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Candyce is done with school for the semester, so it’s good to spend time together again. Her finals are over, but work has been insane for me. She’s the perfect way to end the day. My day at work is all in my head, and my nights with her are all heart.

When you really love someone, there is nothing better than spending time with her.; It doesn’t matter what we do. It’s not like we are in high school dating, and we have to go be out entertaining ourselves whenever we are together. Just sitting next to her on the couch makes me ecstatic.

Last night Candyce and I hosted the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. I told all my friends that they could not get in my house unless they wore a tacky Christmas sweater. You know, it doesn’t matter how many friends you have, if you throw a themed party, you can’t help but wonder if they’ll even come.

It was wonderful to open my front door and see all my beautiful friends look so stupid. The sweaters came from thrift stores, Wal-Mart, craft stores, and from mom’s closet. Some couples even came wearing matching ugliness.

I was so happy my dad met my friends. I feel like I have two lives, one with my family back in Georgia, and the other with my friends in Arizona. So to see those two worlds come together was so special.

Peoples stayed until almost two this morning. There is absolutely no food left. All that is left is wilted Christmas decorations and a few ugly sweaters. I hope nobody went home naked.

My dad and his friend Rusty flew into Phoenix yesterday. They’ll spend the rest of the week here, visiting and playing a lot of golf. Today was the first time I’ve ever played 36 holes in the same day. I am tired.

This morning we played at Gold Canyon, just thirty minutes west of my house. The course was absolutely stunning. For four hours, all I could do was look around and adore the canyons and mountains. We played early, so the rising sun cast dark shadows along the rugged faces of the canyon walls. I felt like I was playing in a post card.

Then it was back to Mesa to lay another eighteen. It’s such a great course, and I happen to live off the fourteenth hole. I am stupid not to play there more.

Tonight Dad and Rusty joined me for dinner with the priests from my church. We had a really good time, just laughing and being friends. I love my dad so much.

We just got back from Mass, and Dad and Rusty are already asleep. I’m cleaning the house for tomorrow night’s party. It’s so refreshing to know that I can take a vacation in my own city.

This morning I joined the Life Teen Executive Board for a meeting. People flew in from around the country for a Christmas party and the big meeting. I had ten minutes to present Version2 of lifeteen.com.

I hurried through my presentation. Thirty adults stared at me while I clicked my mouse and talked about my ideas. When I was done, they gave me a standing ovation. I never imagined CEOs would give me a standing ovation. I felt like I was on a commercial or something.

It was great to see their enthusiasm, but that usually comes whenever you put something pretty in front of someone. But I knew something went well when they asked to take a second look at the 2005 budget because they wanted to give the website more money. I felt so good. I still feel so good!

Constant took me to the airport today. When they told me someone named Constant was going to be taking me to the airport, I imagined a Souther Belle. You could imagine my surprise when a tall African man walked in the room and introduced himself. “Matt, nice to meet you. My name is Constant.”

Constant is from Benine, a country close to Nigeria in western Africa. He was quite an amazing guy. He left Africa in 1984 and moved to Kiev in Ukraine to study global economics. He explained that in America, all races are familiar with one another. But in Ukraine, they don’t see black people very often. There were many students from around the world going to school with him in Kiev. Africa, Cuba, Latin America, and Arabic countries.

He explained that he and other Africans were were legendary, mythic people in Kiev. Some parents would send their children up to him and the child would rub his skin, then look at their finger to see if any color had rubbed off. What he told me next really shocked me, “They think that we are descendants of monkeys. The rumor is that when we come into the Ukraine, they cut off our tails at the airport and they keep them there until we go back to Africa.”

After he graduated from school in Kiev, he moved to Washington DC. He ended up in North Carolina after his wife was offered a job at the Duke Medical Center. They are both in IT now. He can speak French, English, Russian, and a few native African languages.

I told him my stories about being a white man in Harlem, New York. He started bubbling with laughter, rocking back and forth in his car seat. He explained how his son absolutely changed after his first Life Teen retreat in September. He’s a senior in high school.

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While I was waiting in line to get my ticket at the airport, I noticed a huge black guy standing on the other side of the room. His frame was so wide and strong, almost like he was a truck. In line in security, I asked him if he played ball.

He explained that he played for UNC, then went on to play for Tampa Bay and Carolina in the NFL. It was fun talking to him. He played with Joe Hamilton when they both played for the Bucs. Joe played for Georgia Tech and was up for the Heisman Trophy at the same time I was on The Real World. I told Marcus about the Real World and all that. It was fun talking to someone who went through similar experiences of popularity and influence.

Even though this NFL dude was totally cool, I was trying not to look cool. I’m reading in a Tom Wolf book about a white college basketball player trying to feel accepted by the black athletes. So I just talked about what I was really thinking about. I talked about a tree I planted in my yard, and he smiled wide. I wasn’t the only one who cared about my trees.

It’s odd to see a 280 pound black man call himself a tree hugger. I asked him if he plays Madden, and then he explained he was a nerd, and her preferred quest games. He went on to describe that he went to school two hours early in elementary school. “I was such a nerd.”

He and I parted at the gate, and I spotted a young guy with a shaved head strumming his guitar, looking out the the window at the airplanes. I walked up and pulled out my harmonica and we jammed for a little song. I know nothing about playing the harmonica, but the people walking by were rather impressed by our improv.;

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Now I am on a plane back to Arizona. I am so tired…I’ve traveled to so many cities this year. I can’t believe I made it this far. This is a going to be a long flight. It’s a good thing that I have a 600-page book to keep my company.