I realize that my title runs the risk of me sounding completely pathetic, BUT, every Valentine’s day my dad sends me a box of chocolates from Sweet Variations, an adorable independent store in Fenton, where I grew up. He is never brave enough to pick out chocolates, even though I tell him every time NOTHING GUMMY OR FRUIT-FILLED. But he just goes for the pre-made boxes, which is still cute. I’m not bitter about Valentine’s day the way some people are--my family has always made it a day to appreciate all the people you love, not just your lover.
Usually I’m able to exercise self-control and parse the chocolates out for a few weeks, but I was watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S reruns on Saturday and I was stupid and went and sat the box in front of me. And ate all of them. WORTH IT.
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On Sunday, I had an early-morning personal training session. I would never pay for personal training, but I got free sessions with my gym membership, so I thought, why not? My trainer tells me he was overweight at one point, and wrote a book about getting in shape. My first reaction was to immediately dislike him, because the jerk can get a book published while I struggle to get published in minor lit magazines. ASS. Well, he knows what he’s doing as a trainer, so I forgive him. A little.
So, back to Valentine’s day. His only appointment was at 9 in the freaking morning on Sunday, and I would have just said no way, but my free sessions would have expired, and no way was I going to let free things go to waste. I accidentally wore a pink shirt to the gym that matches my pink water bottle. (I hate being a cliche.) My trainer was like “Oh, you match! (Snigger.)” Hmph.
We did some work with kettlebells, which I’d never done before. I had to do this exercise where I swing a 20-pound kettlebell between my legs, and use a hip thrust (oh yes, you read correctly) to swing it back up to eye level. My trainer kept telling me to use “more hip thrust, Jill, MORE,” along with one of his favorite catchphrases for when I need to go faster, “bang it out.” My workout was doubled by the strain of trying not to laugh in his face. And I thought, Happy Valentine’s to me.
After, I went to browse on Newbery Street, and I was SO SAD I didn’t have my camera. It was a beautiful sunny day, and Newbery Street is full of interesting shops and lovely old buildings:
Three cheers for stock photography!
I bought David Sedaris’s “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” which I have read but don’t own, and Zadie Smith’s “On Beauty,” which I need to both own and read. Here is something I overheard on Newbery Street, for which I have no explanation:
“Hey, there’s my valentine! What, you aren’t scared of a black man, are you?”
I enjoyed a phone call from my far-away valentine, and went home to sleep off the chocolate stupor.
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, listen to this (please note: it’s business time):
Love, Jill
