Green for a day

'Tis supposed to be the wearin' o' the green today. Yes, laddies and lasses, it's St. Patrick's Day. For some reason, I actually remembered last night that today was St. Patty's. And so rifling through my closet, there's a light green and white narrow striped polo that will have to do the job.

Among the early arrivals in the newsroom, I'd have to say it's not too impressive. For the second year in a row, entertainment writer Brad Newman has on a light green T-shirt under a bold blue shirt.

Cheryl Berzanskis, our jack-of-all-trades features, faith, Our Town writer, had to resort to pinning on a $10 bill when I gave her the once-over. Joe Gamm, police reporter, improvised. He slapped on the green Happy State Bank stick-on advertisement that was on today's front page.

City editor David Warren might be in green if blue and beige mixed together get that color.

Graphics artist Jenni Sandlin has on a green top. But she claims it's pure luck of the Irish -- if she was Irish.

"I didn't even know it was St. Patrick's Day until I driving to work and heard on the radio it was today," she said, "and look at me -- green."

Susie Self, Globe-News administrative assistant, is doing her part. Every Wednesday breakfast is served in the break room. Today's it's green quiche (I'll pass) and lime smoothies (that might happen).

And this just in: Medical writer David Pittman walked in with a green polo shirt. All in all, we're batting about .500.

Does is seem like the traditional wearing of green has lost a little steam over the years? One reason is probably, unlike years ago, March 17 falls during spring break. There's no push or pressure in school to wear green or get the dreaded pinch.

Nevertheless, there's 34 million Americans with Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 U.S. Census. That's almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has a population of 4.1 million.