Best day ever.

I spent most of last week on my couch — wheezing, hacking, sneezing and feeling generally sorry for my sad, sick self. It was all very pathetic. Thank goodness for Law & Order reruns on TNT, and my loving husband — who worked 12 hour days caring for sick people only to come home and care for me.

Despite my debilitating cold, I got up last Tuesday morning determined to make it to work. Tuesday was Magazine Day, one of my favorite days of the year. Seriously, it's up there with Christmas and my birthday.

I LOVE magazines.

I have always been a voracious reader. While I was primarily interested in Nancy Drew and Judy Blume as a kid, I loved flipping through my mom's Good Housekeeping and sneaking peeks at her Redbook. (I wasn't supposed to read Redbook. My mom kept that on top of the china cabinet so we couldn't get to it, but I was smart enough to stand on a chair. A girl's gotta get her sex ed from a reliable source!) My mom also subscribed to People, which was (and still is) my favorite. That magazine caused many fights in our household — we all wanted to be the first to read it when it came on Friday, and getting it usually required trickery or a physical altercation.

Thankfully, I now have the ability to read any magazine I want — without having to stand on a chair or tackle my siblings. Currently, Nate and I subscribe to Lucky, Real Simple, People, InStyle, Domino, Martha Stewart, Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Saveur. (I think it's pretty clear who gets what.) Nothing makes me happier than finding a new magazine in my mailbox. Unfortunately, I usually power through them in about an hour, and I'm left with nothing to read for the next 29 days. (Or the next six days, as far as People is concerned.)

This is why Magazine Day comes in handy.

Every year, a professional association I belong to sponsors this event. Basically you pay $60, they give you a tote bag, and you get to take home as many magazines as you can carry. Oh, and there's also a speaker (for example, the editor-in-chief of Newsweek), but seriously. We're all there for the magazines. I went for the first time last year, and I was in awe. People bring suitcases. That's right, SUITCASES. And they fill them up with magazines and roll them out to their cars. I only had the tiny tote bag they provided...thankfully, I always carry a huge purse. I think I brought over 50 magazines home that day. It was awesome.

So, when I got the invite this year, I signed up immediately. (Side note: my employer actually pays for me to attend this event. Thank you, employer!) And there was no amount of coughing or nausea that could keep me from going. I dragged myself out of bed, threw on a suit, and headed downtown. I stayed long enough to fill my two tote bags and huge purse with magazines...and then came home. (Sorry, Mr. Newsweek.)

Blurry photo below. I should be good on magazines for a while.