except for the fact that he sent me a card that said "I wouldn't even have sent this, but I knew you'd be mad if I didn't do anything"

The last boyfriend did this. It was as crass as it was incorrect...which sort of underlined the whole "I'm not really bothering to know you" phenom with a line brighter than I could ignore.

Don't get me wrong. I've had some truly lovely VDay, Bday and anniversary events in my life. The great stuff of stories. I just object to the forced march of commercial romance. If you don't feel it, you don't feel it. Pretending you do is such a waste.

I'm right next to Vortex and Maria watching the Jared store burn. The Leo diamond? Why do I even KNOW about that? Brainwashing. That's why.

Hey, how do people shake off the unsettled feeling after a really bad nightmare? My brain was very evil to me last night, and I am *still* feeling twitchy and scattered.

Well, it was one of the reasons why he wasn't the guy I was going to spend the rest of my life with. He was a wonderful guy would bring flowers unexpectedly, etc. but, to him, his "principle" that VD was crap was more important than my feelings.

Hey, how do people shake off the unsettled feeling after a really bad nightmare?

I get into a safe space, close my eyes and try to remember the nightmare. For me, the thing that's scariest is the unknown, so if I can pin it down, I feel better. I am always scaredest of that thing hovering just beyound vison, perception. YNMV.

Hey, how do people shake off the unsettled feeling after a really bad nightmare? My brain was very evil to me last night, and I am *still* feeling twitchy and scattered.

I listen to "Starfish and Coffee" by Prince and "Spirit Voices" by Paul Simon a good half-dozen times each, and then I read the chapter in A Little Princess where Sara awakes from a sorrowful sleep after a wretched and cruel evening, and finds her miserable little garret transformed by unseen, loving hands into a snug, cozy wonderland of late-night tea and comfort. All that, and a cup of cocoa if the weather is appropriate, provide some degree of antidote to brain-venom. I'm very sorry your brain mistreated you so badly last night. May tonight be worlds better.

"principle" that VD was crap was more important than my feeling

That's a sign - esp when your talking valentine's day - I think your immortal soul is not in any danger if you come to a compromise on this one

I read the chapter in A Little Princess where Sara awakes from a sorrowful sleep after a wretched and cruel evening, and finds her miserable little garret transformed by unseen, loving hands into a snug, cozy wonderland of late-night tea and comfort.

oh man that just made me cry.

I am terrible at shaking off nightmares. My inability to do so is legend.

Ah yes, Valentine's Day. Yet another thing to thank the Victorians for - a whole day dedicated to making everybody feel like crap.

I am off to vote. I think I've made a decision. It was tough, because I'm still waiting for a candidate to step up and say "If elected, I will abolish the Department of Homeland Security and all its subsidiary organizations immediately. Seriously, January 21, 2009, they are GONE."

...maybe I'll run for President. "A marzipan in every pieplate."

Hey, how do people shake off the unsettled feeling after a really bad nightmare? My brain was very evil to me last night, and I am *still* feeling twitchy and scattered.

Lots of water, doing what Vortex suggests in terms 'what we can see becomes smaller'...sometimes I'll draw what I saw or tell the story outloud (to no one in particular) so that it becomes more in-the-moment and suffers the clear light of day. Then? A healthy dose of cuteoverload.

A Little Princess where Sara awakes from a sorrowful sleep after a wretched and cruel evening, and finds her miserable little garret transformed by unseen, loving hands into a snug, cozy wonderland of late-night tea and comfort.

Was this made into a Shirley Temple movie? Her wealthy daddy goes to war and they think he dies and she is made a maid at her boarding school and befriends another little girl maid? I remember the scene you describe above from the movie and it was so sweet.