Praying to the Great Hallmark Gods

If you know us, you know we have spent all but one Day of the Valentine in sweats, eating Chinese food out of the containers, and watching a movie, most likely Dune. The other Day of the Valentine was spent at a restaurant using the reservation a friend couldn't because he had already broken up with his Valentine and didn't want the reservation to go to waste.

Now before you accuse us of being woefully unromantic, there are some reasons. The primary reason always was that our anniversary is in March and, were we going to blow money celebrating our love, we would prefer to do so on a day that is unique to our love and not have to share loving each other with the rest of the world (ok, that came out way icky, I hope you know what I meant). This made a lot of sense back in the college days, and the rootless 20s. After all, much like New Year's, restaurants and other facilities that cater to the Valentine crowd, jack up prices and crowd as many people into their spaces as possible leading to a very unromantic atmosphere; booking travel over V-Day is also distressing as it either coincides with the public school holiday/president's day or is price-inflated solely due to Herr Cupid. We just kind of hated being taken advantage of like that. So we happily ate chicken with peanuts, exchanged $25 gifts, and waited to do the fun things in March.

And we've done some fun things in March. Nepotism aside, do you know how much easier it was to get reservations at Daniel for the middle of March as opposed to the 14th of February? See also boutique hotel in Montreal; vacation rental in the Abacos; oh, and yeah, last year we went to Egypt. Now, it is true, aside from Montreal, we would have gone to those places anniversary or no anniversary, but it is nice to schedule a trip during an already lovey time of year. So, while I have not been the recipient of $12 teddybears holding wilted flowers and chocolate flavored candy...yeah, I can't complain.

But I kinda did this year. Which I guess means I suck. Here's the thing: I just kind of wanted to do something other than hand over sock-monkey figurines and eat chinese food. And I hope that doesn't make me a bad person. (Notice I did not say anything about watching Dune because I'm secretly hoping we'll do that too.) I wanted a little commercial romance (when I reveal to you next week what I bought devoted partner as a gift, this will seem really really funny), I wanted to have to wear pants for at least part of Valentine's Day.

So for the first time, we have our own Valentine's Day reservation; I have spent more than $25 on a gift and I have bought really loud wrapping paper and a card with hearts on it. And I'm having an uncharacteristic inner giddiness vis a vis doing what it seems everyone else does. Though I did make devoted partner promise he would not buy roses (the apex of V-Day price gouging), and he wouldn't buy me chocolates, as a) we're not eating these days and b) well, duh, I make chocolates and 99 out of 100 times mine are better than what can be bought, so perhaps I'm not that great at preserving Valentine's traditions.

Therefore, let me wish all of you a Happy Valentine's Day and say that, had I gotten my shit together (this idea just came to me), I would have very much enjoyed making construction paper heart cards and sending them to you. Maybe next year. Although, it is equally possible that next year we'll be back in front of Kyle McLaughlin noshing on scallion pancakes, having learned we're just not those traditional Valentine's Day people.