My Valentine's Day Goat

Well, this week was semi-successful in getting started.
-I cooked 2 new dinners, so that's a good start for my #33.
-#27 and #54 I started on and have been able to stick with so far. It makes #27 much easier simply by not going anywhere like the mall where there are things to buy. Although, I may have 1 obstacle: my car. I got my sweet Alero for my 21st birthday. She was only a year old and had been totaled by the previous owner, and my dad had a friend who fixed her up and we got her for $6,000- mom and dad helped me and paid half. Well, she's not feeling quite as perky these days, and she quit on me 4 times while I was driving the other day. It's a miracle that we didn't get in a wreck since 2 of the times it happened right in the middle of driving and I had to come to a complete stop, put it in park, and start her back up (the other 2 times were at stop lights at least). So I'm either going to have to pay for new parts to get her fixed, or, as Nick is encouraging me to do- get a new car :/ But I guess this will still be okay since technically it would fall under "things I need". I'd just rather keep the Alero for a little longer and have no idea what kind of car I'd like to have.
-#48- Ashley and I went out to the Little Victories land to walk and play with some of the sweet dogs this weekend. I wanted to go back again and spend more time out there helping around the land, but it's so freakin' cold that I couldn't bring myself to do it.
-#55- I wrote Oswaldo a letter, but haven't sent it or his care package yet. And as most people close to me know, the mailing part is sadly sometimes the hardest part for me. I'm not really sure why it's such an issue for me to actually send mail. I love picking out cards and writing them or writing letters to people, and will even put the stamp on. But somewhere along the way to actually mailing it, something goes terribly wrong. And I'll find the piece of mail 8 months later in my house or car. I realize it's not serving its purpose and not doing anyone any good there, but it just happens. It's like I'm postally-challenged or something.
#3- Things went well with my student at our first meeting. And I'll meet with him every Monday at the library.
#14- I'm LOVING the Twilight book. I'm only about 150 pages in, and despite my resistance, I really am enjoying the book. Only problem is that I'm reading too much all at once: "Chasing Harry Winston", "The Reason for God", "Girl with the Pearl Earring", "Confessions of a Shopaholic", "Jesus Wants to Save Christians", and finally "Twilight". Wow. Have I mentioned I have issues over-committing??? I hope to finish 2 of the books in the next few days at least!

I guess that's about all I've done this week for my list. This weekend Nick and I are celebrating our Valentine's Day :) Nick's bff Billy has come to visit us the past 3 weekends (including Valentine's Day), so we've postponed our "celebration" until this week. Billy's in Columbus for a little bit while interviewing for new jobs, so he comes to Huntington on the weekends to play in the basketball games and hang out. It's been great since Nick and Bill usually live so far away, and life is definitely always entertaining with Billy around :) So anyway, we're just going away for Saturday to go to a nice restaurant and stay in a hotel about 2 hours away. He already gave me my Valentine's gift, and it's one of my favorite ever- a goat :) Not that we have a goat living in our apartment now- but he bought me a goat through World Vision. I just told him I didn't want him to spend a bunch of money on flowers or candy or the usual gifts, when it could go to something more lasting. Don't get me wrong- it's not that I don't like flowers or romantic gifts (I made sure Nick understood this point too lol) But I was just really convincted at the time that that money could go to something bigger instead of for me to look at some pretty flowers for a few days and then have them die soon after. I've never been a big fan of the media's version of Valentine's Day and love. Not to sound hateful or like an angry feminist. I just think it's such a predictable, cheapened, watered-down version of what love really looks like. And it means so much to think that Nick's gift went to changing a family's life and giving them hope. I'm sure that in the near future I'll get the itch and want some tulips or peonies, but for now I'm so thankful for a husband who thinks outside of the box for gifts :)