Three Years My Valentine

Valentine's Day may be a cheesy holiday made for consumer purposes, but I'm admittedly a sucker for the cheesiness. Dates just seem so much more special and romantic when they have a purpose.

This year was my third Valentine's Day with Jake, and although the night had some delays, I couldn't have been happier. Syracuse naturally had a huge snow storm right before we left for dinner, so it took us a half hour instead of 10 minutes to get to the restaurant. My poor car isn't made for the Syracuse snow – the wheels kept skidding across the road and the brakes were practically useless. More than once we got stuck on a snow-covered hill and had to reverse back down and try another route. Let me tell you, reversing down a snowy, hilly road lined with cars while your own car won't get traction isn't fun.

Our dinner, though, was pretty awesome. Jake and I went to the Cheesecake Factory two years in a row now; we love the tasty dinner and relatively cheap prices. I got the popular Chicken Madeira and Jake got a burger. Of course, we had to get cheesecake for dessert, which we finished off for breakfast the next morning. No shame! I got caramel cheesecake and Jake chose Oreo.

After dinner, we went to a grocery store and bought a shovel because my puny car couldn't conjure enough power to get up my driveway, even with revving the engine on full force. Luckily Jake was a good sport and shoveled the driveway in his dress shoes and pants. The rest of the night, we did what we do best: Netflix!

Here's what I've learned after three Valentine's Day celebrations with Jake:

1. Don't go to to Cheesecake Factory at 6 p.m. on Valentine's Day or you'll wait four hours for a table. If you go at 10 p.m., you'll still have a half hour wait. Apparently everyone's hungry for some cheesecake.
2. If you DO decide to go somewhere with a line, bring a snack so you don't get hangry. Trust me on this one. Nothing ruins the mood like a crazy hangry girlfriend.
3. Leftover cheesecake makes a great breakfast.
4. Chocolate is a sweet gift, but not as thoughtful as popcorn and a movie.
5. If a boy shovels your driveway in a suit coat and dress shoes, he's a keeper.
6. Take lots of pictures, and dress up if you want. Valentine's Day rolls around once a year.

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day!