Ah...Valentine's Day.

So. Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you're all snug 'n things with your partner of choice, be they male, female, virtual, furry, fluffy, blown up, near or far, a book, a cat, a dog, or a box of tissues and chocolates (or as it is in my case, a large bottle of vodka, a bottle of cranberry juice, and my computer).

I've been meaning to talk about this for a long time, but for some reason it just seemed silly and somewhat stupid to talk about that crazy lil thing called 'love' when, firstly, I don't claim to know a thing about it other than what goes on in my brain, and secondly, I figure it's different in all books. And then, hey, check out the date! Perfect excuse right? But before we begin, let me set the rules: I will not cry, I will not rant (much), I will attempt to be objective and general, and I will attempt to use as little profanity as I can. Provided you lot don't laugh or roll your eyes or cry, rant, rave, or judge. Also: I'm not the expert! I'm just being opinionated 'n stuff 'n things, so no one kill me. All happy? Awesome, let's rock...

I keep seeing people stuck in relationships they shouldn't be in, either at all or anymore, take your pick. I know people who shouldn't still be together, except somewhere down the line in the turns and twists of their relationship they forgot that they were allowed to choose their own way, and now they're stuck together for the rest of their lives (granted, at 70, I suppose you really have to want to get out). Humans are creatures of habits, we like things we know, we're scared of things we don't. So few of us take risks anymore, and those of us who do tend to be looked upon as 'crazy idiots who really should settle down'. The thing is, habits and patterns are all well and good, if they're good patterns and habits. If you're in a relationship right now where you respect and love your partner and get that respect and love back, where you're communication is brilliant and everything is shiny 'n happy etc etc etc, then by all means, stay in that pattern and that habit. People who end up sticking it out in relationships where the spark has flown, either need to rekindle (and no I don't know how, I'm just half ranting thoughts here) or need to break the cycle and move on. The trouble is, they don't, because they're in a pattern where they know the ins and outs, where they know the rules and they know how the game is played - even if they don't like that game.

Of course, it's easy for me to say all of that. They're only words for me, for people in the situation, they have to be actions and that's always harder than words.

I've always viewed Valentine's Day as a little bit of a 'silly' holiday, carrying the same weight like 'Teacher's Day' - that came out a little bitter, but the metaphor stands: Teacher's Day is great for people involved in it, bringing apples to the teacher or whatever the traditions are these days (did that make me sound old?). The same goes for good ole V-day: if you're in love, and you're with someone, YAYY!!! If you're not in love and (I suppose therefore) not with someone, then YAYY!! Just another day!! If you're in love but not with someone, then you're just f***ed, cept not literally, which would be part of the problem maybe. (Okay that was bad. Sorry, couldn't help it. BAD V! *finds L and gets  a slap on the wrist*).

(Side question...is quarter to 4 in the afternoon too early to start drinking?)

Of course, you could argue that Valentine's Day is primarily driven by the deliciously capitalist chocolate fabrication businesses, I mean this is their jackpot day right? Forget Halloween, forget Easter (though I would really like another chocolate orange, kthnxbai), and forget Christmas, Valentine's Day is where they really hit the spot. Why? Because people forget about it if they're not 'in the loop', and so they look at the calander and go 'Oh shit, Valentine's Day...should do something in case s/he thinks I forgot and don't love her/him! Where's the nearest chocolate store?'. Okay, so maybe that's a little cynical (*cough*unhealthycynicism*cough*)...and maybe I'm spending too much time thinking about it, but it is V-day...that kind of gives me perogative to think about it right?

Anyways, I hope I didn't spoil anyone's chocolate kisses, and those of you celebrating, celebrate away (safely, please, the world is already overpopulated, we'd like to avoid more accidents in the back of the car, kthnx). And those of you who can't wait to move onto the next chocolate season where you don't have to think about not being someone, it's okay, Easter's just around the corner and we can all celebrate Zombie-Jesus Day with extra chocolatey oranges 'n bunnies, if that's your thing.

Clear Skies~V

Dating: you're doing it...fight? o.O

Same restaurant, same table, different people. Is that table cursed?

Scenario runs like this: two girls and a guy are sitting at the table (where Mr. I'm always talking on the phone and his Miss God I'm so bored I'm texting my friends now get me out of here were sitting the other night). We will refer to these three as: The Girl in Black, the Girl in White, and The Boy, because this amuses me and is more or less accurate.

So our story begins at around 7pm in the evening, on a Friday night in Sydney. The Girl in White has arranged to have dinner with her two friends, the Boy, and the Girl in Black. Option A is of course that The Boy and the Girl in Black are dating, and the Girl in White is simply the third wheel who is friends with both of them. Option B is that the Boy and the Girl in Black are siblings, or just close friends, and the Girl in White is the Boy's ex, potential, or current...or sibling. It's really hard to tell what's what when everything's in Chinese.

Anyways, the story continues..

So they're sitting at the table, apparently enjoying a large dinner. The girls start to bicker and escalation strikes. Soon car keys go flying across the restaurant to land on another table. The Girl in White gets up and apologises mutlitple times to the other patrons, collecting the keys. The dinner goes on.

Fifteen minutes later the escalation brews up a storm, the Girl in Black gets to her feet, arguing loudly with the Boy, who gets up and attempts to physically restrain her and get her to sit back down. My first reaction is, she's drunk and wants to drive and he doesn't want her to. But the argument is so heated by this stage that there's no question of her sitting back down again. She starts to shout at him - and I do mean shout - in the middle of a packed restaurant! If you've ever been to Fuyija (and I do advise that if you're in Sydney and you like Japanese cuisine you pay it a visit) you'll realise what I mean when I say 'packed'.

The Girl in Black storms off and the Boy follows her, she flees to the bathroom and he, being the gentleman (apparently) doesn't follow her in, but instead returns to his seat. The Girl in White talked to him, quietly. I hope she's apologising to him. Several times during the rest of their silent dinner she gets up to go to the bathroom, presumeably to check on the Girl in Black.

The Boy sits silent, every now and then, when he thinks no one's looking he looked pained. I feel kind of sorry for him, I seriously hope he isn't - or wasn't - dating either of them, cos that would've made for a crappy night, well, even more crappy than it had been up till then...they were still there when I left.

Clear Skies~V