Hit or miss: Valentine's Day follies

Rose Riley of Clovis has seen both sides of Valentine’s Day imperfection.

The current Curry County clerk is a former florist who saw great romantic gestures through her floral shop ... and some not-so-great moments, from the woman who tried to return her bouquet for cash because she didn’t like the guy or the girl who wished her boyfriend had paid a utility bill instead.

From her perspective, she knows she’s a tough buy. Her husband once went to a jewelry store and nothing the saleswoman showed him felt right. Finally, the exasperated saleswoman said, “Why don’t you just buy her flowers?”

But it’s not always about a romantic interest. For Susan Hartfelder, her fondest Valentines Day memories revolved around a close friend.

“For years me and my best friend, China Lundergreen, were each other’s Valentine’s so we didn’t have to deal with guys. We swapped gifts with each other for about five or six years,” Hartfelder said. “The year before we started doing this, both of our boyfriends literally broke up with us the day before Valentine’s. We weren’t happy and we got each other stuff just to make each other feel better.”

Though it wasn’t the original intent, Hartfelder said Valentine’s became an annual game of friendly one-upmanship.

“If I’d get her a giant teddy bear, the next year she’d try to get me one that’s twice the size. It was a nice competition to make ourselves feel better about being single, but also to show our friendship for each other,” she said. “When China died about eight years ago, a few other of my friends filled in for her. It’s always funny because the new gifts aren’t one-upping, but they remind me that even though China’s gone, she’s not really gone.”

For Tia Urioste, last year she received a Valentine’s gift from an unexpected, but definitely appreciated, person, her mother Veda Urioste.

“Last year my mom surprised me with a little teddy bear and a bunch of chocolates,” Urioste said. “I felt bad because I didn’t get her anything but it was definitely a great day for me. I liked it because Valentine’s Day can also be about family even though I typically think Valentine’s is a bum thing.”

Evelyn Candelas did actually have one of those Hallmark-type Valentine’s Day surprises a few years ago.

“My best Valentine’s Day was two years ago. I came home from a cheerleading game. I was super tired and ready to go to sleep. I went into the house and nobody was there but my boyfriend,” Candelas said. “He had set up a dinner table with Chicken Cordon Bleu, rice, asparagus, grape cider and a chocolate fountain with strawberries and marshmallows. We just sat down, talked and ate. It was really good.”

Managing Editor Kevin Wilson contributed to this report.