Seven Quick Takes Friday

The Valentines Edition

1. I met my sweetie at Nolocon, the World Science Fiction Convention in New Orleans. It was the first science fiction convention I had ever been to; he had been going to them prenatally. I didn't believe in love at first sight at the time. Um. Wow! Powerful stuff! Like getting hit by lightning, only nicer.

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2. I love being married to someone who, after a very rough night with the kids, wakes exhausted and then makes goofy Haiku about it. My personal favorite from this morning:

As I lay dying,
What carries me off? A Sasquatch.
I smile thinly.

It might help to know that, on rough mornings, we like to have a heavily smoked tea called Lapsang Souchong which we, for incomprehensible reasons, call Sasquatch Feet. Or it might not help.

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3. Two dozen balloons is a whole lot of love. That's Leena peeking through!
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4: Have you noticed that affixing "of Love" or "of Doom" to things nearly always improves the experience?

Example 1: Come fold laundry! (cricket noises) vs. Come slay the Laundry Monster...of Doom! (hearty chorus of battle cries).

Example 2: Let's have Pink Burping Cows. (What?) vs. Let's have Pink Burping Cows... of Love! (Awwwww!)

Calling things "secret" works well also.

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5. Just for you, for Valentines Day: the secret recipe for Pink Burping Cows... of Love.
Out of curiosity, are you thinking, "Who cares what's in it, I must try it?" or have you skipped to the next number?
Actually, it's an ice cream float containing pink things:

Strawberry soda
Stawberry ice cream
Marshmallows
Strawberry syrup
Heart sprinkles if you have them

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6. My favorite part of Valentines day? Watching the Zoomlians make valentines for each other (in secret, each using their own theme). Second place would be watching The Emperor and the Zoomlians do the treasure hunt.

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7. Someone said that to have a child is to forever walk around with your heart outside your body. I think that's true, but I initially only saw that as a negative: you are much more vulnerable. That's true, but you are also much more open to delight. Ben Franklin said it best, "He that raises a large family does, indeed, while he lives to observe them, stand a broader mark for sorrow; but then he stands a broader mark for pleasure too. "