So, this year's entry is not going to be anywhere near as toxic as last year's.
I'm still single. Very. VERY. Single. (In fact, today celebrates the FIFTH anniversary of the last time I had sex. Yes, people. FIVE FREAKIN' YEARS. FIVE loooooooooooooooooooong years. 1,826 days. And counting. That's a really long time. Wait, I digress. Where was I? Oh yeah. Peppy, positive post. Here we go.)
BUT.
I am wearing a red shirt today. And Valentine socks. I have baked a cake, which I intend to frost and decorate with hearts all over it. I have Valentine napkins to use with dinner and dessert (I already had these, I did not go purchase them). I have a heart necklace on. (Kira gave it to me for Christmas....I am also wearing the ring Mark gave me.) I have Valentine presents for the kids, and have wrapped the gift Kira picked out for my parents. My parents are coming over for dinner (Kira's idea).
My gosh, people would think that I was all happy about the holiday or something. That I had converted! That I LOVE Valentine's Day and wish it were every month!
Do not be fooled.
I have had no major ephiphany that changes much of the basic opinions that I held last year. That is, I still think it's basically stupid to choose one day throughout the year where people who are in any form of a relationship are pressured unmercifully to produce copious amounts of material things in order to assure their partner that they are cared for.
I still think that people's feelings get hurt today.
I still feel that there is no way that the average joe can possibly live up to the hype, can come at all close to breaching the bar that has been set so unbelievably high by the commercialism.
So how is this year different?
Well, for starters, I'm not spending the entire day all alone at home in the middle of a blizzard. In fact, the sun is shining. The kids are due home from school in a couple of hours. I will have company for dinner.
So.
Part of it is solar-powered. I have Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it's been pretty darn dreary around here lately, and the sunshine is making me giddy.
Part (most) of it is kid-powered. Particularly Kira. Mark's at an age where he's not really excited by the "minor" holidays anymore, but Kira looooooooooooves holidays. Particularly one where she gets to dress in a particular color and make cards and cut up paper and especially one where she gets to draw HEARTS. Lots n lots of hearts.
I'm excited at the idea of doing things that will excite the kids (or at least Kira....Mark's too cool to get excited about napkins and hearts on a cake). That's my idea of a great time. So if making a big deal about a day that I personally think is more than a little stupid works for her, it works for me.
So. Sunshine, company & kids. A powerful combination. So, Happy Heart Day! mk
********************
p.s. Plus, I get to secretly indulge my distaste by reading and re-reading the fantastic cards here.
5 comments:
T,
YOUR COMMENT WAS FUNNY.
YOU MAKE ME LAUGH.
I have homemade lasagna on the menu tonight. Plus salad and bread. What I do NOT have, however, is dessert. So what say you put that cake in a giant Tupperware and you fly your butt over here? Sheez, I'm still waiting from LAST YEAR. ;)
"Lost" is on tonight...
(I live on the Valentine's EDGE I tell you! The EDGE! I would spare no expense for you! I mean really, how can you resist? Free cheapie pasta dinner, cheapie salad greens, and free TV! All I'm asking for is the cake. Hand over the cake and you will get all of the above plus a complimentary Ginsu knife. Sharpener.)
-bm
Hey I hope your dinner went well!! And glad to see a cheerier post today. Love ya Ro
Ro,
Dinner went great! Love you too.
BM,
While I don't believe the cake would make it to Washington (it is half gone already, and you know they don't serve meals on the flights anymore, so.....). I would just have to make another one when I get there.
Speaking of, I am truly seriously looking at making a trip. Sometime. And I shall expect, nay, I shall *demand* cheapie pasta dinners and free TV.
Hi mk...
It's a bit before 10pm, so I guess I've still got time to wish you... HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! (or, night?)
You might recall, I work some really crappy hours. By the time I get home in the morning, I get to see my wife for maybe 5 minutes. Once she's out the door, she does not return home until around 6pm, at which point I'm heading out the door again!! So, as you can imagine - Valentine's Day for us is about as meaningful as 'Administrative Professionals Day' or 'Battle of Puebla Day'...! But hey, at least I get to sneak out of the office later tonight, and hit up the 24-hour CVS for all the Valentines' clearance candy and stuffed animals!!! She'll think I spent a fortune!! (JUST JOKING!!)
Also, as for the '5-years-since-sex' thing....be happy that you at least have the "DRIVE"..!! My wife has S.A.D. and is bi-polar; let's just say that it FEELS like it's been 5 years!! (It'll be a lot longer than that if she ever reads this!)
I'm glad to hear that you did not spend the day alone. If there were some words that I could write that might at least put a smile on your face, they would be this:
DO INFANTS ENJOY INFANCY AS MUCH AS ADULTS ENJOY ADULTERY?
IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD YOU STILL BE HUNGRY?
WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD "LISP" TO HAVE "S" IN IT?
WHY ARE HEMORRHOIDS CALLED "HEMORRHOIDS" INSTEAD OF "ASSTEROIDS"?
IF YOU SPIN AN ORIENTAL MAN IN A CIRCLE THREE TIMES DOES HE BECOME DISORIENTED?
and, finally:
DON'T SWEAT THE PETTY THINGS AND DON'T PET THE SWEATY THINGS.
That late-night working guy from MASS, Paul
Paul, thanks for the cheery comments! Hope you were able to get your wife some great chocolates! (twice the stuff for the same price, how can that be a bad thing?!)
BTW, no drive for me, either. Just an observation. Most of the time I don't even think about it, but sometimes, like on this emphasized romantic holiday, it's hard to forget.
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