Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day. Cutesy pastel (gag!) and red coloured hearts, cupid, overpriced flowers, drugstore chocolates (that most women won't eat anyway), busy restaurants selling price-inflated food because they changed up the name to reflect Valentine's Day, that they push you through quickly so they can clear you out for the next group of customers, heart-shaped everything, Valentine cards, treats, school parties, professions of undying love, marriages, marriage proposals . . . What does that all mean? Commercialism. Quite honestly, it all makes me want to throw up.

Now, you're probably all sitting there say "yep, uh huh, she is all bitter about a relationship". Truth is, I'm not. I'm actually quite content and happy where I am (figuratively - not literally - because the truth is, I'd LOVE to move - and not just across town or even province - I'm talking WAY over the pond . . . but that's another topic for another day), and I know that we love each other - today, tomorrow, last week and I think I can confidently say WAY into the future. I guess the biggest issue is that I'm somewhat resentful or rebellious towards a specific date on the calendar that "reminds" me to tell my loved ones that I love them. Oh, and maybe the fact that I hate pink and pastels, and public displays of affection and all the mushy stuff.

While I'm glad that people take something from the fact that their 'loved' ones love them TODAY, what about the other 364 (or as in a leap year like this year, 365) days? Isn't it just as important then? To me, it's more important to go out of your way on a shitty Monday; you know, when your son hypothetically gets in trouble, again, for the second week in a row, and you both get phone calls asking that you go to the school to discuss the situation (definitely hypothetically of course, because our perfect little boy would NEVER do such a thing - Yeah, I couldn't even type that with a straight face. That little turd-burglar has SOMETHING going on right now - and it's going to drive us STRAIGHT to the nut-house. We joke about living so close to it, but honestly, at this rate, my permanent address will be RIGHT there soon enough. However, would it REALLY be that bad? I mean, let's think about it; a nice padded room for when people piss me off; meals made for me; no housework; and beautiful, glorious, catatonic-state inducing drugs. Tell me, what part of that is negative?!). Or to buy a little treat (or to GIVE a little treat - wink, wink, nudge, nudge) without being asked, etc.

It must be noted that I DO give into the commercialism a bit, I mean, come on, I have young kids, and this stuff is important to them. SO . . . we go out and painfully pick out Valentine's Cards, treats (this year it was smarties) and then buy a couple trays of over-priced slave over the oven making tiny little cupcakes that are iced with festive icing and sprinkles so the kids can take them into their classes for their Valentine's Day celebrations. That's something else that bugs me too . . . this celebration at school today will mean much 'unstructured' time (not to mention the shit that I try NOT to feed my kids very often), and that ALWAYS means bad-news-town for Imp. I also always buy the kids a little something special - just because I like to buy them stuff, and it's an excuse for a little something in the middle of February.

For the most part, my other half and I don't get hung up in the hoo-hah of Valentine's Day at all. We usually go out for dinner between Valentine's and my birthday (which is coming up in 10 short days!! YIKES!), but aside from that, it's usually 'just another day'.

Except my other half changed things up this year. He bought a gift. A really, really, REALLY nice gift (a kick-ass, awesome video camera). He DID say that it was a combination for Valentine's and Birthday, but still; he bought a gift; and gave it for Valentine's Day.

And that means that I'm the 'bad guy' now; because I didn't buy him anything, nor did I give any sort of thought into anything.

SHIT.

So, you know what that means now, right?! Yeah, I have to put out. There is definitely no question about that. Damn him, anyway. And there's a hell of a lot of camera there, so in turn, that means a hell of a lot of McLovin' needing to go out. Oh - and for the record - the camera will NOT be in the room; just sayin'. Silly boy. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think he knew the way my little mind would work on this . . . so really, I guess he was pretty smart and crafty about it all. That's a man for you - always thinking with his 'brain'. That said, I STILL hold onto the fact that they video camera will NOT be anywhere near our room. That, my friends, is where I draw the line.

I guess it's a good thing that I love him and 'forgive' him for his trickery, right?! For the record, there's definitely nothing to forgive . . . I was really tickled that he actually put thought into this (that is NOT his strong-suit), and I am really pleased and happy with it all (the gift he gave me, and maybe even the "return" gift. Did I just go there, you ask?! Oh yes, indeed I did!! I may be pushing 40, but I'm not dead yet!). I guess that means that he's reformed me for this year and made me 'give in' to the pressures of Valentine's Day. Maybe you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

Happy Valentine's Day girls and boys!!!