I got the funniest card from my Mom for Valentines Day, just a giant list of instructions fired scatter gun style, I suppose that she hopes that one will hit. What did you get for Valentines Day? What's the funniest thing you ever got?

-- Kymm Zuckert (hedgehog@hedgehog.net), February 15, 2001

Answers

Valentine's Day was, for the first time, a real non-event in my year. I was quite simply too busy to notice it, except for showing up at Godiva to buy two small boxes of truffles for the ladies at Tiffany who are sponsoring our gala. It really hit me when I was getting ready to leave the office and the life partner of a colleague was there, getting ready to take his honey out to dinner. I mean, I didn't even wear a red necktie, which I usually make a point of doing!

The only really Valentine-ish thing to happen to me was to get a package of cedar blocks to hang in my closet from my mother.

/Robert

-- Robert (rbdimmick@earthlink.net), February 15, 2001.

Ooo! I got Paper Mario for Valentine's Day! I'm so excited! We played for three hours last night.

He almost got me a gold plated rose. I can't describe how happy I am he changed his mind!

-- Amanda (missdufour@hotmail.com), February 15, 2001.

I got a very cool card this year, knocked my emotional socks right off.

Hallmark, last year or the year before, has started selling these laser cut cards, really intricate ones. The card Jeff got for me this year is one of those, it's a floral and leaf design, in a white satin type paper. In the centre is a small card, with white and pink roses and a little bow. Not nearly as girly as it sounds, old fashioned style and lush really. On the front in an old style font it says "For My Wife." Inside it says " In case I haven't told you strongly enough or often enough , deeply or sweetly or softly enough... I love you. Happy Valentines Day." and it's signed Ditto, Jeff.

Turned me into a big pile of mush.

-- Amanda Page (amanda@amandasprecipice.com), February 15, 2001.

This year I got a card and a little bitty box of chocolates from my mom and dad, plus my mom took me out to lunch.

I can't think of anything really funny I've ever gotten for Valentine's Day, but I guess the strangest and most unflattering was a box of chocolates from my boyfriend, who then told me, "I know you want to lose weight, so don't eat them all in one day." Sadly, we are no longer together.

-- Catherine (catcoicrit@earthlink.net), February 15, 2001.

I had a very nice Valentine's Day yesterday.

my sweetie had chocolate, a basket of goodies from garden botanika, and a card for me when we met up at his house in Bellingham. (I had a handmade card for him, and a box of Joseph Schmidt truffles -- the best!)

Then we had dinner at Stuart Anderson's Black Angus.

Then he said he wanted to go watch the submarines, so we parked at an overlook with a view of the bay.

I started to suspect something when he began talking about how there was one more Valentine's Day gift, but I needed to help pick it out. Then I was sure when he went on to say how the words were hard to find. Then he finally asked me to marry him.

I said yes, of course! And I'm very happy. no immediate wedding plans, but we are engaged.

Now I must get my journal up to date, so I can post about it!

-- Anita Rowland (anitar@halcyon.com), February 15, 2001.

Congrats, Anita! That is just so great!

-- Kymm Zuckert (kymm.zuckert@impath.com), February 15, 2001.

Since I chided my beloved for giving me an Origin's bucket full of wrinkle creams last year("wrinkle remover," "wrinkle softener," "wrinkle zapper," etc.), he gave me an equally unromantic, but more practical gift this year: a waffle maker. Yippee!

-- Poppy (ithesky@aol.com), February 15, 2001.

Anita--that is so wonderful!! Congratulations!

-- Melissa (melissa@ladydisdain.com), February 16, 2001.

Well, I had a fun visit from my sister. Her husband was coing back from China on Friday so she came to town to pick him up. In the meantime, we went to have a great dinner at Savoy, the only restaurant in NYC that carries the wine that they make. Had a bottle of wine, champange, then more wine after at this wine bar that also carries her wine. Not even a sign of a hangover the following morning! Now THAT's a gift!

-- Molly Keeler (mkeeler@rcn.com), February 17, 2001.