Valentine’s Day has been little different for me this year. I spent it alone and no you do not hear violins playing sad music in the background. This year I am sharing my Valentine as he heads to Texas to check on in his parents. He has a three day weekend, I do not. Since every day is Valentine’s Day at our house, I don’t mind sharing him with a couple of wonderful people. He did get me an awesome card that said wonderful things. My husband has learned how to really pick out a card. I would like to think that my daughter and I have taught him that. When she and I pick out cards for each other, we keep looking at cards until the words bring tears to our eyes. BAM, that’s the card.

So I give Keith smooches and out the door he goes at 7:50 this morning headed south. Today I will be my own valentine and will have fun just doing whatever I want to. Maybe I’ll shower, maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll go outside, maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll cook myself a gourmet meal, maybe I won’t. The possibilities are endless.

I think it is important however to begin my very special day with something routine: big cup of coffee, heat wrap on my neck, and most importantly, dogs in my lap. Now that is the way to start my day. Since I’m not moving very quickly yet, maybe I need to watch something I have TVO’d. OMG. Project Runway All Stars finale! I almost forgot. I can’t start my day until I see who wins…and I’m ok with who won.

Well I think maybe I should take a shower because I am planning on going out in public. In fact, I am going to go have a pedicure. My toes have not seen new nail polish in 6 months. Hate to admit that but it’s true. I thought about going and getting them done three months ago before my surgery but I just ran out of time.

Into the nail salon I go and boy there sure are a lot of people already in here at 10 am in the morning. I pick out a shocking pink color and head for the chair. As my toes are becoming beautiful again, I notice all the young moms coming in with their 4, 5 and 6 year old daughters to get pedicures together. I would have given anything to have been able to do that with my daughter when she was that age, but sadly, I couldn’t afford it. Now if you listen carefully, I think you can hear the violins playing sad music this time. To my right was a very nice woman probably a little younger than me whose husband brought her in for a pedicure for Valentine’s Day. Awe, how sweet. He didn’t even tell her what was going on, he just brought her in. She told me it was only the second pedicure she has had in her entire life. She was fun to watch when they were scrubbing all the dead skin off the bottom of her feet.

So now my toes look awesome and it’s time for my next adventure, Walmart. Now why do you suppose I would use the word “adventure” when talking about a trip to Walmart? I am trying to be positive here. In addition to being Saturday in small town America, it is also payday weekend, so I know I may be in for a bit of everything times four. I just hope I still have a good attitude when I get out of there. I have my list so I won’t be just wondering aimlessly, unless they have decided to rearrange the store since my last visit. OK, let’s look at the list, Tylenol [my new best friend], face wash, toothpaste, mascara [that won’t flake off into my eyes]….. Got it. Now that wasn’t took bad, let’s drift over into the grocery area.

I have decided to cook myself something fun on Sunday, a broccoli and mushroom quiche. I just have to pick up a few ingredients and then I’m done. Now we all know not to go to the grocery store when we are hungry but that is exactly what I am doing. Everything looks good and I am make a few poor choices, but hey, it’s my weekend right? Now to check out.

Today they had plenty of checkers and I was next in line with the one I selected. I’m almost out. I stand there for a few minutes waiting for enough space to open up on the checkout belt and I’m just kind of looking around. Zoned out really when something brings my attention back. My checker and the guy she is checking out are just chatting and having a wonderful conversation. They are talking about their jobs, he is telling her how much he makes ….. then he says to her, “You are really very unique.” She agrees with him and their conversation continues. Now for those of you who think he is trying to pick her up, I don’t think so. He is about as red neck country as he could be with a big wad of chew in his mouth, weighs about 300 pounds and his 300 pounds is spilling out all over the top of his pants. My little check out girl has gothy black hair, piercings in her face and scary eye makeup.  But hey, it is Saturday at my local Walmart.

The checkout process continues in between their conversation and then I notice that periodically she scans an item and I hear him say, “No that ain’t the right price. That’s on sale.” Now if I were the little checker girl, I think I would have to verify that. Not her, she just takes his word for it, enters the price he tells her to and moves to the next item. I feel like I’m on candid camera, so I just keep my mouth shut. Can you see my attitude changing? I need to take a few deep breaths. I am almost out of there….

OK home from Walmart and I need to eat before I pass out. I think I will have something healthy like spinach dip and multi-grain chips. Well some of it sounds healthy right? After a brief rest because that’s what I seem to need to do these days, I decide to go to the cemetery and put some springy decorations at my parent’s grave site. This is something I never thought I would do, but it’s interesting after you bury both of your parents, you find yourself a little more open minded to it. I had bought some cute little garden decorations at Hobby Lobby last weekend and all I could think was that my mom would love it. Of course this trip made me a bit weepy, but that’s ok. No better time to honor my very first Valentine, my dad and his valentine, my mom.

Well I’m back home now and the dogs and I are out on the back patio enjoying this beautiful day, fresh air and the fireplace. Not sure what else I have in store for myself, but I’m thinking a few episodes of House of Cards, some HGTV and maybe a glass of wine. Tomorrow our weekend will continue with lots of laundry, my EFM reading and I may play beauty shop with the dogs.

Happy Valentine’s Day all.