February 14th is upon us. Did you mark your calendar to send a Valentine to your one and only love? Or to the many you're trying to string along?

"I'm not giving anything to anybody," Frank protested. "It's a gimmick to enrich huge corporations and fill the pockets of their presidents and CEOs." Hear Ye! Frank may be right, but if you fail to recognize your cherished one in the accepted fashion you'll probably be kept awake by all the trouble you'll be in—while Hallmark's executives are sleeping soundly.

If you're a sincere bunny—male or female—do use words of endearment or come up with some token of love on this celebrated day. Why withhold a show of affection and break someone's heart when you can convey immeasurable joy? If money is short, or you're a bit of a cheapskate, instead of presenting a store-bought item, create something that appeals to the recipient's unique needs or interests and make it yourself—for mere pennies.

I learned a homemade present was infinitely acceptable when I bumped into my friend, Jo Ann Titus, at Ruth's Chris Steak House on Paradise Road. She's the glamorous model who appears in print ads and TV commercials and, when I asked what she'd consider an appropriate gift, I imagined she'd say "diamonds." She took me by surprise when she replied "I'd value something the giver made himself. For instance," she clarified. "If he were a carpenter, he could make a heart-shaped make-up shelf I could use every day and keep for the rest of my life." A grim-faced waiter chimed in. "My cutie is a recent grad of the Culinary Arts Institute. She could pay me the compliment of producing a six-course dinner at home, served at a table properly set for two, with finger bowls, service plates and champagne flutes," he stated with authority. "Yet, you know what?" He lost his aplomb and gave a boyish grin. "I'd be thrilled to pieces if she just baked a cake, in a heart-shaped pan, especially for me." Several merry imbibers at the Hofbrauhaus suggested a homemade card, with a photo and touchingly worded reminder of an important happening between the two lovers, would be "very nice." A rebel with green hair and tattooed arms, who stumbled out of the nearby Hard Rock Casino, insisted "a lipstick message, surrounded by a big heart, scrawled on the shaving mirror, is awesome, and costs nothing."

Sophisticated, hard-nosed, or eccentric, it seems all of us are sticklers for romance. Whether expressing admiration for a captivating prospect, or the reigning significant other in an established relationship, there's a softness about romance, a tender quality that soothes the soul and creates a feeling of being swathed in a warm protective cocoon. It's a sensation that no amount of wild can't-keep-your-hands-off-each-other-passion can replace. "A spiritual coupling of two souls," Ben Johnson described it.

Heavy doses of ecstasy must be matched by equal helpings of rapt attention and sweet talk to meet our needs. So, whether you remain with your Valentine's date or go your separate ways, resolve that in every relationship from now on you'll reserve a quiet, uninterrupted hour every week throughout the year for in depth communication. This entails reliving recent happenings, dreaming about the future, straightening out misunderstandings without raising voices, and declaring emotions each to the other. By both listening carefully to every word, and determining the underlying message beneath each outpouring, you'll gain the ability to perceive each other's moods, vibes, and reactions, to the pleasures and pains from all phases of life in tandem.

This high level of attention generates trust, renews initial excitement and sparkle, and reinforces the zest for going all-out to make your relationship a success.

Secondly: it's an insurance against suffering a break-up and moaning "I had no idea what happened. I didn't know anything was wrong," which, according to Marriage & Family Intern, Julie Hoffman, is "a clear indication that the rejected one was not tuned into the partner." Thirdly: it prevents the joint venture from becoming hum-drum.

And more! It stops one or both parties from the miserable feeling they are taken for granted and emotionally ignored by the person doting on them. According to one embittered long-term wife, "it's like dwelling at the bottom of a deep well that one desperately wants to get out of, but dare not." In all too many cases the ravages of continuous unacknowledged servitude are offset by a shield of indifference against the offending partner. Or the problem is solved by taking up with someone more demonstrative, a primary reason for long-term marriages hitting the skids.

If you can afford it, opt for the chocolates, champagne, a card with a genuine message not a vulgar joke, dining at a fancy place, and dancing in the dark.

Italian, Portuguese and Spanish are considered the romance languages and there's an innate tendency for natives of those lands—and many more countries besides—to infuse all situations with the warmth of emotion before cold reality. A bewitching characteristic to be sure! Although Fely Rosario, a stylish lady from the Philippine Islands, hosts a fine dance every Friday at Dance Sport & Fitness Studio the normal program is, to her mind, not sufficiently alluring for a Valentine's festivity. Therefore she's preparing enchanting bonuses to elevate the romantic aspects of the evening. A rose for every lady; digital photo of each individual arriving singly or as part of a couple; dainty finger food; delicious desserts; a lesson in the elegant Viennese Waltz given by the popular instructor Robert Judd; and, of course, dancing from 7:30 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. (telephone 228-9212).

Marche Bacchus has a romantic ambience that is unmatched in Las Vegas no matter which day you choose to wine and dine there. The owner, Agathe Verge from Avignon, created this beautiful restaurant on sheltered banks of the lake on Regatta Drive (702-804-8008). While one is savoring gourmet food, other senses are pleased by hearing subdued French accents and seeing white swans glide by in all their majestic splendor. It's enough to make one fall in love with love, even if there's no suitor in sight

Whichever venue you choose. Hurry! Reserve today! "It's one of the two busiest days of the year," says Will, the bartender at Fleming's Steakhouse on Sahara (702-838-4774). There you arrive in style. Drive your honey to the entrance where a valet will gallantly open the door for her/him and whisk your car away to the parking site; all with compliments of the management. Whether you head for the bar with its impressive snacks menu, or dine in the restaurant, the magic potion of the day is a tempting libation called Romance. It is made of Mount Gay Mango Rum, Champagne, Blue Curacao, Pineapple Juice, served in a flute with sugar around the rim. $8.95.

Haven't a date? Attend the Hurrydate Party on February 12th. You may meet several guys and dolls who'll make up a mixed group to hang out on Valentine's Day or encounter someone you especially favor as a partner for the occasion. If you don't know what speed dating is, where it is, or how to act to gain a favorable impression on the 12–20 opposite sex persons you may meet face-to-face in a short period, the tell-all handbook can be rushed to you by quick-mail^™. How to be a Whizzz at Dating Dozens as a Prelude to One Meaningful Relationship is $14, which includes tax and postage, from Letterbox Service, Order Dept., 9430 Del Webb Blvd., Suite 120, Las Vegas, NV 89134.

Surely the enhanced mannerisms both guys and dolls use to honor Saint Valentine should be incorporated into every-day behavior. The vital ingredients for a magical, enchanting, more caring interaction between any two romantically inclined individuals—the heart throb(s) you have not met, or the significant other who lights up your life on a permanent basis.

© 2006 Heather Latimer