Just another February day..

bleh. That describes my feelings for today. Due to recent events, today has been coming at me like a freight train, just waiting to level me and render me pretty much numb. Numb and bitter. Not bitter at anyone in particular, though, I harbor no ill will, but just people in general. People buying flowers at the last minute. People buying balloons and chocolates and cards. I will admit, I did buy a card, along with a little gift, and sent it, probably too late to reach its destintion on time, but that's not really the point. I guess the point is the thought. But does that make me a hypocrit for buying something like that, yet despising others who do the same? I don't know. This is my blog, though, so I can complain about it if I want.

Things have always worked out on the past where I never was actually with a girlfriend on this "Overrated Hallmark Holiday," as Haley puts it (should I call you H, or is Haley ok?), though the last two years I did have a girlfriend on the day. It was just that she was 163 miles away (yes, it was kind of a long drive, so I would keep track of miles.) So in that respect, this year will be like every other year. At least I'll tell myself that. Of course, the past to years have been celebrated on pre-Feb 14 dates, but who's counting.

As far as VD (I think I like calling it that better than actually typing it out, seems more appropriate) goes, I feel kind of cheapened by the whole experience. Sure, it's kind of nice to have a special day for relationships, but at the same time there shouldn't be just one day that you go all-out and buy a bunch of crap that you may or may not have put some thought into. I think it would be much more meaningful to surprise your significant other with a nice card or gift in the middle of March or on a Thursday or something. And that's the way I have been, giving gifts for no particular reason, just out of love and the desire to do something that would be appreciated. Maybe people (Hallmark, I'm looking in your direction) felt that while President's Day is great and all, it just lacked a certain something that all of the other months around February had. I mean, the second month is already getting shafted by only getting 28 days, 29 on "Leap Years," so it's kind of a joke month anyways. Going back to September, when the weather is usually pretty decent, we have Labor Day, The World Series, Halloween, Election Day (maybe not a holiday, but an important day nonetheless), Thanksgiving, all of the December holidays (Christmas Eve and Day, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and a host of others that are definitely worth mentioning), New Years Eve and Day, My Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Groundhog Day, President's Day, March Madness, St Patrick's Day, and then Spring is upon us. February gets 2 "holidays" in there, for neither of which I got a day off, let alone the week that Thanksgiving gives us or the month over the December/January changeover. And there are no days like St Pat's day or Labor Day that people generally use as an excuse to drink large quantities of alcohol, green or otherwise. And there are no major sporting events to get people excited. Oh wait, the Super Bowl. Crap, I forgot that's in February now. Well, it has that too. But that's one day, not a whole tournament. "Hey, let's make our good friend Febbie feel better. Let's give 'er a holiday in which people express their love that they should be expressing anyways. Or, if people don't have loved ones, then it can be used as an excuse to drink large quantities of alcohol. And since we have all these vats of red dye laying around, that will be the color we will use." what a great idea.

Now, I will continue the cynicism of the day onto birthdays. This is mainly coming from some e-mails Haley and I exchanged (I really do have friends other than Haley, and I'm not obsessed with her. It's just that she's the only one that is usually available for a few rounds of e-mail during the day, so that's what I do. I will talk about other people. I promise.) It is Haley's birthday today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY), and I believe she's entering "22 - the Sequel." I don't know why she's down on the 23rd yeard of her life, because for me, that was my all-time best year. I referred to as my MJ year. Since he wore 23. Get it? But, I do share her bleak outlook on birthdays of late. I think it comes with the age. Every birthday up to about 21-22 is fun, but then I think mid- to late-20's are "the depression years" as far as birthdays go. Just wait until 25, and see how you feel. I seriously felt like crying at midnight on Jan 11th, 2006. I had just turned 25, and already hated it. 26 was a little better, until someone brought up the numbers 3 and 0. So yeah. I'm just hoping that they'll eventually get better.