'cards with the 'tards. who could beat a night of cards, chips, dips and dorks?'

You know how sometimes you're just digging around, hoping to find treasures, but all you're coming up with is stuff that makes you question what you're doing? When you've waded through drama and tears and someone's leftovers?

How about when you think you should maybe just give up the treasure hunt because you're getting nowhere and, honestly, you don't really like having your hands messy? But you tell yourself "Maybe just one more dive. I'll take one more dive into this and see what happens."

Hopefully that's the day you feel your grip hit something that feels different. You don't want to get your hopes up, so you're talking to yourself (as you're wont to do), telling yourself it's probably nothing, don't get your hopes up.

But then you pull it free. You look at it. Maybe give it a poke. And you discover that you have unearthed this really great thing! And you know that even calling it "great" doesn't seem adequate enough (oh, and that "thing," obviously, isn't the word you mean!).

That is what I have discovered in my dear friend, Nanette (who I know knows I'm not comparing her to muck and mire!). Thank you for your kindness in the miles. We may have to alter our road trip plans (and so be it), but I'd still totally take turns dancing in the front seat with you. I'd even flash you and say "I bet you've never seen two like these before," if you promise to then say "Well, my parents do have cable."

Or we could take turns doing that!

But it will be me who keeps saying thank you.