I was in the copy room today and noticed a flyer from the local florist by the time clocks advertising the Valentines Day Flower Specials. I frankly am sick and tired of this crummy Hedonistic Roman Pagan Holiday turned commercial nightmare for men. Thankfully, I will be out of town at business meetings in another state that day. Out of all the holidays where I am expected to perform like a trained monkey, this one is the worst. I don't mind the wife's birthday or even the anniversary but for some reason, valentines day seems like a cheap charade. Even mother's day still gets some support from me. There is nothing about Valentines day I like, even when I was a kid. The stupid "exchanges" of paper garbage at school and those horrible chalk hearts that pass for candy drive me crazy. Then you reach the teen years and young adulthood and the pressure really mounts. At least you could get 20 or more crummy cards in a packet for school. Now the pressure for crummy cards in pink saying things no man feels comfortable with in colors that no man would ever wear. Add to that the people pushing candy, stuffed mutant teddy bears, mylar balloons, and other stuff that will be in the trash a week later and it's no wonder some guys say to heck with it. It's just another day entirely devoted to women. Now don't get me wrong, I love women but it has gotten to be a bit much. What do we have to match it guys? The 4th of July? At least there is fire and explosives to entertain us. "Talk Like a Pirate Day" has been a dissapointment.
What I want is a holiday for the male animal in me. Something with camoflage and the consumption of large quantities of red meat. Where gifts are exchanged of hunting knives, ammo, and fishing lures. Where the only expectation from the man is that he goes out and kills something, anything even if only some weeds in the garden using a powerful industrial strength herbicide and a sprayer with a minumum of 15 more features than actually needed to do the job.
And I want the marketing departments of businesses to push the day, "National Male Awareness and Appreciation Day" with sales and promotions for things I like made of leather, steel, and real fur from animals that were clubbed or shot.
So begins my boycott this year of national greedy women's day aka Valentines Day!
Ahhh, someone else that despises valentines day as much as me. And I gag at all the other "special" days too! ie "Sweetest day", "grandparents day", even mother's day and father's day make me cringe. Oh and there's take your daughter to work day, gag!!! Boss's day, secretaries' day should also be added to the list of stupid days.
There is a men's day: opening day for hunting season, but then the women took over and made it opening day for the shopping season. sorry guys!
Costco sells the most beautiful roses. In giant bunches--2 doz for $15. Until Valentines day. Then they go down to 1 doz without all the extra filler and the price goes up. Irks me.
There are certain days we don't celebrate with gifts; anniversary, valentines, columbus day... But for some reason, my husband can't go through V-day without buying some kind of rose. It's like he doesn't feel like a man if he doesn't; he's afraid he won't sleep at night or something. Maybe he's afraid I've been lying all these years and really do want him to purchase sub-par roses at inflated prices.
I won't even start with elementary school parties......eghad!
__________________
"My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle."
I always do something for my wife for Valentine's day, but I don't make a big deal about it. I make a big deal about our anniversary, which is 10 days later.
I do enjoy an opportunity to buy candy, though. Nowadays pretty much any day of the year the stores have specialty candy for some holiday, major or minor.
__________________
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
Arise Ralph Wiggums of the world and join forces to Choo-choo-choose to fight this infernal beast of the florists, chocolatiers, and greeting card writers! (Hi... I'm Cat Herder, and I'm a victim of and suffer from PESVDPS -- Post Elementary School Valentine's Day Party Syndrome -- with the corresponding "I'm not liked cuz I didn't get as many valentine's day cards in my box as the other kids" )
Come, we men shall go into the woods, pound upon the drums, dance around the fire, and do the male bonding thing! (ah... hunting day... and here I thought, crazymom, it was just one of those peculiar things that came about as the result of union muscle flexing because voting day was not really a day off for union members since they had to stand in line to vote at their local precincts... Funny how management don't get voting day off, but they seem to still allow for hunting day the next week... )
Mrs. Cat Herder's B-day is about a week after Valentine's Day, so it is always a toss-up which one to do something for...
__________________
It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a "salad dressing dude."
I'm glad that my wife doesn't prefer cut flowers. She very much prefers, for instance, a live rose plant come spring.
__________________
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
Cat Herder wrote:Come, we men shall go into the woods, pound upon the drums, dance around the fire, and do the male bonding thing!
Third Roper son was conceived on Valentine's day. I'd rather be present for those activities than hangin out with ya'll pounding drums in the woods.
Well, duh... that kind of goes without saying, don't it... So, hush... we can't be sharing intelligence with the enemy here... you know, the establishment around this holiday... I think it is simply a matter of how close we schedule the pounding of the drums to the holiday which can not be named due to boycott, then...
Where are Shiz and Casi? We need a willing couple to flog for overt canoodling in the corner, and this thread is as good as any...
__________________
It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a "salad dressing dude."
If a wife needs a big deal on Valentines day to let her know that you love her, then you're just not perfoming your husbandly duties correctly.
Thus speaketh the know-it-all single man.
But then if over-priced flowers and crappy chocolate are all it takes to "get ya some" on that annual special day, then, well, buck up and pay the price.
Hoss Cartwright wrote: But then if over-priced flowers and crappy chocolate are all it takes to "get ya some" on that annual special day, then, well, buck up and pay the price.
Nah. Wasn't that at all Hoss. It just so happened that Valentine's day and that half-degree spike in morning basal body temperature coincided, so
(Sorry if that's more TMI for you, Bok.)
__________________
The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. - Julie Beck
I love Valentine's Day. Of course, I celebrate mostly by buying cutesy candy, cards, etc. for my husband--which he tolerates--rather than the other way 'round. Sometimes while Valentine's shopping, I somehow end up in the women's apparel section of the store as well. Ahem.
Ahhhhh Saint Valentine's Day, when I remind my wife that we do not follow the apostate ways of the Catholic church, and that saints are not to be venerated, or if they are, then there should be a Saint Raymentine's Day...
--Ray
__________________
I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
I'm sure that your wife is very logical and immediately was convinced by your ironclad reasoning.
__________________
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams