2.14.2013

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!

Love, 

Haylie, Ross, and Creature

♥

happy valentine's day!

In spite of all the very good reasons to hate Valentine's Day, I love it. I've always loved it, even when I was single. Sorry.

This year, what with the V-day falling on a Tuesday and all, we're taking it really easy. I made chicken pot pie for dinner (see above, and marvel) and now we're going to watch Sunday night's Downton Abbey and eat this tart. I hope your day was similarly lovely and exactly what you wanted it to be. V-day for the win!!!

sto lat, sto lat, niech zyje zyje nam

Dear Ross,

Please enjoy this online birthday card. Please also enjoy the scavenger hunt (!!!) I have created for you and upon which you will now officially embark. Some rules:

• You must go in the order dictated by the clues. This is true even if you see something out of place or suspicious, eagle eyes.
• Because we live in a tiny studio, hiding things has been challenging. Not that there are any things, but... you know. Anyway, because of that you are not allowed to poke around in our house anywhere. At all. If you need a pencil, it needs to go through me. 
• You are allowed one (and only one!) phone-a-friend if a clue is too hard. That friend is me. You don't actually have to phone.
• Almost every clue leads directly to the next clue. Occasionally you may run into a dead end. Do not despair! Help is on the way.
• Actually, that's pretty much all the rules. If I think of any more I'll let you know.

Now that that's out of the way, I also wanted to wish you a happy, happy birthday. I've been thinking a lot about you and about us lately, and I wanted to know how very much I love and appreciate you and all that you do. Thanks for letting me live my professorial dreams, thanks for moving across the country with me, and thanks for all the adventures and support and love. You're the best. Life's been more fun since I met you. 

As proof, here are some nostalgic photos of us from when I was living in California: 

I love you very much, Rosco. Niech zyje zyje nam. 

Kocham cie, 

Haylie

P.S. There is one important question you need to try and answer during the Scavenger Hunt: Where is Chonchito?!? 

a downer, but with ducks

Public Service Announcement: This post is probably going to be a big ol' downer. In recognition of that fact, I've decided to include a picture of baby ducks at the end. Choosing to skip the written post to go straight to the smorgasbord of cuteness at the end is a completely valid option. 


Today was bleak. Yesterday was kind of bleak, too. Let's get some things out of the way: Ross is fine and our relationship is fine. Our jobs are both fixed firmly in the "okay" category and the finances are surprisingly good. Everything is good, actually, except one tiny huge thing: Zoo Camp began on Monday and I am not there. I realize this may sound childish. After all, we're here in DC, notably away from Zoo Camp and all the other things we love, because of me and my professorial dreams. This is the choice we made, and I get that. I do. And yet.

Here is a sad truth of my life. Up until about three years ago, I was absolutely wretched at making or keeping friends. I'm not entirely sure why this is, although I have a couple of guesses that would be self-indulgent to go into now (look who's worried about being self-indulgent all of a sudden! Don't worry... there are ducks!). The point is simply that I can literally count the number of lasting friends I had amassed before about 2008 on one hand. And then, gradually, everything started to change.

Not all of this had to do with the zoo (meeting Ross, and the wonderful people he knew, like this girl, also made a big difference). But a lot of it did. This probably sounds so corny, but I was really-truly-aw-shucks the happiest I've ever been when I was working at the zoo, especially this last year. Really. And that's because of the zoo itself, sure, and because of the work I did, but mostly it's because of Miss Amanda. And Mr. Chris. And Jessica. And Miss Anna and Miss Lauren and Miss Jo. And Kathayoon and Kendall and Krist. And everybody (and I really mean everybody) else. Because of how much I love these people, and because of the way these people made me feel like I was worth being around. Like I was capable, and important, and lovable, and ooooookay, Miss Haylie. That's enough sharing for now.

But really, Zeta Chi. Really. You were my home for four years and my life is less brightly colored (and certainly less covered in marker) without you.

Behold! The promised pick-me-up ducks. Discovered Memorial Day at the Mall. Nothing says "Get Over It!" like baby ducks. Am I right? 

happy valentine's day

Heart attack, by Creature. 

Happy Valentine's Day. 

leona and george

Happy Valentine's Day weekend (more Valentine's posts to follow: I'm a sucker for the V-Day).