Reasons Today Is Good

Today is my sister Brianna's birthday, and her last as a Fuller. Allow me to wish her a truly Happy Birthday and happier engagement from her proud biggest bro!

Speaking of engagements...

Today was also the day I got the news from my brother Derek that his belle Tegan accepted his proposal on Friday night. Two Fuller weddings in 2008! There goes my inheritance.

More new things happening on or around today. I'm driving a new car now, a Corolla from The Year 2000. So, new only to me.

Also today, I sent a very significant email, one that nearly all of you may have had to send at some point or another, but which I never have until today. I am speaking, of course, of the "Please Update Your Address Book" email which follows the changing of one's email address. I have had the same email address since Al Gore invented email addresses, and was loathe to change it even years after beholding the obvious and impressive superiority of Gmail. But finally, a few weeks ago, Hotmail came down on us with their newest version, "Windows Live Hotmail," which unfortunately sucks with obviousness and impressivity in equal measure to the greatness of Gmail. So I had no choice.

The PUYAB email went only to a select few, ie. those people who conceivably might actually want to email me someday. If you were not a lucky recipient, be assured that the change is a very easy one. Simply replace the letters 'hot' with the letter 'g' in my email address from now on. I am eternally grateful.

And finally, today is a good day because it is the day as of which one may no longer smoke in any public indoor establishment in the entire state of Minnesota. My joy is not shared by all, I know. For some it simply means easier breathing in a wider variety of seedy bars. For others it means the end of living in a "free country." But I did some research, and it turns out drunk driving is also illegal. Apparently, there is an extensive body of precedent for curbing personal freedoms which endanger the lives of the greater population. Did you know you can't even carry a gun without registering that you own it and being trained in its proper use? Who knew?

So for a father of a child with chronic lung disease and asthma, today is a good day. Now we'll just have to see if this state ever wises up enough to ban talking on a cell phone whilst driving, which, as study after study has shown, impairs driving ability at a level equal to or greater than the legal blood alcohol limit. I'm not holding my breath.

Especially with all this fresh air around.