Michael Raymond K.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year, filled with friends, family and food. Since graduating from high school all those years ago, I've had a Thanksgiving tradition with my friend Michael Raymond K., whom I've known since we were wee first graders. One night, we'd gather around the hearth at the local Hooters and feast on wings and, once we were of age, beer. Then, because New Jersey sucks in terms of public transportation, we'd walk over to the theatre and take in a movie while sobering up for the drive home. Generally, we'd watch a chick flick that he can't watch with any of his guy friends, but he desperately wants to see anyway, such as Love Actually.

But alas, this year no such tradition would be fulfilled (come to think of it, we didn't do it last year either b/c i got ditched for a certain other blogger... i hate you JJ). No Hooters. No wings. No beer. No K. He was unavailable due to this little war our nation's got going in Iraq.

He's shipping out and will be over there for approximately 14 months, training Iraqi soldiers. I was so proud of him when he graduated from West Point. And then, when he made it through training as an Army Ranger. Now, I can't believe he's actually doing this and I'm really scared for him.

I mean, this is Mike K., who loved doing show and tell in second grade and was sexually assaulted by two girls in the ladies room at the eighth grade graduation dance. Junior year of high school, he and my then-boyfriend, along with others, re-enacted scenes from Back to the Future with a skateboard and his truck. Senior year, he dressed up as Stone Cold Steve Austin, for no real reason, and Superman for Halloween (accompanied by me as Catwoman and other friends as Wonder Woman, Spiderman... who was out of place, we know... and a proxy for Batman). In college, he was my only friend from home who came to visit me in DC more than once. And he set me up with his roommate at West Point, because he told me his life just didn't feel right without me being one of his best friend's girlfriends.

This guy's going to war for our country? Not that I don't trust him with my security. Once, junior year of high school, we watched a scary movie with two of our friends. When he dropped me off at my house, nobody was home and I was scared. So, he came in with me and checked to make sure no one was in any of the closets or any other place where they can be hidden (if you've ever been to my house, you know that this could be a daunting task). He protected me then and I know he can protect all of us now... including himself.

He is, after all, a superhero.

(Still, I don't think he or any of our troops should really be out there, just to clarify.)