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FEBRUARY 2025
Valentine’s Day Pressure? TRY EMBRACING THE SIMPLE, EVERYDAY MOMENTS
On Feb. 14, couples nationwide will do their best to enjoy a romantic night on the town as they celebrate Valentine’s Day. This is one of the most highly anticipated holidays of the year. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in a relationship for 50 years or 50 days; expectations are always high, and people try to go all out for their significant others. Gifts like jewelry, stuffed animals, chocolates, and flowers fly off the shelves, and you’d be incredibly lucky to obtain a last-second dinner reservation on the big night. However, keeping our expectations in check can help make the holiday even more special. I’ve never really been a big fan of Valentine’s Day. I always felt disappointed that the experience never lived up to the hype. One of my best Valentine’s Days actually should have been the worst. I was in the midst of a divorce, and a friend I made in a divorce group invited me to dinner with a mixed group of individuals. I thought it would be so depressing and had really low expectations, but it ended up being a great night. The food was good, and the company was enjoyable. I couldn’t have really asked for much more from that Valentine’s Day! Now that Dave and I have been married for 12 years, Valentine’s Day rarely gets the attention it once had. When we first started dating, we decided to avoid the crowds on Feb. 14 and instead celebrated Valentine’s Day on Feb. 19, the day we met. It was easier to get a reservation at whatever restaurant we wanted, and we could select cards, flowers, and gifts people hadn’t already picked through. Meals on that date were more enjoyable because it didn’t feel like the restaurant was trying to push us out to make room for another couple. As the years have passed, we’ve actually forgotten to celebrate Valentine’s Day or get cards for each other, but that helped us come to a major realization. These grand gestures we make during holidays once or twice a year mean so much less and feel less substantial than continually doing things that make your significant other happy. Our love shines during the little actions that we make.
Dave and me after hiking up (and then back down) 740 steps!
comfortable. And I try to show my love by setting up his coffee the night before and joining him on walks, even when I’d rather stay indoors. The joy I see on his face whenever I say I’ll walk with him is better than any response he could give after receiving a card on Valentine’s Day. When we went on vacation recently, we climbed 740 steps at El Peñón de Guatapé because Dave wanted to, and the next day, he joined me for a massage because that’s what I wanted. That’s how you show your appreciation for someone who matters to you. When you get in the habit of expressing that you know and love another person, you’ll notice improvements in your relationship and grow closer. Don’t buy into the Hollywood hype that Valentine’s Day has to be a grand gesture to prove you love someone. If you can make that same effort in March, there’s a good chance it will mean more to your significant other.
For me, it’s when Dave fills up my gas tank in the middle of winter. I’ll still pay for it, but he’s the one willing to stand out in the cold so I can remain
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The Bizarre History of the Bursting Teeth DENTAL DETONATIONS FROM THE PAST
People love unsolved mysteries, as shown by the steady stream of new podcasts and TV shows about cold cases. Now, to the annals of mysteries like “Who invented Bitcoin?” or “What really happened to Amelia Earhart?” add this riddle for the ages:
woman reported that one of her canine teeth spontaneously split open “a sudden sharp report,” again leading to instant relief, the article said.
Correspondence published in the British Dental Journal told of similar cases, including one recorded in 1871 by a different American dentist. He reported
What caused the mystery of the exploding teeth?
treating a woman whose molar “bursted [sic] with a concussion and report that well-nigh knocked her over” with a sound loud enough to deafen her for a few days, the correspondence said. The cause of these dental detonations isn’t clear. The Pennsylvania dentist who reported the three initial cases suspected that a buildup of gas within the teeth may have triggered the eruptions, but modern experts say that notion arises from a misunderstanding of what causes tooth decay at that time. Some suggest that a mixture of metals in dental fillings may have caused a buildup of pressure, but there is little evidence to support that hunch. Or, the patients may simply have been exaggerating their symptoms.
About a half dozen times during the 19th century, people were beset by agonizing dental pain followed by an explosion of a tooth, according to scientific journal articles reported by the BBC. In the first case, a clergyman in 1817 reported an ache in a canine tooth so intense as to drive him wild, according to a Pennsylvania dentist’s journal article. The reverend ran around trying to escape the pain, drilling his head into the ground and immersing it in a cold spring, to no avail. “All at once, a sharp crack, like a pistol shot, burst his tooth to fragments, giving him instant relief,” the article said. In another case, a woman a few miles away suffered severe pain in a tooth that ended “by bursting with report, giving immediate relief,” the dentist wrote. In a third case, in 1855, a
But without other explanations, the mystery of the exploding teeth remains unsolved.
UNIQUE VALENTINE’S DAY IDEAS AROUND LOUISVILLE No Reservation? No Problem!
Romance is in the air, and you likely want to take your sweetheart somewhere special to celebrate the most romantic day of the year. If you don’t already have a reservation somewhere, you may think you’re out of luck and need to stay in for the holiday, but that’s not the case! Many great spots around Louisville are great for celebrating Valentine’s Day and shouldn’t require a reservation or appointment. Here are a few ideas to help make your Valentine’s even more special. Dinner and Drinks While a date night at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, Malone’s, or the Capital Grille sounds like a great idea, you won’t have much luck securing a table without a reservation. Thankfully, you can find plenty of other great restaurants around Louisville. This might be the perfect opportunity to try something new. RJ India, The Charcoal Restaurant, and Fiesta Time Amigos are some of our favorite options that shouldn’t be too busy on Valentine’s
Day. If you’re looking for something a little more low key and intimate, you should consider checking out Black Rabbit Speakeasy. Get Active Maybe you want to add more movement to your Valentine’s date — we have a couple of great suggestions that might interest you. You could visit Iceland Sports Complex or Alpine Ice Arena if you want to go ice skating with your date. If you want to avoid the ice and prefer roller skates, check out Champ’s Rollerdrome. Champ’s usually has a special event going on for Valentine’s Day. If you and your partner are golfers and have been missing the fairway since winter set in, head to TopGolf for a unique and fun golfing experience. Something You’ll Both Enjoy Louisville has all kinds of activities around town to make you and your date smile. You could visit the zoo if you don’t mind the cold weather. You could
head to Puttshack or Malibu Jack’s for some mini golf and arcade games. You could even pick up a favorite meal and enjoy a relaxing night at home. As long as you’re doing something you enjoy with one of your favorite people, you will never go wrong this Valentine’s Day!
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Have a Laugh!
Thanks to Valentine’s Day, everyone usually associates February with the concept of love. Many Americans will buy flowers and enjoy a date with their significant other to mark the occasion, but we should also try to spread love throughout the community. One of the best ways to do this is through acts of kindness. Each day presents opportunities for us to perform acts of kindness for others. We could hold doors open for them, share a compliment, or simply be good listeners when someone speaks to us. Those who want to go above and beyond can pay it forward in the coffee shop or at a drive-thru line. These small actions can have tremendous impacts on someone else’s mood and overall well-being, and they usually require nothing more than a minimal amount of effort. When I first started out as a professional, I joined a women’s executive business group. At the time, I was newly single and just starting my business. I had also lost weight, and much of my wardrobe no longer fit properly. One of the women noticed this and invited me to look over her closet to see if there was anything I wanted since she was in the process of downsizing. This lady had some extremely nice clothing! I came over one day and picked out so many pieces of clothing that allowed me to look more professional at a time in my life when I didn’t necessarily feel that way. It was an amazing gift and an incredible act of kindness. A dozen years later, I lost more weight and needed another wardrobe change. I still liked my clothing, though, so I wasn’t eager to throw it out or donate it. I decided to do what was done for me and found a friend who could use the clothes. I invited her over, and she loved the clothes. It was a simple gesture, but it brightened her day. That’s the power of kindness. When you spread kindness without expecting anything in return, you’ll notice the difference it can make in the lives and moods of everyone involved. Kindness is contagious. When you show someone kindness, there’s a good chance they’ll spread it to someone else! The Ripple Effect of Kindness How Simple Acts Can Brighten Someone’s Day
Fabulous Flourless Chocolate Cake
INGREDIENTS •
1 cup chopped dark chocolate 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• • • • • •
3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup almond flour 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 4 large eggs, separated
2 tbsp cocoa powder
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a springform pan with butter or nonstick spray. 2. Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour warm, melted butter over it, wait for 2 minutes, then stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. 3. Add sugar, almond flour, and walnuts and stir to incorporate. Stir in the egg yolks and set mixture aside. 4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites on medium until stiff peaks form. 5. Fold 1/4 of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate batter. Repeat, 1/4 at a time, until egg whites are incorporated. 6. Pour batter into springform pan and bake for 30–35 minutes. 7. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before removing from the pan. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.
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INSIDE
SMALL ACTS OF LOVE BEAT VALENTINE’S DAY HYPE EVERY TIME 1
OPEN WIDE AND SAY ‘KABOOM!’
FUN AND ROMANCE IN LOUISVILLE THIS VALENTINE’S DAY 2
A LITTLE KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY
FABULOUS FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE 3 A CAT’S PILGRIMAGE FROM YELLOWSTONE TO CALIFORNIA 4
A Determined Feline Finds His Way Home LOST BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Cats are known for many things: their independence, impeccable balancing skills, and endless fascination with shoelaces. However, who would have guessed that our beloved feline friends have an innate GPS built into their brains? This furry tale began when a California couple, Benny and Susanne Anguiano, decided to take their two cats, Rayne Beau and Starr Jasmyn, on their first trip to Yellowstone National Park. The couple says this wasn’t the cats’ first rodeo. In fact, they loved looking out the big windows of the RV at the different wildlife. However, their epic park adventure turned into a nightmare on this particular trip. Shortly after arriving at Yellowstone, something startled Rayne Beau, and he ran into the forest. The couple searched for him for four days, leaving out some of his favorite treats and toys to lure him back to them. Unfortunately, Benny and Susanne’s efforts were short- lived, and they had to return home to Salinas, California.
Susanne never lost hope and recalls a moment during their trek home when she saw a double rainbow in the sky. “That’s a sign for our Rayne Beau that he’s going to be okay,” she said. The Anguianos finally got the call they had been waiting for about two months after their Yellowstone trip. Their microchip enrollment company called and said Rayne Beau had been found and turned in to the Placer SPCA in Roseville, California (over 800 miles from Yellowstone and 200 miles from their home)! The next day, Benny and Susanne drove to Roseville to pick up Rayne Beau. Upon arrival, they discovered he had lost 6 pounds, had minor paw injuries, and was malnourished. While seeing their beloved fur baby in such a condition wasn’t easy, the Anguianos made it a point to fit their cats with AirTags and Rayne Beau with a GPS tracker. Rayne Beau’s ability to find his way back home remains a mystery. However, it proves that love (and feline internal GPS) can overcome any obstacle, no matter the distance.
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