Love is...
Valentine's Day is kind of like a box of chocolates. Yeah, that's another guy's line. But think about it. The day starts out sweet and full of promise, but before you know it the romance is oozing away like filling from a half–eaten raspberry cream. The problem isn't a lack of love. (Well, maybe sometimes. But not always.) The real trouble is a lack of creativity... Roses are red, Violets are blue. Last year you gave flowers. Why not something new ? (...) Ladies, it may come as a surprise to you that 92 percent of men consider themselves romantic. A full 45 percent would label themselves with the "hopeless" tag. That's good, because 72 percent of women yearn for more romance in their lives. In perhaps the sweetest statistic of all, nearly seven in 10 people — men and women both — believe everyone has a soul mate. All this begs the question, where are we going wrong? According to Harlequin, nearly one in three people say they don't have enough time for romance and one in four men think being romantic takes too much money. Then there's the 20 percent of people who fear they won't lived up to their loved ones expectations. Finally, 23 percent of men and 17 percent of women suppress their inner Sinatra's because they aren't sure what it means to be romantic these days. Those statistics are tragic, but correctable. Here are some suggestions, mingled with a few factoids, to help you put a little red–hot into Wednesday's red–heart holiday. (...) Say it with Paris. Want to project "Will you marry me?" beneath the Eiffel Tower? No problem. How about taking a Rolls Royce deep into the forest to a candlelit island chalet ? Sure thing. A dawn serenade? A room full of teddy bears ? A hot air balloon ? ApoteoSurprise knows no limits. "We craft an apotheosis of emotions and quality moments to be shared between two lovers," the company's Web site proclaims. A personal favorite: Dinner at a "futuristic restaurant" where a cybernetic man will come to your table and reveal your personal love message on his incorporated TV screen.
Kiley Miller
