So it’s Valentine’s Day, or, as I like to think of it, the day before all those red boxes of chocolates in aisle 2 at Hy-Vee go on clearance.

Maybe I’m just cheap, but that’s honestly the most I can stand to immerse myself into a day that I’ve been relentlessly reminded of since the day after Christmas, has lost nearly all ties to its origin and has essentially transformed into a purely commercial holiday.

I guess it’s only fair to recognize that said ridiculously consumerism accompanies nearly every holiday, with Christmas decorations gracing shelves as early as September; for some reason, however, Valentine’s Day bugs me more than most.