Happy (Snowy) Valentine's Day!!

Image courtesy of Vintage Valentine Museum

I'd like to extend my warmest Valentine greetings to all my blogging (and other) friends who stop by here at Urban Oasis ... over the last few years, and despite the distances and lack of truly personal contact, I've become quite fond of many of you folks, so here's my feeble Valentine tribute to you! Though this is a holiday that we once considered much more important and fun (when we were kids and actually got to have parties in grade school!), I have to admit that over the years it has lost a lot of its impact and appeal --a pity, I feel-- but both of us still try to surprise each other with some sort of small gift, and of course some chocolate! Sometimes we will go out for a meal ... or just stay in and watch a movie ... or just do nothing at all! Lordy, do I feel like we are such an old married couple sometimes!

Anyway, no matter what you have planned (or not!) for the day, I hope it is a pleasant and enjoyable one for you! My gift to myself is my steadfast vow NOT TO WORK this weekend, as I have had to do so much in the past few months ... after putting in over 65 hours this week and cranking out yet another tight deadline report, I'm gifting myself with some rest and time away from work. So even if we don't have solid plans other than to run some errands at Target and a few other stores, we just want to take it easy and stay warm this snowy weekend.... Besides, Hanna is still new to the house and we have to make sure we set aside play time and walkies time for her!

Actually if we get the time, I'd like to get out to see Slumdog Millionaire before it wins every other conceivable award on earth ... I've read nothing but good reviews and heard positive comments from people, so I'm really curious about this film. Besides, I haven't seen anything else nominated for an Academy Award (not even the new Woody Allen film with Penelope Cruz and Javier 'hubba hubba' Bardem, shame on me!), but what else is new? I think the last time I actually "had a dog in the contest" was in 2005 when Brokeback Mountain was robbed by that lacrymose and overrated piece of crapola, Crash. Yeah, I'm still bitter about that, and if the Academy had had their brains in gear, they would have given Heath Ledger the award he deserved for that film, rather than doing the usual and waiting for someone to die before giving the posthumous award. (Anyone remember Peter Finch finally getting his Oscar back in 1976 for Network after he died???) Ok, better get out of film rant territory ... but one parting shot: of course my favorite film released in 2008 (though completed in 2006), The Fall didn't even get a mention, but then again I expected that.... I'm used to being in the dark about most commercial films ... you know, the kind that get recognized and make money ... so just let me simmer in my Luddite Filmic juices ... and though we still haven't seen Batman The Dark Knight, sometime we will, because I do have to admit we both loved Batman Begins. Just not a high priority around here, and if I have my way tonight we'll finally be watching No Country For Old Men, which I got for Christmas but still haven't seen ... yep, I'm that behind the times that the Cohen brothers have already made another film that I'd like to see, but until now have missed the previous one.

Just in case anyone might be wondering what a good selection for Valentine's Day would be, I'll recommend the one I used to watch every year (back when I was single), and one I might still pull out tonight just for fun, because it always makes me laugh and cry: the 1977 Best Picture, Director, Actress and Screenplay winner ... none other than Woody Allen's Annie Hall. If by chance (shame on you!) you've never seen it before, now's the time ... and if you've seen it before, it's time to revisit it one more time just for fun ... I mean, who can resist laughing when Woody suggests putting out "a small dish of drawn butter" to try to lure an escaped lobster back into the pot? Sheer brilliance. But then, what do I know? I'm one of those pointy headed elitist liberals who voted for Obama!

Ok, I've ranted and raved enough about films... Please permit me one last whine about the snow storm we got on Friday ... though it was slow to actually move in in the morning, once it got going, it kept up at a pretty steady pace (about 1 inch/hour) until about 8:00 p.m. ... Fernymoss and Hanna (who actually ventured out twice last night) estimate that here at Casa IVG we got about 8 inches before it was all over. Luckily for us, our neighbor two doors down who has the snow blower graciously did our walks and driveway, so we're going to owe him BIG time ... we'll be inquiring this weekend what his favorite beer is, then getting him some, because this is not the first time he's done us such a favor this winter! So we lucked out ....

Anyway, I wish this video I took today was viewable at larger resolution, because it really does show how hard and fast the snow was coming down at around 4:30 p.m. ... but at least this should give you an impression of what it was like. Just remember that the angle from which I took this (on the front steps facing north across the boulder bed) was until just yesterday, mostly clear of snow from our recent meltdown. Not anymore! Everything is once again buried ... so here we go paying our penance for that evil groundhog's prediction back on Februrary 2.

Thanks a lot, you jerk of a marmot. I was looking forward to snowdrop s and crocus, until you had to go and muck it all up! I hope someone throws a toaster into the bathtub next time you decide to take a bath! And that you go out tortured by Sonny and Cher.....