Jim's Cafe - Valentine's Day (Sunday 14th February)

[johnDoen]

View attachment 42922
You wouldn't BELIEVE how close I came to posting this Cafe without remembering it was valentines day! (Its the curse of a lonely bastard it seems) but with no further ado: Welcome one and all to Jim's Cafe - Valentine's Day! I usually try not to do the Cafe too often, but I liked some of the topics I could do for this one, well, that was before remembering it was Valentines day, a day that I have no business leading given my special "forever alone" status, but I'm kinda down a path here, so I'm just gonna make it the best damned Cafe I can!

So, aside from Valentine's Day it is also (among other things) "Marriage Day", "Donor Day", "Cream-Filled Chocolates Day", "International Book-Giving Day", "Pet Theft Awareness Day", "Flirting Week", "Bake For Family Fun Month", and "Library Lover's Month". So for today I will be keeping the "tables" idea from last Cafe and will be having Two tables today: The Lover's Table and the Flying Solo Table, though I think I'm gonna do the facts before splitting you up this time.

Whatever table you end up on, today is the day to shout out those messages of love! (It is Valentines Day, Cream-Filled Chocolates Day, Flirting Week and Marriage Day, how many more excuses do you need??) Just remember to keep it PC people, there are some underage users on this site! (No naughty stories, sorry) So without further ado, The Fun (and sometimes not so fun) Facts:

1) Not a fun one, but important, during this last year pet thefts have skyrocketed for obvious reasons, everyone wants a companion in these lonely times and too many people are stealing others and selling them on, also Dogs are 5 times more likely to be stolen than cats, so keep your furry little loved ones close this Valentines Day and beyond.
2) The very first Valentine was sent in the 15th Century in the form of a poem written by a French Duke named Charles to his wife in 1415 whilst he was imprisoned in the Tower of London at only 21 years old.
3) The red rose is the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman god of love.
4) In the middle ages, young men and women would draw names from a bowl to determine their valentine and wear the name on their sleeve for a week, displaying it for all to see, supposedly this is where the phrase "to wear your heart on your sleeve" came from
5) A Pro-Tip for anyone sending chocolates this year, according to National Confectioners Association, Caramels are the most popular flavour of chocolate boxes, followed by chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate filled and cream filled... then coconut... to each their own I suppose.

=====================================================
View attachment 42925
Welcome you lovely and lucky people! Welcome to the table of Love, Lust and Chocolate (and Envy from anyone sitting at a different table)! May your days be happy and night be special. Lets try to make this heartfelt, and remember, feel free to spread those messages and stories of love. Honestly being reminded that you don't have to be a "happy and stable" normie to have a significant other is welcome.

Question Time:
1) Do you have a Significant Other? If so how long have you been together and how did you meet?
2) Have you ever made your own chocolates? What was the occasion and how did it turn out?
3) Do you have any plans for today?
4) What is your favourite thing about your Significant Other?
5) Tell us a love story of yours, doesn't matter what, whatever moves your heart.

=====================================================
View attachment 42926
Hey you solo warriors you! Whether you like to spread your net wide, like to keep it simple, or simply have no one to be with, welcome to the Flying Solo Table! Please feel free to share memories of Love and happiness if you wish, but out of respect to the forever alone crowd (myself included ) I will be keeping the questions Solo oriented and focusing on the other celebrations of the day.

1) Do you have a pet? If so, tell us about them (pictures welcome).
2) Have you ever given blood?
3) What is your favourite book and why?
4) When was your last adventure, and what was it? (any adventure counts).
5) What are your FAVOURITE chocolates?
6) Do you have any fun Valentines Rituals you observe as a single person?

=====================================================

I will try to invite anyone I can think of, so if I have missed anyone out, please feel free to invite them and give them a happy valentines message whilst you're at it if you like, and hijacking the threat for whatever reason is good too


Ok, time to start the tagging...
@Aurelia @FlamingoWrangler @HappyKitty @johnDoen @Kiwi2016 @cymbele @extraterrestrialone @Sunday16

Valentine's Day, or the 3rd day of a new lunar year. 23 years with no hope of a romance, mostly because I don't feel like dating anyone. At least, there are chocolates.

=====================================================
LAUVERZ TAEBAL
=====================================================

Do you have a Significant Other? If so how long have you been together and how did you meet?
- No. There were a few occasions when I felt somewhat attracted to other people, but I had never wanted to date them nor do anything more serious.

Have you ever made your own chocolates? What was the occasion and how did it turn out?
- I tried to make chocolate once. It was more of a coconut-flavored brownie, tasted slightly bitter, coconut-y, sweet, perhaps edible.

Do you have any plans for today?
- I'll be checking around the city to see if there is any public event that I can attend alone, of course.

What is your favourite thing about your Significant Other?
- I will answer this when I have a significant other.

Tell us a love story of yours, doesn't matter what, whatever moves your heart.
- Something that is close to a love story, to be honest.

There was this girl in my class in high school. I liked her. I wanted to know what it would be if I had a girlfriend. I came to ask her out during a break. She told me she needed time to think. The next day, she told me she understood my feeling but she had to decline. I was fine with that as I somewhat expected her answer. I didn't want to force her or anything. We were friends and classmates, until our graduation.

Yeah, there is nothing much significant nor dramatic about this story. It's not a Hollywood movie.

=====================================================
PHLAYING HAN SOLO - DA TAEBAL
=====================================================

Do you have a pet? If so, tell us about them (pictures welcome).
- No, I don't have a pet. I want to adopt a cat one day. My avatar is a cat image I found from Pexel, just search for "black cat".

Have you ever given blood?
- No, I haven't. Maybe I should but I've never gotten the time to attend to blood donation events, either being late or there is other works that require my attention.

What is your favourite book and why?
- Brave New World (1932), by Aldous Huxley. I can see the world that is described in the book is emerging or becoming more visible in reality everyday. The book is quite a collection of logical speculations about the future of humanity, based on the events during the time of writing (the Great Depression, racism and discrimination, eugenics, political tensions in Germany and Italy, etc.)

When was your last adventure, and what was it? (any adventure counts).
- I spent several hours traveling to the western part of my city quite spontaneously a weeks ago. Only congestion by almost every kilometer. I think people were preparing for the then upcoming lunar new year, but I hated those hours of in traffic jams.

What are your FAVOURITE chocolates?
- I enjoy dark chocolates and matcha-flavored white chocolates.

Do you have any fun Valentines Rituals you observe as a single person?
- Perhaps, go shopping at night for anything I want, mostly breads and a drink, tea or cocoa.

PS: I like the fun facts. Dog theft is quite a handful problem in my country, though the retaliation against the thieves is worse.

 

[LonelyHiker]

Interesting VD facts, @Dante, lol...


1) Do you have a pet? If so, tell us about them (pictures welcome).

I have a fat, lazy, middle-aged slob of a cat named Snape. Here's a picture of him flipping me off:


2) Have you ever given blood?

Yes, I used to donate once a month.. haven't donated in a while though, sadly..

3) What is your favourite book and why?

That's a tough one. The book I've probably read more than any other is S. King's The Stand. It is just an epic, captivating story. If we're including plays, then Beckett's Waiting For Godot, Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Mamet's American Buffalo are up there too...

4) When was your last adventure, and what was it? (any adventure counts).

A few weeks ago, my son and I took the bus downtown (Richmond's transit service is free at the moment) and explored Great Shiplock Park, part of the James River Park system. I used to live in Chicago, and used the CTA trains and buses all the time (I didn't even own a car then), and thought it'd be fun to take my son on a public transportation adventure..

5) What are your FAVOURITE chocolates?

Anything Toblerone....although Kit Kats and Snickers don't suck either..

6) Do you have any fun Valentines Rituals you observe as a single person?

Nope....it is just another day. I'm usually working (as I will be today)

 

[LonelyHiker]

Eating half price candy :P

That's right, and think about it...we single folks clean up on this one, since we've saved a small fortune on overpriced roses/flower arrangements, the obligatory yearly ritual of sea bass and filet mignon and the $85 Godiva truffles (pack of four).

😁

 

[LonelyHiker]

remember it doesn't only mean romantic love, it can be a day that's just for celebrating love in all its forms. That's how I choose to think of it

A wonderful way of looking at the day @JMG

 

[Dots]

thank you for inviting me. V-day was never really my.. day, but I will try.

Question Time:
1) Do you have a Significant Other? If so how long have you been together and how did you meet? Yes, 5 or 6 years now.
2) Have you ever made your own chocolates? What was the occasion and how did it turn out? I.....made cheese.
3) Do you have any plans for today? We did but the snow storm delayed plans.
4) What is your favourite thing about your Significant Other? no single favorite thing. it's just him. just who he is. he's kind, attentive, and caring. we can talk about anything and nothing and it's okay. it's okay to just be. his words are like a warm blanket, always there to comfort me and even when my whole world is crumbling and i withdraw and my mind goes into some kind of stasis... it's like he's waiting for me on the other side, like he's been waiting for me for a long time...for me to return from a thousand year journey into the stars, from the dark place my mind goes. from stasis. and we pick up where we left off.
5) Tell us a love story of yours, doesn't matter what, whatever moves your heart.
we met, we clicked, i chose another and he died.

 

[JMG]

A wonderful way of looking at the day @JMG

Ty very much for saying that @LonelyHiker ❤

 

[keepthereceipt]

Flying Solo Table
1) Do you have a pet? If so, tell us about them (pictures welcome).
Nope, don't even have a non-human to be with this year lol
2) Have you ever given blood?
No, for various reasons I haven't been able to meet the requirements for giving blood whenever I'd considered it in the past, although I believe I could now if I decided to
3) What is your favourite book and why?
My favorite book is whatever textbook I happen to be using for school, which at the moment is Introductory Circuit Analysis. I'm not really into fiction books to be honest
4) When was your last adventure, and what was it? (any adventure counts).
:<
5) What are your FAVOURITE chocolates?
I like really dark salted chocolate, also white chocolote even though I know it isn't actually real chocolate
6) Do you have any fun Valentines Rituals you observe as a single person?
Yes, getting drunk and using my tears as lube to... lol

Hopefully I'll be at the lover's table next year, but anyway I hope everyone else has a good Valentine's Day, whether you have a lover or not

 

[Witty_Sarcasm]

That's right, and think about it...we single folks clean up on this one, since we've saved a small fortune on overpriced roses/flower arrangements, the obligatory yearly ritual of sea bass and filet mignon and the $85 Godiva truffles (pack of four).

😁

Yeah, and I can eat what I want, since I'm not trying to look good for anyone. haha

 

[Inya]

Thanks @Dante

1) Do you have a Significant Other? If so how long have you been together and how did you meet?
Yes, we met on a hike in his country. We’ve been officially together for 2 years now. I can as well count those 2.5 years before when we were dying for each other hoping we’ll be able to be together one day.

2) Have you ever made your own chocolates? What was the occasion and how did it turn out?
Not really chocolates unless chocolate rum balls count. I prefer to make a yummy juicy chocolate cake.

3) Do you have any plans for today?
Valentine’s Day isn’t such a big deal here but it is Carnival time now. No street celebrations this year obviously but I hope some kids in cute costumes come asking for candies.

4) What is your favourite thing about your Significant Other?
I love the whole package. Everything he is and he does make him a person I fell in love with, along with all his failures and perfect imperfections, even things that sometimes make me angry.
With him I feel free, he lets me be myself and doesn’t limit me.

5) Tell us a love story of yours, doesn't matter what, whatever moves your heart.
I already wrote some pieces of mine here so I’ll tell someone else’s instead.

A friend fell in love with a girl that was sent to school to my country. She was of different culture and religion, very strict, especially to women.
She stayed with her relatives pretty guarded, but they managed to be secretly together for two years. They wanted to get married as soon as possible.

When she finished school she had to go home. They both new there was almost no chance her parents would ever accept him, but she had to try.
She first told her mother, she thought she might understand but instead she freaked out and told the entire family.
They locked her up and she wasn’t allowed to go out alone. They already found her a suitable soon to be husband.

The lovers made a plan before she left. If he doesn’t hear from her in a month he comes to get her on a certain day when she would go to church with her family.
So while he was slowly passing by in a car she ran and jump in, and they took off. She left with nothing but her clothes on knowing she can never come back. She was 18 and he was 20. They’ve been together for 35 years now.

 

[Autumn1973]

Thanks for the invite, Dante. This Valentines Day is shaping up to be much easier for me this year thanks to JMG. What she said about Valentines Day being a day to not only celebrate romantic love, but to celebrate love in all its forms left quite an impression on me. I never thought to look at it that way before. Since my divorce I've always tried to ignore this day - like I've tried to do with other holidays, too. But this weekend I've watched episodes 4,5 and 6 of the "Star Wars" saga - movies and memorabilia I've loved since I was a kid. And I also watched two Queen concerts - the band I love more than any other band. Two things I love, and I celebrated my love for them this weekend. Thank you, JMG

People like me have been picked on and made fun of our whole lives for a variety of things. We're the whipping boys/girls. The ones designated to be bullied...the ones who bullies look for excuses - any excuses - to hate. For some of us, all we have for comfort are movies and music. "Star Wars" and Queen are two things I've always had to make me feel at least a little bit better. Two things that would never attack me for being different. That's one reason for me to celebrate my love for them.

So the next time your hear someone talking passionately about their collection of action figures or comic books or anything else, keep in mind how important that collection might be because of what it means to them. For some of us, it's all we have to be happy about.

Happy Valentines Day, my friends.

Autumn

 

[Innocent Forever]

View attachment 42922
You wouldn't BELIEVE how close I came to posting this Cafe without remembering it was valentines day! (Its the curse of a lonely bastard it seems) but with no further ado: Welcome one and all to Jim's Cafe - Valentine's Day! I usually try not to do the Cafe too often, but I liked some of the topics I could do for this one, well, that was before remembering it was Valentines day, a day that I have no business leading given my special "forever alone" status, but I'm kinda down a path here, so I'm just gonna make it the best damned Cafe I can!

So, aside from Valentine's Day it is also (among other things) "Marriage Day", "Donor Day", "Cream-Filled Chocolates Day", "International Book-Giving Day", "Pet Theft Awareness Day", "Flirting Week", "Bake For Family Fun Month", and "Library Lover's Month". So for today I will be keeping the "tables" idea from last Cafe and will be having Two tables today: The Lover's Table and the Flying Solo Table, though I think I'm gonna do the facts before splitting you up this time.

Whatever table you end up on, today is the day to shout out those messages of love! (It is Valentines Day, Cream-Filled Chocolates Day, Flirting Week and Marriage Day, how many more excuses do you need??) Just remember to keep it PC people, there are some underage users on this site! (No naughty stories, sorry) So without further ado, The Fun (and sometimes not so fun) Facts:

1) Not a fun one, but important, during this last year pet thefts have skyrocketed for obvious reasons, everyone wants a companion in these lonely times and too many people are stealing others and selling them on, also Dogs are 5 times more likely to be stolen than cats, so keep your furry little loved ones close this Valentines Day and beyond.
2) The very first Valentine was sent in the 15th Century in the form of a poem written by a French Duke named Charles to his wife in 1415 whilst he was imprisoned in the Tower of London at only 21 years old.
3) The red rose is the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman god of love.
4) In the middle ages, young men and women would draw names from a bowl to determine their valentine and wear the name on their sleeve for a week, displaying it for all to see, supposedly this is where the phrase "to wear your heart on your sleeve" came from
5) A Pro-Tip for anyone sending chocolates this year, according to National Confectioners Association, Caramels are the most popular flavour of chocolate boxes, followed by chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate filled and cream filled... then coconut... to each their own I suppose.

=====================================================
View attachment 42925
Welcome you lovely and lucky people! Welcome to the table of Love, Lust and Chocolate (and Envy from anyone sitting at a different table)! May your days be happy and night be special. Lets try to make this heartfelt, and remember, feel free to spread those messages and stories of love. Honestly being reminded that you don't have to be a "happy and stable" normie to have a significant other is welcome.

Question Time:
1) Do you have a Significant Other? If so how long have you been together and how did you meet?
2) Have you ever made your own chocolates? What was the occasion and how did it turn out?
3) Do you have any plans for today?
4) What is your favourite thing about your Significant Other?
5) Tell us a love story of yours, doesn't matter what, whatever moves your heart.

=====================================================
View attachment 42926
Hey you solo warriors you! Whether you like to spread your net wide, like to keep it simple, or simply have no one to be with, welcome to the Flying Solo Table! Please feel free to share memories of Love and happiness if you wish, but out of respect to the forever alone crowd (myself included ) I will be keeping the questions Solo oriented and focusing on the other celebrations of the day.

1) Do you have a pet? If so, tell us about them (pictures welcome).
2) Have you ever given blood?
3) What is your favourite book and why?
4) When was your last adventure, and what was it? (any adventure counts).
5) What are your FAVOURITE chocolates?
6) Do you have any fun Valentines Rituals you observe as a single person?

=====================================================

I will try to invite anyone I can think of, so if I have missed anyone out, please feel free to invite them and give them a happy valentines message whilst you're at it if you like, and hijacking the threat for whatever reason is good too


Ok, time to start the tagging...
@Aurelia @FlamingoWrangler @HappyKitty @johnDoen @Kiwi2016 @cymbele @extraterrestrialone @Sunday16

I love your thingymajobs. They're so cool.
International book giving day? I'd love to join that.......

 

[Auri]

Hope everyone's having a beautiful, peaceful Sunday! I love you all. ♡♡♡

In some countries *coughFinlandcough* Valentine's Day is not only about your romantic "significant other", but about your best friends, and your buddies, all the people you love... Have you ever celebrated your relationship with your friends? Sent them a card? Told them you care about them in the way that feels right to you? That you're grateful for their presence in your life no matter what?

Let all the people you care about know that you do. Let someone on SF know that you value what they give to you, even if it's not "in real life", because it matters...

Hyvää Ystävänpäivää !
("Happy Valentine's Day" in Finnish, or literally, "Happy Friend's Day")

​

The world is a big place, your people are out there...

 

[Auri]

- Something that is close to a love story, to be honest.

There was this girl in my class in high school. I liked her. I wanted to know what it would be if I had a girlfriend. I came to ask her out during a break. She told me she needed time to think. The next day, she told me she understood my feeling but she had to decline. I was fine with that as I somewhat expected her answer. I didn't want to force her or anything. We were friends and classmates, until our graduation.

Yeah, there is nothing much significant nor dramatic about this story. It's not a Hollywood movie.

Dude, this is honestly one of the best things I've read today, better than any Hollywood movie. I know it's a "rejection story", and I am sorry about that, but people are generally not only bad at being rejected, but also at "rejecting" (sorry for overusing this difficult word...). This simple story seems so healthy and full of kindness and respect, and I'm glad you two got to be friends for some time.

 

[Auri]

Adventure, nasty horrible things, what hobbit would want one of those.

You are so cute. And I love how you spent your Sunday.

You want me to pick! I have so many. I'll have to make a list and come back to this question.

I'm interested in that list, in case it's still something you'd like to share at some point. Have a beautiful day.

 

[cymbele]

Happy Valentine's Day . My male friends independently gave me gifts and flowers because they know I don't have any significant other in my life now. To answer the first question I have 2 cats and one of them knocked over the vase of flowers, munched the flowers and gave me the gift of vomit on the kitchen floor. Yes I had to eat the chocolate.

1) Do you have a pet? If so, tell us about them (pictures welcome).

As I said I have 2 cats, one a fluffy grey boy cat, and a torty girl cat. The girl cat is 9 today as today is her birthday.
2) Have you ever given blood?

Lots of times. I have a gallon pin somewhere.
3) What is your favourite book and why?
I like mysteries and light hearted romance. Sometimes you get a book with both. I am a romantic.

4) When was your last adventure, and what was it? (any adventure counts).

Haven't had an adventure in a long time, and my friend who drags me on adventures and hikes hasn't been around so I can't even remember my last adventure.
5) What are your FAVOURITE chocolates? Caramel of course
6) Do you have any fun Valentines Rituals you observe as a single person? Nope

 

[Holding my breath]

Hi everyone. Thank you for the tag @Dante
Today has been quiet which was much needed.

I know it’s Valentine’s Day but we don’t celebrate it. My husband says it’s a day for people who never tell their loved ones that they love them to say it. He is not what I would ever describe as romantic.

1) Do you have a Significant Other? If so how long have you been together and how did you meet?
We met when we were 18 right at the start of our time in uni. That was 33 years ago. We’ve been married for 26 years

2) Have you ever made your own chocolates? What was the occasion and how did it turn out?
No, not that I can recall

3) Do you have any plans for today?
Sleep! Rest! Hide!

4) What is your favourite thing about your Significant Other?
He’s different. He always sees things in a different way to anyone else. He has some of the weirdest ideas. This goes two ways. Either it’s amazingly successful or he gets frustrated that other people don’t see his vision.

5) Tell us a love story of yours, doesn't matter what, whatever moves your heart.
My mum met my dad when she was 16. My dad was told by her father that he wouldn’t allow the match so my dad went away. To try to get over her, he went to New Zealand. He carried a photo of her in his wallet at all times. When he eventually came back he asked her to marry him and she agreed. They’ve been married 57 years. Hasn't always been easy but he still loves her unconditionally.

Here’s hoping all your Sunday’s go smoothly. Sending love and friendship. Xx

 

[Lane]

 

[Lane]

Thanks for opening Cafe and taggingme @Dante

 

[Lane]

welcome).

I have 2 cats. They do keep us laughing and pretty much run this house.

2) Have you ever given blood? Yes

3) What is your favourite book and why? NancyDrew mysteries. They inspired my love of reading

4) When was your last adventure, and what was it? (any adventure counts). Went to boardwalk and casinos a few weekends ago.

5) What are your FAVOURITE chocolates? Reese's peanut butter cups

6) Do you have any fun Valentines Rituals you observe as a single person? I decorate myhouse and usually give my co workers candy, my daughters card and Starbucks card.

 

[A_J_R]

I'm going to answer the 2nd set of questions, since my life and marriage are sort of in a state right now:


1) Do you have a pet? If so, tell us about them.

I have two rats. They are adorable. Hoping to get another cat soon. Mine left us a few months apart in 2019 and 2020.

2) Have you ever given blood?

No, and I don't know why.

3) What is your favourite book and why?

I have a lot of favorite books, but I've recently been thinking a bit about Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis because of how it handles grief and sadness and the destruction of family bonds when you grow up with dysfunction. I cried for 3 days after I finished it.

4) When was your last adventure, and what was it? (any adventure counts).

Haven't had an adventure in a good long while, but I love traveling and often go by myself to foreign countries just to prove I can survive. It's empowering.

5) What are your FAVOURITE chocolates?

I love chocolate covered cherries!

6) Do you have any fun Valentines Rituals you observe as a single person?

Not technically single, but I don't fuss much on holidays, so I have no rituals either way.

Thanks for tagging me!