To celebrate the survival of Valentines we went to the Funpark, a sort of Chucky-Cheese kind of place with the girls.  D and Tia-Bobia and I all went rollerskating on the rink then promptly changed our skates to blades and started a game of wedgie-skating whereupon someone is picked by silent agreement to have to outrun the other two skaters or suffer a wedgie.  I can say with pride – I never got my panties yanked – which is saying something about my rollerblading skills, because I was actually wearing underwear today. This is news in and of itself.
 

Meanwhile, Tristy went to the games and wracked up points which earned coupons so she could buy something from the toy counter.  After a couple hundred points she earned a UFO light which looked like a small ufo with a bundle of fiber optic lights coming out the top. 

In the car on the way home she complained it didn’t work.  Tia-Bobia pointed out that the UFO needed batteries.

“What kind?” I asked over my shoulder as we cruised down the highway.

“I don’t know.  The box doesn’t say.” Tristy moaned.  She pouted, crossing her arms.

“Well, look where the batteries go on the bottom.  It should say what kind of batteries it takes – near where the batteries should go.” I replied.

There was a long pause from the backseat of the car as I presumed that she was looking for the type of batteries.  In a sudden quiet moment between other chatter, and radio noise and traffic Tristy blurted out in voice full of distressed misery…

“Oh, NO! We need to find some of those “Made in China” batteries!”

We survived the Valentines Rush.  One ten hour day and two 14 hour days and voila! Thousands of roses sent to hundreds of people.  I’m sore everywhere – except where it’s fun to be sore.  I have rose thorns in my thumbs still, and cracks on the back of my hands from all the washing.  

Yet by the time I got home last night and fell into bed – I had a shitty grin and a lightness of being.  Job well done.

I didn’t have a Honey this year, but I have to admit – despite all the hard work, the crazy running in circles and the next day fatigue… this Valentines was the funnest yet! There’s nothing like being knee deep in roses and knowing you have no one to impress with your hair in a bandana and green hands from stripping stems and smudges of red flower petals on your face – and knowing you can go home and curl up with a movie, chocolate and a hot bath wihtout anyone elses expectations bogging you down.