sj, I'm glad you didn't have a meltdown, and I hope you start feeling calmer very soon.

smonster, I bet you got a ton done today, though.

Dear god, nowhere near enough. Everything just seems to take forever, and all the little errands and emails add up. And I've measured, and the litter pan will take up about 1/3 of my trunk. This is going to get interesting.

Yay, Jilli! Seriously, that vampire movie is... barely a vampire movie. I won't blame you if you get bored and turn it off.

Way to go, Pix!

smonster, can you strap it to the roof?

No, I don't think so. And I can just see it flying off and exploding all over the highway, causing a 20-car pileup. I *think* I can get everything in the car I want to, but it will be very cozy. I suppose it's best I have no (human) passenger.

Silly Things Elsewhere On The Interwebs:

A discussion about whether men "should" give women flowers on the first date; answers ranged from "no, that's too soon," and "no; he should make the effort to find out if I even *like* flowers" to "well *obviously* he should; if he can't make an effort at the start, I know he won't make an effort for the long haul," and "I expect flowers regularly...and I get them."

And for the life of me, the only thing I could think of to contribute was "Maybe the guy would like flowers -- does no one ever think of that?" (So then I had to go ask Tim -- after 5 years of dating -- if he would like to get flowers. [SPOILER: yes.] I feel silly I hadn't asked before.)

What is the deal with flowers? They just die.

Huh. I think I've only gotten flowers a couple times, but I was charmed...OTOH, none of those were on the first date.

I'm not sure if I've ever given flowers. I think I have...

What is the deal with flowers? They just die.

They're pretty and smell nice AND sometimes your pets eat them.

Yeah, *for me,* if a guy gave me flowers on the first date, I would be all, hey, trying too hard, dude! But I like getting flowers, particularly for no reason. I don't expect flowers...well, *ever,* but especially on mandated dates like Valentine's Day.

Flowers are in the category of Can Be A Genuinely Thoughtful Thing Given To [Sweetie] To Make [Sweetie] Smile. (Of course, they can also be in the category of Oh Crap, I Think I'm Expected To Produce Something; Flowers It Is.)

But other things can be in the category of Can Be A Genuinely Thoughtful Thing Given To [Sweetie] To Make [Sweetie] Smile. For instance, one night early in our relationship, Tim and I loafed in bed making mobius strips. A few days later he brought me a mobius strip he made out of metal.

It sits on the TV, b/c it can be seen from just about anywhere. And I do grab it and throw it in my Panic Bag when we go downstairs for tornado warnings, etc. I love it more than flowers. But I also think flowers are lovely and sweet when they're just a nice gesture, not something he feels forced to give.

What is the deal with flowers? They just die.

Do you mean why do people give them, or why do they just die?

I rather liked George Bernard Shaw's comment, when a friend asked him why he had no flowers around his house: "I like flowers, I also like children, but I do not chop their heads and keep them in bowls of water around the house."

Flowers are pretty! And I feel like they're rare enough that they make an impression. That said, I think they're great for, say, a SECOND date. First date, that's a bit much. Also, because it's better if your'e bringing them to the house, rather than giving them to someone when you're meeting up somewhere and they have to drag them around all evening.

...I can think of four occasions I've gotten flowers, though I'm pretty sure I've gotten them other times. Once in college...memorable more for the aftermath, when we were playing "Taboo" and a friend had helped him pick the flowers, and the word was "carnations" and I said to her "cheap roses!" and she busted out laughing...having suggested to him that carnations were a poor plan. Then there was a rose (from a gay man, on a group date--he got one for each of us) before a ball, also in college. The first girl I ever dated showed up with a sunflower on one of our first dates. And then the memorable "I tried to match the flowers to your hotel room" adorableness.