February 15, & the annual "it's so commercial -- I didn't do anything, you don't mind, do you?" festival has ended.
Certainly the holiday is overly commercialized, & doubtless just another way for florists, stationers, & chocolate-makers to increase their bank balances. But the best time to propose skipping that routine is after someone has spent two or three hours, on a busted foot, no sleep, & no coffee, stumbling around various neighborhood joints to find cards for you, your parents, & her own parent that are (a) affectionate but not revoltingly soppy, (b) suited to the recipient, & (c) in English (in this neighborhood, the third is by far the toughest). Even better, suggest it a few weeks after also providing that someone with a high-priced shopping list of suggested presents, including, but not limited to, Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls V, the only appeal of which is that it might possibly decrease the amount of time you spend slouched in your chair playing World of Warcraft, although it should still serve nicely as an excuse for you to avoid any boring, necessary jobs that you've agreed to take on at home.
