Valentine's Day Is Best Celebrated The Other 364 Days A Year
It was really nice Saturday night -- Gregg came over and cooked me my fave (lamb chops), brought me this enormous potted orchid (that's practically the size of a small palm tree), and then hung out in the morning and talked politics with me in the darkly amusing way he talks about so many things.
But other than the ginormous orchid (which I think I'm going to name Miss Kong), this night wasn't really different from so many other nights we spend together.
The thing is, I don't care about Valentine's Day -- in part because I'm me and don't care about any holidays, including my birthday. But I also don't care about it because Valentine's Day, for me, isn't what it is for some people -- the day their partner tries to make up for being unloving and taking them for granted the rest of the year. That truly sucks. Underlying all the "romance™," is the sense of what's really going on in the relationship.
Getting back to Gregg, on Friday night, he knew I'd be falling over exhausted from my writing day. This book I'm writing may have stopped trying to kill me a few months ago, but it's still using me for a chew toy.
So, for me, just doing normal life things, like figuring out what to have for lunch and preparing it, becomes a big deal.
Anyway, Gregg needed to stay at his place and work on Friday night. But in the late afternoon, he went to the grocery store, picked up some "supper fixin's," as he calls them, and dropped by and cooked me dinner. He made me not only dinner for that night but he made a second plate for me to just heat up for lunch on Saturday.
Do that sort of thing for a woman -- which starts with caring enough about her to figure out what would make her happy on some, oh, Tuesday -- and the overpriced, undercooked dinner you'd get at some overcrowded restaurant on Valentine's Day may be less of a necessity.
"supper fixin's," as he calls them
That right there is prime Southern talk. Has he ever made you biscuits & gravy? a thing of beauty, especially if there are a couple of eggs and some bacon to go with it.
I R A Darth Aggie at February 15, 2016 9:15 AM
Don't forget to post a picture of the orchid.
Sixclaws at February 15, 2016 9:52 AM
He's a keeper!
Bob in Texas at February 15, 2016 10:33 AM
But I also don't care about it because Valentine's Day, for me, isn't what it is for some people -- the day their partner tries to make up for being unloving and taking them for granted the rest of the year.
Paul Reiser had a commentary on CBS's Sunday Morning show about Valentine's Day. (Here's a text version.)
I'm sure you're right, that, for some people, it's a make-up day for the rest of the year. However, I think others are loving throughout the year but still feel compelled to do something on V-Day because their partner expects it. The flower-chocolate-jewelry-greeting card complex (to borrow from Reiser, although I'd add restaurants as well) has done a superb job of convincing many women that men need to spend money on V-Day to show their love, and men realize that women have this expectation so they, of course, spend money, which makes the flower- chocolate-jewelry-greeting card-restaurant complex smile. It's the same thing that DeBeers has masterfully done with diamonds. Cheers to you, Amy, for being one of the women who doesn't buy into this.
supper fixin's
During this weekend's Republican debate in Greenville, S.C, John Kasich said "We’re fixin’ to lose the election if we don’t stop this."
Perhaps they use that term in Ohio (or Pennsylvania, where he was born) but it seemed to me like it was some blatant pandering to the Southern audience (not that that's a bad strategy...pandering, IMO, usually works.)
JD at February 15, 2016 10:57 AM
I was going to say that Gregg didn't pick up "supper fixins" in Detroit, but maybe he did. At one time there were a lot of migrants from the South there (both black and white). I've read stories about guys who would rent one room and buy one car between four or five of them. The room was a place to crash in town during the week. Friday, as soon as work was over, they jumped in the car and headed back South to visit family, taking turns driving all night and arriving Saturday morning. Sunday night, they drove back and then went straight in to work Monday morning.
Cousin Dave at February 15, 2016 12:10 PM
But other than the ginormous orchid (which I think I'm going to name Miss Kong)
Our NBC affiliate in Seattle is KING. Its "sister station" in Portland is KONG. I've always loved that.
JD at February 15, 2016 12:24 PM
not that that's a bad strategy...pandering, IMO, usually works
Not if you're trying sound southern while talking to a southern audience who knows you ain't a southerner. There's a difference between a yankee and damnyankee: the damnyankee drives a U-haul and is moving south.
As for where Gregg picked up "fixin's" from, I think it is more of a "whom": Leonard Elmore was born in Nawlins. Not sure if he lived there long enough to pickup the idioms, or even which set of idioms he might have picked up.
I R A Darth Aggie at February 15, 2016 12:27 PM
or even which set of idioms he might have picked up
Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne?
JD at February 15, 2016 1:08 PM
Valentine's day was rougher for me this year. Most years it just kind of an annoying day with so-so (to bad) cheap candy. This year it really got under my skin. I think it is a few things. First, there was enough commercials and stuff so you are aware of it but the other stuff wasn't there...for example most every year (everyone I can think of) there was silly articles in the newspaper that I got a laugh out of -- things like tips for meeting your soulmate at the dog park. The articles for me served to dissipate the bad feelings of the day. This year only a syndicated article on some survey indicated millennials are less likely to have office romances.
Saturday I ran into a girl I had tried to romance some time ago --- she is still quite flirty with me -- though is continuing her "no romance" policy until certain things are achieved in her career.
A couple of weeks ago I got stood up by a lady who appeared to be a great prospect. Another good prospect before that turned out to just be looking for money -- relatives kept dying and she couldn't keep them straight.
I guess it just emphasized how frustrating my dating life and social life in general has gotten.
The Former Banker at February 15, 2016 1:48 PM
Whoopsy...I wrote this and then decided it was a little too...something to post. Glad you all don't seem to have thought so.
Amy Alkon at February 15, 2016 4:52 PM
Lewis Black
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74A8wFv7qnw
Steve Danielss at February 15, 2016 4:59 PM
About the Kong family:
Although we cannot be sure due to questions about a birth certificate, and since there is no public record of his past achievements, it is to be taken for granted that Mr. Kong spent some time as an apprentice of some sort, likely as Prince Kong.
People are so eager to forget or ignore where the object of their desires has come from…
Radwaste at February 16, 2016 5:07 AM
Lamb chops. A woman after my own heart. Wife and I love them.
How did he prepare them? I'm always looking for new ways.
mer at February 16, 2016 5:25 AM
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