Today, I woke up and for the first time since the beginning of February, I felt better about everything. My apartment is still a walking disaster, and smells mildly weird, but I felt great. And? It feels like winter today. It’s frigid and I saw a couple flakes of snow. And… I love LOVE the kind of cold weather that takes your breath away and makes your eyes tear. It hurts and it’s amazing.

Anyway, as I was sitting reading for class I thought…. Good riddance February. I’m glad we’re moving on. I was totally and utterly ill at the beginning of February, and just as my fever and cough started to get better, my poor puppy went and got some stomach problems. After a week of vile and bloody stool, she is finally feeling better. She’s playing and even cuter than normal because she finally feels better. I felt awful for her while she sat around listlessly feeling miserable, so I’m even happier that she’s so playful. The medication and the food she has to eat is pretty gross, but anything to see her grab a dryer sheet and maul it like it’s alive… Does anyone else’s dog do this? Boo will go crazy for a dryer sheet… used or new, it doesn’t matter. She loves them.

What did I learn in February?

1. To appreciate every single thing I have. Boo has been healthy and issue free since I got her 4 years ago, and this was the first time she was sick. So for that, I am thankful. I am thankful she is a healthy little trouble maker.
2. To take myself seriously. I try not to stress about anything – because life is good. But I think I need to take myself just a bit more seriously.
3. Family is the best.
4. The friends that can listen to you freak out about your dog and watch you bite your nails, and put up with your hysterics about your dog? Those are the ones to keep. My best friend Kara? She was absolute gold this last week when I was losing my mind over my sick puppy.
5. Goat butter is absolutely revolting. Maybe it was the kind I bought, but I was curious and instantly not curious anymore after tasting it. It’s gamey and tastes mildly of furry beast. And it’s an unnerving white. It’s more like lard texture. And… I just don’t like it.
6. Homemade mac and cheese has nothing on Velveeta. Sorry, for all you folks that go through the trouble of making it from scratch… but that shit is disgusting. I reviewed over 100 recipes before settling on one that everyone said is the best. I bought exactly the right cheese and following the instructions to a T. The result? It smelled like Play-Doh and tasted doughy and awful. It was a waste of 2 pounds of expensive cheese and time. Never again. NEVER.
7. Coconut oil, the virgin kind, is possibly the best thing ever. It makes fried onions taste delicious and adds just that perfect exoticness to boring sautéed vegetables that are otherwise boring. I dab it on my feet before I go to sleep, and those cracked heels are suddenly just a bit smoother. So, it’s excellent.
8. Middle of the night crazy… the kind where I wake up at 3:00am and get my work done? Those are the best nights. And, I have decided to go with my internal clock… the one that tells me to wake up and get stuff done, even if it is crazy.
9.  I absolutely abhor re-heated meat. I dislike anything frozen too. It just loses the flavor and I end of picking at it with a disgusted look on my face.
10. I love burgers and cheese. Just. LOVE them.

So. Cheers to March, a new month and a clean slate. This is going to be the best month yet, followed by even better months.