Allow me to introduce the Showbiz Pizza Band...

...performing Love in This Club by Usher!

for Ashley

Merry Christmas, Ashley!

Different Verse, Same as the First

The year: 2007 (to the right).

The result: A Tar Heel victory over Michigan State.

Now...

The year: 2008.

The result: A Tar Heel spanking of Michigan State.

98 to 63.

Holy freaking cow, daggumit.

I'm Thankful.

I know Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away, but I won't let one day of the year keep me from sharing what's important to me.

I'm thankful for Ashley. I'm lucky to have someone I can share everything in life with. I'm lucky I have someone who loves me for who I am, imperfections and all. I'm lucky to have someone who is a intimate lover and a best friend. I'm just daggum lucky.

I'm thankful for family and friends. I'm lucky to have people in my life that mean so much to me. I'm lucky to have people in my life that I know will be there for me. I'm lucky to have people in my life who also love me for who I am. I'm just real gosh-darn lucky.

I'm thankful for freedom. I'm lucky I can believe what I want to believe without fear of persecution. I'm lucky I can share my beliefs with others without fear of persecution. I'm lucky I can argue with people over my believes without fear of punishment.

I'm thankful for education. I'm lucky I had the opportunity to attend a school for free from the age of 5 until I was 18. I'm lucky I had parents who were willing to invest financially in my continuing education. I'm lucky I can continue my education in order to further my knowledge of what is best and beneficial for children. I'm lucky I have the opportunity to lay the foundation for a child's years in school. I hope I do okay.

I'm thankful for everything God has placed in my life. I only wished I showed that thanks to God more often than I do.

The United States of Obama

Some people are just _______ (insert appropriate adjective).

During Obama's campaign visit to Ohio, he appeared in front of a row of flags. Those with some matter of intelligence (or logic, or deductive reasoning) would realize that the pattern of flags included the American flag and the Ohio state flag.

But, noooooooooooo.

Conservative radio host, Bob Grant, thought the flag was Obama's recreation of the American flag with the 'O' at the center. His call-in listeners fueled speculation that Obama was going to ruin our great country. A conservative blogger received emails from outraged conservatives. Do we really want our country led by a dictator?

Too bad Obama's not a dictator. Too bad the conspiracy-crazed conservatives couldn't distinguish the state flag of Ohio from a made-up Obamanation flag.

Which brings me back to my first sentence. What adjective would work best there?

Crazy. Insane. Looney. Paranoid. Fearful. Illogical. Dumb.

Sweetest Day

Ah, Sweetest Day. A day I'd never heard of until 2007. A day I (unfortunately) haven't committed to memory as of yet in my young marriage.

Seriously, in my 25 years as a resident of North Carolina I'd never even heard of the day. I dated Ashley two of those years and she never mentioned it. Then last year, early in our marriage, I was asked what I was going to do for her on Sweetest Day. "What's Sweetest Day?"

Fast forward one more year. It's a relatively cold, balmy day in central Ohio. We go to an outdoor (brrrr) pumpkin-decorating picnic to see our niece. Luckily, my sister-in-law comes up and whisper-reminds me that it's Sweetest Day. "Crap," is what I'm thinking to myself. "I've really got to commit this holiday to memory."

Luckily, I was able to cleverly integrate a sweet snack that Ashley loves (a Dairy Queen ice cream cake with the message "Happy Sweetest Day") into our last-second Sweetest Day festivities.

By the way, she thought I had forgotten (which I had).

Now I know that Sweetest Day is a Hallmark holiday. My next move will be to suggest that Hallmark's website send out email reminders to any registered married man as Sweetest Day approaches.

Anyways, although a holiday every now and again is nice to remind someone why they're special to you, it never hurts to show them they're special just because.

Ashley, you're the most specialist person in my whole world and I love you!

Happy Sweetest Day!