Valentines Day: The Night from Hell

Quick FYI: The music this morning went awesome. Thanks for all the great support!

It's no secret that I am more or a less a modern day Cassanova, a post modern silver tounged Prince who proves on a daily basis that chivalry is alive and kicking. A few months ago I treated Corrie to a night that can only be explained as unadulterated rapture in honor of Valentines Day. To be perfectly honest, I thought I had showed her the best night of her life, but as the following accounts prove, there are two sides to every story.

Corrie wrote this account a while back but I was afraid to publish it since it portrays me as... well, not so great. But I just read it to Sandy and the Lunar Module and they think I'm a sweetheart.

Valentines According To Michael: A Night of Magical Bliss

(the account is a bit choppy since I don't remember the night too well, on account of my state of joy)

-The night started out fine enough, as I arrived promptly on time and opened the door.
-We then enjoyed music as the excitement of the nights possiblity swelled inside of us.
-Arriving, we took some time to gaze at the stars, and I excused myself to use the restroom.
-A prince, I carried her up the rugged terrain of the mountain wihtout even breaking a sweat.
-I proceeded to shower Corrie with gifts, including a beautiful stuffed dog.
-Then a fire to keep us warm, followed by more star gazing and wondering what life is all about.
-Finally, I threw rocks down into the empty chasm, a physical metaphor for my passionate devotion, then carried her back down, safely.
-The ride back was filled with frenzied conversation and Corrie was giddy with excitement, possibility, but mostly awe.


Valentines According to Corrie: The Night from Hell!!!

Post Valentines Day dates never work. You would think that arranging
the actual celebration of the hallmark holiday on a different date
than the rest of the country would serve to relieve some pressure from
having to create this magical, pseudo-romantic night. Our Valentines
Day date (if you can even call it that) proved otherwise.

The night began with a bit of a delay. In the bitter cold, I watched
rather patiently for the familiar Jeep to turn around the corner and
when it finally arrived, I knew this would be a night to remember.
With the window rolled down, Michael shouted at me, "Hey you!" to get my
attention. He was a bit sour because, as always, he seemed to have
gotten himself lost. As I jumped into the car a bus pulls up behind
us. It seems we were parked right in front of the bus stop and
preventing the bus to arrive at its destination. After Michael cursed
a few times at the driver he begrudgingly started the car and we were off.

The one thing that kept rolling through my head as we were driving to
the unknown destination was, "If he doesn't have a plan I am jumping
out of this car whether it is stopped or not." After driving in
silence for almost 7 minutes I asked him casually, "So were are we
going?" Than my worst fear had come true, he began to run though a
list of possibilities. With a twinge of irritation he said, "Well, I
guess you're not hungry because you already ate?" He knew that I had a
dinner scheduled that night that I couldn't get out of but proceeded
to make it sound as though I was the inconsiderate one. Rather
reluctantly he recommended that we go to that "rock place". Luckily I
speak idiot, and so I knew what he was talking about and surrendered
my idea of a nice Valentines date and directed him all the way to the
place that he was so sure was a winner place to go.

As we drove up and gazed at the towering metal constructions and smoke
I thought, "I cannot believe that I am at a cement factory on my
Valentines Day date." As we step out of the car, facing a large rock
of limestone, Michael informs me that he has to pee and begins to
explain that with each relationship there is a certain amount of time
spent in the relationship which corresponds the distance away at which
he allows himself to stand while relieving himself. He said we were at
about 100 feet at this point in time. What every girl wants to hear I
assure you.

Approaching the giant rock full of brush and other scratchy wilderness
vegetation, I realized that I am in a skirt. I did not quite
anticipate a night of climbing to be one of the main components of our
Valentines Day date. Michael proceeds to pick me up with a grunt and
carry me up the mountain, panting like a dog.

An ounce of gratitude I must give him, for he did plan a head a little
bit. He brought a blanket and some candles to light. As I mentioned
earlier it was a cold night with a bitter wind, so the next 25 minutes
were spent desperately trying to light the candles. Just when he was
about to loose hope, his days of never being in boy scouts served him
well, he tried to start a fire with some of that scratchy stuff I was
describing. It was charming to say the least, when he asked me to tear
off a piece of my Valentines Day card, which I had not yet opened, in
order to help the fire get started. The last big surprise was his
gift. As he pulled the white ball of puffy white hair out of the
plastic Walmart bag I wondered how many times I have actually said to
him, "I don't like stuffed animals; I don't understand why guys always
buy them for girls? That's really something that makes a girl feel
appreciated, a freaking stuffed animal." Sure enough he handed me the
ugliest white stuffed dog I have ever seen, you know, the kind that
looks like you won it at a carnival for fifty cents. I was ecstatic to
see how well the date was going as each moment passed.

At this point he began to get a bit discouraged and when I say
discouraged I mean extremely bored and started throwing rocks off the
side of the cliff. Enough was enough and I suggested we get off this
damn rock.

On the ride back to campus we both sat in complete silence, neither
one of us willing to break the silence. Frustration seemed to have
reached a climax and Michael pulls over on the side of the road and we
end with one of our famous chats.

All in all it was something to be remembered. Maybe not for the fairy
tale romantic evening but definitely for the laughs it has brought
afterwards.