Say Goodnight, Gracie

The month of February keeps chugging along, and in its wake lay death and mental destruction. Judging by the way this month has panned-out so far, this may be the longest lasting twenty-nine day period in recorded history. I'm starting to think that Punxsutawney, P.A may indeed be ground zero for something even more sinister and under-handed than I initially thought - unfolding in a very Machiavellian fashion.

Today is that evil of all evil days, Valentine's Day - a time we commemorate the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, among other things. As I write this post, sitting in the student union building at the university, I find myself surrounded by very perky sorority girls, decorating the building with tacky paper hearts, naked baby angels - which bring its own creepy vibe - and prepare their bake sale goods for the masses.   

On this day that signifies love, relationships, and Hallmark's spike in sales, I'm reminded of my favorite Raymond Carver story - the namesake of this simple blog - where he penned, "It ought to make us feel ashamed when we talk like we know what we're talking about when we talk about love."

Okay February, what other evil hath you wrought upon us?

The day "The Pope of Soul," Don Cornelius took his life set a dark, strange tone for the beginning of February. I would even venture to argue that his death, falling on the first of the month may have set an apocalyptic chain of events into motion. Although I never experienced the real-time effects on popular culture that Soul Train provided, its influence is evident in the broad range of music that I enjoy. 

Whitney Houston, like Cornelius, struggled with her own demons - although her melee played-out on a far more public stage - resulting in what we sadly know as the drug-induced antics of Whitney and Bobby. The day Whitney Houston got-together with Bobby Brown (and his infamous, cocaine laced marijuana) was the beginning of a very public, mental and physical deterioration for the greatest voice of her generation. Despite leaving the toxic environment that fame, addiction, and apparent self-loathing created, she was not able to recognize the truth of her reality; that failure killed her.

At one point not that long ago, I realized that the life path I had chosen was making me miserable beyond belief. I was working in a business that had lost its allure years earlier, but I felt trapped in a comport zone that I didn't know how to get out of. I began behaving in a way that created my own bubble of self-loathing and potential mental and spiritual destruction. Before I knew it, I had created a reality that can only be described as a dark wasteland - inhabited by dis-trust, backstabbing, and the crazy rantings and pontifications of senior citizens and arm chair quarterbacks.

So for now, I'm just going to attempt to get through the rest of this perilous month without falling into any more pits of distress. Of course, that will drag me into the month of March, signified in the great state of New Mexico by miserable, soul crushing winds, and my birthday - how fitting. 

As a side note, I was recently discussing my day of birth with someone who shares a birthday with Niccolo Machiavelli (which is too cool) and I told her that I don't share a day with any notable personalities - I was wrong. Upon deeper investigation - which in the 21st century boils down to a quick Google search - I discovered that I share a birthday with Charles Ponzi. Thanks for nothing, universe.

I don't know about you, dear reader, but I'm more than ready to bid goodnight, goodbye, and good-riddance to this month. February has its root in Latin and is roughly translated as purification, which I would take as a purging of all mental, physical, and spiritual negativity. Let's just leave it at that, shall we?

Valentine's Day cocktail of the week: 

Vodka Tonic

Half-fill a tall glass with ice. 

Add 2.5 ounces of Chopin Vodka.

Pour in 4 ounces of tonic water.

Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Enjoy. 

Repeat. 

This beautiful libation is absolutely best enjoyed to the lyrical poetry of Bob Dylan. 

Happy Tuesday!