it is February...

so that means that this is likely a wonderful time to discuss love, yes? i have decided that i need to take the time to evaluate all of the things in my life that i love. i have been feeling particularly cynical over the last few months, so in an effort to make my blog (and hopefully my attitude) more upbeat, i have decided to make February the month of bloggly love. if you are uncomfortable with bda (blogging displays of affection), you are welcome to pretend that a friend of mine that none of you know tagged me to do this on their blog--that seems to be the easiest excuse for writing an entirely narcisstic post (i just happen to be a narcissist...). i promise i won't post an annoyingly affectionate confession every day, but these postings over the next few weeks may get sappy, and that tagging excuse might make things less embarrassing.

I have also decided to punctuate like a big girl on my blog this month, so don't be surprised to see a few capitalized letters hanging out.

Love of my Life the First: Diet Soda

I never thought the day would come that I would have such tender feelings for artificially sweetened drinks. I suppose you could say that Diet Soda and I are the typical example of the odd couple. Girl loves sugar and carbohydrates. Girl is nauseated by smell of Diet Soda. Yet, three years ago when my pancreas decided it was time to leave me alone to figure out how to convert sugar from an annoyance hanging out in my blood stream to a usable energy source without its help, I had very few friends that knew how to get me through the troubled time.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the help my human friends attempted to lend. Some told me I wasn't worth the emotional investment if I was just going to get sick and die (not that I'm bitter about that comment). Others asked me to try on shirt after shirt for the sick pleasure they got out of realizing that my chest area had essentially disappeared due to drastic weight loss (you know who you are, Libby).

Overall, human friends were mutually supportive, but could do little to satisfy my need for sweetness, consistency, and caffeine in my daily life. Luckily, Diet Soda was there with no carbs, no sugars, no reservations. It's seen me through thick and thin. In my eyes, no meal is truly complete without a delicious Cherry Diet Coke (or Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi) to fulfill my innermost needs.

Sure, the aspertame may or may not be carcinogenic, but I feel that Diet Soda's loyalty has proved that its worth far beyond its possible cancer-inducing abilities. It is this unwavering affection that has made it one of the loves of my life.

*My apologies to Jesse for replacing his face with a can of diet soda in the picture. This is only an outward illustration for an inward feeling. I still love you deeply, husband. More on that to come later...