Fears/Pet Peeves and Father's Day [no, not together!]

1. What is your biggest driving pet peeve?  Well, I wrote a post a while back about pet peeves with a bunch of them [mostly driving related], so check that out... I would have to say my biggest one in that list is the parking in fire lanes.  [On an unrelated note, another pet peeve is that all of my Pinterest links are disappearing (see: post on pet peeves). What's up with that?]

2. Biggest Blogging pet peeve?  Hmmm, there/their/they're, to/too/two, then/than, lose/loose.  Sorry, it just bugs me.

3. Biggest general pet peeve? When people don't do their share of something   4. What is your most irrational fear?  Edges and getting thrown off of them... like when I went up the Eiffel Tower the first time, I was convinced someone would just pick me up and toss me over the edge.  I'm great in airplanes and rides with seatbelts, but edges = terrifying.

This was my first time up in 2009... I kind of look terrified

This is the elevator up, come on, you know that looks scary!

But by 2010, I was a pro!

Gosh, I miss this place!

5. 3 celebrities you’d want to have dinner with?  John Krasinski, Tina Fey, and Lauren Graham.  Preferably all together, please.

One more thing - Happy Father's Day to the most supportive, kindest, funniest, goofiest, and fun dad in the world.  Oh, and also the person who I am most alike in the entire world... we're both big kids!

We love Disney!  This is us with Mr. Smee 18 years apart.  

I was in kindergarten on the left and one the right was our trip this winter to the Tinker Bell Half Marathon.  He ran the Neverland 5k with me :)

My take on Valentine's Day

Recently I have seen countless statements on Facebook like, "I hate Valentine's Day" or "Don't celebrate Valentine's Day because it's just an excuse for women to expect more and men to give more than they can afford."  I feel like, since this election, Facebook has become CRAZY.  If people aren't bashing some topic/holiday/candidate, they are bashing the people who are bashing those things [which isn't any better].  Oy vay.  It really got me thinking about my own feelings on Valentine's Day.

I can honestly say the only reason I still have a Facebook is to keep in touch with a few people from high school and college with whom I otherwise wouldn't communicate.  I personally, don't share too much on Facebook anymore.  The photos that used to go up on Facebook the day after an event or party are now posted here.  I now realize that one of the reasons I loved putting up photos on FB was to remember everything, but now that I can do that here with more text to actually explain them, I enjoy it much more.

Okay, now back to my initial rant.  If you do not agree with what I am about to say, I'm sorry you wasted your time reading this, but this is how I feel:

I think that Valentine's Day, at its simplest form, is a beautiful holiday.  Yes, I know, card and candy companies have exploited it, but I'm just talking about two people or a family having a day just to say 'I love you.'  I love sending little Valentines to people in my life, and I love receiving them.  It just makes you feel good and that someone is thinking about you.

Now onto my little family.  Mike and I don't lead extravagant lives, we lead busy lives.  He owns a house [a fixer-upper at that], we work crazy hours, and in our spare time we are either cooking, cleaning, fixing, painting, or making something.  When we need to relax, we sit in front of the tv, cuddle, and watch How I Met Your Mother or 30 Rock together.  We also live with three other people.  We spend just about as much time with them as we do with each other.  [Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our living situation at this stage in my life, it's so fun to always have someone to hang out with.]  The only times Mike and I go out to dinner [just us] are when I see a new Olive Garden commercial on tv or when one of our sets of parents take us out.  Even for Christmas presents, we bought each other boots, jackets, and hats.  We don't buy too many "nice" things.  He does come home with flowers for me every once in a while, and I can say that means more to me than any Valentine's Day flowers.  Okay, now don't get the wrong idea, we are very close and love each other very much.  We are just practical.  We enjoy doing all of these things together, and this is the lifestyle we love leading.

So what all of that means to us is that Valentine's Day is one of the two days of the year when we actually "splurge" on each other.  [In case you were wondering, our anniversary is the other one.]  Even if it doesn't happen actually on Valentine's Day [sometimes we plan a dinner the night after when restaurants are less busy if we forget to make a reservation], we make a reservation, get dressed up, and really enjoy each other's company.  We write each other long, beautiful cards, and might buy a little some impractical, just because.  Usually it's something we know the other person has wanted but would never spend the money on.  Last year, Mike bought me a charm for my Pandora bracelet.

For us, while we do enjoy getting each other something special that we normally wouldn't, Valentine's Day is more about stopping our crazy lifestyles for a day and actually taking time to be together.

I know that there are some crazy people out there that insist on getting a million things like jewelry, flowers, and candy for Valentine's Day, and I think they are silly.  On the other hand, those people who write off Valentine's Day completely, seem equally as silly for not embracing a holiday that, at it's core, should be about love.  Maybe they have enough time otherwise to spend with the person they love and they don't need one day to spend together, but for us, who seem to be constantly running in a million different directions, Valentine's Day is a great day to just be in love.

Oh, and of course it's an amazing excuse to bake. [These were my cupcakes from last year.]

Amd the lovely orchid Mike bought me last year for Valentine's.

Pet Peeves

Over the past few weeks between Christmas and after-Christmas shopping, people have just been doing awful things.  Before I start being all positive and crap for the new year, I figured I would get these pet peeves off my chest.  I hope some of you feel the same way about some of these so I just don't seem like a crazy.

- People who park in the fire lane outside of stores. Why are you more special than anyone else?? I feel like this happens the most near Red Boxes, apparently parking spots for the store aren't for the Red Box, and if you are "quickly" searching for and getting a video, you can park in the fire lane.

- Employees who assume you know everything they do.  We recently went to see Les Mis.  Mike bought movie tickets through AAA a while back, before the theater changed names, and we brought them to see if they might still honor them.  The lady was like, "ummm, no, we haven't been Showcase for over 3 years!" FIRST: we bought these tickets less than three years ago because we haven't been dating that long, and SECOND: if we knew that, don't you think we wouldn't have tried to use them? Jeesh.

- People who hit their brakes before they put a turn signal on.  How am I supposed to know what you're trying to do?  Never mind those people who don't use a turn signal.  Or the people who put on a turn signal on the highway when they're halfway into another lane.

- Ignoring yield signs.  A yield sign is basically a stop sign when there is a car coming from another direction. Remember that, oncoming cars who almost hit me every morning.  I shouldn't have to slow down for you.  I like Mike's way of putting it, "If I'm driving along normally and have to slam my brakes for you, you're doing something wrong."

- People who throw cigarette butts out their car windows.  It's still littering.  Sorry if you don't want to stink up your car with the butts.  You're already smoking in there, so what's the difference?  Sorry if I offended any smokers out there.

As you can see, pretty much all of these are related to my road rage. Whoops.  And all of that got me started thinking about this funny pin [and some other funnies (to lighten the mood of this post)]...

Source: Uploaded by user via Meghan on Pinterest

We played Fantasy Football in our house [anyone every watched The League??], and now that it's over I could care less about the playoffs...

Source: quickmeme.com via Meghan on Pinterest

HIMYM left on SUCH a good note, I can't wait until it comes back in a couple of weeks! And this one [below] is an awesome episode.

Source: lalunetropbleme.tumblr.com via Meghan on Pinterest

Oh ma God, I have watched so much Full House over vacation and watched this episode recently!!

Source: youjustrealized.tumblr.com via Meghan on Pinterest

Linking up for OHP and WW today!

instaTuesday

There are so many holiday things starting and I'm SO EXCITED!

Great submissions for our holiday card contest at work.  

The top left are the 4 winners.

HOLIDAY CANDY IS HERE!

The new addition to this year's Christmas Zoo.

Why yes, we are those neighbors everyone hates because our house glows so bright.

Just finished looking at my December schedule.  I like don't work next month - it's awesome!

RIP Hostess - yup, did this last Friday.  

More photos from visiting my baby cousin this weekend.

Sorry if this makes me seem like a b****, but you reeeeeally shouldn't make sweeping declarations on facebook that HAVE what you hate in them.  Can anyone spot it?

Linking up with Jane today!!

Have you entered her giveaway over at The Vintage Apple?  ModCloth is THE GREATEST.  Ever since Adria sent me a lovely print from it last year, I've been obsessed!