Let the Valendoom's day blog begin

"Love is like a firefly....hard to catch..and even harder to keep alive."

This is Valentine's day, a day that Hallmark has deemed THE day to celebrate love and lovers. I would really like to take this opportunity to flip Hallmark a big EFF U.

Why do we wait till February 14? Why can't we just celebrate emotions AS we have them. Why wait? Why do people absolutely FREAK THE HELL OUT if you show the least bit of interest in them. "hey, I like you..doesn't mean I'm in love with you or implies any kind of commitment on my part...it just means...I'm comfortable with you, you're fun to hang out with, and it would bug me immensely if you fell off the planet." I dare you, say that to someone and watch them stutter, mumble and mutter something about how they have to wash their cat.

Well, here's an idea. Lets take a moment to appreciate the people we care about. The family we choose for ourselves, our friends.(and our families...let's not forget them).

So here goes. I love you. Cait and Curt...you are truly the loves of my life. I don't know where or who I would be without you two in my life. I'm so glad I'm your mom. It's been the best, most rewarding, exasperating experience...love every minute of it.

Boo (silver, striped tabby cat), though you can't read..thank you for being the one guy I can count on to cuddle with me at night...no matter what pajamas I'm wearing. Your soft purring lulls me to sleep.

and to my "posse"...you know who you are. Thanks for just being there...for the laughs...the phone calls at 2am...the texts...life is bearable and fun because you're in it.

Have a lovely Valentine's Day....and remember to appreciate the people you care about...every day...NOT just on February 14.

Grand Adventures......

"Grand adventures await those who are willing to turn corners......."- Fortune cookie.

This is not news to me. Just as it is not news that I am going to get my motorcycle license...I am going to take a cross country trip someday.. I'm going to write about it.... none of these things will happen if I play it 'safe'. If I stay on the straight and narrow...always doing the responsible thing...waiting for my eventual death of old age and boredom.

I found "Blue" on Ebay. I got the notion a few weeks ago...watch the motorcycle auctions...and see what the prices were like. I figured if I could find a bike cheap enough...(under $700.00) I'd buy one. I had my income tax windfall coming in...why not help out the economy..spend it foolishly??I never really thought I would find a halfway decent bike.

I watched "Blue" for 3 days...never bidding. "Blue" is a vintage(used) 1981 Honda CM400C. She has some miles on her(but so do I) she has a great leather seat(ok..mine's not leather), perky headlights (no comment). She's been through some stuff, but she would be good for me to have some adventures with. I can't explain it, I had to bid on her.

When it got down to the final hour...I made my move. The auction was due to end in 20 minutes....I set a maximum bid of $650.00. I waited and I watched. I was the high bidder. HUH??? SERIOUSLY??!! I kept refreshing the screen....5 minutes....4 minutes....3....2....1. OH MY GAWD. I just bought a freakin motorcycle for the grand total of $611.00.

Me, being a modern girl....I sent out email notifications. The response was overwhelming and positive for the most part....(no word from dad yet....). Mom never checks email, so I had to tell her on the phone. She took the news rather well. For a while. She called me back a few hours later. She has a bad feeling. She feels I didn't think it through. She feels its too dangerous. She feels I'm not being responsible. I'm someone's mother, I should be more responsible.

Well, here's the thing. For the first Forty years of my life, I did the responsible thing, the safe thing, what I was told to do. So did mom. For all her life. you know what it got us? NOT a lot(well, ok...I got two fabulous offspring). She got cancer. She waits to see if she'll get better or worse. I'm just starting to see that the world extends far beyond the boundaries of Illinois. That if you just open yourself up to the universe, magic can happen.

So....do I spend what's left of my life playing it safe? Do I never take a risk on the offchance that I might get hurt? Do I sit all cocooned up in my nice safe place where everything is familiar and no one can hurt me? I'll be safe that way. But I'll never learn that way. I'll never love that way. There is no safe. I can get killed eating a hamburger from McDonald's(Ecoli). I can get killed driving to work in the morning(ice, snow, other driver). I can get raped, murdered and left for dead along any highway anywhere and no one would know for days...weeks...months. That's not living. It's barely even existing.

Nah. I think I'll just take a trip round the corner....see what adventure lies in wait. Meet ya there. If you're game. : )