Re: OT: OK, here's what happened....

>Romance is dead in the nineties. The "shower a girl with roses and
>chocolates" style of courtship simply doesn't work anymore. If I ever
>figure out what does, listmembers will get a discount on my book...

  "Mist" not "shower".	Lots of "little thoughtful things" work better
than
one outstanding gesture.
   Read _Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus_.  And pay attention. 
If
you find yourself saying "That can't possibly be right" when you read
some
of the Venusian/Martian translations, you may chalk up your incredulity
to
inexperience.  There are other recommended books but that's the best
I've
run across.  (if you want the others, respond off list, as this is
entirely
off topic--if I am deluged with requests, I'll post it all to my web
page)
Reading minds is better but it takes a while to get the knack and can be
tiring.  (And yes, I know it should be "Cytherean" or "Venerean" rather
than
"Venusian" but I didn't write the book).
   Then, when you go back to her--if you are so inclined--use restraint
and
sang-froid, rather than a bludgeon.  Determine what she enjoys, and do
it.
Be prepared to talk about it.  If you can't stand doing it, you're with
the
wrong person.  Males tend to bond by "doing things together"; while
females
tend to bond by "talking about things".
   Or start fresh with someone else.
    I'd have to say the best use I ever had for a dozen roses was to
give
them to my dean's secretary while I was in college.  It was her
birthday--that was pure luck on my part--and ever after I found my
paperwork
had a way of getting approved, even if it happened to be just a few days
after the deadline.