Valentine's Day

For most of my life, I called this holiday "Black [Insert Day of Week Here]." It just happened that most of my relationships just weren't in progress on this particular holiday, which may have originated as a Saint's day by the Catholic Church, and evolved into First Quarter Profits for Hallmark and its competitors.

However, there are two Valentine's Days in my life that were particularly significant. One was February 14, 2009, the night my wife and I became engaged, and the second was celebrated last night.

Two years ago, plans were set in motion. OK, not set that in motion, because I was not a very organized man back then. I had an idea of a restaurant, a romantic carriage ride, and a visit to the second-highest observatory in NYC, the Top Of The Rock. Once we arrived, my lady remarked that carriage ride would be too slow and somewhat odorous, and she was interested in a slightly different choice of restaurant. As luck would have it, this other choice had a table available, and we made use of it. The red wind risotto we enjoyed has now become an annual tradition for us.

The part of my plan that could not be changed was the visit to the Top. After viewing the Manhattan skyline from two of the four angles, and posing for the souvenir photo, I beckoned my wife-to-be to a corner of the deck. She faced back towards the building while I faced out towards the City. I got down on one knee with the ring, and I felt wind rushing past my ears.

My inner voice said, "Holy Crow, Allweiss, this isn't a work. This is for real! You're really getting engaged now! Who woulda thunk it!" Although my wife and I both knew quite well what the question and answer would be, I asked her to marry me, and she said "Of course!"

She had indicated to me that she had always wanted to get engaged on Valentine's Day, but that she didn't want it to be done publicly -- nothing on the JumboTron at a hockey game, although that is the sport we both live. So I tried to keep the proposal out of sight, but there were a few observers who applauded our special moment. That was fine with us though -- we had a nightcap at the Algonquin Hotel, and then took the long drive back to Princeton, NJ.

This year, Valentine's Day is tomorrow, a Monday. However, my wife and I decided to celebrate the holiday, as well as the second anniversary or our engagement by re-visiting that fine Italian bistro she discovered. Beforehand, I had tried to show how my organizational skills had improved by arranging for gifts, flowers, and chocolate that I knew she'd love. At the restaurant, our red wine risotto was not on the menu. However, the head waitress, willing to please, told us she'd have the kitchen make it for us anyway. So we shared it, as well as a perfect gnocchi dish.

During our meal, we met a nice couple of tourists from Cincinnati who remarked that they'd need to order that risotto next time they visited this bistro. During our conversation, we explained that this was an anniversary of sorts for us. Having been all ears that evening, the head waitress later brought us a tiramisu, compliments of the chef, with a candle burning. Clearly, dessert was spoken for, and we wouldn't need more at the Algonquin.

So we returned to the Algonquin for coffee and tea, and finished our night. At home, my wife arrived to a vase filled with a dozen red roses and a teddy bear on the table. I presented her with a box of Godiva chocolates and other gifts, and she did likewise for me. I'd gotten everything right this time, and so did she. We affirmed our feelings for one another, and felt even better than that night we'd gotten engaged.

My wife and I are extraordinarily busy people. I sometimes refer to the pace of our lives as "Gottagohere, Gottagothere, Gottagogottagogottgo Right Now!" I've been on top of a new account for our firm that has become bigger and stronger, and my lady has been making a name for herself as an acting coach for the many young people who come to NYC to prove themselves in musical theater. Both of these endeavors leave little time to simply enjoy life, but last night we made the time. I only wish we could make this kind of time more often, because when we do, all our cares and troubles seem to melt away into the background, rather than us seeming to melt into our cares and troubles.

For the time being, it seems that the lady and I will have to work long and hard hours doing what we do. There's nothing wrong with that, since hard work is often its own reward. That being said, we need more time for ourselves and each other to stay human. That's one of several reasons why I seek to monetize a blog and earn profit from it. Unfortuantely, the powers that be at Google AdSense recently deactivated my ad feeds, so I cannot earn a profit from this particular blog. If anyone out there is willing to point me in a direction that would remedy this situation, feel free to comment!

Oh well -- until the two of us find the additional security we seek, we'll keep toiling away, knowing that at the end of every day, we're there for each other. We start every day together, and we end every evening together too. It's the little things that remind us that we're still people after all.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!