Valentine's Day Stream of Consciousness and the Disasters of Doing Laundry

Some holidays, Hallmark or otherwise, have a unique vibe year after year. 

Take Valentine’s Day. 

Some years I remember longing, passion, young love. Others have been laden with tantrums as school-aged children threw fits over classroom card options at the drug store. And candy.

Some were wine soaked and dripping chocolate fondue. Others were met with exhausted bodies, minds and spirits longing, this time, for bed. Just bed. No monkey business.

Most have been smooth, easy, not terribly spicy, exciting or dramatic. Peaceful and calm. And monkey stuff.

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I didn’t have to be to the aquarium until 8:00 a.m. today, so I planned to sleep an extra hour after staying up late last night because I could!

In my life, best made plans are usually meant with some type of resistance. And this Valentine’s Day morning was no exception because I was woken before 6:00 a.m. by what I thought sounded like a siren. In actuality, it was my better half vacuuming in the kitchen with my, in very close proximity, bedroom door wide open. 

Ummmm. That’s not very considerate, is it? Especially on the big V-Day. Or any other day!

I stumbled into the room all blurry-eyed, grumpy and What-the-Heck! 

He was vacuuming out the inside of the washer. Huh?

Okay, really, WHAT-THE-HECK! NOW?!?!?

He didn’t have his usual, chipper, happy face on.

I guess somehow there was a hardback book washed along with (his) clothes. 

I can confess to loading the washer with my his dirty clothes last night, but I did not actually start it. Don’t you think we share equal responsibility for the mess?

And a mess it was.

A 300 page hardcover book virtually disintegrates when it’s washed. Go figure. Its bits and pieces get into each and every crack and crevasse of both the washer and the dryer. Because, of course, you switch that shit over after the wash cycle even when you find a book in it? I guess you do...

Obviously, I didn’t put the book in there on purpose. For shame! But I was responsible and any amount of turning things around was not going to work.  My fault.

So the morning of this special day, at least here, did not start all light, love, and happiness. It’s still early though and I did get a smooch before he walked out the door. He gets over things extremely fast, and there's only one way to go and that's up!

Now I just need to tell him I ruined one of his favorite shirts. Maybe I'll wait until tomorrow. Maybe it will just disappear into thin air.

You Know What They Say About Revenge

girltripped.deviantart.com

Served Siberian style.

Think

Ice pick cold.

Bone-shivering,

Biting, Bitter.

That cold.

Blood draining your cheeks and lips white cold

(perfect)

Confirming your underestimation.

It’s going to be a three dog night, Honey.

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This week Trifecta is asking for exactly 33 of our own words about love gone wrong.  But they're asking that we not use any of the following words:

love

sad

tears

wept

heart

pain

This weekend's challenge is community judged.

•               For the 48 hours following the close of the challenge, voting will be enabled on links. 

•               In order to vote, return to this post where stars will appear next to each link. To vote, simply click the star that corresponds with your favorite post.

•               You can vote for your top three favorite posts.

•               Voting is open to everyone.

My New and Improved Valentine's Day Outlook

Stuffpoint.com

In preparation for writing today, I went back to see what I wrote on Valentine’s Day last year. There were probably only four of you who read it (or my blog in general) back then and understood my thoughts on the “big” day. I do remember being a little grouchy about the whole thing.

I prefer random displays of affection.

Spontaneous anythings on an otherwise nothing day.

Grand gestures? Not necessary.

Plus, I don’t like being told what to do (like celebrating something just because someone say so) but last year my feelings for, arguably, the sweetest day of the year were quickly changed the moment my doorbell chimed in the middle of a purely average day. That memory has been tucked away, with pleasure, since then.

So I woke up this morning, very early I’ll add, to find myself excited for today. It was unexpected because, as I said, this day doesn’t hold any more weight than any other day of the year for me.

I have a confession to make though. I’m also feeling guilty about being excited.

I’ve been asked on a date, a rendezvous for dinner at an Italian restaurant in the city, when we usually stay home and I cook. It’s always exciting to be in the city. It's equally exciting to be on a date.

I bet there will be a heartfelt (more likely inappropriate) card for me with handwritten sentiments inside. I love that.

And I think there will be a gift…

But we don’t “do” gifts for Valentine’s Day.

How do I know this?

I was looking everywhere for the PINK tickets I bought last fall (which I paid $250 each and are not going for $800 a piece) since the concert is quickly approaching. And I looked everywhere. I tore my desk apart. I tore his desk apart. Oops!!!

(I lose things. A lot. This is not a surprise to anyone who knows me or reads my blog. I don’t like it. It stresses me out but it’s me. Part of living with me is knowing and understanding that I spend time almost everyday looking for something (usually important) and it’s gotten worse since I hit my head last summer)

That was yesterday afternoon and I’ve purposely stayed away from the family room, which houses his desk. I’m ignoring it as best as I can because I don’t want to look again to see if it’s gone.

What if it’s like in the movie “Love Actually” where Emma Thompson’s character finds a necklace in her husband’s coat pocket and gets a CD instead for Christmas?

What if that happens to me? 

What if he took it to work for someone else (the silver box from a store he doesn’t usually frequent but has lots of things I love) and at dinner he only pulls out a card?

That’s why I’m feeling guilty. I busted his surprise. It was a mistake. No, REALLY!!!

Obviously, I know it’s for me (it’s gorgeous). It is a wonderful, unexpected gesture that means something to him. He will want me to be surprised and just as excited. He knows I don't/won't expect anything.

I want his eyes and his heart filled with anticipation and excitement as he presents me with the box. I don’t want to burst that bubble or see his disappointment that I found it ahead of time.

I’ll be doing the right thing by not saying anything, right?

wallpapersdb.org (This looks blissful, doesn't it?)

Have a fantastic day. However you choose to spend it.

Monday Listicles: "Oh No You Didn't" Gifts

This is an easy one because receiving physical, material things is not important to me. At ALL. I’m not into gifts and am much happier if I’m giving one to you. Watching someone unwrap a gift I’ve chosen makes me tingle with excitement and anticipation. That’s enough present for me.

Since I am playing along today at Sasha’s place and the theme is “Oh No You Didn’t Gifts”, here is what I came up with in preparation for the “big” day. The following are things that either I wouldn’t like or would be a waste of money because they aren’t important to me.

10 “Oh No You Didn’t Gifts”

1.    The latest/greatest thing in the world of technology. I would give it to you because you like that stuff. I only take hand-me-downs and I’m totally okay with that.

2.    Money. Never give me money for two reasons. I do better not having cash on hand (and I have my coffee shops that will float me a loan). I have memorized pin and credit card numbers, expiration date, security code etc. for every piece of plastic we have. And I have a love/hate relationship with money anyway.

3.    Another frying pan. So I got one once, didn’t ask for it though I believe I accepted it graciously, but it’s a cast iron beauty and I use it all the time. Actually, no kitchen items at all as gifts.

4.    Expensive jewelry. I don’t wear it. It usually sits on my messy bathroom counter when it should be safely tucked away in my jewelry box (and then you get upset thinking I’m going to lose it (which I could) or that I’m not wearing it (which I should)).

5.    Books. Well, you could try but you really don’t know what I’m reading. I suppose I could give you my password to Amazon and you could lovingly empty my shopping cart. Now that would be great because it’s full!

6.    A Cat. Just because…and you wouldn’t anyway.

7.    Chocolate/Candy/Cupcakes. Giving up sweets for Lent is always a tremendous challenge. I couldn’t eat them if you were so inspired to gift them.

8.    Dinner Out at the Fanciest Restaurant in Chicago. I wouldn’t appreciate it enough because of the cost. And that’s not to say I don’t like FABULOUS food because I do. Just not worth it to me.

9.    Carnations. Now I’m just getting picky at the end of this list because I’m running out of ideas of gift no-no’s. I don’t care for Carnations but I DO love flowers though not on Valentines Day. I love getting them on random days (except last year those roses were the BIGGEST surprise I’ve received in a long, long time but it won’t work this year because now I’m probably expecting them).

10.      Card Without a Handwritten Note.

If you must get me something, a massage, lingerie, perfume, pretty (costume) earrings, an orchid would all do the trick.

I Know What Day It Is...

But I don’t celebrate the “big” day and it’s not because I’m not romantic or in love or anything like that. Is it a Hallmark holiday? I usually say let’s not do something just because someone decided we should; nothing like putting pressure on people to act! You know I love you because I tell you.

I've never been a present person so if you ask me what I want you know you’ll get a list of stuff like a robe, gloves, water glasses and a teapot (my Christmas list for the family). I don’t wear a lot of jewelry… one ring on each hand, one special necklace, sometimes a bracelet and earrings occasionally on the weekend, if I remember. I look at a box filled with lovely things that are never worn. I’m not ungrateful. You know it's not important to me.

Pick a random day, put on your awesome iPod and grab me to dance.

Ask me to go on an afternoon walk with the puppies.

Call me up in the afternoon and suggest dinner around the corner at the diner.

Talk to me about anything other than the kids, our families, work and all the sensitive subjects that confuse our everyday life.

Take me to the movie I’ve wanted to see and hold my hand through most of it except if I’m going for the popcorn then let go.

Let me plan a trip just for us and because I’m really good at it know I’ll pick a place we both have been longing to go. You know the combination of a bathing suit, sun and a beautiful beach melts me into putty.

I am grateful because you do most of these things for me (except the grab and dance thing) but let’s do them more often!

What I’m saying is let’s keep creating memories but not on a day when we're supposed to. Those are the gifts that are most special to me…places and moments that I can lock away in my heart, which can’t be lost or forgotten. It’s what’s important to both of us. We had nothing when we started and some of those times were our happiest (although it's nice to be able to afford dinner out without the worry of credit card bills). I remember telling a friend that you marry for love and cross your fingers. My fingers haven't needed crossing in years.

I have this vivid memory of my parents dancing to I Hear A Symphony on random weekend nights.

I want to do that but let’s do it to 

Chaka Kahn. 

And just when I thought this day would be like yesterday, the doorbell rings. I peek out and there’s someone standing on my porch with a simply gorgeous vase of red roses. The last time I answered my door for flowers, they were for my neighbor. I only get flowers on my birthday from my dad.

I’m stunned! This is definitely a huge surprise (I should go re-check the card). I think I'll welcome him home a little differently tonight. Not because it’s Valentines Day but because he made me feel special when I didn’t expect it!

What Is Life

(Just a favorite song of mine)

I like to play the music that is special to me so thank you for reading and listening to my blog.

Tomorrow, I’m going to write about a very special present I received yesterday from a brand new friend of mine, Jen from 

We're Living A Full Life