For those keeping score, K has gotten eight gifts so far. Even though I’ve already acquired most of the remaining IMOK gifts, the scope of the task is starting to become clear.

But I was thinking yesterday on my way to get gifts number ten and sixteen that K, through no fault or direct purpose, gives me at least one gift idea every day. If I wrote them all down in the wallet-sized spiral pad I’ve taken to carrying in my back pocket, I would be able to start the International Lifetime Celebration of K as early as next year, which would then start a chain reaction that would allow me to constantly get her presents. I would have to hire an assistant and an executive vice-president in charge of wrapping to handle the workload.

But that would be ridiculous. What would I do for Christmas and her birthday and May two-four? How would I reconcile the difference between an occasion and a regular day? Not get her a gift? Yeah, let’s see how that flies! No, the only logical choice here is to keep the month as is for the time being, which is pretty great as far as I’m concerned. I think K is of the same opinion.

D.

Posted by D. at Wednesday, February 08, 2006 | Permalink | Comments

Well, day two of IMOK went off without a hitch. Yesterday’s gift was a replacement for the recently broken French coffee press that has become integral to the morning routine in our apartment.

Coffee is a weird thing. I am not, nor do I ever plan to be, one of those “low fat, soy, double stuffed, whipped half-and-half, non-partisan latte, please” people. Before the French press, I was a “large double-double” person, maybe the odd cappuccino from Starbuck’s, but largely a meat-and-potato coffee drinker. I have had lots of warning of the ill effects of coffee – mostly from my former and presently estranged roommate, The White Lightning, who would drink three EXTRA LARGE TRIPLE TRIPLES a day. If he missed one scheduled coffee time, he would become a nervous wreck. It was funny to watch, and even funnier on the days when he would pull an all-nighter to finish an assignment, and would run out of his room at 8:00am, on no sleep and 10 cups of coffee and attempt to make it class before his body gave up on him.

K, on the other hand, is a relative coffee neophyte. I think she only really started drinking it when she began working for the feds here in Ottawa, which makes perfect sense. Somehow, she managed to survive five years of school, all in dorm rooms, often hung-over, without becoming reliant on coffee. An amazing feat for any student.

I have dealt with my own coffee addictions, and have decided that moderation is the key (as with anything, good or bad). The benefits of coffee (great taste, warmth, alertness, some medical mumbo-jumbo – probably) are too good to pass up. So join K and I in our morning coffee ritual or create your own. Just keep it to fewer than 3 extra large cups a day, and you’ll be fine.

D.

Posted by D. at Friday, February 03, 2006 | Permalink | Comments

Well, the first day of the International Month of K (IMOK) went off without a hitch, which is to say that I didn't screw anything up. Unfortunately, K's immune system had other ideas. Dancing and bronchitis don't mix, so the first day's present (dancing lessons) has been rescheduled.

Luckily for me, however, my month long plan is very flexible (for the most part! Get better soon, K!) so adaptation was easy. Instead, we went to the Elgin Street Diner for comfort food. The Elgin Street Diner, for those of you who are not from Ottawa, or are hermits, is the best diner is the city. Better than Zack's (too '50s!!), better than Nickels (too Céline!), and so on.

The great thing about K is how gracious she is. I will be the first to admit that I've had my share of missteps in this relationship. Allow me to give you an example:

Our birthdays are one day apart, K being a few hours older (and many years wiser) than myself. The first year that we actually were in the same country to celebrate our birthdays, K said "Let's forget it, we're both students and poor and our presents would just cancel each other out" to which I replied "okay". Of course, the day that we celebrated our days comes, and K gives me a present. I had nothing, as per our previous agreement.
I learned a couple of valuable lessons that day:

1. Always do the opposite of what a girl says.

2. Always give a present, especially if you are in doubt!

I am trying to apply both of those lessons this month. In an ideal world, I would have a closet full of presents ready to give to K every day, but alas, even I can’t think of that many gifts.

So day two is ahead, as well as lots of chicken soup, tea, and Vicks Vapo-rub. It's going to be a great month.

D.

Posted by D. at Thursday, February 02, 2006 | Permalink | Comments

I officially decree this month to be the International Month of K. This doesn’t mean too much to the average person, but to me, it means a great deal. K and I have been together for six years this Sunday, and each of those years has been filled with a different set of emotions, but always joy and love.

Anyway, six years ago, in my youthful desire to “stick it to the man”, I declared February 10th as the International Day of K, which K thought was cute. I bought her a pair of socks from The Gap that year. Little did I realise that is it impossible to replace Valentine’s Day with some random holiday of my invention, no matter how thoughtful it was because of the trap. The Valentine’s trap goes like this:

Girl: Where’s my Valentine’s Day present?

Guy: What do you mean? I got you something for the International Day of XXX just four days ago. I invented a day just for you.

Girl: So what, I’m not your sweetheart?

Guy: Of course, but Valentine’s is a corporate sham meant to sell roses and cheep boxes of chocolate.

Girl: So what, I’m not worth roses?

…and so on into the vortex of female logic that somehow escapes us guys.

As you can see, it is important to take every chance you get to let your girl know how much you appreciate her putting up with your bodily noises, bad habits, and body odour, and K does a lot of putting up with me. In that spirit, this entire month will be dedicated to her. I will be giving her a present every day (thankfully, it is February!). This blog will also be a hub for updates about the past day’s presents and a forum for me to tell sappy or poignant stories about K and I and our wonderful history.

So stay tuned!

And K, get ready.

Posted by D. at Wednesday, February 01, 2006 | Permalink | Comments