I’ve never been outright ‘anti-Valentine’s Day’…
I do think it’s a fairly disgustingly commercial holiday, but as I have a tattoo of a heart, and sign all of my artwork with a heart and I love poems, general mooshiness, sparkly pretty things, the color red, lace, and chocolate, I don’t think it’s a bad holiday overall. Nonetheless, I’ve never really had a truly good [read: pleasantly memorable] Valentine’s day.
I’ve had fun on various Valentine’s days over the years. The parties at school where you got to have red velvet cupcakes (YAY, FREE FANCY FOOD!), make pretty crafts, and were forced to give and receive valentines class-wide were a nice break from the mundane. I got a few strangely sweet mystery valentines back in those days, probably from boys (or girls – this is me, right…) who liked me but would never admit it to anyone else.
I had one particularly memorable moment in high school one V-day. I was in the hall, between classes, kind of late in the day (I think it was after French class, actually), when our Senior Class President (Sweet James. I still have his pic in my favorite photo album) - who had flirted with me on occasion* prior to that – suddenly grabbed me by my shoulders, pushed me in between two lockers and kissed me! It was not rough or scary or unpleasant, just EXTREMELY unexpected. It was actually quite lovely. I hope I never forget that.
I got nice cards from Dad most every year, and Shirley too. Aunt Sue and Aunt Rhonda often sent me a pretty valentine, and MILLIONS of kids over the years. I’ve gotten treats, and balloons, and I’ve never really felt grumpy or left out. The only times I can remember having downright ugly V-days, was when I was involved with someone and they ignored me (or worse), but I never pined for a romantic Valentine when I didn’t have one. I was always happy enough just to get those little handmade kid-cards, sweet “Hallmarks” from Dad or Aunt Sue, and the occasional cupcake**.
This year however, was a banner day, and made me realize why I haven’t become one of those jaded “Valentine’s Day Is Stupid” people***.
It was my day off, and X was off too, so we slept in a little. We didn’t have any set plans for the day, other than a shopping trip (he said he’d get me new red sneakers for V-day, and I needed some bead-supplies), a nice meal (or 3), and maybe a movie. We voted and decided on “The Junction” for breakfast (among other things, they have fried green tomatoes, goooood biscuits and gravy, and fried bologna and livermush on the buffet…) and figured we’d just wing it from there.
I needed to stop by the flower shop where I used to work – 4 Winds – and pay a bill, and I wanted to get Stewart a b’day balloon, because his work is on the way to The Junction.
When the ladies saw me they said I should know better than to come in on Valentines’ Day, ‘cause they’d put me to work. I thought about it for a minute, and said “Well, I’m off today, and we don’t have any serious plans made – I could help out for a couple of hours.” They were VERY happy about that, and Chris didn’t seem to mind, ‘cause that meant we could afford a really nice dinner (we were hoping to be able to budget for big sushi). I told the ladies I’d go to breakfast, come home and change (as I was, of course, still in my pjs – my STAR ones, Andi!) and be back by 11:30. As we walked out, I asked Chris if he really didn’t mind, and he said that he didn’t, and he offered to help too. I went back in, asked if they needed a driver, and they hired Mr. X on the spot too – yay, us!

So, then we went by Stewart’s job to deliver his balloon (it had fishies). Stewart is “co-boss” (chief editor) of the Newsleader with a really amazing lady named Jody. This lady is one of my “real-life-heroes”. I definitely wouldn’t mind being like her when I grow up. She has had, well, a few 49th birthdays (actually, I think she’s in her very early 60’s), and truly looks about 45. She’s a very petite redhead with brave yet graceful fashion sense (like short linen dresses in all my favorite colors, bare, tan legs, tres cool shoes and accessories…), a beautiful natural face, great freckles, dark sparkly eyes, a pleasantly sarcastic demeanor (though I get the feeling that you would NOT want to piss her off), and enough spirit and moxie**** to make ME feel “blah”. Yep, she rocks – and she always has good haircuts.
On this day, she had a particularly good new haircut (short, a little wispy at bangs and neck and more “stickie-uppie” than usual on the top, but just in spots), and I told her so. She turned in her chair and said “Oh, well this is the “Sam” haircut. Actually, it’s the “Sam-in-Africa” haircut…”
:O
:D
Baron’d told me last week when I got my haircut that he’d recently gotten several new customers from Saluda (I have brought him MANY new customers – he says I’m his best billboard :), and that many of them said “I’d like a haircut kind of like Sam’s…”
Flattering, lovely, nice… but to find out that there is a SAM STYLE, and that amazing, beautiful, cool-as-!#$% JODY was sporting the “Tour of Africa” version of it, well…
:D :D :D
That’s almost as good as making People mags’ “50 Most Beautiful” issue!
Yes, I’m a vain Leo beast (and I think that Ms. Jody is too - well, not vain, necessarily, but Leo - however, it is OBVIOUS that she cares how she looks and likes having good hair... :), and yes, I am especially vain about my mane, so this is a compliment that I will never forget. And all before breakfast, even! :D
Breakfast was nice – and horribly cholesterol-filled – yay. Ran into an old friend/neighbor who was cooking there, and enjoyed morning-time with X. Then we went home, changed, and went to work.
The work was pleasant. Typical rushed, chaotic, gossipy flower-shop-on-a-major-holiday work. It was like old home day, as all my favorite co-workers (save Henry and Seth) were there. Emma, Renee, Carol and Marguerite. My two favorite delivery guys came in and I caught up with their latest news, and all the while, the lovely zen-like arrangement of flowers. I felt happy to be helping out – it was REALLY busy – and I felt very appreciated. Chris came in and out, and only got lost once. It was good to be working with him. That’s MY kind of romance.
We worked for 5 hours, and were compensated quite nicely – enough to afford a very good sushi dinner and the majority of our shopping. We went home, had a nice bath, dressed up, and headed to Spartanburg.
Because we’d worked longer than we’d planned to, we knew the movie was out. Chris called ahead to see how late each place we wanted to stop was open so that we could plan ahead. I would basically have 30 minutes at the craft store, 45 minutes to look for shoes at the mall, and an hour or so for a late dinner. Perfectamundo.
I’d set a budget for myself at the craft store (HA!), and I really was trying to stay close to it, but there were THREE aisles of beautiful beads and supplies, and before I knew it, I had DOUBLED my projected expense. * sigh *. I looked through my basket, realized I had been as “cut-throat” as I could stand to be, then told myself that I had made extra money and that it was an investment… I got to the register (still on time schedule, believe it or not) only to discover that ALL THE BEADS WERE 50% OFF!!!!!!!! I think I ended up going 82 cents over budget! WOOHOO!!!!
Next was the mall, packed with cutesie couples, and decked out with hearts and flowers everywhere. My sweetie got me a smoothie (with “immune” booster – his had “memory” booster - * Snark!*) and we started looking at shoes. I wanted something very specific – red – so it was easy to look. And we had a time frame to keep, so it was easy to decide quickly if this was something I’d really want or not. At about the fifth store I’d zoomed into, I spotted a perfect pair of shoes – these, but with red stripes, and red-edged black laces - for such a good price that I could also afford two little pairs of canvas mary jane slippers to go with my pj’s!
YAY!
Then, onto a wonderful dinner at Wasabi, where for some odd reason, we also got free food (cucumber salad and edamame). Chris thinks it’s because we’re cool (AHAHAHAAAHHAHAHA!!!!). I suppose that means we actually know a little about the food and culture, are as polite to the staff as we know how to be, truly appreciate the beauty of the presentation and skill of the atamisan and say so, and sincerely, if clumsily, attempt to speak the language. I think it’s because they felt sorry for us because the place was packed and we spent the first part of our meal next to a couple (Stewart, you know them) who’s toddler was squealing, stomping and being just generally, loudly rambunctious (this is ALWAYS annoying during a meal, but somehow worse in the gentle dim peacefulness of a nice Japanese place), and the latter part next to a loud, um, “déclassé” redneck dude who – no lie - started off his meal by asking if they had any egg drop soup. He argued with his date, asked if the sake was made of tequila, but overall, it was more funny than disruptive, and we had a great meal and a great time, right down to the beautiful pink origami tulip that the proprietress gave me as we got ready to leave.
Suffice it to say that the rest of the evening was even more lovely, and was the “icing on the red-velvet cupcake” that was my perfect, funny, productive, busy, lucrative, romantic, mystical, silly Valentine’s day.

(note: after I wrote this first part, I went home and found a single pale pink envelope in my mailbox, just as if I’d conjured it by magic, a sweet, cute Valentine from Aunt Sue!)

In other news, I’ve met with my boss and with the folks in the county finance office. If all the paperwork goes through in time, I will be taking a one-month leave starting at the end of this month. For whatever reason, I will have to take unpaid leave – I supposed that workman’s comp would help with that, but the folks in finance avoided that part of the conversation, and I was too _____ to push. I will have to use what vacation and sick time I have accrued, and miss one whole paycheck and about 1/3 of another*****. They didn’t answer my questions about workman’s comp paying all the med bills I’ve accrued since September either. Hm.
Instead of letting this make me angry, I have decided to accept it – the leave – as is. That way NO ONE can say that I am taking advantage of the system. I am only using what I’ve earned. This also makes it easier to walk away when the time comes. These people truly do not care about me, about my health, or about all that I have done in this job. I know that I’m just another number, at the end of the day – or pay period, as it were. I think I will have no choice to try to press them, re: the med bills, but I am afraid that they will say that this is the fault of the town of Saluda, which can barely afford new trashbags, much less all my med bills. I think I am going to have a fight on my hands with this one, but I have decided that, during my month off, I am going have a sit-down with both my insurance person and my workman’s comp caseworker. And I am setting a date and planning ahead for the inevitable leap into freedom.
The good news related to all of this (beside the obvious health-break I will finally get to take) is that my boss is being very helpful and accommodating. He suggested that, in order to make it easier to fill my hours, we could temporarily reduce the hours that the library is open. I sat down immediately after the meeting and came up with a tentative schedule that, with a little tweaking and shifting here and there, will need only a 7-hour cut in the library hours, and keep the majority of the volunteers working the same amount, if not slightly less, here and there, than their normal hours. Margaret’s hours will not need to be increased, only shifted slightly, and she will have the same amount of days off each week.
I have also agreed to be on call for these ladies, and I will, because they’ll need me, and because I am grateful for them - but it has just occurred to me that I am expected to answer the phone, assist volunteers, staff and patrons, and basically work during this time THAT I WILL BE USING UP MY LEAVE AND NOT BE GETTING PAID. That’s a BIG !#$% straw. :[ This camel is NOT happy…
*tick tick tick tick ….*

Oh well, onward and upward. It could always be worse. Hell, it HAS been worse. I feel better knowing that i'm about to get a bit of a reprieve, that I will be able to spend a whole month taking care of myself, hopefully getting myself back into to some semblance of my old, strong, healthy self, and doing things that I want and need to do - not to mention doing a test-run of my future plans.
I have considered all the contingencies, I have back-up plans and escape routes. I'm not afraid. I am basically now just waiting for Chris to get settled into his new job, and to get my little duckies in a row, and then - "Braaaaaziillllllll..... da da da da da da da da....."
The sky - and my own creativity and ambition - is the limit.

Much love,
- remember to send Valentines to your kids,
-s


*Once, after lunch, he came out to the bleachers where I was sitting on the rail and asked if he could write on my jeans. I said yes, and he wrote “Sam loves James”… I figured he was just messin’ with me, because no conservative, nice boy, nor indeed ANY boy in my senior class would have been allowed to date me, and they all knew that I wasn’t an “on-the-sly” type of girl…
**but NOT those nasty-a$$ boxes of Candy Hearts – ugh! :[
***personally, I’m down for ANY additional holidays that might A.) get me out of work;
B.) get me prezzies, treats & free meals, or (most importantly) C.) add a little pizzazz and change of scenery to an otherwise ordinary day – ESPECIALLY in mid-winter.
****I won’t say “spunky”, ‘cause she’d never give me snickerdoodles again. Plus she might look at me in that way that she has… eek. ;)
note: I always hated being called “spunky” too. But I suspect that Jody knows as well as I do that if the “Chunky Spunky Planet of Mary Lou Retton Clones” t-shirt fits, you gotta wear it. *sigh****** the good news there is that I have been offered one week of work on the old job during this time, so that will help make up for the loss. Nyah. !#$% the m#!%fin’ MAN!