happy valentine's day? me?

unbelievable but true: i actually had a happy valentine's day.

last year, my friend gave me two beautiful exotic ancient rings that he'd found at my one of my favorite shops on the upper east side, a place that actually specializes in beads, middle eastern furnishings and ethographic art. we went inside this shop on a whim after a saturday afternoon date to the planetarium, and he remembered how much i loved it. problem was, he couldn't remember the shop's location. so a few weeks before valentine's day, he spent the better part of a day trudging all over the upper west side looking for it. when he finally found the place, he couldn't remember which ring i preferred, so he got them both.

needless to say, those rings mean a lot to me.

this year, he gave me another ring, from south africa. it's simple and heavy, with a tiny bird pirched on it's rim. i surprised him by having a bouquet of tulips delivered to his office. i don't know if he's ever had a serious office job before. (he's been working in bars forever.) this is a comfortable situation in a picture-perfect part of brooklyn and it's small. (how small? when he opens his lunch, everyone knows what he's having. that small.) he said that when the ups guy showed up with this box, it automatically went into his bosses' office because everyone assumed it was for him. when the box came out and was placed on his desk, everyone looked at him as if to say, what could you possibly be doing as a boyfriend that a woman would send flowers to you? (if they have to ask, they'll never figure that one out. ha.)

after work, he met me at aaron davis hall for their "love, rhythm & soul: a valentine's day concert for lovers" (featuring the one and only miki howard) with a special room called "the pamper zone" sponsored by dazzlin' diva that had cocktails, food, spa treats, a dj, you name it. it was wonderful: catering by harlem restaurant called creole (the tilapia was divine), beauty products by warm spirit that blew me away -- a scented candle made of soy with a cotton wick that, when melted, could be applied to the skin like lotion. (amazing.) and there was a stripper with a collapsible pole. when they stopped everything so she could do her dance, i turned to my friend and said, "you will never get away from burlesque." too bad attendance wasn't what it could have been because it was drop-dead freezing outside but everyone loved it.

and can i tell you that it felt so good to be able to say goodnight and walk a few blocks to get home instead of having to take an hour-long train ride like i usually do when i'm hanging out downtown?