All couples go through ebbs and flows, fleeting interests that come and go naturally throughout your life together. For example, for a few years in the 90's, my parents took up square dancing.  I remember them putting on their cute little outfits and these name-tags with tiny plastic badges hanging off them.  The name tags were not unlike those worn by fast food employees, and the badges were dime-sized and hung from metal loops on the bottom of the name-tag.  Oh, I forgot.  The badges were awarded for different square dancing accomplishments earned throughout your time with the group.  Essentially Boy Scout badges for square dancing adults.  Amazing!  And while they may deny it now, I remember my parents really enjoying it.  I don't know if the other people there smelled, or if they finally looked in the mirror and saw all that plaid, but eventually Mom and Dad stopped going.  It's normal.  It happens.

Anyways.  The point of all this is that my girlfriend and I are in what can only be termed a "Wii Mario Kart" phase, and I love it.  Last weekend one of my best friends from college came to visit, and as he opened my front door, he entered to see me standing scantily clad, water pipe in hand, while Erin was celebrating a first place Wii Kart victory.  He announced, "I don't think I could have entered to a more awesome scene."  I have to agree with him.  It was badass.

And mercifully, Wii is family oriented enough that it has a "Team Competition" mode that allows my girlfriend and I to play on the same team (we always go Blue Team, cause fuck those Red Team bastards).  We cheer for each other and high-five when we go 1st/ 2nd on Delfino Square (it's one of the course's names, if you don't know what I'm talking about it just means that you probably had friends in high school).  It's great fun.

But I don't kid myself, I know that her interest won't stay on the greatness of video games forever.  The trick is to enjoy it while it lasts.  And as I sit here writing this entry, she is celebrating the unlocking of new race courses for her character.  It's the bomb, yo.   And I don't dwell on how playing video games at night wearing our peep-colored robes (mine's blue, her's pink) will look 15 years from now (cause it'll still be awesome).  The same way I'm sure my parents don't think of the plaid jumpsuits, but rather the fun they had together.

How amazing is this picture.  I feel like some coloring book KNEW I was going to write this piece!