First Date Spots:
For a perfect first date, the ideal go to spot should always be the Pike Place Fish Market. Romance blossoms in this heartwarming atmosphere where love and a fishy aroma fills the air. Not only can a couple watch fish throwing with joy, but can even partake in guessing whether or not the fish in the display are actually dead or if they’re made of rubber!
Another stellar option would definitely be a visit to your date’s man cave. In the hot, sweaty environment with dirty clothes and game consoles on the ground, romance can truly thrive. Perhaps you could play a competitive yet intimate game of Fortnite or even just watch him play while sitting in the corner! How sweet.
A final solid choice has to be a trip to the commons cafeteria. Bonding in line, sharing a slice of pizza, memorizing each other’s student IDs… doesn’t that sound romantic?? Don’t forget to sit side by side in the middle of passing period shouting over the noise, it’ll be the highlight!
Bad First Date Stories:
I brought a guy to the house I was pet sitting for on our first date. We carved pumpkins and were excited to even spot a coyote in the backyard. As we were leaving a neighbor came over and told us we needed to come look at something. She led us to her porch where she showed us a box containing the still warm body of one of the cats I was feeding. She had found it right after a coyote killed it. We had to carry the cat home and put it in the basement. I called to deliver the news to its owner as we sat in an hour of traffic on the way home. Nice guy, unfortunate date.
“He took me to a Destroy Lonely concert. He couldn’t drive so I had to take the train with him, but he took us on the train to the wrong concert venue so we had to get on another train to go to the right one. We got there and he didn’t introduce me to any of his friends and spent the first half hour before the concert trying to decide if he wanted to do ketamine. So he took me into the boys bathroom with his friend who was doing ketamine, and then decided that he wouldn’t do ketamine because he wanted to “be present” with me. Such a stand up guy. So I was in the boys bathroom watching his friends do ketamine instead. Then while the concert was happening I lost my phone, and he didn’t want to help me look for it because he really liked Destroy Lonely and didn’t want to miss any of it. The concert ended and I still had to find my phone so we waited in the lost and found line and he was SO sweaty and smelly. He was shorter than me and was wrapping his arms around me but I could feel that he was sweaty. Literally the broke boyfriend hug. Afterwards, I went outside to wait for my uber and he left before my uber got there so I was just waiting outside alone in SODO.”
“The worst first date I’ve ever been on was with this random guy from Roosevelt, which is already a red flag. He had a BMW, so he was rich, and we were having a good time at Gasworks sitting and talking. He was kinda telling me what he likes to do in his free time, and he was telling me how he likes hunting, and I was like ‘Ok, weird, but okay? You like to hunt?’ So I was asking him what he likes to hunt, and he was like ‘Oh, I’ll go get some ducks or something,’ or whatever it is that people hunt. But then he was like ‘One time I was hanging out with my friend and we had a gun and we were in Queen Anne and we saw a raccoon and we shot it. The neighbors weren’t very happy.’ But apparently afterwards, they went to Magnuson Park and made a bonfire and ROASTED the raccoon and ATE IT. He said it didn’t taste that good… but yeah. I ghosted him.”
Consumerism:
Valentine’s Day, often celebrated with romantic gestures and heartfelt gifts, has increasingly become a commercial holiday. Once rooted in love and affection, there has been an increasing surge in consumerism, with businesses capitalizing on the occasion to promote everything from chocolates and flowers to elaborate dinners and romantic getaways.
- Formal messages, or valentines, appeared in the 1500s,
- By the late 1700s commercially printed cards were being used.
- The first commercial valentines in the United States were printed in the mid-1800s
Christian Origin:
The origin of Valentine’s Day dates back to around 1806. The history around this holiday is somewhat murky as there are multiple different interpretations to how Valentine’s Day has come to be now and how we celebrate. Saint Valentine, a 3rd century Roman saint, was facing the dilemma that Emperor Claudius thought single men made better soldiers and therefore banned soldiers from being married. The most common interpretation is that Valentine fought against this and continued to perform weddings of young soldiers who were in love and were imprisoned by Claudius. While imprisoned, Valentine supposedly fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. He sent her a card and signed it, “Love, your Valentine.” Now, almost one billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year on or near February 14 and it is a national annually celebrated holiday!
