As I was walking back from the grocery store tonight at about 10pm (just got home from work) with the makings of quesidillas and a quart of high life in my pack, I had the exhillerating little thrill: in two weeks it will be over, and my life will be my own again.

Yeah, I'll probably keep my job and I don't think you ever go back after getting this deep into the whole scene, but a little over a year ago I made a promise to the night -- the kind of promise another Josh in another time would probably have said he made to god or something -- that I would do whatever I could to try and turn this country around, to pull it off the rocks, away from the ledge and what have you...

Once I had a girl on rockey top
Half bear the other half cat
Wild as a mynx but sweeter than soda pop
I still dream about that

Rocky top, you'll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky top
Rocky top Tennessee

Freedom, baby. It's coming soon. The Reading Rainbow song running strong through my blood: I... can do... anything...