I try to wear neutral colors today.

No way am I decking myself out in scarlet from head to toe; nor do I think black is appropriate. Frankly, I think it's lame, a cop out. It's too easy to jump on the Black Friday Bandwagon (Motto: "Stupid Hallmark Holiday!") and mope throughout the day. I agree that it is among the lame commercially driven holidays, but I'm not going to pout about it. You don't see me harping on about "Easter" wherein Cadbury and the chocolate egg companies developed a "character" called "Our Lord and Savior" and "resurrected" "Him" so that we'd all "believe" in the "Easter Bunny" who manages to hop around delivering "eggs" to "children" without leaving any "footprints" or any "droppings." You trying to tell me that this "magic bunny" can do all that and not crap at every third house? Have you ever owned a rabbit? Thought not.

(Incidentally, one year my parents did put forth the effort to put fake bunny paw prints in the dirt around where they hid the eggs, and I thought that was neat. I never really held much stock in the Easter Bunny. I knew he had to be fiction, a secular symbol of a holiday some people apparently hold more dear than Christmas. I think in my Belief Rankings of Fictional Symbols had Santa Claus first, the Tooth Fairy second and the Easter Bunny third. Yet the Tooth Fairy freaked me out. I held some belief in her because I figured it had to be a magical creature that could get under my pillow and replace a tooth with money while I slept. Apparently, I was a heavy sleeper. And yet, this ability also began to scare the crap out of me, because if she could take my dead teeth and leave money, what stopped her from messing with me or my stuff if she wanted? Eventually I wised up and when I lost a tooth, I'd walk up to Mom or Dad, hand it over and demand money.)

Back to the entry I'd sort of set out to write.

Even when I wasn't in a relationship, I'd make plans with friends for the 14th of February. One year in college a dozen of us went out to eat. That year, I wrote a column in the school paper from which this entry is drawn. When I returned from dinner, I had a few e-mails and a couple of phone calls from women commenting on it � one even asked me out.

I love that Casey doesn't care much for today in that she insists we don't have to do anything special. I prefer the tradition we seem to have begun wherein we buy one another wonderfully superficial and fun gifts � Powerpuff Girls and The Beauty and the Beast DVDs (for her) and a Fry Daddy deep fryer (for him). Tonight, we're going to see Daredevil with some friends and tomorrow it's off to Florida.

But I'm also warmed by the sight of people who have fun with today. There are those without someone special to celebrate with, but it doesn't detract from their enjoyment of the "holiday." Paige here at work baked brownies last night (with some damn good Ghirardelli chocolate) and decorated them with red hearts, then served them on a platter atop a bed of both large and small candy hearts. I'm on a sugar high right now, let me tell you.

Earlier today when I mentioned to Gary how I hoped we wouldn't be here too late tonight (because it's Friday) he replied, "I don't think we will be. It's Valentine's Day, for Christ's sake."

Well, it might not be for "His" sake, but I'll take it just the same.

It sure beats that day we shower our groundhogs with love.