My grandma gave me my first "Kiss me, I'm Irish" button when I was in kindergarten, and I've been using St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to get lucky ever since.
If you live in the Columbus area and are planning your weekend, check out my guide to the March 17 festivities in today's To Do section. You can also access the article online here.
It doesn't have all the hoopla of Christmas or New Year's Eve, but St. Pat's has always been one of my favorite holidays. That's largely because it reminds me of all my extended family in Chicago, and the really cool retro "South Side Irish" T-shirt my dad sported in the 1980s.
Last year, I spent March 17 with a bunch of new journalist friends in Houston, where I rode downtown with a reggae-lovin' cabbie and spent the majority of the night smitten with one of the hottest guys in the universe.
This year has a lot to live up to, needless to say.
I'm still fine-tuning my plans, but I know Saturday night will include the obligatory trip to Scruffy Murphy's, as well as a brief detour at Savana's. Earlier in the evening, I'm also hitting the art exhibit at Rhino's, which starts at 6 p.m.
If you're reading this from somewhere other than Columbus, Ga., I hope you find some cute little pub where you can drown your sorrows in soda bread and green beer. Or at least use some cheap pickup line about lucky charms.
And hey...kiss me. I'm Irish.
