Charger Blogger Embraces Love, Food, and Local Pets
From heart-shaped pancakes to a new pet fish, Beatrice Glaviano â26 reminds us that loveâwhether for yourself or othersâshould be celebrated every day.
February 25, 2025
By Beatrice Glaviano â26
Good food and great companyâwhat more could you need?
This blog is dedicated to my lovely boyfriend. Love, your insane-scientist girlfriend.
Hey, hi, hello. How are you? Personally, Iâm freezing cold. I donât know if anyone else has looked out the window recently, but thereâs a tree outside of Marvin K. Peterson Library that was ripped in half by the amount of ice on its branches.
Imagine being ripped in half because you got too heavy. Thatâs insane.
Anyways, in honor of this past Valentineâs Day, I figured Iâd tell you guys all about mine. Of course, I understand that Valentineâs Day isnât always a comfortable holiday to talk about, as it can represent many things pertaining to love, so, no worries if you decide to click out of the tab.
I feel like men always come up with the most insane ways to wake their partner up, as if theyâre some kind of exotic bird or something. Except the exotic bird is wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants holding a spatula. Is that a beak?
The author squints, burrowing herself deeper into her comforter: âItâs seven oâclock in the morning, dude. What gives?â
Boyfriend, continuing âBacon Pancakes: The Sequelâ: âI made you pancakes. Happy Valentineâs Day, darling.â
That was all I needed to hear. In about five minutes, I was given a plate of steaming heart and stegosaurus-shaped pancakes drizzled in maple syrup. I was given my current read â âThe Martianâ by Andy Weir (I also highly recommend reading âProject Hail Maryâ by the same author, which is equally as fantastic) âand my favorite stuffed animal, Mr. Sloth (whoâs a really big stuffed animal sloth).
Munching on pancakes together, we discussed the plan for the day:
Boyfriend goes to a class, Girlfriend does girlfriend things
MewHaven Cat Cafe
Buy a new beta fish
Dinner @ Wildcat (Hamden)
âGŽÇŽÇ»ć?â
Girlfriend, still gnawing on her steggie pancake: âMe likey.â
So, my boyfriend went to his classes, and I decided on completing some homework with some skincare in between. Personally, I really enjoy doing something called âcasual homework,â meaning that Iâm able to work on assignments while doing other activities (i.e. skincare) intermittently. Usually, this involves me baking something in the background while writing an essay or stirring up a new compote while listening to a lecture video.
(Does anyone else listen to their lectures like itâs a podcast? Simply curious.)
BRB, filling out adoption paperwork (again).
By the time my boyfriend came home, not much homework had been completed, but my skin looked great, and a good chunk of chores had been completed. Dishes and laundry had been the true killers lately, so I was happy to get at least one of them done.
Soon, we were both on our way to . Weâve been going to MewHaven since our sophomore year, and always enjoy the time spent with all the cute kitties. Not to mention, the student discount they offer is helpful, too! Anyhow, to be honest, we didnât stay very long. Given that it was Valentineâs Day, it was quite crowded, and it just wasnât matching the vibe. So, to we went.
Slither & Swim is a locally operated fish and reptile store located in West Haven, and it has some of the most knowledgeable and sweet staff Iâve ever met. They take great care of their fish, they and truly do want to help you make good decisions for your pets. Walking in, we both said âHiâ to all of the snakes, turtles, bearded dragons, skinks, and geckos before making our way over to the fish.
After much conversating, we decided on a new beta, and four tetras (a minnow-like freshwater fish).
Currently, only one tetra is still alive. We donât know if weâve adopted a Jeffrey Dahmer beta, but itâs not exactly out of the question.
Getting into the car, we reevaluated our day so far: Cute kitties? Check. Acquire fish? Also check. Having fun and sneaking cheek kisses in the aisles? Check. Overall, the day had been going fantastic, and we hadnât even reached the best part:
.
Iâd been stalking Wildcat for a while. With an aesthetic for all things purr-fect and cat, Wildcat was opened on May 28, 2024, with the goal of serving well thought-out dishes, beautifully cultivated drinks, and, most importantly, bringing the culinary arts to life through its diverse staff. Surrounded by deep blues, perfectly furnished furniture, and gorgeous artwork, Wildcat became an immediate favorite of ours.
After perusing the menu about five thousand times, we decided on:
Beef Tartare â shallot, cornichons, dijon, sherry vinegar, cured egg yolk, served with kettle chips
Conserva â tinned mackerel in olive oil, herb butter, house giardiniera, confit garlic, sourdough
The Chocolate Red Velvet Cake (Valentineâs Day Special!)
Everything was a tastebud explosion of flavor, enjoyment, and a reminder of how good food can be when made correctly. One of my favorite parts about Wildcat was the shelf on which chefs put finished dishes; it was on the way to the bathroom, and you could see how beautifully busy it was in the kitchen. As someone who formerly worked in food service, I couldnât not appreciate the work that went behind Wildcat.
Heart-shaped and happiness-approved. 10/10 dessert choice!
Finally signing the check, Valentineâs Day had come to a close. Being in a relationship is never always easy. There are always going to be hard conversations and moments of lost trust and arguments, but then you get those moments where youâre laughing so hard you canât breathe. Youâre letting the wind through your hair, and youâre screaming Taylor Swift out of the car window, staring up at the stars on the beach, talking about your lives and how small they really are, and how weird love is sometimes.
Love can be weird, yes, but itâs the matter of allowing it to fill in space that really matters.
Before this blog ends, I do want to say that youâre allowed to spend that time to love yourself too, and it doesnât have to be limited to one day! Love yourself every day! Or at least try to!
Author, throwing love at you: âLove yourself!! Rahh!!!â
Anyways, this is your reminder to give yourself some love, but to also share that love, too. There can never be too much of it đ
I hope you guys are all having a fantastic day, and that your week is filled with amazing things.
All my love,
XOXO â Bea