February Festivities

Love it or hate it, you’re probably aware that Valentine’s Day is tomorrow.  If you’re “supposed” to know and you forgot — well, you’re welcome.  Glad you dodged that bullet.  It’s a low-key event here in Fordeville.  P and I were trying to go out for a casual, sort-of-Valentine’s dinner tonight but were thwarted by the lack o’babysitter blues.  So we hung out with our pint-sized valentines and prepared some treats.

I have more fun up my sleeve for the kids tomorrow, but today seemed like a better day to celebrate since we’re all home together.  Like I said, a mellow holiday for us.  And that was more than enough. 

Because, really, who wants something like this?

Look, if you buy me a necklace that contains an engraved paragraph with this sort of nonsense, I will leave you forever.  On the spot.  Even if I have spent four hours cooking whatever is on that stove.  Yes, even if we have two children together.

And, while we’re at it — can we just look at my other favorite Kay ad, just for kicks? 

Every kiss begins with give.me.a.fucking.break.  Is this not begging to be a SNL skit?  The actors in this spot have probably not only fired their agents by now, but may be serving life sentences for gutting them to pieces.  Unless they were exonerated on the basis of a “Humiliation Too Great To Bear” defense.  Ditto all Jared Jewelry commercial actors.

By the way, if you google “Every kiss begins with Kay,” you’ll be amused by the level and reach of viral hatred for this ad campaign — complete with its own Facebook page and spoof videos. 

But I digress.  Back to celebratory thoughts.

Did you know that tomorrow is also a day of other esteemed commemorations?  Seems odd to compete with the Hallmark hugeness of St. Valentine, but allow me to list them for you in case you care to seek alternative celebration causes.

—National Ferris Wheel Day.  OK — I’m not clear if this is intended to mark the anniversary of its creation, or to encourage all people worldwide go out and board this ride.  The latter seems ill-planned, given that it’s winter and all. Unless this was a holiday of southern hemisphere origins.  In any case, I’ll opt out.  I’m terrified of ferris wheels.  They are so open and vertigo-inducing.  And they remind me of an episode of “Emergency One” (remember that show from the 70s?) when a ferris wheel got stuck, a boy fell, rescues ensued.  Gah.

—National Organ Donor Day.  This is no joke.  I won’t be preachy — you can all make your own personal decisions and we’ll leave it that.

—Clean Out Your Computer Day.  This is a great idea.  I am more than a little guilty of digital hoarding and my devices could all use a good purge.  Maybe I don’t need checklists dating back to our apartment move in 2004.  Or address labels for holiday cards in 2008.  And I could move even more photos onto a back up drive or external site.  Like this one.

An innocent enough photo of my husband at a lovely dinner while we vacationed in Italy a few years ago.  It was all so other-wordly.  Until you look at the scenery “behind” him.  This guy nearly ruined my carpaccio.  But we were always tempted to repurpose this photo as a greeting card or something. What do you think?

And you guys thought February was dull!  See, there’s lots of fun to be had.  And it’s all just a warm up for the raging parties of President’s Day (I have no corresponding cookie decor) and also winter break (aka, The Week the Kids Climb Up the Walls).  

But the spring clothes are in the stores, the Easter catalogs are arriving in the mail.  Spring is certainly not yet in the air, but its advertising claws are starting to get the band going. 

Here’s to hoping.