I love beer.

Sincerely. I love it with all my heart.

I'm home, it's snowing, and I'm drinking some left over Brooklyn East India Pale Ale from my Super Boobie Bowl party.

I have a stupid grin on my face, left my brother a retardedly long and nonsensical voicemail, and "Closed Match" with about 20 guys on eharmony. Rockin'.

Have I reached the point in my life when Friday nights consist of solo beers and giggling at inside jokes between me and my multiple personalities?

Nah, I'm just gearing up for tomorrow. Yeah yeah, St. Patrick's Day is for amateurs....blah blah blah...

My nationality hasn't influenced my life until recent years, despite my name being pretty darn close to Kelly O'Shamrock. I just never really thought about it. My mom only made corned beef and cabbage on St. Pat's. My dad's specialties were, oddly enough, stromboli and lasagna although he did go on this Irish soda bread kick for a while.

I went to Ireland early 2003, sort of on a whim. And by "on a whim" I mean "against my mom's wishes since I had no money and moved back home yet somehow decided I could afford to go on a two week vacation." I kept saying I was going to our homeland, but yeah, for some reason that didn't stop her biyatching.

Ireland was amazing. I felt like I was plopped into a huge family reunion. Everyone seemed to have my dad's nose, my uncle's long face, my brother's sarcasm. I have never felt a connection like that before...it really did feel like home.

I'm pretty sure it was right after that trip that I began to consciously identify myself as Irish. Trust me, there ain't no hiding my nationality. I got the freckles, the mouth, and the beer belly to prove where my ancestors came from. I realize now though none of that mattered; I just had to feel it.

Well I feel it now and am proud to be an Irish woman. For the life of me I can never remember why St. Patrick's Day is a holiday and I can't tell you anything about the country's history or how my own family ended up in America....but I'll be damned if anyone thinks I'm going to miss a day celebrated with lots o' beer drinking and red-faced fun.