[modi123_1]

February 14th is creeping up on us folks. That's totally next Tuesday! How is everyone planning on celebrating the holiday? Are you enacting that massively elaborate plan for your S.O.? Perhaps doing something simple like a single rose? Propose to him/her? Write a video game to express your love for them? Ohhh! Jumbotron love at a local sporting event! Hopefully someone's shooting for a November baby, right? (Inspect that logic and if you are born mid November it's a good chance your parents were getting it on during Valentine's Day!).

Do you distribute Valentine's Day cards? I am thinking about getting a few packs of Power Ranger ones and distributing them to my coworkers.. though they are new to me so that might be uber creepy.

How about you single folk? Curl up with a Chipotle Burrito, a tub of ice cream, and watching some Law and Order SVU marathon? Hit up the singles bars? Speed date?

I am planning on working that day, heading to the gym, throw my bro clothes on, and then hit my bar to sleeze on any unattached (and slightly desperate for human affection) women out drowning their media created simulated-sorrows. Hopefully my bottle of Sex Panther keeps up until then!

So spill your plans folks! Whatcha doing?

Valentine’s Day survival guide

Obligatory infographic:

Spoiler

http://static5.busin...entines-day.jpg

How other countries celebrate Valentine's Day

(The Korean's have it right - singles shunned on Valentine's day have "Black Day"!)

[BenignDesign]

Spoiler

Actually, I'll be spending it at dance class, watching my 8yo fumble through ballet, tap, and jazz lessons, while arguing with my 10yo over her algebra homework. There might be drinking, but it's more likely to dull the pain of raising a 10-going-on-30 than the pain of being single on a random day of the year.

This post has been edited by BenignDesign: 09 February 2012 - 10:03 AM

[lordofduct]

See I date one of them there vegan Marxist activist types. She sharp as a razor and strong willed like no other... all in a 4 foot 9 inch package. Best thing that ever happened to me.

The even bestest thing about her...

roses, flowers, other things like that : "Ummm, thanks... you gave me something dead."

diamonds, gems, etc : "Oh, awesome, you'd rather give me a rock as opposed to help sustain our lives... oh and did you bother to find out who died for this as well?"

She's got class on Tuesday though, so I won't be seeing her that day. But she has shown interest in a state park up in the pan-handle that has caves (odd for Florida). I need to get some time off, but I'd like to take her up there.

[jon.kiparsky]

I don't know how the Hallmark people got their own holiday - probably by getting Cadbury and deBeers in on the deal - but I'm having none of it.

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But she has shown interest in a state park up in the pan-handle that has caves (odd for Florida)

Total left-field tangent, but if I'm not mistaken those caves form the jumping-off point for a fantasy novel that I really enjoyed when I was in high school. Unfortunately, it's the first part of a series that's likely never to be finished, but it's pretty good reading all the same. If she's into alternate universes populated with anthropomorphic intelligent raccoons, you could pick up a copy of The Architect of Sleep (Stephen R. Boyett) and give her that as a memento of the trip. Total win, if she's into that sort of thing. Total fail, if not, so your call.

[Craig328]

V-Day won't be a big deal at our house. I just dropped too much on the wife's birthday 2 weeks ago and I'm taking her to Vegas in March. She and the kids will get cards and the kids will get some kind of chocolate or those sappy candy message hearts or something.

Naturally, this will probably morph into an elaborate dinner out that evening and I'll be renewing my acquaintance with self-loathing for not saying "no".

I may end up drinking whatever it is B9's cat is chugging down.

[modi123_1]

Wow.. at this rate I would almost advocate everyone signing on to a skype conference call/video chat to drink and converse... like our own virtual D.I.C.-Bar.

[Craig328]

lordofduct, on 09 February 2012 - 12:04 PM, said:

..she has shown interest in a state park up in the pan-handle that has caves (odd for Florida). I need to get some time off, but I'd like to take her up there.

They're called Florida Caverns and it's a great idea. Past Tallahassee a ways though. That'd be kind of a long drive for you guys wouldn't it?

The cave tour runs about an hour if you're not in a hurry and I want to say they have hiking trails and other stuff at the park. It's a state park so they may have closed days (you'll wanna check). It was quite some time ago that I went and at the time, there wasn't anything else to do up that way. You'd not be all that far from beach (Panama City) but I don't know what the story is there in mid-February (spring break start that early?).

Oh, you'll wanna have a light jacket for the cave tour. Can get chilly in there for some.

[modi123_1]

A bit more on my virtual bar.. I would like to think of it like Sunday Mass for the shut-ins... but with more booze and rotating control of the juke box... because you know - it's not a problem if you don't drink alone!

[lordofduct]

Craig328, on 09 February 2012 - 12:30 PM, said:

lordofduct, on 09 February 2012 - 12:04 PM, said:

..she has shown interest in a state park up in the pan-handle that has caves (odd for Florida). I need to get some time off, but I'd like to take her up there.

They're called Florida Caverns and it's a great idea. Past Tallahassee a ways though. That'd be kind of a long drive for you guys wouldn't it?

The cave tour runs about an hour if you're not in a hurry and I want to say they have hiking trails and other stuff at the park. It's a state park so they may have closed days (you'll wanna check). It was quite some time ago that I went and at the time, there wasn't anything else to do up that way. You'd not be all that far from beach (Panama City) but I don't know what the story is there in mid-February (spring break start that early?).

Oh, you'll wanna have a light jacket for the cave tour. Can get chilly in there for some.

Yep, those are them.

It's not a super long drive, it's definitely on the other side of the state. We do road trips out of state rather often though, so something 'in-state' ain't a big deal. We have plans to go to Boston and Chattanooga this spring and summer (PAX East FTW! Tenn. because we have friends there). She's excited to see caves as she's never been in any, and she'll probably enjoy them a lot more than when I brought her to the mountains for her first time, she saw snow for her first time, and then I strapped sticks to her feet and said "meet you at the bottom!" (or at least that's how she puts it).

[Craig328]

Ah, well, if you find yourself in Chattanooga during warmer weather I'd heartily recommend Rock City and Ruby Falls. They're about 90 mins from us and we took the kids last summer. Great day trip and well worth seeing.

Ruby Falls is the tallest underground waterfall and it's directly under Lookout Mountain. Moderate cave hike to get to it but it's worth the trip and the cavern is pretty impressive itself.

Rock City is up on top of the bluff overlooking Chattanooga and was impressive in its own right...until I discovered they planted a beer and barbecue pavilion at the top. For me, that just turned the whole thing up to 11.

[lordofduct]

Ruby Falls sounds awesome... cave waterfalls are amazing.

Rock City sounds cool, but I might be the only one enjoying beer and barbecue, the people we'll be with are dry and/or vegetarian.

[modi123_1]

Make sure you take pictures of any rails you might find on Ruby falls! (mining rails, hand rails, public shagging, etc)...

[WolfCoder]

I don't have the answer to what kind of twisted human would consider companionship with me wonderful, but I don't really criticize this holiday- if I had someone it would make a great excuse and I would embrace it easily.

[supersloth]

societal pressure is bullshit.

flowers delivered to work, then gonna make a vegetarian meal. tryin to keep it easy breezy.

[Jstall]

I will most likely get my wife a card and mayyybe some flowers. She will most likely get me a card. We don't make a big deal out of Valentine's Day.

I would still totally get drunk though