My Funny Valentine

Valentine's Day, in my eyes, is a slippery slope for a writer. Had the occasion fallen on a weekend, I might have ignored it completely because it can really go either way.... either people love Valentine's Day or they totally hate it. It's a big disappointment or it's awesomely romantic. It's just so black and white, and where is a writer supposed to find a grey area to please both sides?

Lucky for me, I think I have just the solution: a dual post... a funny Valentine!

Read THIS if you HATE Valentine's Day 

Great--it's Valentine's Day again. Another contrived holiday meant for couples who are arguably already making me sick. If you're single today, perhaps you should consider yourself lucky, because, honestly Valentine's Day is a relationship land mine.... get it wrong and things are bound to explode.

All a guy really wants on Valentine's Day is to get laid, and all a woman really wants is to be swept off her feet. Somewhere these things should intersect, but rarely does that ever happen. And let's get to the point that this isn't really a "day" at all... it's like the non-government version of an economic stimulus package meant to make you go out and buy crap for people who don't need it.

I think my beef with the day began somewhere around the sixth grade--wait, scratch that, I know it did---do you remember those god awful carnations?! If your school didn't share in this tradition, just consider yourself lucky. At our school it began weeks in advance.... you could buy a carnation for your sweetheart for something like a dollar, and on Valentine's Day in what can only be described as the height of middle school mortification, they would go classroom to classroom and distribute the carnations.

So either you came our looking great and really loved with a bouquet of colored carnations under your arm, or you came out looking like a total loser because you hadn't gotten any. Every year I contemplated getting some for myself, but I didn't because I felt like everyone would know. To this day, carnations make me want to puke.

I guess by these standards, today I should be happy that middle school has come to a swift and final end for me. I no longer have to be embarrassed by a carnation-style popularity contest. But now we're in the adult arena where it's not so easy to hide glaring disappointment. This year, my hubby and I are staying home. He bought me tires last week and I told him that was the PERFECT Valentine's Day gift.

As for him? I might have a little something up my sleeve, but it's not going to include carnations.

Read THIS if you LOVE Valentine's Day 

YAY! It's Valentine's Day! The one day a year when we are allowed to shower the people we love with all kind of heart themed stuff! I like the fact that it gives me an excuse to send out cards to those people I love. This year, I hand made my Valentines and sent them our extra early, just so that I could get other people in the mood, too. I want everyone to feel as loved as I this year!

Generally my husband and I would go out to dinner on Valentine's Day, but this year we are staying in and I am going to tackle venison tenderloin, polenta, and greens and for dessert red velvet donuts (and maybe some panna cotta too!)  and hopefully in return, I'll get some gooooood loving! Nothing fancy, but when you are in love with your husband, you really don't need any "thing" to tell you just how good you have it. I think taking a lot of the expectation out of the day makes it even more special.

Whether you are single or married, or anywhere in between, I think you have to admit that even though Valentine's Day is a little made-up, it still does its job in the love department. People around the office are wearing red, people are smiling with anticipation of the day--because anything could happen today it's the day of love for gosh sakes!

For a sap like me, this is a great holiday to allow my little heart to run rampant! I am bursting at the seams with love, of course, in the form of text messages to all my besties! I hope that you are as brimming with love as I am today, and really everyday for that matter. I hope your day is filled with romantic gestures, great dates, and above all, GOOD FOOD!

Wherever love finds you today, I hope that it finds you well and willing and with open arms. Happy Valentine's Day.