I was hanging out today with my friend Dave, a sound guy I met back when I worked on a National Geographic shoot. He's a really cool guy and very experienced and I was telling him about Maddy -- how we met, how things are going, the fact that she's in China, and possibilities for the future. He gave me some advice that I think was dead on.

He said when you're trying to figure out which girl is the right one, (he's been married for almost a decade), you have to recognize if you have the best hand possible and bet on it accordingly. I love the fact that he used a poker metaphor, since I'm a big fan of poker and two years ago when I was playing a lot of poker I started making that comparison between decisions in life and decisions at a poker table.

Anyway, he said you don't bet too much on a pair, but the trick is to figure out if it's the best hand you're going to be dealt. I believe Maddy is my royal flush -- the best girl, the most perfect fit for me. All the girls that came before her were perhaps a high pair or two pair, but certainly nothing I should have gone all-in for. Maddy may be that ‘all-in’ hand.

I love poker metaphors. They make life so much simpler to understand. ;-)