Valentines Schmalentines

I called our florist to order several floral arrangements today for various reasons and because we are regular customers, our florist friend adviced us not to get roses because the price had already gone up. Go figure. I was left with carnations instead but even those prices will go up for two days (on Feb. 13 and 14). Can you imagine how much florists make this time of the year? Their margins increase by at least 200-300% for this day alone.

The Valentine's Day business is very lucrative indeed. The "romantic" day for love has in fact turned into a ruckus and a moneymaking opportunity for establishments to take advantage of. It is almost impossible to go out to a restaurant on Valentines Day, as if it were some ordinary day. First of all, most restaurants will not seat you until you can commit to sit at 6pm or 8:30 pm, which are both pretty odd times to have dinner, 6pm being too early, and which really is closer to merienda and 8:30 pm being a tad bit late. But this seems to work, as many restaurants have declared themselves to be fully booked. Not to be forgotten is the fact that you will also have very limited choices as to the food you will have to eat for the night, since many of these restaurants have set menus for the night itself. Shall I even include hotels that offer Valentines packages for the night or weekend, as if their very package alone can incite romantic and you-know-what feelings from the couple...

Let us not forget the single hearted. I mean, what more painful way to remind them of their singlehood than this holiday that seems exclusive for couples only? If we would have this, then we should also have a day to celebrate the single life, right?

Last Valentines, I received a lovely bouquet (which came with a teddy bear) from the BF on the morning itself. I knew it cost him an arm and a leg but I really really appreciated the gesture (what girl doesn't like flowers anyway?) . That night, we went for the second seating at Chateau where I felt as if we were in a venue for speed dating. To the left of our table, barely one foot away, there was a couple who obviously just got together, and even if I truly tried not to listen, I could hear them talk about their friends who were seated at another table maybe four feet away (perhaps they heard it too). To the right of my table, I again tried not to listen to the yuppie lovebirds talk about their office and what they did that day. Thank God no one talked about what they were going to do for the remainder of the night or I may have puked out my sea bass and ruined the BF's crisp white polo shirt. After that night, I told myself that next year would be different.

So this year, I told the BF to not give me flowers, and plans have not been made as to where we will be celebrating, if we are even going to. But I have a fabulous date planned for Saturday (two days after Valentines), and that excites me more than the 14th itself.

Who said you can only be romantic on Valentines anyway?