One year ago today, my four best friends and I embarked on a fateful weekend of cold and snow and trout fishing. On the ride home we started planning an extended version of that adventure, a week in the Boundary Waters chasing walleye, smallmouth and pike. My two non-fishermen friends immediately excused themselves from the outing. But Dad, Tim, Fred and I have been looking forward to it ever since.
While Dad, Tim and I forge on full speed ahead, it looks like Freddie may have to truncate his trip on account of some family conflicts.
Freddie: Guys, I can only make it for half the trip. I’m going to have to head home on Wednesday instead of Saturday.
Me: There’s no cell phone reception up there. Your commitments won’t be able to reach you. You could just say you forgot and that you couldn’t be reminded, so you decided to stay and keep on catching ’em with us.
Freddie: Ha! My family would disown me!
Pause
Freddie: Say, how big did you say those pike get again?