Pink to green

Valentine's Day really isn't that exciting. After an ordinary day at work (having fun while doing research), I made a cherry cobbler, but I modified the recipe by adding cocoa, buttermilk powder, and red food coloring to make the topping red velvet–flavored.

We also had our traditional pizza in remembrance of the worst Valentine's Day ever, when my dad fainted at work and my mom broke her leg while carrying pizza downstairs.

I had to go to swimming lessons that evening, but it's not like I had anything better to do. The pool was emptier than usual. I had ordered some swim jammers with hearts on them, because I knew I would have lessons on Valentine's Day, but unfortunately they did not arrive on time.

On the way home, I decided to buy pink roses for my mom, since pink is her favorite color, and I don't have a boyfriend to buy flowers for.

Then February 15, I move on to St. Patrick's Day. You might think that's too early, but would you think a month ahead is too early for Halloween or Christmas? I didn't think so. St. Patrick's Day is a dumb holiday, and yet I really like it. I love eating anything green, cooking Irish stew and corned beef and cabbage, and listening to Irish-adjacent music.

Plus, St. Patrick's Day is about celebrating a previously marginalized community, and I am part of a marginalized community. One of the songs in my St. Patrick's Day playlist, "Galway Bay," includes the lyric, "They scorned us just for being what we are," which hits home. We see a lot of rainbow decorations, which have new meaning for me now. And they used to wear green carnations on St. Patrick's Day, which have also been a queer symbol. I might have to seek out a green carnation this year.

I also saw some interesting celestial things this week: there was this sunset on February 13,

and then I saw a rainbow-esque glow in the sky on Friday. 

I also had a couple of job interviews this week, but we'll see what happens with them. I told my coworker I hope I get one of them but not both of them so I don't have to choose.