C'mon...you remember what I taught you last year, don't you?

I came home from work yesterday and told Nick my news. My company lifts the dress code for one day every year in the spirit of Halloween fun...and, while I had personally elected to not stray down that particular conviviality, my team elected otherwise and I marvelled and revelled both at the dual mischievousness/genius behind the plan.

So I tell all of this to Nick. I continue on, "See, it's really just an excuse for us to show up in tees, sweatshirts, and jeans to work without getting in trouble." Besides, when the question was posed, What if they send us home?, there was a general shoulder-shrugging, I'm struggling to see the downside, response.

Nick, I am sure, heard little of this as he was jumping like a Mexican bean and tackled the stairs in a way that would make a mother grimace in almost certain future injury. Stairs need not know that sort of excitement. Stairs need calm, boring people. In a match of stair-climbing, I trump my domestic partner ten, nay, one-hundred fold. Ask anyone.

I follow slowly, as though I am walking through mud or climbing a treadmill at 15% grade. I begin to change from my work apparel for our run. Yesterday was probably the last nice day of the year, kissing the high 50's in the afternoon. The rest of this week will be lucky to see 45°. Meanwhile, the Latino pod showered me with something fiery and reflective, cheering, "You're so lucky you know me!" His eyes were Christmas.

My team decided to go today as Badger fans. I am decked out in a Ron Dayne jersey and Nick has scattered roughly 20 baseball caps around me as I type this morning, encircling my neck with an unused 1999 Rose Bowl ticket, a miniature stuffed Bucky Badger and a terrible towel tribute to Barry Alvarez from November-last...and I realize now that Nick has lived his entire life for me to go to work today as a Badger fan.

Nice of him, no?

And, as I publish today's entry, he jumps-all-but-slides down the stairs with another hat, having had a story behind each that he has presented thus far (including one that he warned has been well worn and I probably don't want to put anywhere near my head, says he with a scrunched nose), "I thought I was missing one! I got THIS one when we won...."