Phone Calls and Flower Shopping @Solsticepublish

Well it’s Valentine’s Day again.  In case I could have possibly forgotten among the countless jewelry and Victoria’s Secret commercials, I received another reminder today.  It was not from my wife, mind you.  I came home this evening and listened to my answering machine.  I have one of those messages where the machine speaks and says the number you have reached and to leave a message.  There was a message from a stranger saying they wanted to make a reservation for Friday night and to call them back at a certain number.   I shrugged it off and deleted it.  The next message was from the same person asking why he hadn’t received a call back yet.  I chuckled and deleted the message.  The next message was from the same person.  This time he was furious.  He said he was never going to eat there again if we didn’t call him back and make a reservation.  The fourth and final message was him again saying he couldn’t believe that no one was calling back.  Right after I deleted it, the phone rang and the caller ID said it was the same person.  I picked it up and said, “Hello?”   The person immediately hung up.  I guess he didn’t want the reservation after all.  I have this habit of always having to work on Valentine’s night.  When you go to the grocery store at 9:30 on Valentine’s evening the floral department is pretty bare.  One year a guy literally tried to pull the last rose out of my hand after I had picked it up.  It wasn’t much of a rose, but I was the one who had it and it was the last one in the store.  I had to get a store associate to help me get him to let go.  Lesson learned.  Ever since then I have bought my wife roses the night before and either given them to her then or put them in a vase after she was asleep so she would see them in the morning.  This way the selection is always good and everyone is happy.  I picked up my youngest daughter tonight on the way to the store to help pick them.  I am a traditional red rose guy.  My wife never complains and they just seem right.  Tonight my daughter said, “This year get her white ones.”  I said I wanted red ones.  She pointed out that the red ones looked wilted already and the white ones still looked fresh.  Then she pointed out how mad her mom would be if the roses died in a couple of days.  I have to say, she was right.  So after a long debate I finally bought the white ones.  I know different colored roses are supposed to mean different things.  I have no idea what white means and hopefully my wife doesn’t either.  She is my life.  When I feel like I am going to falter, she is right there to hold me up.  She is my rock and I could not imagine life without her.  Happy Valentine’s Day to my darling wife and to all of you.  I hope your flower shopping goes well.