Happy Anti-Valentine's Day!

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbV6k351W_YjiuRkBRfV5acU8mpnIm3An2dPQJiZt2ANUUU_AieFwh_1pSYWconDJndch2EkHAVV3Jx8G0qHAOy0oT4HQn0jncj1M13dSal5dmVpCRRAzGu1Ktr-yPOAqOEe_NniWsEps/s1600/140_valentines_day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbV6k351W_YjiuRkBRfV5acU8mpnIm3An2dPQJiZt2ANUUU_AieFwh_1pSYWconDJndch2EkHAVV3Jx8G0qHAOy0oT4HQn0jncj1M13dSal5dmVpCRRAzGu1Ktr-yPOAqOEe_NniWsEps/s400/140_valentines_day.jpg" width="352" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was sent a special request to re-publish this post for Valentine's Day, or should I say, </span></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anti-Valentine's Day.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you are completely love-wrecked &</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> have hearts in your eyes and butterflies in your stomach at the thought of receiving chocolates & roses today, then please don't read any further. If all the above makes you feel nauseous, then <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Happy Anti-Valentine's Day</span> to you! I have never celebrated or partaken in the heart-filled holiday that is the 14th of February. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not a melancholy, all-black wearing, <i>Nirvana/Evanescence</i> listening, gloomy Goth Girl who has an evil vendetta against the heart-shaped world. I am simply against the commercialization of a pretty little thing they call <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">L-O-V-E. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every year, come Valentine's Day, a romantic epidemic breaks out, where people (who can't even spell sentimental), spend hundreds of Rands on dozens of red roses, boxes of chocolates, teddy bears, balloons and corny cards, all in an overbearing shade of red. They plan romantic getaways, soppy surprises, fancy dinners, and on this love-licensed day, become the ideal, charming and chivalrous partner who says and does all the right things. One day where people have a valid excuse to live out their <i>Notebook</i> equivalent of a love story, without being made fun of. And what happens on the other 364 days of the year? Absolutely nothing. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There shouldn't be just one day in a year that permits you to be an impassioned, affectionate swashbuckling soul. Sometimes the sweetest of gestures are most surprising and appreciated when you least expect it. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Anti-Valentine's Day </span>should happen <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">just</span> once a year, but the essence of 'Valentine's Day' should be celebrated everyday. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>So Happy Unimaginative, Consumerist-Orientated and Entirely Arbitrary, Manipulative and Shallow Interpretation of Romance Day. </i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(No, I did not write that message myself. I read it on a card)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You didn't think I'd leave you empty handed on Anti-Valentine's Day, did you? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's my gift to you:</span></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJTKefysVC_zs1g7LVMK4IFyHC0Y_74JU5p8gb9YvSb3hY03uqPO1Y2fRNm3wHJJwNw9ICYQppbxExBAIYR00s_jkDyGBjmr6ryP6ETUSPslC_OLmEyr8PBvw31-oErnBi8xa9GE0FSg/s1600/bittersweets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJTKefysVC_zs1g7LVMK4IFyHC0Y_74JU5p8gb9YvSb3hY03uqPO1Y2fRNm3wHJJwNw9ICYQppbxExBAIYR00s_jkDyGBjmr6ryP6ETUSPslC_OLmEyr8PBvw31-oErnBi8xa9GE0FSg/s640/bittersweets.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">P.S I still haven't figured out why people buy the largest amount of red roses on the one day of the year when it's the most expensive. </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /><br /></i></span></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*All text by me, Please do not republish. Pictures courtesy of Google images.</i></span> </span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></div>

Happy Anti-Valentine's Day!

I was sent a special request to re-publish this post for Valentine's Day, or should I say,  Anti-Valentine's Day. If you are complet...

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Whole-Hearted Advice

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eUfHTr3fhNneF5N0ZxRSc9i4g1mE1Cpem0ZtatEulJSCEanRriL66k2Vn73RFR6aQ4XvHHvh8MmwAGyLjIbhk2RBJq0-WHR1OW3iIkEKnWW8ZtskWYlJHuyMf7i6dRSjJhIMbP1Ai_Al/s1600/heart+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eUfHTr3fhNneF5N0ZxRSc9i4g1mE1Cpem0ZtatEulJSCEanRriL66k2Vn73RFR6aQ4XvHHvh8MmwAGyLjIbhk2RBJq0-WHR1OW3iIkEKnWW8ZtskWYlJHuyMf7i6dRSjJhIMbP1Ai_Al/s400/heart+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Found via Tumblr</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><br /></span></span></div>

Whole-Hearted Advice

Found via Tumblr

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He's Just Not That Into You

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Advice from The Friendship Files<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></b></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've seen the movie, read the book and had lengthy discussions about it with our friends. So on this edition of the 'Friendship Files', I asked my galpals to share their experiences and advice on how to tell when that guy is just <i>not</i> that into you. This is what they came up with.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><br /><br /></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OHzTksMosXdBlE73IXoq_zwJB2pu1TzWV5qsHF6L-FsRiCuxS3WurzzPmiIOflsFdPn1RMSFXrvIRcRewERhyphenhyphenDPZs1C7Urq2kwuke-8xvhIrw5mVxhyi9UK0NDKCIetDeDtAuU9KLCI/s1600/img.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OHzTksMosXdBlE73IXoq_zwJB2pu1TzWV5qsHF6L-FsRiCuxS3WurzzPmiIOflsFdPn1RMSFXrvIRcRewERhyphenhyphenDPZs1C7Urq2kwuke-8xvhIrw5mVxhyi9UK0NDKCIetDeDtAuU9KLCI/s1600/img.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;">Signs That He's Just Not That Into You</span></span></b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br />*He finds every excuse as to why he can't attend that party/wedding/dinner with you. And you haven't even mentioned the date yet.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*When he still makes you pay for your share at dinner even though he can totally afford to foot the full bill.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He never introduces you to anyone he knows.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He only calls you at the last minute to invite you out - which means you are his 'back-up' plan when his initial plans didn't work out.<br /><br />*When he stops doing the 'normal' things with you.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He doesn't take your calls if he sees your number on his screen...however he answers seconds later when you call from private number.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*You catch him checking out the waitress at the restaurant when you're on a date together.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He always shows up late. If a guy is into you, he won't want to lose a single precious minute with you.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*When he doesn't ask you to be his date at work-related functions.<br /><br />*You're together for four years and you still don't have a ring around your finger. If he can't commit after <i>that</i> long, will he ever?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He takes you out to far out and obscure places on dates and constantly looks around nervously to see if there's anyone that he knows.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He doesn't make longterm plans with you.<br /><br />*When spending time with his boys takes preference over spending time with you.<br /><br />*When he introduces you to his friends by your name only - not staking his claim and labeling you as his lady.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*When he buys you socks for your birthday.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He never leaves his phone unattended and never lets you browse through it.<br /><br />*When his behaviour makes you start questioning him.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He changes his email/Facebook password when he finds out you've figured it out.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*When he makes every excuse in the book as to why he can't meet your parents.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He always takes his calls in the next room and claims it's 'work'.<br /><br />*When he names his pet female dog after you.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He says that he's somewhere that he isn't.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He cancels his plans with you at the last minute.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He sends out 100 BBM's per minute while he's on a date with you.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*If you're always the one asking to meet up or calling.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He pretends not to see you at the mall then turns and walks the other away as fast as he can.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He waits three days after a date to call you. If a guy is really into you, he <i>will</i> call you immediately to let you know what a great a time he had.<br /><br />*When he is not prepared to be faithful to you.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*He says he's out on a business lunch, at 8 in the evening, on a Sunday, on Valentines Day.<br /><br />*He doesn't call when he says he will.<br /><br />*He stands you up on your first date<br /><br />*If he doesn't answer his phone, reply your messages or is always too busy to meet up, well then...he just doesn't want to.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks to all my lovely galpals for contributing. Hope this list helps girls out there read in between the lines and jump out before their ship sinks.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></div>

He's Just Not That Into You

Advice from The Friendship Files We've seen the movie, read the book and had lengthy discussions about it with our friends. So on this e...

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