2-4-1

Two for one!  Get it?  2-4-1.  Oh, c'mon.  

In unrelated to blog news, JZ has returned from Cali, not in time to "celebrate" the holiday.  It's funny how holidays are supposed to work out.  Expectations, thoughts, rituals, and past experiences all play into these things.  Based on the previous, we either look forward to or dread certain holidays.  Really, it makes me think of Sheldon in Big Bang Theory.  His rule of reciprocity is spot on, even if he is a crazy scientist.

February 15:  CARTOONS
As a child, we only got the normal network channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, WB?, etc.).  It was probably a good choice, considering I remember spending a lot of time outside making mud soups and playing games in the yard.  I doubt children today make a lot of mud soups or even know what Red Rover is/was.  Anyway, Saturday mornings were made for cartoons.  I ate a lot of cereal while watching Bobby's World or TaleSpin.  Later on, Darkwing Duck, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Pinky and the Brain were favorites.  But, let's be honest, I actually had to Google 90s cartoons to remember some of these.  But not Bobby's World.  Fun fact, Howie Mandel was the creator and starred in it.  Thank you, IMDB.  It seems weird to me.  Don't cha know?

February 16:  DREAM HOUSE
Random prompt.  Yep.  Well, there are a few things I'm looking for in a future home.  I want a large kitchen with a separate dining area.  I want pantry space or possible a lazy susan.  I want a bathroom attached to my/our bedroom.  Said bathroom is to have a large tub, but not the kind with feet coming out of the bottom.  I want a fenced in yard, with space for a small garden, but also an arena for Rosie to run about and play.  Said garden will only be for vegetables, as flowers are hard to sustain.  I want this pipe dream of a house to be in a quiet, friendly neighborhood.  I want to know my neighbors and be able to ask them to watch Rosie or make them muffins on a whim.  I want this area to have sidewalks for easy walking terrain.  Since I'm dreaming, speaking of walking, I'd like to be within walking distance to the local library.  I want to be able to paint, repaint, and decorate the walls to my (our) liking.  I want to be able to put holes in the walls without thinking about our deposit being hacked to pieces.  I want to have a front (for drinking lemonade swinging on the obvious porch swing) and back porch (for grilling out and catching fireflies).  I want a separate room for a washer/dryer, with room to set up a ironing board...for ironing?  I've accumulated a variety of souvenirs from many "foreign" locations.  I'd like to finally put all of them on display, thus having a smorgasbord room.  That way my porcelain cat from Mexico can watch over my wooden jewelry box from Costa Rica, etc., etc.  I'd like this dream home to be lived in, not just a house.  I want visitors, friends, and family to feel at home in this place as well.  Most of all, I want each space to have purpose and memories throughout, much like all of my favorite places have had.

February Blog "Sponsor"

For the rest of February, I will be using prompts my mom has given me to write about.  Keep in mind, these are all over the map.  So hold on tight!  It could be a bumpy ride.

February 13:  STARS

As most Bobcats know, Emeriti Park holds a special place in my heart.  I'm not sure many know why, though.  Easily put, that's where we got engaged the day before I graduated with my Bachelor's degree from OU.  But why there?  What made that place special?

Back in 2005, when JZ and I started dating, we took a lot of walks.  Most of the time they led no where in particular.  My most vivid memory of us dating goes back to a walk to Emeriti Park. 

After spending the majority of our night with friends off campus, we took the long way back to our residence hall.  Yes, it's a residence hall.  When we got to Emeriti, the sky was so lit up with stars that it hardly seemed nighttime.  Instead of continuing our trek, we stopped in the park, sat on a bench (that I now call ours), and just looked up and around in awe.  The night was already memorable, just based on the overall beauty.  After talking and staring at the sky for a while, JZ admitted that he had seen the stars and sky like that.  He said that before he had wished he had someone to share the experience with.  He was happy that it was with me the second time around.  Please hold all awwws, thank you.  And that's my favorite story about stars!

February 14:  VALENTINE'S DAY
I'm not sure when it started (or how) but a while back, my mom started doing Valentine's Day cookies.  Keep in mind, most of the "family" cookies came from a refrigerated roll or the break-away pieces, so this was special (obviously).  So, these, as far as I can tell, were made from scratch.  Lots of icing, design, and decorations.  Beautiful cookies...but they didn't travel well.  Imagine the bumpy ride from London to Athens (both Ohio, NOT overseas!) while I was in college.  Although Valentine's Day is like any other day (for the most part), these cookies reminded me, no matter where I was (Athens, Perrysburg, or Toledo) that my family was thinking of me, regardless of the distance.