hold the PHONE.

....i just came across this NPR article about my friend dan that was aired this week!!! for all of you early b.notes readers, you may recall a post on the old blog entitled 'dan is a stud'. i wrote it after a night of cruising around in his side car last summer:

{so, am i right or am i right about the stud factor?} 

for new readers, here's the story: when andy was on his first deployment to iraq, dan was in the process of training andy to take over his position when, on mother's day of 2008, dan's truck was struck by an IED. he lost both of his feet and part of his left leg. it was a devastating & traumatic day for all of the guys and the story/timeline of the day's event was often retold over beers in tennessee {i usually sat there in awe, chills running up & down my body}.

if you didn't see his prosthetics, you would never know that dan had confronted such an obstacle and injury. he's now back in afghanistan (although he could have left the army immediately)...because he couldn't imagine abandoning his duty. hearing him talk about it will make your heart swell with pride. you can always count on dan for an inappropriate joke and some good laughs. i don't think i ever heard him call me anything other than 'darlin' or 'sweetie' in his southern drawl....momma luckett (as she is known) raised this georgian boy well!

SO, is anyone ready to date him?? if not, let this picture of andy & dan at a kentucky derby party persuade you. {the goons arrived in matching outfits. this was also the night dan instructed me on how to wear a derby hat like a true southern belle. i'm telling you, a real keeper.} 

an unbelievably solid guy with a heart of gold and perseverance like no one else i know. 

just another hero-friend.

[note to self: do NOT start to read other reports published recently on npr about kandahar, where andy is located in afghanistan. in fact, as you were warned, avoid most coverage of the war.]