Anatomy of a Valentines Day

It began like most mornings this time of year. The sun rising over an overcast grey winter sky. The chill of yesterdays rainy sleet forgotten with the weak assurance a warmer day. After all, it's Valentines Day!

While concoting an incredibly tasteless corn beef and hash breakfast I made the rash decision to forgo dinner at a local chain restaurant and indulge instead with T-bone steaks, maybe rib eye's, and a bottle of red wine. Served with romantic candles in the privacy of home!

All that was left was to make the trip to the grocery and pick up the provisions for my amorous venture after work. I had the menu memorized by the end of the day, adding and subtracting and had arrived at the most appealing meal ever imagined!

And then.......

The car would not start. Stuck in the employee parking lot with panic rising in accordance to the diminishing daylight.

A quick call to my Love. "THE CAR WON'T START!!"

"Do the lights come on?"

"Yes! I just got a new battery not so long ago!"

"Where are you?"

"The parking lot at Elvis World!"

"I'll be right there."

Oh how I love him! No rebukes, no fussing, no nothing.

Just "I'll be right there." As beautiful and as lovely as "I love you" and more substance than a box of chocolates.

"Try putting it in neutral then back to park. Then try to start it."

"Oh!!! It started!"

"Come on home"

Damn. There goes the trip to the liquor store for the wine, Kroger's for the steak, and the bakery for some kick butt cup cakes! Rats! My plans dashed at the last minute!

I found a bag of frozen raw shrimp in the freezer, sea food boil in the cupboard. A box of chocolate cake mix and powered sugar and just enough left over coffee for a tasty frosting. Potato's and chicken and green beans - that was our Valentine dinner.

Oh and just enough coconut rum for two cocktails.

Never was a more fantastic dinner.