Did you know you only have today left to buy your loved ones something special or they’ll hate you for the rest of time? That’s what the flower companies have been telling me, anyway.
Gene Weingarten, in his chat on Washpost.com yesterday, advised a male writer that even if his girlfriend requested no gifts, he should “do something, moron. Were you born yesterday?”
Michael remarked to me yesterday that men see Valentine’s Day as a chore, one he described as being patronizing because being told to do something a specific day implies that romance is unusual behavior.
For his part, though, Michael has done well. He booked us an ocean-front room for the weekend. He had tulips delivered to the apartment. He embarassed me with an enormous cyclamen delivered to my office last week – which every friendly female coworker has remarked on. He’s gotten a lot of compliments, mostly about how romantic he is. One woman said to me with an elbow-nudge, “that must have been expensive,” the implications of which I have left mostly unturned in my head.
It’s not that I don’t appreciate the gestures. They’re wonderful, just not as wonderful as a backrub after a hard day, a movie early on a Saturday morning, a big family cuddle with the cat. Those moments are unexpected, the sentiment is surprising and overwhelming and natural. I understand how people can resist Valentine’s Day as artificial, even if the sentiments behind it are anything but.
Anyway, my elaborately planned machinations shall come to fruition tonight. Because if it’s going to be an artificial overdone holiday, my intention is to make it as tacky and kitsch as possible. That’s how I roll, ladies and gentlemen.
4 Comments
“A big family cuddle with the cat”?
That’s only special because we get maybe five seconds of quality cat time before she starts chewing on my earlobe.
haha, I don’t care if she chews on your earlobe. she’s always nice to me.
I was gonna say, there is nothing unexpected as a big family cuddle with the pets in THIS house!
I had a big fight with N on our first v-day when he brought me roses to work and hid them for me to find and I HATE cut flowers (unless you cut them from your own plant, which is different) so my reaction was not very good. Five years ago and I still feel guilty about it!
[totally OT: Hey, are you watching Project Runway?! ]
I have been watching Project Runway. Right now, I’m mostly cheering for Jillian because most of the guys kind of irritate me. Christian makes finished outfits, and they look fashion-y but he’s annoying. Chris has a great attitude, but his clothes are often not that great (Loved what he did for the Hershey’s challenge, though). and I go back and forth on everyone else. Still, I think they’ve done a pretty good job kicking the right people off, and I think most of the people still there deserve it.
You hate cut flowers? I like ‘em. I just demand they be arranged for me.
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