she replies, "DO I LOOK LIKE I LIVE OFF POP-TARTS? I've been brought up to where I have to have a good home-cooked meal!"

Granted...this was a HOMELESS person telling me this! It was almost too surreal to be true...I had to interpret her accent some for the girls. It was funny. One girl in her attractive accent asked her friend, "um I didn't understand...what did she say?" Then that girl kind of looked at me, the American, to interpret. Haha. Finally, the bus did come. We rode and got off at the same stop. As one by one they left to go to their several dorms, I said goodbye...very reluctantly. Oh well...life goes on.

wow. I think I want to marry a Brit now. Let's go British, my American friends! wow.

Then I went in the rain to do some banking at an ATM...then through more rain as I biked to Raising Cane's chicken fingers. Then I stopped by the XAC...where the Josh Lee Project band was doing some soft rock...including stand-up bass and saxophone...sooo relaxing...then biked back to my dorm. I tried to dry out and relax as much as possible...

...and took some pictures...see the above picture....