{February 14}

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!

Today was not half bad! Fridays are always sort of weird, since I only have one class, but I still just dread it. At that point, I'm ready for the week to be over,. But, once I get there, it's not usually as bad as I imagine and always makes me wonder why I dread it so much in the first place.

After staying up until 4 from watching the Valentine's Day episodes of Glee and reading one of my favorite books, I woke up really late and had to hurry to get ready, but still made it in time for class . Luckily, we also don't start right at 10, especially on Fridays, because some people straggle in a few minutes late. I talked with one of my friends who sits next to me, then class started.

We spent the next hour and 25 minutes pitching our story ideas based on the query letters we were turning in that day. I didn't realize we would actually be doing this assignment and turning it into our in-depth feature story, which is due next Friday. YIKES! Other than that, it was really interesting to hear the stories that everyone is going to be working. You can tell so much about a person based on the topics they picked. 

After class ended, my mom picked me up and we had lunch at El Pollo Loco. We hadn't been there in awhile, and since they've been showing the commercials on TV lately, the food has looked really tasty! I had a chicken bowl, which was pretty good, but I always tend to remember why I don't eat there very often… The flavors are a little different; too strong.

We still had some time before I had to go back to class, so we looked at the Hallmark store just around the corner. Normally, I love to look in the cards section, but because it was Valentine's Day, it was packed and you could hardly move. I have a very big thing about needing space and not liking people to get too close to me, so I tried to avoid that area after a few minutes. They have so many other cool trinkets, though, I must say. I really loved Sarah Jessica Parker's line of stationary! So many adorable cards and notebooks! If I ever have an office, because I'm of some importance or high status at a corporation, I definitely want to go all out with the stationary like that.

After Hallmark, we decided to go to Target to look for some of the Sweethearts candy, which to me, is what Valentine's Day is really all about…Hellloooo? We made our way to the holiday section and there was basically nothing on the shelves. Normally, the back of the store is a complete wonderland of whatever holiday, whether it's Christmas, Halloween or like now, Valentine's Day, but this was one aisle. Everything else had been picked over. We looked for the Sweethearts candy, but there was none. I was heartbroken! WAHHHH! However, I did find some other goodies that my mom said would be my gift for later on that night. Woo!

Finally, it was time for me to go back to school for my editor's meeting. I actually like Fridays in the paper for this reason…It's so laid back for the editor's to really have a chance to meet and talk about the direction of the paper, discuss story ideas for the next week and so on. This time around, it certainly opened my eyes up about getting even more serious about what we're at the paper to do, which is to be editors. That means showing up to the meetings, editing papers, handing out good stories, and writing the best stories that we possibly can. It's not about winning the awards, but it is about putting in actual time and effort to the best of our ability. I also filled them in on my experience with Lucy Hale and how I was going to still try to write my review for the paper.

When my meeting was finished, my mom picked me up again and we stopped by Starbucks, because it gives me something to look forward to after school! Ha. I tried an iced green tea latte, since my best friend told me about it and said it was really good. To my surprise, it actually was! It was very refreshing, especially since we're having warmish/summery weather out here in California.

We came home and I decided to watch a few "love" themed episodes of Growing Pains in honor of going to the "Love Worth Fighting For" event tomorrow, while also keeping with Valentine's Day. Our DVD player stopped working, otherwise I was going to watch the movie, Valentine's Day. After all, there's no better occasion, right? I read InStyle, sipped my latte and just surfed the web and wrote a bit. Creativity was flowing through me, and I was loving every second of it. It was a good afternoon. I was also able to watch a lot of the recorded shows of Ellen DeGeneres' show I haven't been able to watch, since school has been in session again. A little later on, I took a shower and got cozy. It kept getting later and later, and my dad still hadn't gotten home yet, because he'd had a busy day at work. My parents didn't really have any plans, and I obviously didn't, so I thought we would just grab something quick to eat and stay home. That sounded like the perfect night to me.

Cupcakes my mom picked up!

My gift :)

I know so many people don't like Valentine's Day, because you're supposed to tell people all year that you love them or they're just bitter that they're alone on Valentine's Day, and I just think all of that is silly. I'll admit, when I was a teen, I was bitter about a few of them, because I just thought that's how you were supposed to act towards it after you hit a certain age. I was very wrong. I just really love the cheesy factor, the idea of getting sweet cards and just dressing up or having a special evening. I like the idea of getting together with friends or possibly just telling someone you really like them with a card or rose, or the idea that cupid might have a mind all of his own. But, then again, this is all during the day when nothing special is really happening.

The end of the night! 

Well, my dad gets home and my parents decided they were going to go out. By that time, I was starving  and figured I would just let them have a night out, and was starting to get a little of that bitterness of going out with my parents, while most couples would be out all lovey dovey. Ain't nobody got time for that. I mean, c'mon. Ultimately, I just decided to just tag along…What's another Valentine's Day of crashing the party, right?

We had dinner at Mexicali, which is always dressed for whatever occasion with a table display of decorations. They even had red and "white" chips and placed a heart shaped chip on our food, which was so festive, and of course, I had to take a picture. We had some interesting conversation, especially as my dad tried to make up his own lyrics for a song. Entertaining, to say the least. After we were incredibly full and finished with our meals, we took a drive out to my dad's job, so he could check on something, then came home.

I read a little bit, watched the Olympics, enjoyed my pretty cupcake (after dropping it twice) and turned in for the night around 3 a.m. Just another night for me!

In the end, I really do love Valentine's Day. It's just another fun themed holiday to remind you of those you're closest to or to be creative and just enjoy some treats. I've never had a Valentine, and I have really come to terms with being okay with not having a "special someone." One of these days I will, but right now, there's no need to rush it. Heck, there's not even anybody I'd go out with right now if I could…So, it's all good.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day! And if not, well, there's always next year.

That's all for now,
Shelby