Love is in the air

Workout: Upper body with 5-pound weights and 2.25-mile walk with Denali

Happy Valentine’s Day! Denali wanted to give you something special so he gave this balloon lots of kisses … for you. He’s so sweet like that.

Or, if you aren’t into slobber, you come to my house and snag one of Mark’s Valentine’s Day treats.

Chocolate-covered strawberry cake balls. I promise they taste a bajillion times better than this photo. Yellow kitchen lighting and my lack of skills never bode well for food shots.

Anyway, always one to fall in love with Jessica’s recipes, I was struck by the Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cake Ball – or truffle as you call them … or pop if you put a stick in it. Whatever. Mark is a huge fan of cake balls, especially my cookies and cream version, so I thought it would be a lovely treat for the celebration of love.

He agreed. At least on Saturday, when I gave them to him (along with his $10.99 container of Joseph Decuis clam chowder).

Tonight, they failed to seduce him so I'll give them to you if you'll be my valentine.

Yep, that’s him eating ice cream out of the container. So much for my romantic cake balls.

Do you bake treats for your significant other as a gift? Did your evening top the excitement of the Healthy Strides’ Cheeseburger Meatloaf (made with ground sirloin, 2 percent cheese and egg substitute) and “The American'” (I am so bored I could cry)?

Time goes by

Workout: 3-mile run

5:30 a.m.: Hear Denali stir. Decide to get up, take my big girl vitamin (aka prenatal) and get Denali outside and fed.

5:40 a.m.: Go back to bed

6:15 a.m.: Decide that I have far too much mucus many thoughts in my head and that additional sleep will not happen.

6:16 a.m.: Realize that I am also ravenous and I might as well get out of bed.

6:20 a.m.: Eat oatmeal and banana and read blogs

6:45 a.m.: Wake up Mark with my hacking, causing him to get out of bed and ask if I'm alive. Yes, I am. He goes back to bed for a "few" minutes. In Mark language, a few minutes is like 45 minutes. Minimum.

This morning, it was about 45 minutes, giving me ample time to blow my nose 3,247 times and let breakfast No. 1 digest a bit.

7:45 ish: Head out for a run, capped at 2.5 miles by Mark. Enjoyed "mild" weather (34 degrees), running on some pavement and not having to keep hold of Denali. My leash-holding responsibilities have been limited after Friday's fall. D'oh!

8-ish: Realize that the weekend's warmer temps "softened" the snow, giving it more resistance and making the normally-clear park a snow beach. Not so much fun to run on.

8:15-ish: Ditch Mark and do a loop on one of the side streets so I can make the run 3 miles. Felt good and thought about making it longer but feared that Mark would worry something happened and went home.

9:17 a.m.: Blog and feel the sea monkey kick (yay for week 18 - movement!). Decide he/she likes coffee.

9:18 a.m.: Wonder if I can wear my sweats to Target.

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend thus far! Stay tuned for something sweet :)