LOVE THURSDAY

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Before this was Valentine's Day, The Roman's celebrated Lupercalia the 13-15th of February. Men sacrificed a goat and a dog and then whipped women with the hides of the animals they'd just sacrificed. It's said that many young women lined up for their beatings because they believed it would make them fertile. They also had a matchmaking lottery where young men drew the names of women from a jar and then had sex with that woman for the duration of the festival. There was lots of drunken nakedness. Not unlike the Valentine's Day celebrated today. I kid. It's totally not like Lupercalia. Feb 14th was eventually turned into Saint Valentine's Day by the Catholics in honor of two men named Valentine executed by Emperor Claudius II. Chaucer and Shakespeare would add to the romance of the day with their work and people would start making cards and tokens to give to their lovers. Hallmark would take over in 1913 and forever change this day into candy hearts, roses and cards. I have never been one to really get into the idea of Valentine's Day. I can also guarantee to you that I would never be up for the activities of Lupercalia. I may enjoy the occasional smack on the ass, but I draw the line at being beaten with the hide of a recently sacrificed dog (or goat). Every time Chris and I made some sort of romantic attempt at this holiday we ended up grumbling over crowded restaurants. After January and February birthdays and an anniversary around the corner in March, it all just seemed like too much work for that particular day. We just kind of gave up on Valentine's Day and over time, I just simply ignored it.

Michael has plans for us on Valentine's Day. He's made reservations at a fancy restaurant on the Plaza. He's hinted at flowers. I really don't know much because he's being secretive. I do know the restaurant we're going to only because he said he'd tell me if I guessed correctly. That was easy enough. I just opened the website for the restaurants on the Plaza and made my way through the list. I said "you're not taking me here are you?" "Do you want to go there?". I replied "no" and his face totally changed into that "oh crap!" face, and that's how I knew that was the restaurant. I was kidding. I do like the place. He's picking me up from work and driving me all date like and everything. Ladies, whatever will I wear? No, seriously. What do I wear?

Ever since he told me that he had plans for us on Valentine's Day, I have been slightly fretting about what I am supposed to do, how I'm supposed to be. I am in uncharted territory here and every time I've asked him what I need to do he says "nothing". It's infuriating and a little bit intoxicating at the same time. Oh romance. I have such a love/hate relationship with you. But I can't seem to keep those butterflies from flitting about in my stomach or feeling like a sap. As much as I hate to admit this, I love the romance that Michael brings into this relationship. I think maybe it appeals to me because he doesn't do it in an over the top, rot your teeth with the sweetness of it, kind of way. His romantic gestures are sneaky at times and often I don't realize that I've fallen for one of them until the next day.

So...here's to falling for the romance on this Love Thursday.