Remorseless Valentine

In spite of my relative hatred of Valentine's Day, I made it through yesterday with no fights, crying or scars, all on account of my wonderful husband, who bought me flowers*, took me for a nice Italian meal, bought me the gift I requested**, and sprang for an expensive cab ride home (during which we were treated to a tape of African chanting of some kind while swerving from one congested lane of traffic to another). Long have I loathed Valentine's Day (one year, I both dumped an unsuitable suitor and was proposed to by another unsuitable suitor), but having a built-in Valentine who is endlessly considerate takes away the prior sting of this irritating holiday.

Today, the party was over. Work has been kicking my ass, and in addition I had to make yet another trip to Dr. H_____ at the Fertility Center. I was given another ($130 out of pocket!) ultrasound by an earnest, but slightly clueless resident, and then my doctor declared the next step, should Booby and I choose to take it, was an IUI in combination with a second round of Clomid. There are very few risks, and she seemed optimistic. The Clomid has lengthened my luteal phase (as evidenced by a late-arriving Aunt Blood [TM Mama_Tulip]), and an IUI could be the extra little push we need, since nature is not taking its course.

* Booby calls me from his cell.
"If you, um, had a choice, would you want roses, or would you want, um, orchids?"
"I would want tulips."
"Tulips?"
"Or grape hyacinth."
"Uh ...?"
"Are you at the flower place on 19th? With the little Asian guy who's so sweet?"
"Yes."
"Grape hyacinths, or regular hyacinths, then. They have them."
And that's just what I got: lovely purple hyacinths that I hope like hell the cats haven't eaten as they sat on our coffee table today.

** BOO hway-HUN duh PUO-foo; or, "remorseless harridan." Courtesy of Firefly, which you should really rent from Netflix if you are at all a sci-fi nerd. I'm not even one, but I loved it. Check out this page for the Chinese slang used in the series.