Valentine’s Day, a Shopfession, and Ensuing Shenanigans

This weekend The Boy and I hit up the mall to find some accessories for a couple of cosplays we have coming up. I’m set but he needed a few things so we hit Hot Topic and Spencer’s. The problem of having fandoms and fitting into Hot Topic’s stock is the massive amount of temptation. I tried on several things but my pickiness lead me to narrow it down to only two items: a TARDIS skirt on clearance for $20 and Deadpool socks for regular price but DEADPOOL SOCKS! I’m wearing them right now. Since the whole store was buy one, get one half off, the whole thing was only ~$23.

Our plan was to hit the mall for lunch, The Boy’s cosplay essentials, run to the local comic book store (love you Third Eye) then go back to VA for dinner, dessert and Downton (we’re still on season 1). Just when we were ready to leave the mall, the movie theater was being evacuated and we had to take a roundabout way to get back to my car. I parked on the top level of a garage area in a way that had me consistently blocked in by the traffic gradually leaving the garage. We tried to wait it out but gave up when the same compensation car spent 25 minutes blocking me in.

Since our dinner plans were shot at this point, we call my mom and suggest killing a Groupon for a nearby Mexican place we all love. We wander the mall, I buy a bunch of clearance Rudolph’s for Toys for Tots next year, and The Boy and I sampled most of the new candy store in the mall. Heading back to the car we are shocked to notice flurries. The second we’re in the car they stop being flurries and start being real snow.

We make it to the restaurant without incident but once we’re all gather around free nachos we find out the Groupon isn’t good on holidays, including Valentine’s Day. There were only 3 tables with paying folks but we still couldn’t use our Groupon. As we sat there, we watched the snow pick-up and accumulate to over an inch by the time we left. The Boy wiped all the snow off my car and we (slowly) drove back to Virginia. We were full and tired and just wanted to watch Downton.

The Boy’s TV has to be on different feeds for cable or DVD. Despite the size of his apartment and our thorough searching, we could not find the TV remote. We finally figured out how to change the feed using the cable remote and watched some Downton. It was a good day all things considered but as far as Valentine’s Day planning went, we could not catch a break.

I almost wonder if the universe won’t let me quietly enjoy Valentine’s Day because I spent so many years actively hating it. I’ve lost the acrimony with time and I want to let The Boy enjoy it. Nothing went the way it was supposed to go but it wasn’t a bad day. I spent the day with the man I love at the home of consumerism which is really the point of Valentine’s Day.

V-Day

I was so wrapped up in my angst at my indefinite temporary position abruptly ending with “finish your shift and you’re done” that I never said anything about Valentine’s Day. It’s the first one I’ve had that I’ve been in a functional adult relationship and wanted to do something.

Normally I’d acknowledge the day by wearing black and gray and saying “Bah! Lovebug!” I still think it’s pretty contrived but The Boy was excited that he had a Valentine to spend it with. For some reason I’m still not sure over, I was looking forward to doing something with him as well.

Rather than go to the fancy cafe and do grand things, we kept it simple. We did dinner at a semi-fancy pizza joint we like and saw the Oscar nominated shorts. I agreed to presents mostly because I had a shirt leftover from Christmas I hadn’t given him. The first present he gave me was a pound plus bar of dark chocolate from Trader Joe’s. It went perfectly with my “You’re no longer employed” notice.

I got him 2 tees and a recipe book from the Eat This Not That series. He got my the chocolate, a hard-to-find Oreos flavor and a silver heart necklace with pink crystals because he hearts me. D’aw.

It was low-key, sweet, and simple. Being with The Boy definitely took the sting out of the day's bad news. If all my Valentine’s Days can be this uncomplicated, I may grow to loathe this ‘holiday’ a little less.

Music: All the Lovers by Kylie Minogue

A Few of My Favorite Things: The Boy

It’s Valentine’s Day and despite my refusal to wear anything red, pink, or not dark, I’ll be a little sappy. The Boy is my longest, most stable, most enjoyable relationship to date. Any time we’ve had a problem or disagreement, we’ve been able to talk about it and work it out. (Unless there’s something you’re not telling me dear.) He’s my +1 in life since we started going out and I’d like to see that trend continue. Here’s looking at you dork.

Be Careful What You Ask For...

I heard something on the radio today about Valentine’s Day that translates to the rest of the year. They were doing a ‘bad Valentine’s Day’ call in and one girl complained that he didn’t get her anything. This was undone when she revealed that she told the guy “Oh, I don’t want anything for Valentine’s Day.” (Insert birthday or anniversary for roll over effect.)

I’m a woman and I continue to find this profoundly stupid.

It’s always the same argument of “I don’t want to have to tell him to get me something. I want him to know.” I want to have Florence Welch’s voice and Paris Hilton’s bank account. If wishes were horse we’d all be eating steak.

You can’t get what you don’t ask for. If you’re not willing to ask for it, you have no right to bitch when you don’t get it. At the very least you have to tell him that you expect something on [special occasion].

Men aren’t psychic or exceedingly romantic. If my dating experiences have taught me anything, it’s that men are neither mind readers nor characters from Nicholas Sparks novels. I have never met a man who acted like a romantic protagonist of his own free will. If you have, he’s the exception and not the rule.

One listener said this was a slap in the face. The truth hurts.

If you’re with one of the millions of guys who aren’t naturally romantic, you have two choices. You can try to train him what you find romantic or dump him and try to find Prince Charming.

If you choose to go the Charming route, I would like to point out that in more than one instance the prince is meant “to be charming, not sincere.” In the Fables series he’s been married and divorced three times. Also, the odds of him being completely single are slim.

I hope everyone has a decent day tomorrow. If you’re celebrating, I hope it doesn’t suck. If you’re wearing black and gray and saying “Bah! Lovebug!” like me, have a happy Thursday.

Current Music: Wonderland by Natalia Kills