Life Lately #13

Heard this joke along the lines of: “If your man takes you out before Valentine’s Day, you are probably the side chick. If he takes you out on Valentine’s Day, you are the girlfriend. If he doesn’t take you out, congratulations—you are the wife.”

Looks like it’s true, because my man did not take me out on Valentine’s Day. Instead, we stayed in our PJs for most of it, grilled steaks for dinner, and called it a celebration. 🎉

At some point, I insisted we go for a walk, even though dark clouds were clearly plotting against us. I hadn’t walked all week because of the rain, and decided Valentine's day is the day to lose some weight. Halfway through, the sky finally won. Rain poured down, and John told me to wait under a tree while he sacrificed himself and ran back to get the car. He sprinted off into the rain like a rom-com lead. If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is.

Sunday was church day, followed by breakfast at Cafe Baku—one of the busiest breakfast spots in Taupo for a reason. I’ve been there four times now, which feels like enough data to confidently declare that their food is excellent. I had the smoked salmon croissant, while John had the breakfast bagel.

We also stopped by Mitre 10, where John bought me herbs for my planter box and marigolds that were on sale. I know absolutely nothing about gardening, but Google informed me that marigolds are companion plants that repel pests from herbs—which basically makes them the bouncers of the plant world.

To end the week, we went for a long walk around the neighborhood—11,057 steps according to my phone’s fitness app. We passed large, beautiful houses and did what everyone does: slowed down slightly to stare and wonder what their lives look like inside. Are they happier? Less stressed? Do they also argue about what to eat for dinner? Probably. Just with nicer kitchens.

So that was our Valentine’s weekend. How was yours? Were you wined and dined, or have you also unlocked “married” status and stayed home?

No Rhyme, Just Reason is a Taupō, New Zealand–based blog by Ariane about books, good food, long walks, and unapologetic naps.