Forgettable VDay

#60: A Load of Croc

I just finished singing my best rendition so far of Natalie Cole's "Unforgettable." Our Magic Mic system didn't seem to agree and so it gave me a score below 90. How evil.

In a minute or so, Valentine's Day would be over. No flowers for me this year. 1st time in 10 years. Last year, our janitor gave roses to all the girls in the office so at least I got something. (I don't like red roses but I must admit that that was mighty sweet of him.)

I remember the first bouquet of flowers I got on Valentine's day. I was in 6th grade. It was a bunch of pink roses. 6 pink ones that confused me more than they pleased me. What did 6 mean? Twice the love, half the adoration? The poor guy even drew my portrait. He was extremely good in art but I was extremely freaked out. Unforgettably freaked out.

There was also this unforgettable Valentine's Day a few lifetimes ago wherein I got 12 lovely white roses and a jar of home-made white chocolate chip cookies in a furry Cookie Monster bag. I had dinner with an old friend recently and he recounted how that particular gift turned their kitchen into some nuclear wasteland. Apparently, his friend decided to abuse him and his family's hospitality by choosing to bake my cookies there. Seems like that VDay was unforgettable for his kitchen too.

My last real Valentine's gift came 5 years ago. It was this perfume I loved. Romance by Ralph Lauren. How I loved that fragrance. I couldn't imagine myself smelling any other way. Now it sits on my dresser still half-full. The alcohol has overpowered its original scent. Time has changed it as time has changed me. Now I wear Glamourous.

And I decided to wear all black today with that scent. Black always conveys a higher degree of professionalism and so I chose this outfit for today's string of meetings. The ad agency thought I was making a statement against today's sugar-laced celebration. I was merely making a statement to the Sales Director of a partner that I'm meeting for the first time. The meeting went well. My seemingly Anti-Valentine get-up delivered.

I got back to my office after a long day and saw a little gift on my desk. It was from one of our business partners. Nothing Godiva. Nothing impressive. Nothing which I couldn't attribute to the only Valentine-friendly thing I wore today. Cheers to my Red faux croc shoes!

And Happy VDay to all you lovestruck people out there!