Happy Birthday, Skip!

Today is Skip's birthday. In honor of Skip's 40-something birthday, here are 40 fun facts about Skip:

1) Skip is left handed.

2) He originally hales from Virginia Beach, Virginia.

3) Like all Virginians, he declares the Old Dominion to be both God's country and the greatest state in the union.

4) His favorite childhood activity was riding his bike, and there are stories about him wearing bicycles out.

5) Skip's main sports were basketball and tennis.

6) He owned his first pair of blue jeans in 2006, having dismissed them during his youth.

7) Skip is extremely conscientious. When we have guests over, he learns their favorite drink, foods and condiments and makes sure those things are available.

8) The above is particularly remarkable because his memory? Not the best. Instead, he is intentionally attentive.

9) He is a fantastic conversationalist. Put him in the Deep South, New York City, Los Angeles or Hong Kong, and he will strike up conversations and make friends.

10) On a related note, people tell him everything. (He is also respectful and discreet.)

11) Also related, people LOVE working with Skip. Friends and co-workers are genuinely saddened when he leaves an organization.

12) Speaking of, Skip and I first met at work in 1998.

13) Skip is an airplane talker and always returns from trips with business cards obtained during his travels.

14) Skip was a history major and has a deep appreciation for politics.

15) His spirituality and religious beliefs are important to him, and he deeply respects and appreciates the beliefs of others.

16) He is verrrryyy careful with money and rarely makes purchases.

17) Skip has really good taste. If/when he buys something, he only buys things of the best quality.

18) Related to #'s 16 and 17, he has been known to return merchandise that is inferior or substandard, preferring to do without than have something that "isn't right".

19) He truly seeks to appreciate the best in others.

20) He is always genuinely happy about the successes of others.

21) In fact, he has the most anti-zero-sum mentality of anyone I have ever met.

22) He disdains schadenfreude.

23) He is honest to the core, and therefore, is very self-aware.

24) Skip has moved 30+ times. Accordingly, he is anti-clutter and very organized.

25) Skip's favorite band is probably REM, but he also has an impressive collection of R&B.

26) Listening to music is one of his biggest indulgences.

27) Skip laughed joyously when the sonogram technician told us we were having twin girls.

28) He laughed the same joyous laugh when we were told we were having a boy.

29) Skip is an avid reader.

30) Although hyper-literate, he appreciates the comedic merits of Anchorman and Napoleon Dynamite.

31) Skip makes breakfast for our family every morning, often offering to make everyone her/his favorite.

32) He sets a whole new standard for hands-on fathers.

33) Whenever we are on vacation, he always makes a spaghetti dinner the first night we arrive, thereby making the accommodation feel like home.

34) He is a time management savant. He knows the precise time - always.

35) Skip is hyper-productive and prolific. He simply gets work done quickly and with military-like precision.

36) He makes people feel good about themselves and never engages in humor that does the opposite (i.e., no "put down" humor ever).

37) Related, he is incredibly empathetic and has a high emotional IQ.

38) Everyone says he is funny. And he is, just not in the way most people think. He is gregarious, observant and very witty. There is a depth to his humor that sometimes goes unnoticed.

39) He is the best husband and father. When I was on bed rest with the duo, he cooked dinner each night, ran errands and basically ran a one-man-show for 8 weeks.

40) Skip is a person of great integrity. If he says he is going to do something, he does it - no matter what.

Happy birthday, Skip! We love you way more than you know.