I think most people who know me fairly well know what I like. I’m pretty easy to read. I work my ass off, or at least I like to think I hold my own. And I like to have a good time. When I’m away from work, well, let’s just say I really like to have a good time. And when I’m with my boys back home? All bets are off.

Those of you who have worked with me know that I take a few days off at the end of every June to go back home for our poker weekend. It’s called Symposium. And it’s the shit. Well, at least in our minds, we think it is. That’s why we have like 15 guys who have been to at least 14 of the 16 since it started in BFE, Iowa, back in 1995.

That first one was a bit ridiculous. It was like eight guys in a one-room apartment without air conditioning in July. We started playing poker about 7 p.m. on Friday and it was a continuous game and drinking until Sunday morning. No one slept. Well, let me revise that. I “slept” a couple hours on a floor in a kitchen in a locked apartment a couple blocks away. And I didn’t have the keys to said locked apartment. To this day, no one has any clue how I managed to get in there. Ah, the mysteries of our youth.

Anyway, I bring this up because our weekend has always had a theme. I’m not going into the full name of the weekend, but there is a name and then a sub-name. The initials for the sub-name are CCMP (bonus points for the incorrect but great guess by my sister who thought it stood for Card Club of Machesney Park… it doesn’t, but nice try). Unless Philly or Mini-JT actually went down when they got home this year, I believe I’m still the only person with the CCMP letters as part of a tattoo on their body.

But now, CCMP is officially recognized in another, better way. In an awesome way. In a way we never thought possible. By the NFL. Or at least a shitty team that has some resemblance to an NFL team.

I got my paperwork yesterday that, as a season ticket holder, my “appreciation brick” has been placed in section B-2 at the Founder’s Plaza at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. This is important why? Well, because for us, for our group, it’s just cool since the engraving I chose for the brick–which I had to talk through two people on the phone and four emails to get approved– said:

CCMP, If you’re a man, you’ll understand.

And that’s the point. That’s our theme. We have license plate frames with it. T-shirts with it. Glasses. Playing cards. Key chains. It’s what we do. Our weekend is about friendship. It’s about buddies. It’s not just about beer and poker and golf and beer like it normally comes off. But if you’re a man, you’ll understand. It’s pretty simple really. Whether you have a golf weekend with friends or just a regular get-together with old buddies one weekend a year, you understand. And now ours is set in stone. Literally. Forever. Too fucking cool.

And to prove it, here’s the picture of the certificate I received yesterday.

Now I just have to find a way to get to KC again to go get a picture next to the brick. If you’re there at some point and go to section B-2, snap a pic and send it to me, will ya? Thanks. K. Bye.