Men are Funny

Okay, so we've all been in a bit of a blogging rut lately. It's February -- that must be it.

Today, however, is the silliest day in the year. People are either running around like chickens without heads trying to make the right gestures, or else they're stomping around, wearing black and muttering. It's a Hallmark holiday, people. If you're happy right now, you are, and if not -- just look as tomorrow as an excuse to get some chocolate cheap. It tastes just as good then.

This evening, a friend and I went to the supermarket. I was going in to pick up a couple of things (they were OUT of my ice cream -- how DARE they?!), and she did need to pick up a card for her boyfriend. This is around 5 pm. The place is crawling with men -- many with a mildly terrified look on their face. They've got a flower table set up right near the front door. Guys are running around holding those decorated chocolate chip cookie hearts (umm, dudes, just...no. Really). I kind of liked the ones buying tulips -- there's something nice about a bunch of tulips, but even those guys looked harried.

So we went upstairs to the card section. There were many men wandering around picking up cards and muttering. One guy pulled out his cell phone and was talking to someone about his possible choice. "What about 'To a Great Gal?' Not a lot of commitment implied there, right?" (Ummm -- no, again. Get a funny one, get a non-drippy one, but that 'To a Great Gal?'. You may as well just give her a noogie and a baseball jersey and a beer 'cause she's a 'bud'. You can also pick up your goodbye slip on your way out, because you're not coming back). There were still loads of cards for women up there. One guy looked at us and laughed and said "well, at least it's not just me up here". I told him I wasn't shopping for a card, and that he really had left it a little long. As my friend noticed, though, women are way more organized as the 'to the men' section was pretty much stripped clean. She managed to find a decent one that had fallen down the back of the display.

So we walked out behind loads of guys with bunches of flowers and the makings of semi-romantic dinners and the slight air of panic. Well, good luck to you all. But everyone can just chill. Just keep being good guys tomorrow, and it will be fine. And if she freaks out today -- toss her back. If you're measured by the size of the card, the poundage of the chocolate, or the stem count on the flowers, you're all in it for the wrong things.

Although a dozen red roses are really, really nice. And very much appreciated, especially when they're unexpected. I'm just saying.

And now on to the bathrobe, the comfy slippers and some cheesy movie. Without the ice cream (sigh).