well, the day has finally arrived. some fear this day. some loathe it. some look forward to it. but most of all, hallmark and jewelry stores can't get enough of it.

do people even know the origins of valentine's day or why the celebrate it? i don't want to go into too much detail, but i decided to copy and paste this from the history channel website:

"One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured. "

now, that said. i'm going to tell you why i've come to be somewhat annoyed with this holiday. i will admit that these feelings of frustration with valentine's day are embellished a bit when i'm single. i remember the first time i was "single" the first time on valentine's day (this was after i was old enough to date and had boyfriends on this day until this specific time). i was a senior in high school. now back then, i was just a boy-crazy girl and just sad i didn't have a valentine this time around. and two of my co-workers at the video store i worked at decided to surprise me and get me a small gift for valentine's day so that my "streak" wouldn't be broken. they were super kind to do so and it meant more to me than any other gift i could've gotten. i still have that vermont teddy bear and he's still cute.

now, i'm 25 years old and i've had my share of several valentine's days alone since. recently, i was in a long term relationship for a few years. when we were together, we never made a big deal of the day. he never got me flowers or candy. and i never did for him either. it was just a day that we would maybe spend time together or make dinner together or light a few candles. and those precious moments with him are unforgettable and priceless.

now for the second year in a row, i am single on valentine's day. i think the reason i'm a little sad is not because i won't be getting gifts or going out to dinner or getting flowers at my office. but i'm a little bummed because once again, it's a reminder that i don't have anyone to share a few romantic moments with every week.

so in honor of valentine's day and because i'm single, here is my valentine's day fantasy:

-lloyd dobler would come to my apartment after i get out of work and the gym and play the boombox outside my window playing peter gabriel "in your eyes". or if i wanna personalize it a bit, he'd play U2 "with or without you".

-we'd make dinner together and have a meal by the candlelight while playing the following songs from a personalized ipod playlist: sade- "by your side", sarah mclachlan- "ice cream", coldplay- "the scientist", u2- "all i want is you", sam cooke- "cupid", among others.

-we'd end the evening cuddling by the fireplace (in my fake date i have a fireplace) and watch an awesome movie. other things might happen, but i won't go into details. FIN.

in the end, i hope all of you have a wonderful valentine's day. whether you spend it alone, with a loved one, with a sweetheart, with family, or with friends, spend the day however you want. don't let hallmark or some retailer get the best of you. and buy all the awesome candy hearts at your local drugstore the day after at 50% off.