Valentine's Day - Shmalentine's Day
I've been giving this whole Valentine's Day thing some thought, (and now my head hurts) and I've come to a conclusion - what's the point? Seriously. If you don't have someone, you have that one special day of the year to feel like a complete loser who is fated to be alone for the rest of his/her life, and you get obnoxious invitations to all those horrifying Lonely Hearts mixers. If you do have someone, the both of you are under a little pressure, and the nite could end wonderfully, or it could end in a great big, nasty, crying fight because someone didn't make enough of an effort to make the evening pink, fuzzy and wonderful.
I have a pretty good guy. He's not too stinky, (except when he eats cabbage or steak) he rarely leaves shavings in the sink, he ALWAYS puts the seat back down (where it belongs) and he cooks. We both have pretty packed schedules, but we still make time to do little things like go out to dinner by ourselves and take random drives. So why would I want to put him on the spot by demanding that he make this one day absolutely perfect? It's not like it's going to be a big surprise or anything. Oh, LOOK!!! I got roses on Valentine's Day!! Gee, I wasn't expecting that! (Not that it isn't really appreciated!) What I'm going for there is that a chick generally expects to get flowers, chocolate or both, so it's nice when you get it, but very dissapointing when you don't. And when you don't, you start re-evaluating your relationship: "Doesn't he care about me? He didn't get me anything. Everyone else got something for Valentine's Day and my sweetie didn't get me a single thing, I'm so embarrassed, he doesn't love me anymore, maybe he's going to break up with me, I should break up with him before he breaks up with me, maybe he's cheating on me, he probably got his other girfriend flowers and now she's showing off roses that should have been mine, that two-timing son-of-a-" and that's when a holiday for lovers goes terribly, terribly wrong.
Generally, the guy is expected to bust out flowers, chocolate and a nice, expensive dinner. Okay, has anyone actually ever had a nice, relaxing, fun-filled dinner when they go out on Valentine's Day?? Most of the time the service sucks because the waitstaff are stressed and grouchy, the food sucks because everyone and their sister has decided to go out to dinner and the kitchen is totally back up and slammed, and the restaurant owner always feels the need to throw in an extra couple of tables to fit in more diners, so you're packed into a three-foot space like sardines in a can. It takes you two hours to get your food and by the time your server slaps it onto the table your steak is dry and your veggies have a nice layer of char on them from being under the heat lamp for 20 minutes because your server was busy running around refilling beverages and dropping off other orders.
And God help the boyfriend whose girlfriend is expecting a ring and doesn't get it! I still think that proposals on Valentine's Day are incredibly cheesy and unoriginal. What, you couldn't think of a better setting to pop the question? You had to wait for Hallmark to set the moment for you?
Don't even get me started on the chocolates! Candy seems to be an integral part of Valentine's Day, but should it be? The most popular New Year's Resolution is to lose weight. So, a month and a half into it, we're going to toss in a holiday dedicated to candy??? And I'm sure the thought running through most guys' heads when they hand over that big box of chocolates to their sweethearts and watch them plow through it like a pig in slop is, "Yup, that's going straight to her ass." Summer is only a couple of months away and I plan on spending an obscene amount of time laying around by the lake in a bikini. The last thing I need is a gigantice piece of chocolate that will find a permanent home on my thighs.
On the other hand, it is hard to discount that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when the florist cruises into your office with a big bouquet of flowers and calls your name . . . Over all, though, I'd rather have my boyfriend randomly send me flowers or take me out to dinner. It just seems to make everything more special when you get surprised with a nite out. Besides, my Valentine's Day sucked last year because I didn't get the flowers and chocolates. I know my boyfriend loves me, so why should I be so freaked out and let it ruin my day when I don't get the romantic nite out, the flowers that will die in a week and the big chocolate heart that will go straight to my thighs? I have a boyfriend who considers getting me a $300 bat for my birthday because he knows it will mean more than flowers, who cooks amazing dinners almost every nite, who doesn't mind snuggling on the couch with the kittens and watching movies and who know what kind of wine I like. I think I've got it pretty good, and I don't need a cheesy holiday to prove it.
*** Shorty, if you do get me flowers and candy and take me out to dinner, I'll still love you. ***
posted by Arctic Skipper @ 11:46 AM
9 Comments:
How about a glass of wine and a broiled steak dinner @ home where we can eat in our underwear and not get arrested...
That was from me honey..shorty
I love you!!!!
Remember a few posts back when I suggested you could be getting close to being the perfect woman?
This is a BIG step in that direction.
By the way...you know how you find out that you're REALLY a loser? When those "obnoxious invitations to all those horrifying Lonely Hearts mixers" stop coming.
Yep, that's me. V-day alone on the couch watching TV, because I no longer know another single person.
Ok, thanks for the reality smack, Lindsey......I didn't need it, though. My mom gave it to me last night when we were out for her birthday dinner. She asked (well, stated is more like it)if I was going to be at her house today for dinner. I got a blank look on my face, because, as much as I let my mom feed me, Tuesday is not usually a night that I frequent Cafe Le Mom. Then she offered up the bait that she bought me a steak, too. I told her that I hadn't planned on coming over for dinner, but that I could....then asked what the special occassion was. So she looks at me and says....
"Well, it's Valentine's Day. You don't have plans, do you?"
Nope.
Thanks, Mom......
Drive home the fact that I was the ONLY single person at our table (not counting the children, but they still think the opposite sex has cooties, so they don't count).
Yep, I'll just be the loser going to have dinner with my mother on V-Day.
I love moms
Steph - I read the words "Mrs Field's cookies" and my ass got fatter. Thanks. So much.
Scott - please don't tell me you'll be sitting at home in your underwear watching Sports Center. I'm going to get a visual and that will REALLY ruin my nite! :P (KIDDING! I'll send you some hotty toothless Alaskan babes!)
Shea - ouch. Score one for mom. :(
Shorty - stop hasseling my friends! I love you! Oh, and you know this, but I like my steak medium. Veeery little pink.
Don't worry Lindsey....I wasn't watching Sportscenter....
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