February: Valentine's Day

I can't believe it's February already.  I'm still vacuuming up pine needles from the Christmas tree.  This weekend I SWEAR I will get the boxes of Christmas ornaments back up into storage that are sitting in the garage. 

Little known fact:  I was supposed to be born on Valentine's Day, and my name was supposed to be Valerie.  Mother Nature had alternate plans.  Whatever.  Who cares. 

Valentine's Day was always a crappy holiday for me.  To this day it strikes of the awkward teen phase where my friends would always receive tokens of admiration from their secret admirers and a sweet gesture from their parents -- like a small gift of candy and a note stating how they were loved and appreciated. 

As for me, I would be lucky to get a melted, smashed Hershey kiss enclosed in a card that said, "ha ha..... I bet you thought this was smeared dog shit"  from one of my brothers.  It was just as bad as April Fools Day..... maybe worse....  I wish this Hallmark holiday would be obliterated off the calendar. 

On the humorous side:  my brother-in-law has a birthday on Valentine's Day.  His neighbor, who looks just like Cliff Claven from Cheers once proclaimed, "Your birthday falls on Valentine's Day?  Does that happen every year?"