Valentines Day

Hello again! By now it's pretty obvious that I'm not managing to post every day, as originally planned. There is a reason for this - I don't always have something to talk about every day, so rather than write a lot of nonsense for the sake of getting something posted, I've decided to take mercy on the readers of this blog and only post something when I have something to talk about. In the end, it makes for a much better blog. I think that perhaps if I want to do a 30-day challenge on blog posting, I should make sure my blog has a set topic that can always be added to, rather than relying on me having a witty observation to make every day... That is, one that is longer than 30 words and can actually be published without an 'Adults Only' sign at the top.

You will be happy to know that I have only a couple of times missed applying for one job every day, and only because I couldn't find anything I'd be happy to do that I hadn't applied for, which is the only excuse I'll allow myself (and for good reason). I've actually had one job interview, and another two lined up, so this is proving successful so far. Perhaps next time I am struggling to find material for a blog entry, I'll write some stuff down about interview tips, so if you're interested, stay tuned and/or post a comment to kick me into action.

Moving on..
For those of you who missed the memo, today is Valentine's day... yes, the day that single people everywhere dread, and men the world over feel their credit card shivering in their pocket. When we were discussing what to do for valentines day last month, my boyfriend mentioned that he thought it was unfair that women get the flowers and chocolates and dinner for the day, and men don't. So I asked if he really wants flowers and chocolates, and he says 'Yes'. Now, of course he's being silly, but he really should have known better! Last week, I asked him what he wanted, and he told me 'a straw shaped like a treble cleff'. My reaction was 'What?' But he even knows where to buy them. Yes, all he wants is a straw! So, yesterday I headed off to the indicated shop and picked up a $1.95 straw for my boyfriend for valentines day.

Now, some people may say that at least he's cheap, but I'm a modern woman, I believe in equality (unless it involves opening my own door - those things are heavy! *L*) and I don't feel quite satisfied with just giving my boyfriend a straw, even if it is ridiculously cool. I thought long and hard about what to get him. I considered things like a short-sleeved shirt (he only owns 1, and in a Brisbane summer, that's ludicrous), a watch, and all those traditional 'male' gifts. But nothing. Then, walking past the florist yesterday afternoon, I saw a bunch of valentines balloons, and struck inspiration.

Today, I went to meet him for lunch with a box of chocolates, a 'Love ya' balloon, and a small teddy holding a 'Be Mine' heart and a straw in the shape of a treble cleff. Because I couldn't resist, I picked up a single rose on the way. Like I said, he should have known better! Apparently the embarrassment has died down a little now, and the attention he's received at work has made him feel special just like I planned. Although I did take the rose back to work with me, as a man might get away with a balloon, but admitting you were given a rose might be a bit much to expect.

For the record, he bought me a rose bush for valentines, with 6 red roses already in flower. Not only is it a gift that keeps on giving, it reminds me of the rose garden mum used to have when I was in my teens. I said a couple of weeks ago that I wanted a rose garden when we got a house, so it really was quite a clever thing to think of. Rather than head out to an expensive (and packed out) restaurant for dinner, we've decided to pack a picnic and head up to a lookout just outside of the city, which we're pretty sure will be quite. We're going to throw in the dining setting from our camping gear and celebrate in style! It's much more our style than extravagance, in any case. After all, the point is celebrating and reminding each other how much you're in love, not how much you can spend.

Happy valentines to everyone!