Happy Valo's Day!

If it's spring and all anyone can talk about is cards and flowers [or lament the lack thereof] then you can bet your little socks it's Valentine's Day. [It's especially likely if the date should happen to be February 14th.] Anyone who attended a girls' secondary school will no doubt be familiar with the kind of grilling that 12-18 year old girls enjoy giving their classmates ["how many cards did you get"/"were they hand-delivered or posted"/"do you know who they're from"/"are you sure that one's not from your Dad" etc were just some of the milder interrogations that could be expected]. There was a brief period of calm [The UCD Years] but my first Valentine's Day in a place of work leads me to believe that years are the only things that seperates schoolgirls from allegedly grown-up women; all talk in here today is Valentine's related.

I only ever received one Valentine's card from a sender unknown, and that was when I was in 6th Year and was too obsessed with Leaving Cert. mocks to undertake any thorough investigative analysis. Although I did steam off the stamp because I was told the sender of a Valentine will traditionally write their name under the stamp... I guess my admirer hadn't heard that one. Now, I have [needless to say!] received other cards but my Dad's handwriting is madly distinctive so "Guess Who???" at the bottom of cards isn't quite enough mask his identity. Himself, meanwhile, is inclined to actually sign his! Oooooh, the suspense...