Cube with a blocked view.

There's no excuse. (Sorry folks)

So here we are. Daylight savings time changes are setting our team against each other once again. Yesterday at 4, I'd have sworn the sky was falling. Today, 1/2 the team can't be bothered to attend the meeting to discuss "our" issues.

I've sent a reminder to them. Nothing. Yet, yesterday it was so important that they felt the need to disrupt my work to discuss it. wtf?

And what is with bitter people who don't "get" the valentine's day thing? By that logic, we don't need Mother's day or Father's day either because we appreciate our parents every other day of the year. Why don't people take it as it likely was intended before certain corporate entities took it over as a money-making endeavor. See it as a day to be reminded you need to appreciate that person in your life. Take advantage of the super-sappy, super-fuzzy, super goofy stuff available.

So fine, you do things for them every day of the year. But do you really? Over time that honeymoon period wears off and you start taking each other for granted. When that happens, can you claim that you do it EVERY other day of the year? And if you do it every other day of the year, why would you NOT do something on that one day?

Especially when it gives you a bunch of opportunities to be creative and surprise the other person. Yeah, I'll admit that the typical flowers/dinner/jewelry triad is overdone and so not creative. (do you really get the other person in your life flowers/jewelry/dinners out EVERY day of the year? Be honest.) For most people, it's not realistic to be giving gifts and buying dinners out all that often. So why not do it this one day of the year?

So you're not the super-sappy sort - d'ya think I am? Come on! I'm the first to admit that most days of the year, the last thing I'm thinking of is romance. Even yesterday on that big day of love, I was more concerned with the daylight savings time changes and who is going to be president of our curling club next year than I was with romance.

Last month, as part of his Valentine's gift, I took J to a great hotel and got the jacuzzi suite. No. I don't do that every day of the year. I don't do that monthly. That won't even be yearly. But guess what, it brought him to tears. It still makes him feel special. What's wrong with that?

So you do stuff every day of the year for the person. Ummmm doesn't that mean that that's become just the everyday for them? It isn't special because it's what happens all the time? Don't get me wrong. If you stop, it'll be noticed and the result won't be pretty. The reality is that taking advantage of this one day to do something cool, special and romantic for that person can really make their day. It can make them feel incredibly special and loved and it doesn't have to involve hundreds of dollars.

Be silly, be goofy, cover their bed in little red foam hearts from the dollar store. Write "I love you" in toblerone bars. Dress up in your red long underwear, throw on a pink tutu (and likely a mask) and go shoot 'em with an arrow (ok, not a real arrow. that could hurt). Do something for them that you really don't want to do but you know they want - yes, even if it's square dancing. Show up at their work with a hot coffee and their favorite snack. Leave a copy of the Kama Sutra on their pillow. Have fun with it.

This is the only time of year that you're going to have such a ready supply of romantic, sappy stuff that lets you tell the person you're with that they're worth more than what's expected of you. It's the only time of year that going over the top with cheap, silly things can make a memory that lasts forever, rather than until the flowers die. It's the day to be something other than you are the rest of the year - even if you're struck by cupid 365 days of the year. Let's face it, in reality, you aren't. You just want to say that so you don't fall into the rest of the crowd picking out pink and white cards on the 14th and trying to pick over the last of the selection of crappy flowers because you left it too late.

So go, start planning for next year (what better time, it's all on sale now!) or hell, buy up all the stuff on sale this year and surprise the love of your life with valentine's day in July. Or October. Or April. Or all three. But, dammit, don't use the excuse that you treat them great all year long to make them feel unimportant on that one day of the year that's devoted to love.

As for me? You'll find me out shopping for goofy valentine's day stuff on sale today at lunch. I've gotta be prepared for my next great surprise. I've done so well to this point with everything that I can't stop now.

posted by Erin @ 10:40 AM