sick and tired. but not like that.

I spent this weekend sick in bed.  I called in sick to work Friday and didn't leave the house for more than 48 hours.  In every way, it was vastly different from last weekend when I was living it up, going to concerts and celebrating birthdays.

On Saturday night, I was restless, but still tired.  I felt disgusting from having watched hours of television on the couch, and so bored I wanted to cry.

So naturally, I did what every modern woman does - I went to social media to fill the void.  I snapped this picture and posted it on Instagram, hoping it would solicit the sympathy I needed.

Within moments, I had some likes and a few "feel betters."

Mission accomplished, I thought.  I did feel better.

Until my friend Natalie pointed out how relieved she was that what she first thought was a pregnancy test was, in fact, just a thermometer.

Yikes.

Not exactly the attention I was seeking.

on valentine's day and on lent.

Happy Valentine's Day, Lovers.

Based on the barrage of angry Tweets and Facebook posts I've already seen today, I think it's safe to say I'm in the minority of people who actually enjoy February 14th.

I'm not sure why so much disdain for any holiday, much less one devoted to love and friendship and candy.

I've seen the "I don't need a day to remind me to tell my lover how I feel!" battle cry and I think it's stupid.

I don't need St. Patrick's Day to remind me that drinking beer during the day is a fun thing to do, but a yearly reminder every March 17th doesn't hurt.  It's just fun.

I happen to love Valentine's Day.

Even the years when I had no Valentine - which far surpass the years that I did - I have always enjoyed the cheery and festive feeling of the holiday.

I get into all of the romance stuff, which is surprising to even me, considering I'm a cynical person and skeptical about warm fuzzy feelings and emotions. If I wasn't me, I'd totally have myself pegged as someone who hates all of the flowers and candy and sweet cards, but I really do love it.

If Valentine's Day isn't your thing, it's cool - I understand.

Hating so-called Hallmark Holidays is en vogue, and that's fine, but please spare me the fake disgust about how commercialized it is and about it's a made-up holiday. All holidays are commercialized. And many of them are made-up.

They are also fun and they don't hurt anybody.  So get on board!

If you're still not buying the love fest I'm selling, then perhaps a nudge to do something in honor of this day might help warm your cold, dark heart.

Today is the two-month anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  A non-profit Sandy Hook Promise is asking all Americans to keep the community of Newtown in their hearts.  You can send your love and support their way - click here and be one of the million hearts for Newtown.

There's also a global movement to stop violence against women - there are a multitude of ways to get involved.  Find out how here.

Or just go to Google.com and play with their heart-themed amusement park logo.

In the spirit of love, I was intrigued yesterday by many blog and other social media posts I read about Lent.  I heard some courageous people giving up caffeine, Facebook (!!!!), self-doubt and other things that "interfere with their connection to God."  

I'm not Catholic, and don't really participate in abstaining from anything during the season of Lent, but I like the idea of using these 40 days and 40 nights to add a positive behavior into my life.  So while continuing to choose love and be kinder, I plan on spending the Lenten season making a concerted effort to write daily.

My efforts could mean more blog posts (lucky you!) - but I'm fully aware it might not amount to anything.  I hope it will help me refocus my energy and achieve more of the balance I have been seeking.

Happy Valentine's Day and Lenten season to all you lovers and fasters out there.

king cakes, bachelors, and balance.

I have always had a special place in my heart for New Orleans.  I'm not from there, but have visited many times both as a tourist and as a guest of locals.  I love the food, the music, the culture, the smell of urine/vomit/Hurricanes that permeates the French Quarter.

Because of that love, I happily tackled the daunting task of making a King Cake back when I was doing 365 new things.  The cake was so delicious, my co-workers - even the New Orleans native ones - still ask me to make it.  I'm not particularly impressed with many of the things I cook, but I'm very proud of my King Cake and I haven't missed a year since 2010.   

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday and I've got my King Cake dough rising in the oven right now.

Happy Carnival!

Also, this weekend I went out to dinner and drinks with some girlfriends.  There wasn't anything particularly exciting about the night except how much time we spent talking about The Bachelor.  This franchise has been around for 25 seasons, which means between the five of us, we figured serious hours have been wasted on this stupid show.  It was mortifying how many characters from the Bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor Pad we knew by first (and sometimes) last names, where they were from, what they did for a living and how almost all of their relationships had met their tragic end.

I love these women so much, but it's apparent our taste in television could use some refinement.

 

I talk a lot about striving to find a balance in my life and tonight I think I've found it.  I'm watching television I'm not proud of while baking something of which I'm very proud.  

Happy Mardi Gras!  Happy Bachelor viewing!