Valentines Day...

Ah...February 14th. It is an interesting day to be honest. Some people use it as a day to make up for their poor behavior in a relationship. Some people use it to mask the major cracks in a relationship. Some use it to reconnect. Some use it as a good reason for some extra special lovin' with their special someone. Some use it as a day to be reminded of their single freedom, although on Valentines Day it can often feel less like independence and more like a dark cloud...a day where being alone is highlighted, hanging at every corner in neon lights, lingering in the empty mailbox.

Did you know that ancient Valentines Day rituals included sacrificing a goat and a dog? Shedding blood on the day of love. It seems a bit...I don't know, dark? Do you know an estimated one BILLION Valentines cards are sent each year? I am not sure I completely agree with excessive tree killing as a way to show someone you care...unless it is like what my office mate did (see below).

I loved elementary school days where everyone took a shoebox and spent hours making it beautiful and perfect, doilies, stickers, glitter, hearts galore, lace, you name it. Then everyone had to put a Valentine in everyones box. Of course you got extra special ones for your close friends. And then there was always the anticipation...will I get a special Valentine from my crush? Ah..the sweet bliss of innocent young love. Being 10 was great...love was free, love was without deep pain, love was a stolen kiss under the monkey bars.

I asked my office mate what he got his wife for Valentines Day. He wrote her a love letter. He nailed it on the head...what I consider would be the best Valentines Day present ever from the one you love.

I'm starring at the red velvet cupcake and the chocolate cupcake w/oreo hearts sitting next to me on my desk...starring and wondering if as they fill my stomach, will they fill the place that someone recently had...

Happy Valentines Day all. Don't forget to tell your family and friends you love them.

2007...2008

The holidays are such a great time but also become hectic and time consuming, hence my lack of posting lately. Happy New Year. Haola Maka Heeki Hou (Happy New Year in Hawaiian...spelling questionable).

I spent a week in FL for Christmas and spent a good majority of it in my pajamas doing crossword puzzles, reading, drinking coffee and conversing with my family. We took the week to just relax...I didn't even meet up with old friends. It was quite nice to be honest...to just escape and mentally relax. I got a few minutes of sun although it was overcast a good portion of the trip and according to my mother there hadn't been a cloud in the sky for weeks...go figure.

My horse Krunchy

A highlight of the FL adventure was our trip to Busch Gardens for a day of roller coasters and bad food. My parents are such kids...they love rollers coasters! The only one they didn't get on was the newest one with a 200 foot, 90 degree vertical drop...yes, your face is parallel to the ground for a good 2-3 seconds...it was intense. A fun day was had.

After our upside down ship ride.

The day after returning from FL, Walter and I took a trip up to Montreal for the night to enjoy a little city fun. We walked around for a while, had some food and drink and narrowly escaped falling on the ice multiple times on the walk back to the apartment. We sadly missed out on the museums the next day as they were closed for the holiday.

A nice NYE was had at Becky and Ewen's with some close friends, good food and drink. Many people left before the stroke of midnight (are we really getting old this quickly??) but we stayed for the ball to drop.

Becky and I

Walter and I

2008 is here with a nice snowfall happening as I type this. Who knows what is in store for all of us but one can only hope it is full of fun, fortune, friends and family.

Sugar High

It's that time of year when all your hard work at the gym during Fall comes to a screeching halt with the tidal wave of holiday goodies that flood the office. I swear, every spare inch of desk and counter space in our office has a plate of sweet treats on it. Now, I'm not innocent bystander...I spent the past weekend being a nice combination of Martha Stewart and Santa's Little Helper by whipping up dozens of cookies...literally. So, one of the plates of sweets at my office is from my own little kitchen of sin.

I don't normally have a sweet tooth but something about the holidays changes that. I literally had a banana and 3 cookies for breakfast (at least I had a banana in the mix) this morning! I mean, my justification of needing to try each type is fine...but then I find myself going back for round 2. Do I think that the quality of cookie varies within one batch? Do I think that the cookies non-existing feelings will be hurt if I walk by without paying them notice? Nope. None of the above. I just lose control...it's like that little piece of us from childhood...the one that would cause you to lay on the ground kicking and screaming...it comes back...that irrational, out of control, ridiculous behavior, only now it's directed at copious amounts of cookies instead of My Little Pony's latest castle.

I suppose I could continue to pawn my cookies off on others...but let's be honest, I'll still sneak a plate full for myself.

All Hallows Eve

I remember being young and getting ready to Trick or Treat on Halloween. My mom always made some elaborate and amazing costume for me and my sisters. Black cats, mermaids, Cleopatra, belly dancer, Toucan. Generally, aside from decorations, Halloween only took place on October 31st. We'd trick or treat then race into our rooms to escape seeing our dad looking quite frightening in his hunchback costume and creepy mask. There was, however, the year we threw the amazing Halloween party at my house complete with a fortune teller, dry ice, a haunted house, face painting and crazy games...I think I was 10.

Now that I'm older, Halloween seems to span the length of a full week, depending on when October 31st falls. This year, it falls on a Wednesday so the Friday and Saturday before provided plenty of costume party options. I hate to say it, but Halloween's have been lacking for me since leaving college. This year, however, could prove to change that. On the official day of ghosts, goblins, ghouls and everything in between, I will be attending the Village Halloween Parade in NYC with a good friend of mine. It has been voted as one of the Best Events in the World, and something I look forward to checking off the list of Festivals to see before I die.

On that note, Festivals I hope to see before I die (list continuing to grow):
- Carnaval in Rio. Check
- Village Halloween Parade, NYC. Soon to be checked
- Full Moon Festival, Thailand.
- Burning Man, Nevada.
- Oktoberfest, Germany.
- Mardi Gras, New Orleans
- St. Patricks Day, Dublin.

Stay tuned for photos from my upcoming NYC Halloween.

Note: A "ghoul" is the original word used to describe what we now call a "zombie"...in case you were confused.