Post-Valentine

Yesterday was a pleasant enough day, but not unlike many others (which is a good thing). We had a nice dinner out, and the major difference was that we exchanged small gifts, which we do not usually do. But both of us came out of relationships in which Valentine's Day was more like a massacre than anything else, so the mere acknowledgement of it and simple enjoyment of it is a huge difference in my life. I did a wee bit more running around than I usually do: somebody's electric razor broke last week, so they asked if they could have a new one for Valentine's Day. I felt bad about complying. This was not fun or romantic! But he sure did seem to like having it, so maybe I was wrong.

I decided to go to the Hallmark store for my card, not having time to make a card because I procrastinated too much, and while I was there, I decided to buy just a big batch of cards and send them to people because it's been ages since I sent anything through the regular mail. And you know, there is something nice about having something you can hold in your hand while reading. 95% of what I read involves me sitting in a chair and staring at this screen.

After work, we exchanged Valentine's gifts (I wrote out his card later, when I had more quiet time): he got me Keane's album Hopes and Fears after much loud hinting from me over the weekend when the Peeps were here. It's awesome.

Last night over dinner, we discussed, as couples who live together do, life: Last summer, I took advantage of a work furlough program that allowed me to take off one day of work per week for the entire summer. And they prorated my salary. And so I worked through whether or not I wanted to do that again this summer. Last summer, part of my reasoning was that I would use the extra day per week to write. I did not do this. Not even once. It turned into errand day. Every week. And then I reasoned that it was extra time with the children, by keeping them home with me that day a week (they are in summer school half of the summer)-- and that is nice.

But I have enough vacation days stored up that if I want to have extra time with the kids, I can take it while they are with me; however, during the summer, they are with me only half the time. And during the first half of the summer, they are in summer school (and that is a simple, financial reality), and during the second half, they go on a long vacation with their father. And I don't know that I can take the prorated salary this summer. I have a car payment that I didn't have last summer. So, after much discussion, I decided not to do the furlough this summer, but to use some well-placed vacation days instead. And maybe get a bit ahead of the game financially.

What did we talk about on our first Valentine's Day together?

I wonder if I wrote that down in a journal somewhere...