Night Owl Cards

I'm not an overtly patriotic person. That's a tough thing to admit, given where I live. Not only do I live in a very patriotic country, but I also live in a very patriotic portion of the country. I reside next to an army base where salutes to our military aren't reserved for this day alone, but pretty much every day of the year. I have no problem with this. I think I live in the best country in the world and our military deserves the credit for helping keep it that way. But I'm uncomfortable expressing more than that. I'm not sure why. I think part of it is I'm just not given to outward displays of emotion. The other part of it is I have little connection to the military. While I know several friends and acquaintances who have brothers, sisters, fathers who have served, I look around my family and see nothing but civilians. Although several relatives served our country in the past, they're all gone. The only connection left on this earth is my fathe...

I didn't think I'd be able to produce my usual after-hours post tonight, with the birthday extravaganza and all. But when a Hall of Famer signs your card, then you damn well better find time, eh? This card arrived in my own self-addressed, stamped envelope Friday afternoon. In the middle of preparations for my wife's birthday, wrapping, coordinating, shopping, etc., I snagged the mail and quickly whipped through it before I had to run off to the bank. Out popped an envelope with my writing on it. I knew immediately what it was. Sitting in the envelope, in all of its naked glory (no penny sleeves) were the two cards I sent to Hall of Famer and Brooklyn/L.A. Dodgers legend Duke Snider. Both were signed. As you can see, I sent the Fleer Ultra card. It was the one that most of the commentators recommended that I send. There is some gloss to the card, as you can tell by the signature, but it still looks great. I also sent the 2007 Distinguished Service card. Again, the...