Ryan, A to Z.

A: Attached or Single? Attached for 12 years and counting…

B. Best Friend? Joy, my lovely wife. It started on an indoor park bench in high school with rambling conversations. I had never felt so accepted and happy as I did when I was with her, and we haven’t stopped laughing together since.

C: Cake or pie? Pie, either pecan or pumpkin. (Ah, alliteration!)

D: Day of choice? Monday. It gets a raw deal. It’s not Monday’s fault you hate your job. I love the promise of a new week.

E: Essential Item? Deodorant. You can deal with almost any crisis if you don’t have B.O.

F: Favorite color? Green.

G: Gummy bears or worms? I hate both. Twizzlers is as close as I get to “gummy” candy.

H: Hometown? Born in Manhattan, Kansas, but Denver is home by any definition that matters.

I: Favorite indulgence? Sitting on the couch all afternoon with plenty of Coke, Garlic Parmesan Wings from Wingstop, and a Denver Broncos game, provided they are winning thoroughly.

J: January or July? Ryley’s birthday is in July. That means money spent and planning done, two things I don’t enjoy. It also means my baby is getting another year older, and that means one less year until I have to meet boyfriends. So definitely January.

K: Kids? Ryley. I didn’t know selfless love until she was in my life.

L: Life isn't complete without? Christ. Stereotypical, but the truest thing in my life.

M: Marriage date? December 28, 1998. I still can’t believe I actually got her to agree to it.

N: Number of brothers and sisters? One brother, two sisters, one half sister, three brothers-in-law, one sister-in-law, two ex-step-sisters, one ex-step-brother-in-law. An American family, yes?

O: Oranges or apples? Oranges. I love this fruit, but I tend to forget about it until someone else provides it, then I promise myself to buy and eat them more often, then I forget them again.

P: Phobias? Not really. I have an insane curiosity about the world that belies most phobias. I don’t believe in them, but the idea of ghosts freak me out a little.

Q: Quotes? "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. But it rocks absolutely, too." This is my theme quote for the election, a belief I know both sides hold dearly.

R: Reasons to Smile? I have a steady job that pays the bills. I have a beautiful woman that loves me, a beautiful daughter that thinks I’m the greatest man on earth, and a God that thinks I’m pretty special. What more could I ask for? Maybe a few million dollars, too. That would be nice.

S: Season of choice? Spring or Autumn. I love seeing the world shift.

T: Tag 5 People: Huh? I don’t know 5 people online.

U: Unknown fact? ß That is kind of an oxymoron. Anyway, in the spirit of the question, as a child I had an extra tooth that grew between my two front teeth. It was a pointy canine tooth that was longer than my front teeth. I had to go to an oral surgeon and have it removed.

V: Vegetable? I don’t know that it qualifies as a veggie, but pickles.

W: Worst habit? I chew on pens. I’m that guy.

X: X-ray or Ultrasound? MRI’s are my intra-body scan of choice.

Y: Your favorite food? A New York Strip Steak. Texas Roadhouse has my favorite variety so far.

Z: Zodiac Sign? I think this is a load of hippo poop, so I’m making my own “Z” word. Let’s see...how about Zoo? In that case, my favorite so far has been the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. You get a workout walking there, but they have great interactive exhibits, culminating with a chance to feed giraffes.