Rows Red

As an adult, I really like Valentine’s Day, and not because it’s a great excuse to have someone give you chocolate. The reason I say “as an adult” is because there’s a big difference between V-Day when you’re a teen and desperately lonely, vs. an older and wiser woman in a committed relationship. What I like so much about Valentine’s Day is that it’s a day about remembering your loved one, above and beyond what you do every day. Done right, I appreciate a day about celebrating love, the same as I appreciate birthdays or Thanksgiving. Besides, Steve and I are goofy almost every day, so why not an extra goofy day?

This Valentine’s Day we treated ourselves to Coraline in 3D and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which I affectionately call the Disney Brothel. It was a perfect lazy day in the mall, walking around hand in hand, with time spent in the bookstore in between the end of the movie and waiting to get in for dinner. I checked out some knitting and crochet books I haven’t flipped through in person, something I like to do when I can. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the patterns in Color Style and Heirloom Knitting, not so much impressed with Plus Size Crochet and Boutique Knits. I love that Barnes and Noble is now inside the mall vs. across the busy main drag and a “special trip”. I also saw lots of new-to-me British knitting magazines, as well as an Australian one, but I sure as hell wasn’t paying $12 for a knitting magazine, nope.

The movie was SPECTACULAR, seriously. I was a little freaked out that there were so many small children there, and I kept wondering “did these parents even read the book? Do they even know what it’s about?” but that’s not my call to make. It was deliciously scary and fantastically wondrous, full of angst and a creeping sense of dread. The only part I was a little freaked out about was actually the ginormously endowed fat woman wearing nothing but pasties and a thong during the theatre show; I didn’t think it was appropriate for kids, or even necessary, though I’m normally not prudish. I know she was playing the Venus de Milo, but still, wow. All in all though, fantastic. Steve actually said it was as good as the Abyss, his favorite movie of all time. Seeing it in 3D was worth both the wait and the pricier ticket. If you have the chance to see it before it leaves the 3D screens, do it. I didn’t want to take a picture during the actual movie so I had to wait until the credits to show that I spent the whole time knitting away.

I also spent a few minutes knitting while we waited for dinner, but all in all we didn’t end up waiting idly for very long. Dinner was wonderful, and though it was packed to the rafters, the service was great. While you’ll end up paying roughly $50-$60 per couple (not bad, but not “cheap”) you end up with enough for lunch or dinner the next day. While Steve and I were quietly talking, waiting for our food, I surprised myself. I was trying to tell him that I could see his face becoming more lined as the years went by, almost all smile lines, and how fortunate I felt to be growing old with him, when I almost started crying right there in the restaurant. Sappy, I know, but I really do feel blessed to have him in my life. Even if, god forbid, we ever parted ways, I would hope to still have him as my friend… as we were so often in the past.

So, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all manufactured romance. It can be 3D glasses and sneaked in gourmet chocolate, holding hands and quiet conversations, good food and good company… and above all, a sense of childlike wonder. Thanks, Neil.

Tags: Life & Stuff, teh husband