Reverb10 - Day 14 Appreciate

With the craziness of this week, it appears I'm a day behind in the ole Reverb10 challenge. The one that's slated for today will make a great (and challenging) vlog, so I'll be getting that together later this evening.

For now, let's catch up on yesterday.

December 14 – Appreciate What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

What I don't like about this is that it's requiring me to pick only one thing. Because

there are lots of things that I've come to appreciate this year. But having to choose one was a very easy decision.

In 2010, I've come to appreciate my fiance. We've been together for nearly a year and 1/2 and a lot has happened. We've traveled, skydived, visited with each others family, made new

friends, revisited old friends, moved to a new city and essentially started over...all of this we did together. And because of that we've grown together, and we've grown a life of our own here in Chicago.

(With our friends Tod and John after a skydive)

All the little hiccups and challenges along the way have made what we've built just that much more rewarding. I'm really not sure what I'd do without him. He's been my rock when I've had tough times, and I like to think I've been his.

There's nothing quite like having a partner in life who you can count on to be there for you and support you, and do their best to understand you, even in times where they might be scratching their head a bit. It's not like family where they have to love you because you're family, but it's love that is chosen, they choose to be your family, and I truly appreciate that he's chosen to love me.

The hardest part of this question is what I do to show that appreciation, and I have to admit that it's not enough. I'm not sure I could do enough to show it. But I like to think that I offer the kind of love and support that he needs from me. I'm also a gift giver, I like to get little things every now and again, things that when I see them it just makes me think, "he'd like this."

That's probably not the best answer to the latter part of the question, but it's all I got ;).

So tell me dear readers, what's one thing you've come to appreciate this year?

Cheers!

-A

New life: Love

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my life here in Chicago yet? Just thought you'd like to know.

Contrary to the tone of my last post, I love just about everything life has to offer me here.

• I love my apartment complex and the access to racquetball and a gym to help blow off steam.
• I love taking the train to work, having a chance to relax on my commute rather than sit in traffic. It gives me a chance to read and get absorbed into my music.
• I love finally being in the same city with (some) people on my account teams. It makes all the difference in the world seeing people face to face.
• I love the opportunities I have to build the life I want here...opportunities that either didn't exist in Cleveland, or ones that I was being held back from, for one reason or another.
• I absolutely LOVE that I have friends in this city already. Skydiving friends, friends from college and high school that I've already reconnected with. I love having solid friendships in my back yard.
• I love the availability of yummy foods on every corner. Between the Italian Delis and readily-available sushi, I'm in heaven. Though I still have to try out some of these cupcakes I've heard so much about.
• I love the shopping. The outlet malls. Even though I'm not much of a shopper, it's so great to have options should I need them.
• I love being back in the Midwest where people are, in general, friendly and not as closed off as they are in Cleveland. I've yet to hear anyone say or act as if they have enough friends.
• I love that for the most part I've been able to quickly fall into a routine. It gives me structure during the week, something I constantly craved throughout my inability to settle in when I lived in NE Ohio.
• I love that people here care about hockey and basketball just as much as football. These are sports I missed watching with people who get it. Texas and Ohio were very much football states.
• In that same breath, I love that I'm out of Buckeye country...not so much that there aren't Buckeyes around, but because there are Spartans around too. There's a special connection among us Spartans.
• I love the abundance of photography opportunities. I can't wait to do some more exploring.

Those are just the off-the-top-of-my-head things. I've never been more excited about building a life in any of the cities I've lived in before. I've never felt more at home than I do here. I love my new life here. Just thought I'd share.

Cheers!

-A

11 little secrets of my own

Okay - so I'm borrowing this idea from Justin Kownacki, mainly because I really, really like his list!

He borrowed the idea from Chris Penn, whose list is also thought provoking, but Justin's hits home for me.

So I've decided to create my own list of secrets to staying happy, healthy, productive and sane. This is a very personal, specific list, but I'll try my best to broaden these secrets to apply to a more general audience - so y'all can relate.

I'm shutting up now. Here's my list:

1. Drink plenty of water. This is first on the list because I can't express how important this really is. When you spend the majority of your time in an office like I do, coffee is often your best friend. But if you don't balance that out with enough H20 your body is going to suffer. Keep from getting sluggish by sipping water throughout the day. Another benefit, you won't be as hungry. Our minds often confuse thirst with hunger. So when you're mildly hungry, try 6-8 oz of water first - then see how you feel!

2. Be pro-life. When I first started my career I was all about spending long hours at the office, working weekends and sacrificing my life so I could get ahead. Sure, I earned promotions, but who wouldn't when all you do is work. My managers started bugging me about getting out, enjoying nice weather, and NOT burning out. After 3 years of nuttiness (yep, that's a word, I just decided) I decided to be pro life and spend a little more time with my hobbies and my boyfriend, and a little less time at the office.

3. Learn how to be a better person from everyone you meet. Yep, even the assholes.....especially the assholes! What a better opportunity to look at someone and say "I know I don't want to be like that." Lucky for me, I live with someone who inspires me every day! Take note of the things you like about the people you like, and learn to adopt some of those qualities. You can be the person you want to be!

4. Spend some time with yourself. This goes along with Justin's secret of being comfortable alone. Take time to learn about you, what you want, who you are. Be comfortable with yourself. You are your biggest critic, sure, but you can also be your biggest advocate, without being arrogant...which brings me to:

5. It's not always about you. You know those people who, in conversation, are just waiting for you to finish your story so they can tell you theirs. Or the people who ask questions like "how was your weekend?" just so they can tell you about what they did? Yeah, don't be that guy. Listening will get you farther in life than you might think. Be humble and pay attention, this will help you with #3.

6. Jump out of airplanes. This is pretty specific to my tastes, but in general, have something that challenges you, and lets you learn about yourself. Skydiving is very meditative for me, I have learned more about myself through this sport than most anything else I've done in life. It's a reminder that I'm stronger than I think!

7. Don't be too hard on yourself. No one is perfect, even though the media wants us to think otherwise. Figure out the type of person you want to be and work hard to be just that. Learn to embrace your quirks and don't put yourself down. It's important to understand that everyone makes mistakes, and we're all going to trip up now and again. Which leads me into number eight...

8. Forgive, but don't forget. Holding onto anger hurts no one but yourself. It takes a lot of energy and brain power to be angry with someone for long periods of time. Say your peace then, if for no one other than yourself, move beyond it. Though this doesn't mean you should forget. Sure, people make mistakes and deserve second chances, but there's a limit to how much you should take. No one should be a pushover.

9. Be active. Do something active every day. Whether it's going to the gym, walking your dog in the park, taking a stroll on the beach, practicing yoga, whatever suits you. But trust me, you'll feel better if you find time to use your body every day.

10. LOVE. Have passion. This really should be number one on the list, because in my life it's certainly the most important. I like that my life is consumed with things that I am passionate about - my job in social media (which I truly enjoy), practicing yoga, going to spinning classes, skydiving, and going home every night to the love of my life. Without these things I'd be lost.

11. Live in the moment. Too often we're looking ahead at what's to come, or dwelling on something from the past. But if you open your eyes and look around, you can learn to truly appreciate the present moment, too.

Now I'm going to tag all the bloggers out there who are reading this! Let's hear your list of secrets. :-)

Cheers!

-A

Recent Regret

Typically, I'm not one for dwelling on events of the past and how things could have been different. Life's too short for all that regret stuff.

But on occasion, I take a step back and look at my behavior and begin to regret my actions - and, believe it or not, my words.

This past week was extremely stressful at the office. I worked more 'overtime' hours than I have in a long time. Now, as y'all are probably acutely aware, I love my job. And I tend to praise myself for my career path even more when there's so much work to be done that I lose all track of time through my packed schedule.

However, this week, when my crazy schedule matched the SO's, I'd had enough. And as you probably guessed, I took it out on him in mega-bitch fashion.

Girlfriend FAIL.

Oh, but it gets better.

In my typical cynical fashion, I wrote this post, which, in turn, put the SO off to doing the things he had planned for this weekend.

NOT my intention. And I feel terrible about it.

The last thing I wanted was to inhibit him from doing anything he actually wanted to do.

But of course, once again, I acted without actually thinking about the implications. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

So although I've already apologized for these things profusely in person, it seems only right to dedicate a post to the words and actions from the past week I whole-heartedly regret. What can I say, I feel terrible about this inexcusable behavior.

And now, I'm sitting here thinking that I really should have taken the opportunity to observe this President's Day holiday with a little extra QT - and sleeping in, of course.

Oh well.

I suck!

-A

p.s. I don't want to forget about the positive side of the situation. This weekend was fabulous! Had a productive Saturday where I got caught up on my chores and attended two yoga classes, my parents came into town for a quick visit, and most importantly, I got to spend some much needed, uninterrupted time with the SO. I'm one f-ing lucky girl!

The Love of My Life

Okay, so I know what y'all are thinking - first Valentine's Day and now love...WTF? But it's not like that, I promise.

Sure, there'll be some sap involved, but on a whole different level. Keep reading, I promise you won't be disappointed.

.................................

So I've mentioned in the past that I'm not much of a cat person, and since that time I've managed to remove demon cat and her sister from my life completely.

No I didn't off them, my roommate just moved! C'mon people, what kind of person do you think I am?

And you've heard me say numerous times that I'm planning to get a puppy. Well my friends, that time has come. And I'd like to introduce you to my mini dachshund Otis.

(See, I told you it'd be worth your time to keep reading!)

He's an 8 week old smooth coat doxie with what I'm told is the sweetest temperament. And he's already the love of my life.

He'll get to be somewhere from 8-10 pounds, full grown. I don't get to bring him home officially until April, but you best believe I'll be visiting in the meantime.

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was more excited about anything.

I'm destined to be one of those dog owners who puts her pup first. Hell, I've already decided that he'll be sleeping in my bed - now that's love.

And I'm certain you'll be hearing lots more about him on this blog, too!

Cheers!

-A

*Thanks to Maryann at Mom's Dachshunds for the picture and my wonderful little man.

Oh St. Valentine

WARNING!! High cynicism levels to follow.

Valentine's Day is coming up - this Saturday to be exact.

Ack! What a stupid "holiday."

Sure, I'm all for celebrating our Saints, but according to Wikipedia: Of the Saint Valentine whose feast is on February 14, nothing is known except his name and that he was buried at the Via Flaminia north of Rome on February 14. It is even uncertain whether the feast of that day celebrates only one saint or more saints of the same name.

Ah, so it IS a Hallmark holiday?! They don't even know how many saints are involved or who this person really was! I think, instead, there should be more celebration of St. Anthony, the patron saint of all lost things, rather than this unknown dude, or dudes as it may be. That'd sure help me out a little more, anyhow, and I'm not even Catholic.

At least the commercials wouldn't be nearly as cheesy - I don't know about y'all but I'm pretty sick of all these jewelry commercials. I wake up singing "every kiss begins with Kay" and go to sleep hearing voices telling me that "he went to Jared."

VOMIT!

My problem, really, is that there shouldn't be a day set aside to tell the people you love that you care about them. Why do you have to be told to do this?

And honestly, I don't need jewelry or flowers from a man to feel good about myself, and neither do most of the women I know. Sure, these things are nice -- please don't get me wrong, I'm by no means saying gifts are unwelcome -- I just don't want them if you feel obligated to do so. Of course, if you want to buy me diamonds or whisk me away to Europe just to show me how much you love me, I'm not opposed in the slightest.

But that's off topic...

This year, Valentine's will definitely be an interesting event as it falls on the weekend. I'm hoping to avoid places with high PDAs like the plague. Of course, the SO has something up his sleeve for the day, but if that's ordering take out and renting a movie, I'm completely content with that. I'm just looking forward to some uninterrupted time together for a change.

And on that sappy note - sorry, out of character, I know - what are your Valentine's plans?

Do y'all despise this day as deeply as I?

Cheers!

-A

Friends in your 20s?

Let's start with a story, shall we?



When I first moved to Cleveland I was a (newly) single 20-something, working hard and playing hard all the while trying to settle in and make new friends. I was blessed, as this was something I was able to accomplish fairly quickly. One of my best girlfriends decided, without letting on, that she was going to introduce me to a friend of hers from high school because she thought we'd be a good match.



Success...or so we thought.



After about 2 weeks and seeing each other, oh, maybe 4 times, we lost interest in one another. A couple weeks later, when I realized he had a CD of mine, I texted him to see if I could get that back. Thinking I was angry, he picked up the phone and called.



In discussion he gave some lame excuse for not calling, something about not wanting a girlfriend right now and blah blah blah. But he was surprised by my response, "I didn't call you, either."



::SILENCE::



He processed this...



It had been 2ish weeks and neither of us attempted to contact the other. If that doesn't scream mutual disinterest I don't know what does.



Further into the discussion we agreed that we're not right for each other on a romantic level, however, we both enjoy hanging out so why not continue on as friends?



Great idea! You can never have too many friends.



Regardless of the fact that we only get together once every other month (at the very most) we've remained friends - I've even tried to hook him up with friends of mine from time to time.



What's the point of this story, you ask? Well, I alluded to an uncomfortable situation in a previous post involving the man friend and an ex - well folks, this was him. We've been attempting to get together for a while now and this was the first weekend we were both free and in town.



So, being a genius complete moron, I think it's a great idea to invite him out with an already interesting group of 20-somethings - including two of the man friend's buddies that I was meeting for the first time, his roommate, and my soon-to-be-roommate and one of her friends. Got all that?



At the time, it didn't seem like a big deal - the man friend knows the whole story of me and this friend and he's been super understanding of my abundance of male friends (what can I say, I'm a lucky girl).



Of course, as all y'all out there can imagine, awkwardness ensued. Looking back, what a bad idea this was - not to mention a pretty shitty first impression involving some of the most important of friends.



Yikes.



This all ties back to the debate that I've been having with a few close friends these past couple months. Is it possible to be friends with someone of the opposite sex in your 20s?



Now, I'm not talking about those friends that go way back that you've been friends with since high school or even before - I'm not talking about the BFFs of the world - I'm referring to newly acquired opposite sex friendships in your 20s.



Can a man and a woman of the opposite sex meet in their 20s and have a strictly platonic relationship?



I think yes, but lately signs have pointed to no - given the recent influx of male friendship disappearance.



So what do you think - can us 20-somethings live peacefully with friends of the opposite sex, or is there a sexual tension there that just can't be ignored?



Do any of you have friends of the opposite sex that are just that - friends and nothing more - or are there twinges of hope that one drunken night something might happen to change all that?



Cheers!



-A

Being scared isn't a weakness

Okay, so maybe it is. But just like everyone else, I don’t like admitting weakness. And I suppose, just like most other 20-somethings, I’m freaking scared.

Scared of growing up, being an adult, scared of being out on our own, scared of losing our jobs in this roller coaster economy, scared of the wrong candidate getting elected into office. Scared of being alone, yet scared of commitment. It is the latter, my dear friends, that scares me the most.

Sure, I’m scared of all of the above from time to time, and probably a whole host of other things – but I recently uncovered my current fear, being alone and being part of a couple.

Gotta love a good catch-22.

This, of course, leads me to hang onto my single-ness for dear life, purley out of comfort. It’s what I know, and for some reason I’m more comfortable with myself than with someone else.

WHAT THE…

Why the heck is this?

I mean, it’s not as if I have that much trouble finding a date – it’s just that I have trouble going on them. Recently the BFF said something to me that helped, briefly, “c’mon Ash, it’s not as if you’re marrying the guy – give him a shot.”

Point taken.

But that doesn’t mean that I’m even remotely capable of wiping away my fear that going on a second date might eventually lead to something great, yet something that has the potential to take away my independence. After all, if there’s one thing in my life that I’m proud of, and that I’ve worked so hard to become, is a strong, independent woman.

More than changing things, though, I’d like to figure out what exactly I have to be afraid of. Going on a date is not making a life-changing commitment – as proven by the BFF above. Is it that I’m just not finding the right guy from whom to accept a second date offer? (If you have any recommendations, please don't hesitate to send them my way!)

Or is it about getting hurt? Better yet, is it about letting someone else in? Or maybe, fear of letting go of the past?

Maybe I should just accept that next date invite, and see where it goes…

Who am I kidding, I don’t even like talking about it, let alone acting on it.

Anyone else finding themselves in a similar situation?

What are you scared of?

Cheers!

-A

Editor’s note: I was even scared to write this post. But then I realized how great my readers are – and if anyone is willing to listen, it’s you.

I love... a good story

It has come to my attention recently that I am a bad story teller.

I think this comes as no surprise to some of you. If you've ever found any of my written thoughts to be scattered, just wait until you talk to me in person!

(Though I'm not nearly as awful as this man when it comes to stories...thankfully!)

Most stories start with me getting the listener all worked up, "you're never going to beelieeve what happened to me last night!"

Followed by a part of the story, then me realizing that I missed an important detail," wait, but before that, this happened, and then we went to meet up with Steve."

Oh and of course when I realize you have no idea who Steve is, I have to give you the back story of our friendship - if you're even still listening at this point. By the time I've finished explaining all the mundane details, the story really isn't all that great (which it probably wasn't to begin with), and I walk away perplexed, "well I sure that it was funny."

But that's not even the point of this post.

See, tangent, before the story even started - and you're probably so tired already you don't even want to read on. It's okay, I understand.

What I'm really here to write about are my loves - those things in my life as it stands right now that I cherish. As a people, we don't take enough time out of our day to appreciate all the wonderful things happening in our lives, and all the people we are blessed to share it with. Thanks to Jenn for her Addicted to Love post that inspired my positive outlook today. So without further sappiness, here's a quick snapshot at the current loves of my life:

Crisp fall morning runs, changing leaves, reunions with college friends, laughing, weekends with the family, thrill seeking, feather pillows, nightly walks to the park, pumpkin flavored everything, blogger friends, sushi, Miller Lite and cornhole, clean sheets, photography outings, meeting people everywhere, fall colors at dusk, green tea with blueberry, impromptu brainstorms with coworkers, reading in the evening, planning my week on Friday, Home Improvement reruns, honesty, organization, thinking about the holidays, libraries, Michigan State's campus.

It's very autumn-esque.

So tell me dear readers, what is it that you love?

Cheers!

-A

Cold pizza for breakfast

If I could eat one thing for breakfast for the rest of my life it would be cold pizza. With Pepsi.

Don't get me wrong, I love breakfast. I just prefer my pancakes and hash browns for dinner instead.

Cold pizza at 6 a.m. is where it's at.

This weekend I came face to face with that girl (you didn't really think I was just going to write about my breakfast food preferences, did you?).

We all know the girl I'm talking about - the one that all girlfriends aspire not to be with their significant other and his/her friends. The type that defaults to pet names rather than calling her boyfriend by his actual name, with a voice so irritating you feel as if you're bleeding from the ears.

Remember that episode of Seinfled where Jerry and his girlfriend call each other schmoopie and make the rest of their friends want to puke?



Yeah, this was worse.

On top of that, she found any reason to pick a fight with my friend.

My friend, talking to his buddy, "I've gotta be to work tomorrow at 8:30."
That girl, assuming he was addressing her, "Baaaabby, why do you aaalways do this to me..." followed by a lot of whining.

She's one of those who loves to hear her own voice. Turns out, it's fingernails on a chalkboard to the rest of the world. Where's my air horn when I need it?

Sometimes I wish life was like a game of Taboo where you could buzz the other players when they spoke out of turn (or something like that). After this weekend, the batteries in my buzzer would be dead.

Now, in my trivial attempt at giving her the benefit of the doubt, she is only 19. In hind sight I really should have slapped my friend upside the head for dating her in the first place, but that's an entirely separate issue.

So the question is, what possesses men to date women like this?

And girls, why oh why do you behave so?

Insight much appreciated.

Cheers!

-A

Does distance work?

Okay, I know what you're thinking, "c'mon A, another post about relationships? What gives?" Especially because I'm usually the content single girl who loves my job, family and hobbies so much there's no time for dealing with or even contemplating the drama of love and relationships. So what gives? Let me tell you...

This spring and summer has been filled with travel. Nothing too exotic or exciting, and mostly for work, but regardless, it feels as if I’ve been away from the Midwest more than I’ve been living in it (and we all know I wouldn’t have it any other way). One of the best parts of traveling is getting to meet new people. But when the travel abruptly stops – as it has for me this month – it gives you time to look back and reflect on the events that took place and the people met along the way.

So what does this have to do with love? Everything.

As luck seems to have it, I meet men of interest while traveling. But after a few exciting days of talking and flirting the trip comes to an end, I board a plane back to Ohio and life goes on as the single girl. Long distance text messaging ensues, but I often end up cutting the strings for fear of any emotions getting involved. After all, the last thing I want to do is set myself up for a broken heart. But then again, I’ve heard people say time and time again that unless you put yourself out there and risk getting hurt, you leave yourself unavailable for the next great thing to sweep you off your feet. True?

No one likes to be vulnerable, especially in situations where the odds don’t seem to be in your favor. But isn’t it possible, in the world today, to successfully do the “distance thing?”

This one has me perplexed. On the one hand, young professionals tend to spend a lot of time away from home - either at the office, traveling for work, visiting friends, or partying it up at the bar, trying their best to forget they are no longer in college.

For me, I get antsy, so if I’m not traveling for work I’m finding ways to travel on my own. Not to mention that some of the more intriguing people I’ve met lately are just as wrapped up in their career as I am – if not more – so even if proximity wasn’t an issue there wouldn’t be much face time. On the other hand, it would be nice to be able to have impromptu dates and see someone on a fairly regular basis without dropping 300 bucks on a plane ticket. But then again, I’m pretty independent so the need to see someone on a daily basis just isn’t there. I could go on like this forever, but I’ll spare you…

Question remains: does distance work?

Regardless of how, when, and where you’ve met someone, is it possible to start a relationship from a distance and make it work?

Hmm…interested to hear your take. But for now it’s back to being the über content single girl of the Midwest and playing my favorite sport as wing-woman for my girls.

Cheers!

-A

Friday on the rooftop

For the first time in a couple months I spent the entire weekend at my apartment. Between traveling for work and pleasure, trips back home to visit the family, and random road trips I haven't spent much time in my current residence. And after a long winter filled with bar hopping and crappy dates the break was much needed. I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this weekend turned out to be, and let me tell you, it's been a long time coming.

Friday night after the typical day at the office and a run I headed out with some long-lost friends for sushi and wine followed by beer and cornhole at the nearest Winking Lizard. By the time we made it back to the apartment, Wii bowling was calling our names (I broke my record, where's Mike when you need him?) It was a beautiful night so my friend Ryan and I ventured up to the rooftop deck for some fresh air, though as a bonus we also narrowly escaped a heated discussion on religion. Who talks religion at 3 a.m. on a Friday night anyway? I mean really...

Sitting up on the deck overlooking downtown really helps clear my head, and it seemed to do the same for my friend. We chatted for quite some time about the things that are most important to us, and the topic of love and dating came up. It made me think of this post by a fellow single 20-something blogger as we discussed the perils of dating and the desire to have that "giddy" feeling about someone without all the politics of dating. Is that even possible? It was refreshing to be sitting with someone of the opposite sex who also thinks some of the social norms of dating are bull shit - the newest of which being sending a text to ask someone out. Guess what, my answer, if there is a response at all, is no. Don't be a coward, pick up the phone and face potential rejection like a man.

I could add to this list forever. But let's hear what y'all think.

Cheers!

-A

Love vs. Career in the World of 20-Somethings

Rather than discussing an interesting personal encounter, I wanted to share a recent article that appeared on MSN about the priorities of 20-somethings, specific to one's career choices (and given the popular response I received on Twitter today, I figured, why not start a discussion here). The author shares her dilemma in choosing between love and career growth, whether to move for love or stay planted for local educational opportunities in order to advance in her career. This article hit close to home, as I am a 20-something who is struggling to find balance between growing my career and my social circle. And adding relocation and acclimating to a new city to the mix (like yours truly) can make things even more complicated.

In the end, the author made the best choice to fit her lifestyle. But the question remains - to build your career in your 20s or find a mate and settle down? I'm a believer that you can have both. How, is the question...

Take a gander at the article and share your thoughts, dear readers, and advise a single, 20-something, career driven woman as you see fit.

Cheers!

-A

Those you love

As I come crashing down from the sugar high resulting from yesterday's Valentine's celebrations, I think about all the people I should have reached out to yesterday. It saddens me that this is something I am just now thinking about. In reality, my mind should have been on sending flowers to my mom at work, sending my dad a sappy card (from daughter to daddy, of course), calling my big brother just to say hi and sending e-cards to friends rather than thinking about the evening plans. But alas, I didn't, and now I'm dealing with the guilt.

Growing older (and what I like to think is wiser) I've come to realize that Valentine's Day is not about true love, soul mates, cupid, and all that other junk. It's about recognizing the love you have in your heart for those dearest to you: friends and family. These are the people who have stuck around through the worst times, when you've been terrible to them, and they to you, and have still not run screaming in the other direction.

So, take a quick lesson from me, and reach out to those you love whom you may not have yesterday. It will be much appreciated.