Toe-tal Appreciation

Today is Cinco de Mayo. A day when Mexico celebrates victory over France. Well...I think that's the story. I never really got into history. For me, Cinco de Mayo is all about the opportunity to enjoy a margarita or two and gorge myself with queso.

Today is also a different sort of "Independence Day" for me. The pins are OUT!

I'm not going to lie. The removal of the pins was not exactly pleasant. OK...it hurt like hell. I had an equal number of people suggest that it would either be completely painless or hurt a lot. I went into it prepared for a lot of pain while really hoping that I wouldn't feel a thing. I'll spare you all the gory details and just say that it really hurt and I just might have let out a bit of a scream on the first one. Or maybe even a loud scream. And I'd like to think that's saying something because I've been forced to develop a pretty high tolerance for pain.

BUT...it's done! To mark this momentous occasion in my little life, I'd like to declare today to be NATIONAL TOE APPRECIATION DAY.

(I'm sure that Mexico doesn't mind sharing the day. It's probably a nice distraction from all that "we're the home of the swine flu" PR nightmare they're grappling with right now.)

To celebrate NTAD I'd like you to just stop and think about all the things your little piggies do for you that you daily take for granted. Here are my top 6 reasons that I love my toes:

1. They're pretty fundamental in the ability to walk, run and jump. Not to mention all that P90x and Jillian Michaels Shred mania that so many of you are suffering through enjoying lately.

2. They so willingly squeeze into all those beautiful shoes that line the shelves of my closet. Oh, pointy-toed stilettos, how I've missed you!

3. There would be no lovely walks on the beach and digging your toes blissfully in the sand if you didn't, you know, have toes to dig in.

4. Dipping your toes in the pool. Enough said.

5. Pedicures just wouldn't be the same. Those toenails are a canvas upon which I can enjoy my "Chick Flick Cherry" nail polish on a daily basis.

6. Two-stepping. I don't boot scoot a lot these days, bit I love knowing that, thanks to my toes, I can.

I know there are more reasons that I can't think of now, but six is a nice random number. Comment and tell me why YOU love your toes!

Oh...and there was a lot of discussion in my world about how exactly I would be "declawed." I was betting on an instrument that was in the family of fancy pliers. Turns out that it was actually a pair of fancy scissors instead. I took a photo for those of you who were morbidly curious (you know who you are).

I turned away as soon as I took this and didn't watch the actual removal.

Feeling it was, well, more than enough.