> Valentines Day Sucks! > > Just thought I'd share that....
Folks:
That's a shot across the bow of the good ship Creativity!
Saint Valentine's Day doesn't suck.
The fact that you or I didn't have a sweetie (or if we did, it didn't feel to be the best of romantic pairings) is what you consider to have "sucked." But I can't believe that is true. Cynicism is only the mark of a disappointed optimist, after all!
How about getting together for a heretical send-up of St Valentine's Day? I propose a full day of really odd gatherings: "Saint Angilbert's Day".
Saint Angilbert's Day
Tuesday, 18 February 1997
Angilbert was a key player in the Court of Charlemagne in the 8th-9th Century. Charlemagne ruled the largest growth company of his day, called the "Holy Roman Empire".
Angilbert was a minister of various offices, secretary to the emperor, privy councillor, and so on. He set up a 24 x 7 operation in his abbey of Saint Riquier in Centula, having round-robin chanting shifts among his 300 monks and 100 young lads. He also expanded the budget for his expert-system/knowledgebase in his abbey's library, and grew his physical plant for greater onsite ecclesiastic capacity.
He worked his tail off his whole life, so he has a lot in common with us Silicon Valley types. He died 22 days after his venture capitalist and close friend the Emperor past away in 814 AD. His feast day is the 18th of February.
Do whatever you want, from laundry to eating a pint of Haagen-Daz, or better yet, create a social gathering with strictly un-romantic but fun possibilities.
Get out there, find something to do. Turn to your regular-joe friends to do it if there's no one ready & willing to grant the smooches and huggies we know we all so richly deserve. Leave the office work for an evening, and enjoy the night air!
Go out to see a totally random show! And no, I don't mean at Century Cinemas in Mountain View; movies are too easy. (I hear there's a good blues band in San Rafael -- the Russell Brothers -- at the 4th Street Tavern. I've never heard them before, and I've never been there... Anyone up for a road trip?)
Just remember the saintly abbot will be chanting prayers and filing paperwork on your behalf.
Have fun!
-Peter Corless.
p.s. Yes, this just sprang forth randomly from me, with credit to the "Book of Saints" from the Benedictine Monks of St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate.
p.p.s. Yes, I am a true nerd. Jealous? :: lol! ::