Valentine's Day and other overhyped happenings

Valentine's Day is Monday, which makes this the ultimate weekend of love. Or so we've been made to believe. I'm usually not cynical about much -- I prefer to find the magical in even the mundane -- but Valentine's Day is one of those happenings that has been overhyped and underperforming for years, so it's hard to get all mushy-gushy, misty-eyed and magical about it.

Jim and I have never really made a big deal out of Valentine's Day. Mostly because it seems so forced, so obligatory ... and so packed at restaurants on the big day. We mark it in small ways, nothing huge.

But my daughters want (and deserve) the magical. They want (and deserve) the mushy-gushy. Yet they've spent plenty of Valentine's Days down in the dumps because they're single. Or down in the dumps because they're NOT single and their truly beloved isn't being as lover-ly as he was expected to be.

Bottom line is that Valentine's Day never lives up to the hype. For me or for those I love. So I wish the hype would just go away, disappear from our collective conscience and let love and other things fall where they may.

I don't mean to take only poor Cupid to task, though, for Valentine's Day is far from the only overhyped happening in my experience. Here are a few more:

Lisa's list of things that fall short of their hype

1. Rocky Horror Picture Show ... oh, and Citizen Kane

2. High-school proms and homecomings

3. Turning 30

4. For that matter, turning 16, 18, and 21

5. New Year's Eve

6. Disneyworld

7. Calgon baths

8. Champagne

9. Godiva chocolates

I think the root of the disappointment isn't the happening in itself, it's the expectations surrounding it. So I'm learning to lower my expectations. Better yet, I'm working to have no expectations at all.

My only expectation now is this: That limited expectations just might lead to unexpected mushy-gushy, misty-eyed and magical moments all year long.

If not for myself, then at least for my daughters.

Today's question:

What have you found falls miserably short of its hype?

Teachable moments

With a mom who's a teacher and a grandma who's always wanting to see how darn smart the kid is, Bubby spends a lot of time singing his ABCs, identifying the sounds of animals, discussing new words, and counting.

Sometimes he gets tired of it.

Sometimes he does it his own way -- regardless of what Mommy and Gramma want him to do.

Little stinker. Seems he used his wit, charm and burgeoning sense of humor to teach Mommy and Gramma a thing or two about laying off the teaching now and then.

(And, yes, his cough is atrocious. Strep, flu, crud all around for the always cheerful little trooper.)

Today's question:

What is the most recent thing you taught someone -- a co-worker, family member, child, friend, animal?

Courage on the grill

Sometimes the nominations for Grilled Grandmas bring tears to my eyes. Literally.

This week's Grilled Grandma, Kelli, was grilled as the result of this sweet nomination from last week's Grilled Grandma, Deanna:

Dear Lisa,
I would like to introduce you to a Grilled Grandma who I believe deserves to be a ''Grilled Grandma Of The Year!'' This great person is the mother of five wonderful children and a Grandmother of one. Last spring she was diagnosed with breast cancer weeks before her grandchild was born. The day before her grandson's birth she was operated on, then went home to recuperate. The following day she learned her daughter-in-law was in labor and somehow this great person found her way to the hospital to be present at her grands birth!!!! She went through Chemo treatments for months, losing her hair, her energy, and then radiation, but still put her family first through it all!!!! I highly recommend Kelli to be a Grilled Grandma!!!!! She is my hero, my cousin and one of my best friends...

After reading Kelli's responses and a bit of her own personal blog, I wholeheartedly agree with Deanna.

Ladies and gents, I'd like to introduce to you Grilled Grandma: Kelli.

Today's question:

Who is the most courageous person you know?

Emergency in the desert

Emergencies in the desert are far different than the ones I'm used to in the mountains. Monday morning, there were a few hours to kill before I had to return to the airport and hop a plane back to the mountains. Preston had left for work, and Megan, Bubby and I were relaxing, chit-chatting over this and that and some coffee.

Bubby had just commenced looking one more time at the "There's Going to be a Baby" book from my Grandma Bag when, all of a sudden, he let out a screech, pushed the book away, jumped up from his spot on the floor, and raced to the front door as if a fire alarm only he could hear had just gone off.

But Megan apparently heard it, too. She jumped up from her chair and followed Bubby, shouting, "We gotta hurry! Look out the window! Bubby ... here ... out the window." She pulled open the living room blinds as Bubby, far too short to see out the window, became visibly distressed.

Then Megan grabbed up Bubby -- who danced nervously, unsure of what to do and nearly pawing at the front door -- and quickly unlocked one deadbolt on the front door, then the other. She threw open the door and, with Bubby firmly in her arms, raced out onto the porch.

Where they stopped in their tracks.

And looked down the street.

"The garbage truck!" Megan shouted in glee, and Bubby heartily seconded her exclamation.

Then they both froze and patiently waited as the rumble and roar of the garbage truck became louder and louder and finally -- halleluiah! -- stopped right across the street.

The garbage man did his duty as Megan and Bubby stood transfixed.

Slowly, the banging and clanging truck scooted up to the next house. Then the next. Bubby's eyes never left the glorious garbage hauler -- the most wondrous thing in his world.

As it continued on its route, past Bubby's house, past the neighbor's, Bubby and Megan waved.

"Buh-bye, Garbage Truck!" they said as the rumbling and bumbling vehicle headed up the block and out of sight.

And me? All I could do -- after grabbing my camera to capture the emergency in action, of course -- was think Thank God. Yes, thank God such a thing didn't happen while I was the one and only adult in charge of Bubby. For I have never, ever experienced such an emergency. Not in the mountains ... especially not in a houseful of non-garbage-truck-loving little girls.

If I had been the sole adult when the seemingly silent alarm went off in Bubby's head, I surely would not have known what to do.

Hard as it is to admit, I must say that Megan and Preston returned home to relieve Gramma of her Bubby duty just in the nick of time. Clearly, a disaster averted.

Today's question:

If you were to look out your front door right this very minute, what would you see happening out there?

Show of hands

Bubby worked diligently on a flower to give Mommy upon her return home.

Today's question:

From whom did you last receive flowers?