Day after is sweetest part of Valentine’s Day
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, which means that restaurants were full and flower shops were empty. Couples flooded the romantic hot spots in Logan. On the flip side, many bitter people found other like-minded individuals and celebrated Single Awareness Day. Me, I treat Feb. 14 like any other day: get up, go to class, go to work, come home, go to bed. Then I wake up on Feb. 15. Now, that is an important holiday. It’s the day when everyone with a sweet tooth can raid the clearance bin and not feel guilty about spending money on something that would otherwise seem frivolous. Valentine’s Day is not my favorite holiday. I’ve whined about it in the past, like a lot of disgruntled single people, but I’ve matured over the years and found ways to make the experience positive, which includes the massive amount of candy that gets marked down just because the wrapper is pink and red with lacy hearts. Usually a bag of fun-size M&Ms goes for about $2.50. But the day after Valentine’s Day, I’d guess that you could get them for about $1 or less. You can get your 72-hour kit’s worth of chocolate and a little extra for those bad days. Cheap candy is a reason just to celebrate in and of itself. When you have to save your money for rent, tuition and utilities, there isn’t much left for stuff like candy, but today, you can fill your cupboard to your heart’s content. Not to mention make your roommates jealous: You: So, what are you having for dinner? Your Roommate: Leftover mac and cheese. You? You: A chocolate bunny and a bag of Sweethearts. This is why you came to college. When you were a kid, you weren’t allowed to eat candy for dinner. When you were 5, though, you vowed that you would eat chocolate every night when you finally moved out of the house. So, here’s your chance. I’d suggest you take it. Quick poll: How many have a class that is very difficult to stay awake in? Take a bag of your stockpiled candy and pop a piece of refined sugar in your mouth when you’re about to fall asleep. By the time you’re out of class, you will be wired and won’t go to sleep until 8 a.m. the next morning. Another completely random reason to love Feb.15 is that Valentine’s Day is a big day for couples to get engaged. If I’m still very single the morning of the 15th, then it’s been a good day. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be married someday and that inevitably means getting a rock for my finger, but as I look at all the poor people who have to plan weddings … there is pity. Lots of it. So while all the girls are frantically calling their mothers and squealing over what kind of flowers they want and fathers are wincing as they contemplate the money they’ll have to spend on this stuff, all my parents have to worry about is when I’m coming to visit again and all I have to worry about is watching the Olympics with a bag of Skittles to keep me company. Happy Day After Valentine’s Day everybody!Chrissy Johnson is a junior majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing. Comments can be sent to chrijohn@cc.usu.edu.