It’s Monday. I am out of clean clothes, but I’m also out of quarters, meaning I’m wearing a bathing suit bottom for underwear. And it keeps giving me a wedgie. I ate a piece of cheese and applesauce for lunch because my fridge is empty. The weather has turned cold, the sky is gray and Speidi has a new book out. And I am 4 very long days away from the weekend.

Yeah, my day has been pretty damn sucky.

But then I found this video over at CollegeHumor.com (yeah, it’s all part of the job, people) and it made everything better. No joke, I’ve watched this thing 11 times. It’s like a DQ Tagalong Blizzard for your soul. Only it’s free, doesn’t require you to leave the house, and won’t make you fat. And it’s got a dog.

Tell me this doesn’t make you melt.

It’s Veteran’s Day and everybody is finding their own way to honor the men and women who have and are currently serving in the armed forces. This morning, Bon Jovi performed at Rockefeller Center in NYC and invited all local military personnel, their families and civilian volunteers to come be a part of the festivities.

While we aren’t all Bon Jovi and can’t show our support through a rock concert (unless they want to watch me play RockBand), there are plenty of things we can do to show our appreciation for the troops.

1. Have a veteran in your family? Call or sit down with them and ask them about their service. Chances are they’ll have a lot of stories to share, and your interest in their life is probably the greatest gift you could give them on this day.

And then take them for a meal at Applebee’s. Veterans and active duty military eat free today! I’m sure if you ask nicely they will share their Triple Chocolate Meltdown with you.

2. Move past your usual gray shirt/black sweatpants class uniform and get a little more patriotic today. Don a little red, sport a little blue or, if you’re feeling especially grateful to our men in uniform, pick up something that shows some real American pride.

3. Pop some kettle corn and settle in for a hottie veteran movie marathon. Pearl Harbor, Jarhead, Stop-Loss…. the possibilities are endless. And maybe you can finally answer the age old question: Ben Affleck or Josh Hartnett? It’s tough, I know.

4. Send a care package to troops on duty. In high school, I went through a program and “adopted” a soldier. I would send him letters and packages from time to time and I may have pretended he was my boyfriend for awhile. Totally normal. Sadly, my duties as pen pal have since fallen by the wayside, but today I think I might rekindle our romance friendship and show my appreciation via shaving cream and beef jerky.

5. Before you chug that beer at Dollar Pitcher Night take a moment, reflect and pour one out to honor our American heroes.

Big or small, do something to honor the men and women who risk their lives preserving our safety, our land and our freedom. Veterans, we salute you!

When I tell people that my boyfriend is in the Army, I usually am met with the same response:

“Oooh really? I don’t know how you do it. I couldn’t be with someone in the military.”

I can understand why they feel that way. Being apart from the one you love for long periods of time gets really tough. Being in a military relationship is an emotional and patriotic combination of sacrifice and reward.

For all the time spent apart, the mind-racing anxieties, the minimal access to communication and the constant countdown to reunion, there are still the corresponding rewards that make it all worthwhile. After spending five months apart, with half the country’s states between us, we now get to finally live together. After worrying what it meant when I didn’t hear his voice for almost 12 days, I’ve learned how to be a stronger, independent individual. I know that in the Army, no news is good news. I have learned the importance of communication and how to maintain a strong connection through hand-written letters.

By investing time and energy into such a challenging situation, I have come out the other side with a newly earned title. I am an Army Girlfriend. I serve alongside my man by staying strong and carrying on. I do things on my own, for myself, with no one’s help. Are all the difficulties of a military relationship worth it, you ask? I say, if it’s the right person, then you would do whatever it takes. It’s like sacrificing an hour on the treadmill so that you can enjoy an Apple Fritter from Starbucks. Sure, that hour on the treadmill is challenging, sometimes painful, seemingly never-ending and you always end up staring at the display to watch the minutes slowly tick by. But when you do finally get off, you’re so much stronger and proud of yourself for not giving up…and now you get your reward.

Yes, I just likened my boyfriend to an Apple Fritter.

So, with that said, I could not be more proud to be with a military man. His trials, tribulations, challenges and sacrifices inspire me every day to be a better person and a more confidant woman. Next time you see a man in uniform, don’t just ogle at how great his ass looks in those ACUs. Feel free to approach him and thank him for his service. Or pay for the latte that the soldier behind you in line at Starbucks is waiting to order. Show your appreciation for our men and they will fight for you in return. Believe me, those little gestures can mean the world. And if a military man asks you out on a date, don’t run away for fear of falling in love with someone that you may have to part with. Do yourself, and America, a favor and dive right on in.

Besides, the treadmill may suck at times, but at least you will always fit into your favorite pair of camo boy shorts.

Yes, I just likened my relationship to fitting into a pair of shorts. But why not? They both make me feel really, really good.

Art Deco is in. At least when it comes to your clothes.

This is a real “shocker.”

A soldier blogs until his heart’s content.

Sweden doesn’t have any real problems.

Don’t go overboard this holiday season with your spending.

Facebook advertising won this girl the election!

This month‘s must haves.

Poor Jessica Simpson. No, not really.

Kelly Clarkson is in the big time again.

This purse will set you back a couple bills.

Is a ladder more likely to fall on you today?

Lucky Jeans is having a huge SALE.

A Stop Lossed soldier answers your questions

A.C Slater strikes again!

There will be NO CHEERING at this graduation. Got me??

Everyone at Grey‘s is pissed off at Heigl. I’m pissed off that the show has slowly succumbed to boring-and-lame-itus

You know that guy who randomly Facebooked you? Yeah. He might be a monkey.

Happy Father’s day, you CREEPY Dads, you!

BritBrit gets an Emmy?! I’ll throw my TV out the window first…

Class of 2008, here’s some real graduation advice 

As a film major at Emerson College, I’m pretty in touch with the current crop of movies that are hitting the silver screen. I may not see all of them but I know about most of them, which is why I eventually wind up not shelling out an absurd amount of money to see them in theaters.

But I’ve never felt so connected with a movie in my entire life. I’ll admit, I’m pretty damn liberal. I spent much of my high school years bashing every facet of the war and the current administration. But I cried during this movie.

I cried because the things that happen in this film are happening to young men and women just like me, who are the same age as me, who watch the same movies and listen to the same bands and have the same hobbies as I do.

I cried because two of the closest people to me are seriously considering enlisting. I cried because it’s so real. And only 15% of the movie involves combat. It’s just so real, the struggles are so real, the situations are so real.

I don’t care if you’re a liberal or a conservative. I don’t care what you feel about this war or this administration. Go see Stop-Loss. You might not like it; you may hate it. But you need to see it. And if you know anyone serving, think of them.