Mr. W and I were watching TV yesterday and being playful as usual. I did something with my hand, and he retaliated by grabbing my hand and placing it over his chest to stop me from goofing off. With my hand over his chest, I said, “You pledge allegiance…to the flag…” and we laughed. I told him, “I say the Pledge of Allegiance 4 times a week.”
He said, “Really? Your judge wants that as part of a formal opening in court?”
I said, “No, we say it in jujitsu before we start class.”
“So you guys pay tribute to an American flag…in a class that teaches an oriental art…”
“…which is taught by a Latino man,” I added.
He laughed. But that is the beauty of this country. The good ol’ US of A, made by immigrants, for immigrants. (Altho I’m all for legal immigration, I must emphasize, to add unique flavors to our salad bowl country.)

In the same spirit (altho it didn’t occur to me until right now), right before Mr. W and I left his house yesterday afternoon to buy Oolong tea for his coworker from 99 Ranch Market, I put up this AFK message on AIM: “I’m off to a Fobby Supermarket to buy a Fobby Beverage with my non-fobby white boyfriend.” And then I thought about it and changed it a bit, since Mr. W was doing something at a desk next to me so I had a few moments. When I stepped away from my laptop, Mr. W had finished whatever it was he was doing, which he then showed me while announcing, “Who’s NOT fobby NOW?!” He was waving, yes, a completed application for 99 Ranch Market’s VIP frequent shopper program. I said, “I already changed my AFK message; look!” He leaned down and read, “I’m off to a Fobby Supermarket to buy a Fobby Beverage at the behest of my Fobby White Boyfriend” and cracked up.

Only in America.