I’ve come to realize that I’m. . . unusual. The benefit of getting older is the increased ability to let your freak flag fly and be proud of it. So, while other women are gleefully unwrapping jewelry I won’t feel weird for not liking diamonds (though I do like semi-precious stones!). I won’t feel odd for not wanting to go out to a fancy restaurant with wine and candlelight.

All I want this Valentine’s Day is take out — or perhaps some Vietnamese food — and to see The Wolfman. Friends, I am practically dancing I’m so excited about this freaking film. So I’m hoping that a couple of hours out of my Valentine weekend will be spent with this handsome fellow to the left. The rest will no doubt be spent simply hanging out with my wonderful hubby. We do exchange gifts, but nothing too expensive — usually something we know the other one will really enjoy. And usually he gets me flowers because he’s sweet like that.

I still have the first Valentine card he ever gave me. It’s packed away somewhere or I’d scan and share it with you all. The gist of it was my then 24 year-old boyfriend superimposed his own head onto the half-naked dude in the card. The dude was black and white. Steve’s head was a color ID photo taken when he was 19 and grinning like an idiot.  I think that was the day I decided I *had* to marry him. I bought him a Superman T-shirt that he still has and still fits (I do hate him for having stayed fairly slim – lol). He bought me a poster of Waterhouse’s La Belle Dame Sans Merci. Yes, I still have it.

I’ve realized that Steve and I don’t celebrate V-Day in a traditional manner, but we still celebrate in ways that mean something to us.  So, we’ll go see the Wolfman and Steve will hold my hand and laugh when I jump at scary parts. I’ll share my popcorn and afterward maybe we’ll grab some grub somewhere and yak about the movie and repeat our favorite lines. We’ll laugh and have some fun and just enjoy being with one another because in addition to being my husband, he’s my best friend — poor thing.

So that’s what Valentine’s Day means to me; Hanging out with the guy who has been my favorite Valentine since that first V-Day 14 years ago. Maybe he’ll wear his Superman T-shirt.  Nothing traditional, but it works for us.

What are your plans for V-Day? Do you and your significant other have any rituals?