V-Day Redux

I can't believe I forgot to recap Valentines Day. After the outpouring of support I got from people offering me ideas for Rachel, the least I could do is tell you how everything went. I got ideas ranging from cards to ice cream to massages to cooking her dinner and massages. All good ideas. All from other people. I had to come up with something on my own.

So 4 hours before she gets home, I'm still sitting in the house going "I need to get her something." So I headed to the most romantic store in town: Fred Meyer. What a zoo. Full of girls checking out heart shaped boxers and picture frames. Whole aisles packed with guys getting heart shaped boxes of chocolates and trying to decipher the meaning of the color of rose they were about to buy. Me following people around, firmly believing that I'd know what I was looking for when I found it.

I purposefully avoided the jewelry section. Not that I don't feel comfortable giving Rachel jewelry. She has issues with dangly earrings and has a few small ones that she sticks with. A ring was not what I was looking for at this time. She just bought a necklace last Saturday, so I figured she was set there.

A box of chocolates was not going to fly either. Too hit or miss.....get one of the caramel ones and its a hit.....take a bite of a coconut disaster and I might as well have got her those Harry Potter jelly beans that taste like vomit. Nothing says I love you like vomit jelly beans.

So I walk around some more. Looked at cards for a while, before deciding on one of a puppy dog cuddling with a teddy bear that said something like "thinking of cuddling with you tonight" or some crap on the inside. Especially since when we share a bed it's like we're opposite poles of a magnet. You'd think we hated each other as far apart as we sleep. We'd probably sleep with our heads at different ends of the bed if I wasn't fearful of kicking her in the melon. But the picture on the front seemed appropriate: she likes puppies and I like bears. I figured I could write some stuff in there that would overshadow the sappy line that Hallmark put in there anyways.

Passing the candy aisle, I saw that bags of mini candy bars were $1.50 each. Now getting the Russell Stover 16" heart shaped box is one thing: a bag of 3 Musketeers and a bag of Milky Ways for $3.00 is another. Cha-Ching. Got the card and the candy and I was only out $5. This was gonna getting easier.

Suddenly the perfect gift came into focus. If this were a commercial, a ray of light would shine down from the heavens and angels would start singing. The Karate Kid DVD set! Complete with all 3 movies PLUS the riveting Next Karate Kid starring a young Hilary Swank! Rachel had almost ordered it immediately after seeing the commercial a few weeks back. Jackpot. A single red rose on my way to the check out line completed my show of affection.

I checked out at the U-Scan to avoid having a checker comment on my choice of valentines day gifts. Not everyone would understand the beauty of the Karate Kid, and I didn't feel the need to explain myself. Some people do the lit candles and the rose petals and the lavish gifts. I don't.

And yes, she loved the gifts. At least that's what she told me. Hope you all had a Happy Valentine's Day as well.