Sixfoot6.com - Putting Stuff Away.

For years I had a February 1st tradition here where I'd link to a post I wrote during my first winter away from the northeast about How to Survive February. It's seven points of advice gleaned from years of Februarys spent in Boston and Cape Cod, icy and alone. I still find it funny, but now reading it just makes me miss home a little.

Here in Los Angeles, February is a completely different experience. It might be now my favorite month of the year, for a few reasons. It rains during February. A lot. The rain clears away the smog, washes the dusty streets, turns the mountains green. The air stays cool, the sky stays blue, and actual fluffy clouds float by. That shit never happens in L.A..

The center of February brings Valentine's Day, which in my high school and college daze was always a quiet reminder that I felt alone (and somehow powerless) while the surrounding world broke off into smiling couples, picking sides for the great kickball game of life, or whatever. And I'd go about my business.

This past month marks the first time that I was able to spend VDay with a girlfriend, and we made a weekend of it. We had a delicious dinner in Beverly hills, breakfast in Los Feliz, the carousel in Griffith park, We played croquet in West Hollywood, spent a beautiful day exploring Santa Barbara with a golden retriever, and had a nice dinner with her parents. It all made me happy.

It's funny that in southern California Valentine's Day falls right at the onset of spring, where it should be, as things begin to warm up. The sun felt a bit too hot during our round of mini-golf this morning, as we slide into the middle of March. But I still love the sun, I love the rain, I love February, and I love Jennifer.