another this and that

Today is Groundhog Day, the day we ignore all our fancy 21st Century technological capabilities and allow a rodent to predict our weather for the next six weeks. Puxatawney Phil predicts an early spring; I hope he’s right.

Frankly, though, if I were a meteorologist right now, I'd want to blame it on the Groundhog -- the Artic air from the polar vortex was not fun.  Not fun at all.  I nearly got frostbite on my fingers even though I was wearing two pair of gloves. 

So it's February, the dead of winter.    I keep hearing Don McLean's voice in my head..."but February made me shiver..."  If not for my birthday, Drew's birthday, and Valentine's Day, I'd want to hibernate.

Yes, we  do  a lot of celebrating this month.  We take full advantage of all those businesses that offer you a free whatever during the month you celebrate your birthday, so our February is always busy.

I've got something special planned for Drew's birthday.  The Lion King opened on Broadway in 1997  and is still playing to packed houses.  I saw the show in 2002 (I took Jen and Becca to see it to celebrate my 42nd birthday -- it was the day after a major snow storm, and I had to dig my car out of a snowbank), but Drew has never seen it.  I'm taking him to the show for his birthday. So if you hear me singing "Hakuna Matata", you'll understand.

And for my birthday, we're seeing Spamalot.  I missed the original Broadway run of this show, but the national touring company is going to perform at the Tilles Center on Long Island later this month.  I'm excited. 

Since Valentine's Day is on a Thursday this year,  we've decided we will wait to the following weekend to celebrate the holiday.  Otherwise I'd have to rush home from the city, and then we'd have to end the evening early because we both have to work on Friday.  We'll wait a few days so that we can enjoy the experience without pressure.

Valentine's Day fell on a Friday in 1986.  Drew and I planned to go to a teppanyaki restaurant that night...but it snowed, and we wound up eating takeout in his parents' basement.    And made out engagement official when he presented me with the ring I'd picked out earlier.    Hard to believe that was 33 years ago.  What a roller coaster ride the last 33 years have been.

But speaking of Valentine's Day, look what I found:

It's a dark chocolate cupcake with pink raspberry creme inside.  I could smell raspberry the moment I opened the package.  The creme had a very mild raspberry flavor.  They're not as sweet as the original chocolate cupcake, the icing isn't as thick or stiff.

Here’s a photo of them beside the original cupcake. You can see the difference.

 And that's how my resolve to eat healthy gets broken...