We've been cooking up a special treat to mark this Web site's third birthday. Today I had the bright idea to search for the actual date to wish you all a happy tm.net birthday.

Based on last year's birthday message, it turns out that May 1 marked the actual birthday. The bad news is that we missed saying happy birthday on the actual day.

The good news is that Tift actually wished you a happy birthday on Friday, May 1. The proof is below. Stay tuned for more.

OK, now that you've seen the teaser, here's the opening item on the menu.

Tift agreed to record an interview for tm.net, and we ended up having this conversation after Friday night's show. As you would expect from Tift (but should not take for granted), she was very sweet about doing this even though she had just played a full concert, signed autographs and posed for photos, and taken care of all other post-concert obligations.

This is part one of five segments. I'm not sure if T noticed the half-grimace on my face when cop cars started making a racket just as we started recording, but I suspect their timing led to her references to Raleigh's finest. Enjoy!

Thanks, Paul. Who needs adequate lighting, a professional microphone, or a tripod when you have an interview subject such as Tift?

If you'd like to see a more professionally produced interview from the past week, check out this clip from Tift's latest visit to WRAL.

In part two of our tm.net birthday interview with Tift, we tackle a musical question. Enjoy!

Thanks, Paul. Given Tift's busy schedule, I was glad to have had the chance to complete this interview under any circumstances.

Part three examines the impact all you fans have on Tift as she travels the globe.

Yup, you heard it from Tift herself...she loves to see familiar faces at her shows. Sure wish I could be one of them but no telling when she'll get up my way again.

In part four, we ask a question Tift is not likely to tackle in any other interview: What does tiftmerritt.net mean to her?

In the fifth and final segment, you'll hear no question. We asked Tift if she had anything she'd like to say directly to the fans at tm.net.

I was thinking about the Anniversary the last week of April, but forgot until the birthday had come and passed and decided it was too late to say Happy Birthday, but it's never too late to celebrate or say Happy Birthday. So here's a big thanks to everyone, and I do mean everyone, both in front of and behind the lines, who helped make TM.net both a reality and and a pretty cool one at that. Peter

You got that right Peter.