After putting on some dry clothes, J.J. had a warm cup of his Mom's cocoa. J.J.'s mom put lots of the mini-marshmellows on top of the cocoa, just the way J.J., since his earliest, happiest, childhood memories, had always liked to drink the hot, soothing concoction.

"Thanks Mom," J.J. said sheepishly.

"Oh, J.J.," J.J.'s mom said sadly. "I just wish you would think before you leapt, then things wouldn't always be going awry around you."

"A what? A wound who?" asked J.J.

"No, J.J.," his mother said. "Awry. Awry."

"Okay. I'm standing," said J.J., standing up.

"Oh, J.J.," his mom said sadly. "Whatever is going to become of my poor baby?"

The taxi arrived at the Disneyland Resort employee entrance, and J.J. got out.

J.J. paid the $18, which included a $3 tip, to the driver, and thanked him. The taxi driver must of had a hangover that day, 'cause he left J.J. on the wrong side of Ball road, and in the middle of the block.

"Disney freak," the cab driver mumbled to himself, staring at J.J. in his rear view mirror as he drove away. J.J. just stood there, waving, with that weird grin, stretched across his face.

J.J. stopped grinning when he realized he was on the wrong side of the street. So, just like his mom had told him, he looked both ways before crossing the street to the other side.

Unfortunately, J.J. forgot that his mom had told him, not only to look both ways, but while you are looking both ways, to make sure traffic wasn't coming.

J.J. had looked both ways, but his mind must have been somewhere else, for he failed to notice the thirty, or so, cars, and SUVs, of speeding, late, employees, rushing to their jobs, some of them, not even having had coffee, yet.

J.J. stepped into the middle of the street. The cars, and SUV's, all slammed on their brakes in unison. The street became one giant pinball machine, with cars, and SUV's ricochetting, back and forth like J.J. had just gotten a 30-car, multi-ball.

"BANG, CRUNCH, DENT, PING, BAM, SMASH, CRASH," went the cars, while J.J., oblivious to it all, skipped across the street, whistling, the tune to It's A Small World.

A gas truck barely missed J.J.. The gas truck driver swerved, and then jumped from the cab of his truck, when he realized it was going to turn over.

"BANG, SCREEECH, CLANK, CRUNCH, SCRAPEEeEeEeEeeee," went the gas truck, flipping over on it's side.

The driver put his foot out to stop his rolling on the pavement, and came to a halt. He watched his, just paid off, gas truck slide 80 feet into the gas pumps at the AM/PM mini market.

J.J. was so thrilled about his new job as an EMT in training that he didn't notice the loud explosion, or the 300 foot fireball rolling up into the sky behind him...

...as he went in the doors, to the employee entrance, of the happiest place on earth, the Disneyland Resort!

Your pal,
Ed

Coming soon!!! Chapter 4, J.J.'s First Day at Work. - Don't Miss It!