Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Candy is dandy, but concerts ROCK!

Yes, Valentine’s Day is a commercialized holiday, invented by the card and chocolate industries, and destined to leave many heartbroken or disappointed folks in it’s wake.

Some people are still suffering the after affects: they’re either disappointed with what their significant other got them for V-Day or else they’re in the doghouse for what they did or didn’t do on that high-pressure day.

I know some people have impossible expectations of V-Day, and there’s no way their beloveds could possibly live up to that. How many dieters received chocolate from a clueless (but well-meaning) loved one? I saw lots of men shopping for lingerie on the day before V-Day— don’t they know that’s not a gift for her, it’s a gift for him?

I’m not a big V-Day person. I’ll send a few cards, buy a couple of gifties, but I don’t have high expectations for others on that day. I’m high maintenance in a lot of other days, but this is one holiday I’m very easy about.

But the Darling Geek is the V-Day champ this year. He gave me tickets to the Billy Joel concert in Nashville tomorrow night! Yay! Plus, he even lined up a babysitter.

We’re leaving early enough to eat at one of my favorite restaurants (that I only rarely get to eat at) before the show, and he made hotel reservations for the night so we don’t have to drive home so late.

DG did good, that’s for sure.

I’ll be scrambling to figure out what he’ll be getting at the next gift-giving occasion that will measure up... Meanwhile, I’ll just have to be really nice to him in *other* ways.

V-Day aside, what's the best present your beloved has given you? What about the worst? (I had an ex give me the "free-gift-with-purchase" he got when he bought his Mom's gift...)

5 comments:

Playground Monitor said...

We've been married almost 34 years and were together for a few years prior to that so I've really had to scratch my head on this one.

The absolute best has to be the beautiful pendant he gave me for Christmas after #2 son was born. We really couldn't afford it but he did without to get it for me. And I should go put it on right now and remember the surprise all over again. I was reduced to tears when I opened it.

Worst -- gads, I can't remember anything that's really awful. If I've received appliances as a gift it's been because I asked him for them (like the shiny chrome and black can opener I got for Christmas this year). Now, I've had some bad ones from relatives -- the dimestore nightgown that fell apart the first time I washed it, the Christmas decoration (it had a part missing and was obviously from a sale table) we received two weeks after Christmas, the inedible cheese and sausage stick packages. We have one relative we've stopped trying to be creative with -- they send us a Walmart gift card every year and we reciprocate. *veg*

PM

P.S. Should something happen and you can't go to the concert, my DH would love to be DG's date cause he loves Billy Joel. Tell DG he did good -- REAL good!

Katherine Bone said...

What a wonderful gift! I hope you have a great time, PC. DG was most thoughtful!

I'm not the concert type. I'd rather listen to music at home or in the car, without screaming, doped up fans. Not to mention the fact that I've seen too many instances where an artist, who's well-liked, isn't so likable in person. Is the music still meaningful when your image of an artist has changed? Billy Joel is cool, but I often wonder why he messed things up with Christie Brinkly and married someone 32 years younger than he is? That's messed up.

I've received great gifts in the past. But, my DH knows I love chocolate. He also, knows what brand to get me as well as the particular type of chocolate I really like. Score 100 pts.

Kathy

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

Best Gift - hmm...Oh, I know! For my 23rd birthday, which fell right at the same time I graduated grad school, so it did double duty, he got me a kick @ss pioneer car stereo system and installed it in my car. The following Christmas, he got me the front door speakers to go with. That was pretty awesome. I'd never had a cd player in my car before.

Worst gift...one year I got a paper shredder. It wasn't bad, really, he had a discount where he was working, so I was limited to the Best Buy selection. DB isn't much of a gift giver. Even if he had the $$, the creative side usually stumps him. He usually gets me exactly what I asked for. I probably asked for a paper shredder knowing me and my anti-romantic gene.

Funny I write romance...
SP

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

DG did fabulous!

Best gift? Probably my sapphire tennis bracelet. I admired it in the store but knew we couldn't afford it. It was a real surprise when I opened it Christmas morning.

And I have to brag because I think I've done the best at surprise gifts. I bought DH a pool table for his birthday several years back. It was a complete shock because he'd always wanted one but had no idea I was even looking at them.

Worst gift? I honestly can't remember. I usually just forget about them :-)

Instigator

Anonymous said...

DG really outdid himself. Congrats. Hope you have a great time. I absolutely LOVE concerts!

I have three best gifts. For my first Christmas as a married woman, DH gave me a gold locket with my initals on one side and "Love, Kit" on the other. I have pictures of us inside it -- taken the year he gave it to me 40 years ago. I wear it often -- We were soooo cute!

My second best gift was a valentine he made for me out of colored construction paper and paper doilies. The valentine heart was purple and the verse inside said, "We go together like Purple and Heart." LOL, maybe that isn't romantic to most folks, but it was for me.

And my third best gift was the ruby pendant and earrings he gave me for our 40th wedding anniversary. I was so touched that he went to the trouble to look up the gem intended for our anniversary that it made it even more special.

And the worst gift? The food processor he gave me for my 35th birthday (he knows I hate to cook but he wanted a food processor).