So, today is Valentine's Day. The Day of Love.

To me, Valentine's Day is the day of higher-than-usual expectations, fakey movie moments, and money spent in the name of what? I was reading on Yahoo today that "millions were spent today" for Valentine's Day gifts.

For what? On what?

Did everyone get what they wanted? What they expected? Or, did they receive another pointless teddy bear or fattening box of chocolates? Did they suffer a terrible disappointment and a feeling of "he just doesn't know me!"

Well, this post is beginning to taste strongly of bitterness. I'll attempt to repent.

I realize I'm lucky. My husband knows better. He knows I would not be able to resist chocolate, so he did not buy me any. He knows I'm not much for flowers, so he did not bring me any. In fact, I didn't expect much for Lovers' Day. We never make much of a deal about it. Because we both see the insane hypocrisy of celebrating love one day out of the year..as opposed to celebrating it everyday.

Anyhoo. Low expectations here all-around.

So, he went out Sunday afternoon, and bought me living room furniture. Now, is that the sexiest thing you've ever heard of, or what? Talk about spending millions. OK, not really, the place is going out of business, so it's marked way down anyway.

But the fact of the matter is, he's heard my subtly dropped comments here and there about inadequate seating in that room. He also heard my quiet, desperate pleas for leather seating. The point is, ladies and gentlemen, not only did he listen, but he listened AND retained.

And that, my friends, is the perfect Valentine's Day gift for me.

The school board just voted last night to stretch our trimester out another week, since we missed so many days last week. YAY - now I'm not so rushed.

This has been an exhausting half of the trimester. The freshmen have really been cranking to finish their research papers, which they are submitting tonight. So, their work is complete, and mine has just begun. But again, I have an extra four days to grade them before the end of the trimester.

Because of the research paper rush, we've put our novel on hold. My students have enjoyed "To Kill a Mockingbird" and I have loved teaching it. However, it's long, and it's taken us all trimester to read it (because we only have a class set). However, I know all students have read it, because we've done it as a class...as opposed to last year when they didn't do the reading homework, even though they all had their own take home copies.

Well, now that the research paper is done, we can focus on getting the novel done. I think we'll even have time to watch the movie(the one with Gregory Peck).

This is the part of the trimester where I start looking ahead. Third trimester is my absolute favorite! First of all, it's getting warmer. Second of all, we study my most favorite literature - "The Odyssey" and "Romeo and Juliet."

I've just realized what a stupid title that is. It's obviously a misnomer. How can I say I'm not posting and then post?

Hypocrite.

What my title should be is: Will Not Be Posting Anything of Substance or
Tonight's Filler or What Drivel I Turn Out When There Are A Stack Of Papers Waiting For Me To Grade...

Oooh, I actually like that last one. Probably too long, though.

For lack of a better, more thoughtful blog entry tonight, I give you:

"The Contents of My Winter Closet" or "Boy Howdy, I Need Dresses"

Here's the breakdown:
Dress Pants (known to the older generations as "slacks")
- 2 black
- gray
- 1 brown

Casual Pants (the cotton khaki material)
- 3 stone-colored (you know - light, light, light brown)
- dark brown
- olive
- black

Other
2 Denim Skirts (calf-length)
Olive Green Khaki skirt (calf-length)
Olive Green Ankle-Length Floaty Skirt (from Delphi, Greece)
4 pairs of jeans

***Pretty standard midwestern professional wardrobe. Now the tops.

SWEATERS (by category)

Turtlenecks
- lavender
- pink
- black
- gray
- pink/orange/yellow striped

Cardigans
- pink
- black
- 2 white
- 2 black
- brown

V-neck Pullover
- green multi-striped
- purple striped
- yellow
- periwinkle

TOPS (by category)

Button-Down/Oxford
- light blue
- aqua
- light salmon (this would be a variant of orange)
- dark salmon
- brown
- 2 white

Tunics
- pink gauzy (from Athens)
- stretchy green/brown striped

Hoodies
- dark rose zip

Plain knit tops (used mostly for layering or summer wear)

- dark turquoise (ls = long sleeved)
- navy stripe (ls)
- light aqua (ss = short sleeved)
- 2 black (ss)
- brown (ss)
- orange (ss)
- pink (one ss and one ls)
- red (ss)
- 3 white (2 ss and one ls)
- green (ss)

Other
- black mandarin-collar short sleeve
- gray scoopneck smock-thing

Further analysis of closet by color:

- 2 purple
- 6 blue
- 3 green
- 1 yellow
- 3 orange (incl. salmon)
- 3 red
- 9 pink
- 7 white
- 4 brown
- 6 black

A couple of things: An alarming number of pink items in closet. But then again, no surprise as it is my favorite color (I have friends who can attest to this ). High number of black and white, however, this is recommended by English teachers and librarians the world over. Also, no dresses here. Not one.

I even checked my summer closet. None there either. I think I know why. At 5'3", 140 pounds - there aren't many dresses out there that look smashing on me. At least I have my skirts.

End Closet Analysis.

OK, so let me tell you about Thursday night and why I was so irate.

I am on the Board of Directors for a community organization here in town. Most of the time I enjoy it and the people; I've made good friends.

However, once a year, we do a talent show fundraiser for our group based on the "American Idol" idea. Basically, local people audition their act for us, then perform it in front of a crowd several nights later. People come to the show, cast their ballots (aka dollars) for the act they feel is the best. All monies raised goes to my organization, and the top three money-making acts receive prize packages.

Now, because we promise prize packages, that means *someone* has to collect the prizes, which are usually donations, coupons, gift certificates, etc. from community businesses. THAT means someone has to hit up these businesses for the prizes. NOBODY on the Board likes doing this, and couple of the members have emphatically stated they have a phobia against it (calling/visiting businesses begging for donations). I am one of the former, not latter...since I already do this type of fundraising twice a year with my yearbook staff, I'm not keen to do it again.

Anyway, we've all dropped the ball here, so as of our board meeting on Monday, we had a very small number of prizes. On Thursday, the first night of auditions, our org. President then brought me last year's list of bizs who'd donated and what they'd given. I was given the only copy of this list. I jumped to what I thought what a natural conclusion that I was now responsible for making all these calls. I WAS PISSED. Where was everyone else's help? Why was I the only one? I felt very much like I was wholly doing the least likable job and everyone else got to ride my coattails because they "had a phobia."

So, I come home Thursday night just ripped. I had been railroaded. I ranted and raved to Brent and spent a sleepless night over it. By the time Friday night rolled around, Brent had talked me through a plan. I was set. I was going to stick to my guns that I WOULD NOT be the only one doing this crappy job. I would do my part, but expected everyone else to do their share, phobia be damned.

Anyway, I show up to auditions last night, both barrels loaded, and began my rehearsed spiel about "I'm not doing it alone...I'll do my part...who else is helping?" It really was all for naught, because the VP the comes in and says, "I have a solution. My wife is done working for the next two-four weeks because of an ankle fracture. She said she would be very willing to call these places, pick up prizes, etc."

Huge relief. So, yeah. Not so riled up anymore. The situation has resolved itself. Like Brent and the Goddess always say - it all works out in the end.

Anyhoo, that was a very good thing that happened to me this weekend. Here are some more:

1. Went to DM and played in the largest indoor mini-golf tourney in the state. Completely smoked my husband, who is a regular golfer. I actually placed 11th out of 92.

2. Had lunch at Red Lobster. Passed up the Ultimate Feast for some nice, Cajun-blackened tilapia. Fewer WW points.

3. Went shopping at Kohl's. Found a cute top and some khakis. ON SALE! Size ten was a tad big on me (YAY!), but bought them anyway because I'd rather be safe than sorry.

4. Did my first grocery shopping trip in the new van and I was practically orgasmic when I was able to fit all the bags in, nicely arranged, unlike when we'd use the truck and find that some produce had rolled up the front of the bed. Sweet.

5. I ran two miles in about 21 minutes tonight on the treadmill. While watching Brad Pitt seduce the slave girl in "Troy." Hmmm...could that be why I was sweating more than usual?