2016 Wishings

Last year I had six goals for the year. I was able to pay off my student loans, I cooked and baked more, John and I went to New Orleans, and I got more blog followers. So I think I did pretty good.

I always like to keep my goals simple and general. Makes it easier to say I accomplished something at the end of year. This year, I have many of the same general wishings and goals.

Budget

Once again, things happened that meant we weren't able to save as much as we like. I would like to have a little nest egg.

Cook at Home More

This kind of ties in to the budgeting thing. But if we cook at home more, we'll be able to save money by not going out. Plus, cooking at home is always more healthy. I cooked quite a bit last year and I would like to continue that trend.

Work on the House

We've fixed up our house a little bit since we've been here but I would really like to do bigger projects to make the house look a little better.

Read More

I didn't read half as many books as I wanted to last year. I know that a lot of that had to do with my school readings but I hope I can read at least A LITTLE more than I did this year. I feel like there were a lot of good books I missed out on.

Exercise & Eat Better

Sitting at a desk all day isn't the best way to achieve a slim figure. Hell, not even a healthy one. This year I really want to start working on getting into a regular exercise regime. Along with that I would like to eat better. Overall, I just want to be healthier.




What are some of your resolutions and goals for the new year?

My Love of Books

I have been a book-lover forever. My parents would read to me when I was younger and then I'd read
to them. I loved reading so much that my mum would sometimes use it as a punishment. "No, Valerie, you cannot read today! Go clean your room!"

When I was in elementary and middle school I loved reading science-y books. Anything in the 500s I would devour. Ancient Egypt. Pyramids. Space. Spiders. I read to learn and better understand all the things I couldn't comprehend.

Via Franklin County Kids Library

Then I discovered the Young Adult section at Barnes and Noble. My dad and I would go and treat it like a library, reading books and magazines while my mum went shopping. I'd pick a book from the shelf, then sit on the floor - or if I was really lucky, one of the well-worn sofa chairs and read for hours. Then the next week I'd do it again until I finished the book. As soon as I was done, I'd put it up and go straight to the next one.

In high school I became a library volunteer, shelving books and scanning incoming and outgoing books. As I scanned them I'd read their sleeves or back covers. This was the first time I remember challenging myself to read a certain amount of books within a certain amount of time.

When I got to college my love of reading didn't falter. I worked at both the school library and the bookstore. Borrowing and buying books with my discount like crazy.

A few years ago I even got a job at a local SA library. It was great because one of the perks was no due dates!

Now, I visit the library about every two weeks. I'm still in love with YA books but every so often I'll read something tougher. I like to read the classics or books they make you read in English classes. Sometimes I'll read an action or thriller and I'm always down to read one of Stephen King's newest.

I've never gotten tired of reading. I have learned so much through the words of others. I know that I did so well in school because I loved reading. I also attribute my empathy for others to the books I have read.

I believe that books can change people. The written word can alter their opinions and their outlooks. We should be encouraging everyone to read more; whether that's by buying eBooks, listening to audio books, or borrowing them from the library. And it doesn't matter if it's War and Peace, Not That Kind of Girl, or The Hunger Games. Reading teaches people of all ages how to think critically, how to empathize with others, and how to sit still in contentment.

I have tons of favorite books. I have books that I've hated but left me thinking long after I'd finished. What books have inspired, impacted, or changed you?

My Four-Wheel Friend

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CambioConfiable #CollectiveBias

I think George Strait spoke straight to my heart when he sang the lyrics:

 And I said, well I got a car, she said, there's something 

At least it's a start, I said, it's better than nothing 

The happiest memory I have of my car wasn’t when my parents told me it was mine. It wasn’t the first time I got behind the wheel by myself and drove in no particular direction simply because I could. It wasn’t even the time it got me to my first real job on time, though all of these are pretty fond memories for an inanimate object.

Nope, the happiest memory I have of my car was when John first drove her. For hours through flat land, past signs saying Leaving Texas and Welcome to New Mexico. It was knowing that my car was reliable enough, safe enough, to make that impromptu drive. It was the fact that my car gave me the ability to have fun. It was the fact that my car became a sanctuary of sorts, a place to discover the world with someone else. A place to get to know each other without stopping, listening to the radio, yelling and singing over the sound of the wind rushing past the open windows.

Though John and I had hung out together before that drive, I think of it as the start of everything between us. It pushed us past the awkward first-dating stages. It showed that we were both adaptable, spontaneous, and as it turns out resourceful enough to find our way back home even when our money didn’t last as long as we expected.

And it was completely, totally possible because of Tina.

Tina, my 1997 Toyota Camry. With her cracked windshield, her bumper that is a slightly different color than the rest of her, and her dirty, dirty interior. She might not be the shiniest car on the lot but she’s always been dependable.

It’s not a coincidence either. Because my car means so much to me, I know that I have to take good care of her. I make getting her oil changed regularly a top priority because I know it’s one of the easiest things I can do to keep her - keeping on.

   

I find that Walmart’s Auto Care Center is the perfect place to do that. Not only can I take my car to get its regular maintenance but while the ACC workers are doing their thing, I can do mine. I can go grocery shopping, book-browse, or buy things to make Tina shine a little brighter and smell a little better.

Choosing which scent I want Tina to smell like (new car or cherry) can be an hour long process. Choosing which oil I want in her is a no-brainer because it’s always Quaker State. My personal choice is the Advanced Durability bottle (green). It’s tough enough for all the driving I do and really puts up with the different temperatures we can go through in a matter of days here. Of course if you need something a little different you can always try out Ultimate Durability or Defy for those of you who drive to the moon and back. Whichever you choose, I’m sure that you and your car will love it.

 
People who don’t know me and see Tina as a little beat-up-granny-car may ask if I’m sure she’ll get us where we need to go and I just tell them in the words of George Strait:

If there's one thing I know girl, it's gotten us this far  

So what is your favorite car story? What tips or tricks do you have for keeping your car in tip-top shape?Visit Quaker State to see other blogger’s tips, tricks, and memories involving their favorite four-wheeled friend.

Major Dilemma

In my last post I talk about Why I Decided to Go Back to School. In this here post, I'm going to talk about the problems I had when it comes to choosing a major and what I ended up settling on.


I transferred to so many schools during my college years that it became a problem. I was "required" to take this course, then this one, oh that one from that other school didn't count - you have to take our version.

When that happens, you end up with a lot of "elective" classes. These are classes that at one point in time were part of your major or were required for a specific school but actually end up being nothing more than electives at another. I have so many of these.


It got to the point where I went to see an advisor and I was like "Please dear glob, tell me what I can do to get out of here the quickest way possible." And the nice lady said "Psychology".


So that ladies and gentleman is how my major was chosen. I was at one point an English major with a minor in Psychology. But, since I had taken so many psychology courses already it was to my advantage to continue on that path.

Which, all things considered is pretty cool. I mean, I like learning about the mind and how people think. Psychology is fascinating because it seems that we are constantly learning new things about it. There are treatments available now that were not even conceived of a few years ago.

Plus there are so many elements to psychology that it never gets boring. There are any number of different ways you can learn to incorporate it into your life.

Right now I am taking two classes: Cognitive Psychology & Abnormal Psychology

Abnormal is definitely the more interesting one. It may seem kind of weird and morbid to focus on mental illnesses, especially those "weird" or "scary" ones that we see played out on TV & movies. But without proper diagnoses and treatments people who are normal but living with mental illnesses might still be chained to metal beds and getting electro-shock treatment for reasons that aren't even valid.


In my Cognitive Psyc class we're learning about how the brain makes decisions & the time it takes to make them. It's fascinating to learn that things you do every day become so ingrained in our minds that we don't have to think about doing them. Which seems like a very "duh, Val" thing to say but think of ALL the things you do on a daily basis that you're not constantly focusing on.

We just did a little makeshift experiment in class that had to do with this.

So anyway, that's what I'm learning right now. It's fun and I don't even mind reading the lengthy chapters but after being out of school for years it's taken me a while to get back into the swing of things.

That, however, is for the next post.

What was one of your favorite classes? What is something you still remember from a high school or college class? If you could teach a class, what subject would you teach?

Why I Decided to Go Back To School

I can be a pretty prideful person. So I just want to get this out of the way first.

What I said in my post The College Dilemma is true. There are a lot of things wrong with our higher education system. So many that I'm not going to rehash them here, but let me just say that even though those things are true, things aren't always black and white. Besides sometimes you need to do what everyone else is doing to get ahead in this world and for most, going to college is one of them.

Which is why I enrolled (yet again) into college. Yay?

I know that I should be happy that I'm "bettering" myself and that I'm doing what I should have finished a while ago but I've had such horrible experiences that it's taking me a while to adjust.

So why did I decide to go back?

There were two main reasons and the first is pretty shallow:


Money
Though I'm making some money now, we're still not at the point where we can save any significant amount. It only takes a quick peek through Indeed to see that most companies require a Bachelor's degree for even the simplest of tasks. What I do now usually requires a Bachelor's degree - I was just lucky that my other experiences stood out enough to even get an interview. So I know that if I want to do something else, I need that stupid little piece of paper.


New Career Path
I think I've said before that I get bored pretty quickly. There are some things that can hold my interest for a while (Netflix, books, food) but the jobs I've had haven't really been one of them. I think it has to do with the fact that I love learning new things and I want for each and every day to be different. Though I like my job currently, it's definitely not what I want to be doing for the rest of my life.

John actually gave me the push I needed to go back to school. He had enrolled in the fall semester and I decided that going back to school was something that I needed to do too. I figured that it would be fun if we both go together. We're not at the same school but at least we'll both have homework to do and tests to take. It may sound totally lame but I think it will be fun sharing this experience with him since we didn't get that chance earlier in life (the way most people do).


So, that's that. I need 10 more classes to get my degree...even though I have enough credits. It's really the stupidest thing but whatever. I'm taking two classes this semester and hopefully I'll be able to graduate in a year...or so.

Wish me luck! I'm still having negative thoughts.

Did you graduate college? What did you major in? Are you currently enrolled or just doing the work thing? I want to hear all about it!

Firsts Friday - First Memory

Every Friday, Da and Mum and I would go out to eat at a restaurant. Then, Mum would go shopping and Da and I would walk around the mall or shopping center. Sometimes, if we were lucky, we'd be by a Barnes and Noble that we'd treat like a library. It was our routine and had been since I could remember.

Some days though I was just tired. I was a cranky kid and it seemed to me that Mum was taking for.ev.er shopping and buying things she probably didn't need. Da would keep me busy by walking with me and pretending to "find" my mom in the crowd.

Well, one day we're walking and Da's been telling me for what seems like hours that the stores are almost closing and we'll be leaving soon. I'm getting antsy to go home. I want to find Mum, get in the car, and fall asleep before we reach the house.

So we're walking and all of a sudden I see her! She's a bit a ways but it's definitely her. She has jeans and a T-shirt, short black hair, and of course shopping bags in her hand. As soon as I see her I run all the way to her, throwing my arms around her legs.

"Mooooooommmmm."

Then, I pull back.

And realize that the woman I have just run to, hugged, and called Mom is NOT my mother. She is someone who upon closer inspection looks pretty much nothing like my mother. My dad is behind me laughing.

I give this poor lady an ugly look, as if it's all her fault I got her and my mother confused, and I storm off in the other direction.

When I reach my dad he's still laughing but I'm too angry to see the humor in it. Eventually we find my mother. I don't want my dad to tell her what happened but I know that by the way she's trying not to laugh he already has.

The sad thing is that I kind of have a feeling this wasn't the only time I mistook a random lady for my mother. As to why it's the first thing about my childhood I remember, I honestly couldn't say. It's probably because my young life was full of embarrassing moments that shaped me and traumatized me into the neurotic thing you see today.


So what's your First Memory?

An InLinkz Link-up

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

I've been a city girl my entire life. But if I were given acres of land on which I could raise a farm of animals, I would probably take them up on that offer.

But of course this is me we're talking about so my farm would include some of my favorite animals...most of which you probably wouldn't find on your normal farm.

I absolutely love alpacas! I mean they are just so fuzzy and their faces are so cute! They look like they would be totally cool if you went up to them and give gave them a big ol' hug.

I love owls so much. Besides being amazingly smart animals they are insanely cute and will even deliver your Hogwarts letter to you.

Have you ever seen a giraffe drink water? It is the cutest most hilarious thing ever. Because they are so tall they have to splay their legs and dip their necks way down. Besides this occasional ungracefulness I think under normal circumstances they are just majestic creatures.

If it were possible to pet a porcupine, we'd probably have one as a pet. I think they are the cutest little animals! They have their cute little faces and they waddle around. Did you know that porcupines are good swimmers? Their quills are hollow so they float pretty well.

Besides the fact that baby camels look like little fluffy alpacas, camels are very versatile, hardy animals. There's a reason they are the ones who cross the desert carrying most of the luggage.

Highland cows are FURRY COWS that live in Scotland. Just another reason I have to visit.




I think by now you can see a definite trend on this list. I love anything furry, bushy, or fluffy. These aren't even all of the animals I would want on my farm. I haven't delved into the water animals (beluga whales, penguins, manatees) or some specific types of animals like Pulis (dog). But maybe that is for another picture post.

If you had a farm what are some of the animals you'd let roam around? 

Old Lady Hobby

There is something soothing about making the same movement over and over again. About counting how many squares across and down you still need to go. About picking the right color thread. About seeing how much left there is to go. About seeing the work start to take shape. And then eventually it turns into a feeling of accomplishment when you see the finished product. What old lady hobby am I talking about?

Well cross stitch of course!

I think I've mentioned before that I love to cross stitch. I started it about a year ago as a way to pass the time. I wasn't even that interested in it. I found a dollar project in a bin at Michael's and I couldn't pass it up.

It came out pretty bad. The little kit I bought didn't have any instructions. Just a picture with the legend of colors to use. I had no idea what I was doing and I didn't know what to do with the outline. It was just a complete and utter mess.

I never even finished it. 

Fortunately I had bought more than one kit. For the next one I actually decided to look up some tips and tricks online before starting. This helped A LOT. By the time I was finished you could even tell what it was I was supposed to be making.

The back is a whole 'nother story though. 

By the time I finished the little kits I had bought, I was hooked. I bought a hoop and some cheap aida with a big bag of cheap thread in various colors. I started getting patterns from Pinterest, Google, Etsy. It was so much fun to make these little crafts. John even got in on it and would tell me which colors to use and fun accents to put on a project.

He'd also help in the naming. 

I loved doing the small, easy projects. Those that could be completed within a few hours. But after doing several of those everyone thought it was time to tackle a bigger project. I decided on a sugar skull pattern I had purchased off of Etsy. When completed it would fit into an 8.5x10 frame. Bigger than anything I had yet tried to do.

It came out great! There were a few spots I had to actually undo my stitches and redo them correctly but I love the finished product. I was going to frame it but the glass from the frame broke and I haven't quite gotten around to it again.

I love cross stitching. Even if the finished ones tend to end up crumpled and dirty hiding underneath books or strewn across tables. It's just a fun hobby, old lady or not.

What are some of your favorite hobbies? Any of you love cross stitching?

Things I've Crossed Off My Bucket List

I recently discovered this little website gem called Bucketlist.

It lets you digitally make, add, & cross off things from your bucket list! As soon as I saw it I was hooked. I was on it for an hour just adding, adding, adding!

You can browse their different categories for ideas on your own goals. You can see those that are most popular, or pick something you'd want to learn, or add a place you want to visit.

It was while browsing through these lists that I discovered how absolutely lucky and grateful I am to my parents and all the things that I've ALREADY done. It's always fun making and crossing things off your own list but it's a feeling of gratitude when you know you've been fortunate enough to do something that someone else is right now only dreaming about.

At the age of 26 I have done all of these wonderful things.


I have

• Visited Roswell, New Mexico
• Visited New Orelans, Louisiana
• Visited New York City, New York
• Visited San Diego, California
• Visted New Jersey
• Visited Mexico
• Gambled in Las Vegas
• Vacationed at Disney World
• Eaten at the James Beard Foundation
• Started a Blog
• Adopted a Dog(s)
• Graduated High School
• Been Fishing
• Been on a Rollercoaster
• Been to a Rock Concert
• Been to an Orchestra Concert
• Seen a Play
• Seen a Stand Up Comedian
• Seen a Ballet
• Seen a Magician
• Seen the Statue of Liberty
• Seen the Twin Towers (Before 9/11)
• Seen a Broadway Show
• Danced at a Club
• Made a Cake from Scratch
• Realized the dangers of the Long Island Iced Tea
• Lived on My Own
• Lived in a Dorm
• Gotten my First Job
• Ridden in a Helicopter
• Ridden an Elephant
• Swam with beluga whales
• Gotten a Tattoo
• Dyed my Hair a Crazy Color
• Passed my Driving Test

If you have a Bucketlist why don't you add me? What things have you crossed off your bucket list?

What I've Learned Working Two Full Time Jobs

When one of my ex-coworkers/friends told me that my old job was looking for a temp to fill while someone was on maternity leave I was a bit hesitant to go back. "But," this person said, "You could really use the money. Pay off your loans! Save for a new car. Do whatever. It's only for three months."

I reluctantly agreed. I knew I needed another job and my friend was right. I could really use the money to get ahead. So I decided to accept the job. Woo! When I went to sign all the paperwork and meet with my old boss (now boss again) I was told the position was going to be full time.


*Cue record scratching*

WHAAAT?

I seriously thought about running out of there right then. Imagine my car peeling out in a cartoony fashion.  But then I thought well, I already know all the procedures. Not much has changed since I've been away. And it's not manual labor, I should be okay, right?


Right?!

I ended up accepting the job since it was only going to be for 90 days. Let me tell you, it's been a bit of a tough one. I tend to get really grumpy towards the end of the week. John's gotten a bit fed-up with me at one time or another but I was too tired to care quite frankly. Still, I feel I've been learning some valuable life lessons with all this extra jobbing.


Sleep is Overrated
You really don't need that much sleep to function at an appropriate level. Yeah, you may look like shit more often than not but you'll still be able to do your job(s), eat, shower, and maybe read a page or two from a book.

When You're So Tired, Even Sleeping for 20 Minutes Will Do Wonders
I take a nap on my first lunch break and for the hour between the two jobs. It is amazing how refreshed and ready to go I feel after taking those naps.

You Can Teach Yourself to Fall Asleep Almost Instantly
When you're really tired and there's only so many minutes or hours until you wake up again getting to sleep quickly can be really important. I've always been an easy sleeper. I can sleep just about anywhere but I do tend to be a light-to-medium sleeper. Now, when I know I only have a few minutes or hours I can go to sleep in less than 2 minutes and I can tune out annoying distractions, waking up only to my alarm.

Coffee is More of a Mind Thing than an Actual Caffeine Thing
I find that coffee doesn't do much to help me stay awake. Never really has. But there is nothing like that first hot cup of coffee as I'm getting into work to perk me up and get me ready for the day ahead.

You Can Get Used to Anything
The first two weeks were hell. Like, seriously. But now that I've gotten used to it and what to expect it's gotten a lot easier. Especially with my routine. Wake up, go to Job 1, sleep on lunch break, sleep after Job 1, go to Job 2, go home, sleep, wake up, rinse, repeat.

When You Have No Free Time You Tend to Save More Money
The first two weeks I worked I didn't even go to the grocery store. John and I were in awe when we realized how much money we still had in the bank from not spending it needlessly.

It Sucks So Much Until You Get that Double Paycheck
I'm always dreading going back into work(s) the next day but payday is like winning the lottery. It's easy to forget how much working so much sucks. Especially since I'm throwing that whole extra paycheck to my loans. Sure I don't really get a bunch of fun money but knowing that I'll have one less monthly bill to pay is the best feeling.


I'm sure I've learned a slew of other things but my brain is a bit too fried to think that hard. For now, I think I'm going to go to Zzzzzzzz.

Master Controller

When people ask me what I do, I tell them that I get paid to watch TV. It's partly true - I do get to watch some fascinating TV (and most times weeks ahead of the general public) but there is much more to my job than that.

My position is Broadcast Operator which basically means I have to operate the broadcasts. This use to be a big to-do back in the days of tape and switchers but just about everything is automated nowadays.

When I am "on the board" I'm on duty as the Master Control operator. "On the board" used to refer to the actual physical switchboard that the person would push buttons on to change from program to commercial and back again. We still have one of these but it's only for like super emergencies.

Master Control is the hub of the station. In our station, it's this huge, freezing room with tons of computers, servers, HD beta tape decks, and SD beta tape decks. If you don't know what a beta tape is just think of a really big VHS. If you don't know what a VHS is…you'll never understand the struggle of rewinding.


The computers all have different tasks that we, as operators, have to ensure they do correctly. Some record programs into our server. Some allow us to play back a program and make sure there is nothing wrong with it. There's a computer to keep track of the transmitter, one to ensure all the details of the programs show up correctly on your DVR menu, and others that convert a file so we can upload it to YouTube. And there's still tons more.

My duty, first and foremost, is to ensure that everything airs correctly. There should be no black, empty spaces. No overlapping of programs or commercials. There shouldn't be two of the same spots airing back to back. All the programming should be correct as per traffic's instructions.

Traffic is what we call the people who time out and actually decide which shows go where and which commercials will air between them. They make the log and send it over to us, where we then make sure everything is good to go.

When a program is set to air live off of a satellite, I have to be sure that the application will switch to the correct satellite at the correct time. When a program is set to air off of our server I have to make sure we DO actually have the program. We record these programs prior to the actual airing. We watch these programs for good video, good audio, and closed captioning. There are certain standards and regulations that the FCC has (for example all programs over 10 minutes must have closed captioning) and we have to make sure that all the programs we air adhere to those standards.

Every hour we also have to monitor our transmitter. The transmitter, which is located in a different town, needs to be putting out at a certain power percentage. If it drops below a certain number then people who watch us over-the-air (with a digital antennae) will lose our signal.

When I know that things are good to go for my shift I have to look over the next day too. Our days are different than the normal midnight to midnight. For us, our day starts at 6:00:00am and ends at 5:59:59am the following day. It can get pretty confusing so we use military time. We also work about a week ahead when it comes to programming. We need to know which programs still need to be recorded, which will air live, and which will be ingested from a tape, or downloaded.

There is a total of four people (that's including me) who work as Master Control operators. We have rotating shifts so it's very important that we email and communicate. Something that wasn't done on my shift could affect the next person's shift or vice versa.

So these are the basics. Depending on the time of year and any special events that happen we have more duties as assigned. I've been here two years and it's interesting to see the continuous and ever-changing technological advancements. We have this application that basically downloads programs onto our server like Dropbox. It's insane!

I think my job is pretty interesting. It's fun to be able to watch so many things while I'm multi-tasking at work. As far as the position goes though it's not very creative. For that, I do editing. But that is another post for another day.

So what do you think? Would you like to do what I do? Is there something you have more questions about? Let me know in the comments!

How I Got A Job in TV

I already wrote a post about how I discovered my love of movies but how I actually got a job in TV is something else.

I was in college and already back in San Antonio when I decided that I wanted an actual film major. Even though we have quite a few colleges in town only one offered a Film Studies major. I transferred there in 2009 after getting an associates.

Being a private school, I needed a job to help pay the more expensive tuition.

So I went on their website looking for a work study position. I was hoping for something in the library but didn't have many expectations. I was really surprised to see that they needed a video production assistant. I applied for the job and got called in for an interview with J.

I was nervous, of course. I felt that I wasn't qualified for this position because I hadn't won an Oscar yet or whatever. Anyway, I went in, blabbering and trying to sound informed. J was impressed with my knowledge and someone ended up not taking the job so it fell to me.

Our main job was to help run camera for the live sporting events but when we didn't have any scheduled, I'd be learning my way around Final Cut Pro. I would edit simple things, trying to figure out new effects and keyboard shortcuts.

I loved working for J and my work study job but the school itself was not cutting it for me. So after one semester I transferred out to get technical training at a two year college.

I was actually trying to get an Applied Science Associates in Digital Film & Media Production which is like...completely different than TV.

I know it may sound weird because TV and film are similar but they're not. I've gotten shit from douchey Film people because I work in "lowly" TV and I've gotten it from douchey TV people who think I don't understand the immediate demand for quality content.

Ugh. Yeah. Douches.

Anyway, a year later, I got a tip that one of the local TV stations was looking for a production assistant. I emailed my resume, got an interview, and found out that the interviewer and J knew each other from way back!

It was that, I'm sure, that sealed the deal. I got the job and I've been working in TV ever since.

What do I do exactly? Well, stayed tuned. The next post is all about that.

Sushi & 90s Teen RomComs

John and I aren't very big Valentine's Day people. Last year he bought me these beautiful brightly colored daises and some chocolate covered strawberries. I'm always happy with chocolate.

This year because Valentine's Day was going to fall on a Saturday we decided to not even try and brave the masses.

In the day we did some errands. After we did that, we ended up at DouchieB because I needed my next beer for the Into the Pint linkup. While there we decided to grab some sushi to take home and stay in the rest of the night.

While stuffing our faces with raw fish, we watched 10 Things I Hate About You.

Can I just say that 10 Things I Hate About You is like one of my top favorite movies. Not because it's an amazing feat of movie magic but because it's awesome. I love Kat so much. She's such a badass.

Plus, Heath Ledger as Patrick is just the perfect casting choice.

John had actually never seen all of this movie. He'd only seen bits and pieces whenever it was on TV. I like to think that because of me I have now changed his life for the better.



After we finished that we decided to continue our flashback to the 90s with She's All That.

Which isn't as good as 10 Things but really, what is?

And because I'm always happy with chocolate John bought us some chocolate covered strawberries.

And an orchid! Which is like the most beautiful, weirdest, minimalist flower that actually fits perfectly with our living room/dining room decor.

All in all, it was a really fun, low-key Valentine's Day.