Call Me Cupid

Valentine's Day always seems to come around at the wrong time. (Yes, I realize the date is stagnant but in correlation to my 'Life Calendar', it falls on the wrong day so just go with it.) And for those who don't happen to be in committed relationships, somehow it always seems to mockingly highlight our unfulfilled irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired. And just forget about going to Walgreen's anytime between mid-Jan and this fateful week. You practically have to be on the lookout at all times in case one of those overgrown teddy bears or a 250-count box of Russell Stover's finest in silk-wrapped heart-shaped casing tumbles down from the overstuffed aisles right onto your head. And what's with Rooms to Go having a Valentine's Day sale?? You can bet that the last thing I'd request from the man of my dreams that I'll inshAllah marry soon would be...a cherry wood dining table and matching hutch? Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti V-day, I just think its for the 'woo-ers'.

But...the fact remains that regardless of how commercialized or hokey or lame you think Valentine's Day is, nobody likes to be left out. Admit it. Even if you absolutely detest February 14th and decide to rebel against the occasion by wearing all black and listen to Dashboard Confessional all day long, you're still going to feel like a total loser if someone doesn't at least toss you a quasi-squished Hershey's kiss out of the 10lb bag that was stuffed inside the 2ft tall teddy bear that your office mate got hand-delivered from her uber-awesome boyfriend. And yes, he probably has a wondering eye (didn't you catch him checking you out last Thursday when you strolled by them at the Baraonda?)...but hey, at least he thought about her long enough to send flowers.

While I kind of wish I had plans to be whisked off somewhere and gotten the chance to twirl around some rose-filled ballroom in my perfectly form-fitting chiffon magenta dress (with hand-sewn golden lining), I have absolutely no desire to do that with just anybody. So instead I'll join in on the 'chick-fest' fun and spend a night with the girls baking a bazillion different kinds of desserts (shut up, I like to cook plus my butt looks smaller these days anyway and could perhaps use a slice of chocolate cake or two...er three).

And because I'm a hopeless romantic and believe in mind-numbing, tear-jerking, heart-on-a high love (not like the creeper chick from 'He's Just Not Into You'), I'll be wearing pink and red on Feb 14th this year. I'll also be thieving lots of chocolate from my office mates as well -- if you think about it, I'm actually doing them a lot of good here. See, since they're all in relationships, they don't have time to work out anymore and if they don't have time to work out anymore, they shouldn't be eating all 10 lbs of the Godiva delivery because if they do eat all of that raspberry truffle goodness they'll get fat and if they get fat, their mate will begin to lose interest and eventually cheat on them so technically, I'm just reaching deep down into the bottom of my selfless heart and doing my very best to help keep the love alive. I'm doing them a favor...so just call me Cupid this year. Just with more clothes and without the whole archery bit ;-)