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Location: Upper Left USA | Am I being grumpy or is there any support to my theory that Valentine's Day is just another Hallmark Holiday made to increase consumerism?
If I don't buy roses and candy I obviously don't care and must be a senseless lugnut. I don't feel all Cupidy and such for some reason.
I mean, where's the element of surprise in the event? |
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Location: CT | No supprise. Just be a good boy and go out and spend your money like Hallmark told you to. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Y'gotta be "creative" . . .
Jeanette's all-time favorite movie is "Moonstruck".
I recorded an acoustic version of "That's Amore" and left a CD of it stuck in her car player this morning.
My ex and I used to own a flower business.
Today is the one day that I do NOT "miss" being in that business . . . except for at the end of the day when you lock the front door of the shop and tally-up the receipts . . . |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Nice to hear that Cliff does have a softer side. |
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Posts: 5575
Location: big island | the element of surprise will come from your SWMBO when she finds you did nothing for her on Valentine's. i am not buying a card or candy or flowers, but i will take some time to create a nice personalized card on the computer to give her when she comes home from work. i will greet her with a warm hug and the fine aroma of my special spaghetti cooking on the stove as she enters the house today. she will be pleased! |
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Location: NJ | ". . Nice to hear that Cliff does have a softer side . ."
I'll even let you rub it, if you're nice t'me . . . |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | ...just stop on the freeway offramp and buy a $5 bouquet from the local "Border Buddy" like all the other men do... she'll never know you didn't plan it ahead..... |
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Location: NJ | I have learned the hard way.
flowers and a card every year. no exceptions |
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Posts: 2487
| Mike; Don't you feel bad, Cliff never gets me anything for Valentines day either!
Go out and buy a guitar, that will set the mood.
Randy |
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Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | Sorry, Cliff. All the sides look too hairy for me.
This is a day originally celebrating someone or several who got his head chopped off. The romantic notion predates Hallmark. I got orders for no chocolate or flowers. We bought ourselves a flat screen TV and are going out for a nice dinner tonight. That's my idea of romance. |
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Location: NJ | Not the ShavedBits . . . |
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Posts: 2487
| I am lucky I get off the hook for this one,....Kinda..... My Anniversary is the 24th and I am buying an expensive Diamond ring this time! Twenty years late for a good one. So your right Mike this is a pumped up holiday but for the Girls who watch us by guitars all year it has meaning.
I am way behind the curve in this department and I have already put out so much cash this month for another Adamas 1 and I am very interested in one of the Slotheads. So I need to do the right thing and get a very nice ring. I have bought her antique Cameo rings for years and some of them that are flipable are worth a lot now but I never did the right thing and bought the status symbol ring. Yeah it is all hype but, to be honest Women have done this to themselves, Many Women look at another woman and judge their life and how monitarily successful they are by what they are wearing on their fingers. My Wife has told me she could care less and I love her for her overall lack of status symbol needs. But it has been a long time she has not cared and I have been riding on this wave for long enough.
Randy |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by cliff:
Not the ShavedBits . . . I just discovered an entirely new level of retch |
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Location: Minden, Nebraska | We're going to Grand Cayman next month, so I was tempted to save the flower money for an extra nice add-on to the vacation.... But I realized that wouldn't cut it when the other women in her office were getting flowers and she didn't.
I agree with Mike that it is a ridiculously commercialized event on a left brain level, but sometimes I have to tell my left brain, "Shut up!" |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Originally posted by cliff:
My ex and I used to own a flower business.
That would explain the shirts. ;) |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | and that "lateral lisp" |
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Posts: 580
Location: NW NJ | Originally posted by Paul Blanchard:
I agree with Mike that it is a ridiculously commercialized event on a left brain level, but sometimes I have to tell my left brain, "Shut up!" Ditto ... in fact, I do that a lot! When I don't, and the left brain takes over, it doesn't take me long to remember what a stupid idea that was... :D |
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Posts: 5330
Location: Cicero, NY | Originally posted by John B:
Originally posted by cliff:
My ex and I used to own a flower business.
That would explain the shirts. ;) |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | It's my ex-wife's birthday so that makes it really not special. |
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Location: Minden, Nebraska | At least you probably never forgot EITHER Valentine's Day OR her birthday. |
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Location: closely held secret | Better read the post again, Paul.
<ex-wife> |
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Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Perhaps we should start calling it "The Ides of February"!
Actually, the day went well. I grilled chicken and offered a choice of Pinot Grigio or Chainti and had a dislexic dozen of Red long stem roses and a card.
She placed my card by the PC because she knew I would go there first (gulp). I fooled her, my first move was to the local store with about 100 other Hunter/Gatherer's to pick over the remaining 10% of the resources (pronounced more expensive)!
So, what do you all have planned for Martin Luther King Day? :rolleyes: |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | The guy I work with went into a department store on his way home Weds about 6:00 - nothing. They told him all the Valentine's Day stuff was taken off at 3:00 and replaced with Mother's day merchandise. |
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Location: Budd Lake, NJ | Hmmm...I'm not seeing any femalefolk complaining here. Anything to chime in with, my sisters?
This femalefolk got home to an empty house, took one look at the plowed in driveway and started to dig. The driveway's only about 45' or so long, but it was packed sleet. All melded together; heavy and solid. Pry, break up, toss. Valentine's dinner was a half a bowl of cereal; too tired to cook, almost too tired to eat.
The good side of the day? A card from my sister in Ohio. Thinking on my two lil' cuties. Playing a wonderful guitar. Counting my many, many blessings. Knowing that there is Someone Who loves me. Not such a bad day after all.
--Karen |
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Posts: 2791
Location: Atlanta, GA. | John Becker said it best... "Who in their right mind would give a bow and arrow to a baby anyway?"
Chinese New Year is Feb 18.
Y'all got anything planned??? |
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Location: San Bernardino, California | 'Year of the pig'. Oink! Oink! |
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July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | I'm being a tad late for posting on this thread, but here's my .02 cents about the matter:
I will admit that V Day, just like Dec. 25, has been turned into another day for business, commercial and material purposes. Most general merchandise shops, especially florists, candy stores, restaurants, and wine boutiques are looking forward to this event to generate revenue, keep their businesses from going under, help unemployment from rising and contribute to the local economy.
On the other hand, with all the millions of women in this world, getting a little something for my wife makes her feel that she's the only one. That's more than enough for me to turn the other cheek on the negative and extravagant consumer aspects of this Hallmark-type holiday and make her feel extra special ... even if it's just for one day. :) |
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Location: Vermont USA | Well said Gil
Pauly |
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July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | Originally posted by cholloway:
Chinese New Year is Feb 18.
Y'all got anything planned??? I prefer the term "Lunar New Year." Being half-Chinese by ethnicity, I think we're giving the Chinese too much credit, considering that people from other ethnic backgrounds also celebrate it. This event is celebrated by 1/5 of the entire world's population, and it is well known that the Chinese take center stage every year. But it's also unfortunate to know that people from other cultures are often overshadowed.
Other than that, the entire family [mostly from my wife's side] will be at my home to get together, eat well, play board games, watch videos and celebrate it. Weather permitting, we just might head over to Main Street in Flushing, Queens to watch the parade. The fireworks and the dragon dances are always a treat.
In my native homeland, we used to invite the dragon to our home. We would pacify the dragon with money offering in a red envelope. The dragon would bow three times, dance to the battery of percussion instruments for about a minute or two, bow three times, and then leave for the next home or business. According to my family, it was based on the belief that the dragon drives away all the bad spirits and bad luck associated with the old year, and then welcome the spirit of the new year in the home. Thus we can start the new year with a clean slate. |
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July 2005
Posts: 3410
Location: GA USA | I figure that as long as I'm the more thoughtful of the two of us, I win. I usually am, but not by much.
Cliff, you wanna post that copy of Amore for us? Maybe the next OFC CD should be classics. |
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OT: Holiday Rant?