ABSTRACT
On the clinic wall hangs a plaque that reads, "Please pick your excuse by number." The list begins with "I forgot" and covers the range of reasons for not accomplishing what was expected. Included are mechanical failures, as of alarm clocks and automobiles, unreliable helpers such as spouses and neighbors, accidents, and acts of God such as fire or flood. Jerry could always come up with one more. The bottom line was that he could keep you laughing all the way to the emergency room. In reality, though, Jerry was not in the least bit funny. In fact, he was a sad, neglected, and unresourceful IV drug user.
