Valentine’s day is on tuesday.
I can’t wait to see what Mr. Twistie does for me… though we’ll probably celebrate on monday. You see, he’s finally figured out that just getting in the car and heading for a favorite restaurant on february 14 rarely results in us getting a romantic meal. More often it results in us circling parking lot after parking lot while he apologizes over and over again. On the other hand, he still doesn’t ever make reservations. So for the last couple years, we’ve chosen a favorite place to eat on the night before Valentine’s day. It’s nice. We don’t get stuck with a prix fixe menu full of things neither of us particularly care for but that are generally considered romantic. We don’t have to deal with big crowds. In fact, Valentine’s eve is a great time to find really good restaurants nearly empty.
We’re also a tidge on the casual side about tying ourselves to the calendar. It works for us. I don’t imagine it would work for everyone, but we like it.
For some people, I imagine it would strike them as… well… something like this:
That’s okay, too. There are probably things I think are the end of the world that don’t matter to much of anyone else. Scratch that. There are things that I think are the end of the world that don’t matter to anybody else at all.
And it may be a misty watercolor memory from a heck of a lot of yonks ago, but I do remember those V-days when I was a solo act. Even then I didn’t mind the holiday. Even when I was on my own I was a little in love with love. I had my dreams. I had people I loved who loved me, even if it wasn’t in a romantic way. I was still an annoying cockeyed optimist, albeit one with a somewhat perversely dark sense of humor.
Speaking of that sense of dark humor, I find it oddly amusing that this year february 14 – yes, Valentine’s day – is National Organ Donor Day. It’s also Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day, and in the UK, it’s National Impotence Day. I kid you not.
So what does this all add up to? Pretty much just some amusing trivia.
How about all of you? Any thoughts, funny stories, bizarre coincidences, or diatribes connected to Valentine’s day or love in general?
And don’t forget – Westminster’s Best in Show will be crowned on the 14th as well!
Comment by HurricaneDeck — February 11, 2012 @ 6:35 pm
Huh, so it’s true what they say about Englishmen then!
Comment by raincoaster — February 11, 2012 @ 10:32 pm
We’re a 15th sort of couple. It works for us. The 14th is just a date to avoid any restaurant.
Comment by RHCD — February 12, 2012 @ 1:09 am
My boyfriend and I will be going out for a belated Valentine’s Day dinner on February 18 to one of our favourite restaurants. It’s nothing fancy, just a place we both enjoy.
I’m all for little fuss, plenty of parking and relaxation.
Comment by Jelly — February 12, 2012 @ 1:28 am
I made Valentine’s Day reservations for my boyfriend and I back in November. When we broke up at the beginning of January, I didn’t want to cancel. I ended up giving the reservation to a friend of mine and his girlfriend, and it makes me feel better to know someone I care for will be enjoying it.
Comment by SarahDances — February 12, 2012 @ 12:42 pm
I proposed to my now-husband 16 years ago tomorrow (there is a centuries-old tradition of women proposing to men in a leap year). We occasionally remember in time to organise a card, but otherwise it’s a complete non-event.
Comment by abdabs — February 12, 2012 @ 6:39 pm
My husband’s and my tradition is to go out for a fabulous breakfast on Feb. 14. The one time it was less than romantic was when the CEO of my company was hosting a Power Breakfast at the next table.
Comment by Nancy — February 13, 2012 @ 2:59 pm
I’ve planned a nice little spread at home with delightful treats like a mini buffet and then cheese and crackers followed by heartshaped tarts with vanilla custard filling and homemade chocolate mousse. We prefer the intimacy and cosiness.
Comment by Ravna — February 13, 2012 @ 3:33 pm
We always do a schmancy pants dinner at home- we pull out the “Good” China and Crystal, we splurge on an exceptional bottle of wine and usually Lobster or something else we wouldn’t normally do and some sort of over the top dessert … We have a lot of fun making dinner and we save a ton of money. We always do our dinner the Saturday closest to Valentines. Our Anniversary is the end of February and that is when we pull out all the stops and get dressed up and go our then…
Comment by Kimks — February 13, 2012 @ 7:31 pm