Best Valentine’s Day Ever

On Valentine’s Day this year I was out of town. There was a yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico that I just couldn’t pass up, Hallmark holiday or no. So off I went but I had one trick up my sleeve to make my man feel special. Here’s an article about it that was published in Microsoft’s newsletter: 

Singing Valentines Spread the Love 

The Microsoft Theater Troupe-sponsored singing valentines delivered balloons, chocolate, flowers, love songs in four-part harmony, and, well, love across the Redmond campus on Friday—all for a good cause. By Jennifer Warnick February 17, 2009 “Jim Horne. That’s our victim,” says Shari Fowler, senior project/marketing communications manager. Fowler, her sister Elizabeth Mills, and her parents, Kathy and Bill Miller, walk down the hallway toward Horne’s office. As they pass people, they get stares, smiles, and questions such as “For me?” or “Hey, who are those for?” They’re not exactly inconspicuous, with their arms full of shiny, heart-shaped balloons, red carnations, cards, and chocolates. It’s February 13, and though it’s a day short of the holiday of love, it’s not as much fun to get a delivery of flowers, chocolates, and singing at home where there’s no one to gawk. “What fun to go around making people happy,” said Jim Horne, a principal development manager who received a singing valentine from his girlfriend, who is away in Mexico. Fowler knocks on Horne’s door and tells him he has a delivery. She blows into a pitch pipe, and the group launches into a four-part harmony rendition of “Happy Together.” “Imagine me and you. I do. I think about you day and night, it's only right…” The words echo down the hallway as people emerge from their offices to see what’s happening. When the group is done singing, everyone except Horne goes back into their offices. As it turns out, Horne used to be involved with the Microsoft Theater Troupe as well as conducting the Microsoft orchestra, “so this is especially lovely,” he said. He opens the card, though he knows exactly who the singing valentine is from—his girlfriend, who is visiting Mexico. He drove her to the airport that morning. The group decides to sing Horne an encore and serenades him with “Dream.” “Bravo, brava,” Horne says. “What fun to go around making people happy.”

The article continues but I captured the most important part. :)

In case you’re curious the message in his card read:

To my Wonderful and Significant Other,

Even though I’m far away,
on this most romantic day,
please know that I’m one of the few,
who has chosen to embarrass you.

Te,he… Happy Valentine’s Day Sweetie!
Robin

Ha! This was not my finest prose but I was hoping to surprise him a little – I’m usually sappy and romantic and I hoped that he would be surprised by the little joke at the end.
 
Here’s a cute photo of Jim getting his card, flower, balloon and song. I was in Mexico and thinking of him the very moment he was getting his wacky surprise. This was the most fun I’ve ever had on Valentine’s Day – and I wasn’t even with my honey.