It's Friday, Valentine's Day. Whoop de do. This day has very little meaning to me this year ( so far ) and I have settled very comfortably into my official position as Valentine Grinch. All of you candy buying love gushers beware. This fallen cupid's arrow is loaded. Keep your distance. Due to the never ending hassles of all computers within a 3 mile radius, I am late getting my cards out....and I'm sicker than 9 modingers. No, I don't know what a modinger is. It's a cute little quip used by an old friend of mine that I thought was rather amusing......and no, she doesn't know what a modinger is either. This is not any ordinary cold or flu. It's one of those Tylenol Sinus, Echinacea, Goldenseal, Flaxseed popping with a Nyquil, Theraflu chaser bugs. Yes, the grinch's head grew five sizes that day. After spending five minutes at the Walmart photo counter I come to the conclusion that every Walmart employee should be paid double today. After all, they are dealing with the most dangerous of all shopping crowds. Today they face, unarmed, a clientele mish mosh of last minute shoppers looking for whatever heart shaped ting tinglers and bong bonglers that lurk upon the shelf, dusty, alone doomed to be marked down for quick sale tomorrow, a streaming hoard of panicked media mongers scarfing the last roll of duct tape in order to lull themselves into the false sense of security one receives from covering their house in plastic....(biological terrorist attacks you know...one can't be too careful). AND, if that's not enough, we are expecting a snow storm comparable to the blizzard of 96, so you can bet that the milk and toilet paper department was filled with every living being, car driving age and up, stocking up as if they were squirrels gathering nuts. And where is the one place you can fill every one of these needs? WalMart. I wouldn't have been a WalMart employee on friday to save my soul from the devil himself. I am taking great comfort in the fact that in the photo department I am safe from any imminent danger these crazed shoppers may pose. I am safe here, harassing my good buddy in the photo department who goes above and beyond the call of duty helping me accomplish my task of preparing my Valentine Day cards. Two trips to Walmart (with a pit stop in the drug section), I am done with very little improvement on my Valentine mood. I drag home determined that I am not setting one foot outside my door until I am feeling human (mentally and physically) again. Then what to my wondering eyes appear? A mailbox full of Valentine greetings. Cute little stickers from Gillian, a heart magnet from Linda & the kids, a toy, chocolates and a scrapbook from Sara. Then as I sat nursing myself back to health, a tiny head appeared over the edge of the coffee table attempting once again to steal some chocolates. Seeing that they were heavily guarded this time, her eyes shifted to the toy Sara sent. "Yes baby doll, that's something you CAN have." That said, two little paws reached up, grabbed the prize with both hands tossing the toy into her mouth for safe keeping and bolted head over furry butt to a hidey hole. This day isn't always about lovers and candy. Thanks to the card exchange and my lovey fuzz butts, Valentine's Day came after all and the grinch's heart grew to match the size of her mucous filled head. Hope everyone had a Valentine's day as wonderful as I did. Fuzzy Hugs from Kim and da kids at Somethin Up My Sleeve Rescue Ask me how you can virtually eliminate the need for veterinary dental visits. [Posted in FML issue 4061]