Happy Friday, everyone! How was your week, how was your Valentine’s Day? Drew and I celebrate enough other occasions in the year that I always ask him not to do anything for me for V-day and he complies. (And not to belabor the point or brag — ok maybe brag a little — but he’s an awesome husband all year long. He brings me flowers a lot and always puts a glass of water on my nightstand at bedtime and lies to me about how I look better now than when we first met; I don’t need him to get me overpriced chocolate on February 14th. …But I will take half-priced chocolates on the 15th!) We do get small gifts for the kids and help them give valentines to their classmates. And for Joanie’s preschool brunch yesterday I made mini egg muffins that stuck to the pan, so then I cooked up some bacon instead, and 36 hours later I am still cleaning dried egg off the muffin tins, so that’s fun.

I did get great news re. my friend who was in the terrible car accident and has been in a coma and on life support since last Tuesday. Yesterday they brought him out of the coma long enough to ask some questions. He knew his name and his birthday and his brother’s name. And when the nurse asked who the president is, he said, “that bastard.” So looks like his brain may be ok! They’ve now removed the ventilator and the next step will be to remove the feeding tube when he’s able to swallow. We’re all starting to feel much more optimistic! (And if you’re in the mood to help out a stranger, here’s his gofundme; he has medical insurance, but that never covers 100% of everything, and missing months of work while he recovers will also be a big financial hit.)

Tomorrow we’re flying out to visit my parents for the week. (I’m not going to drive to see my friend in the ICU, but I hope to make a separate trip once he’s moved to a rehab center maybe in a few weeks.) Flight’s at 9 am and I still have to do like three loads of laundry and start packing for all of us. So, bye for now – have a great weekend!

Heidi Younger for The New York Times

Here are a few things from around the web that may interest you:

When Weddings Ruin Friendships

Towson University police warn of a woman on the loose, looking for a date for her son.

When Your Shared Netflix Account Outlasts The Relationship

I Had a Late-Term Abortion. Trump and Pro-Lifers Have No Right to Call Me a Murderer. (What it’s like to have the most devastating event of your life become a misrepresented political talking point.)

The Real Mommy War Is Against the State. Stop blaming yourselves. Blame the total lack of social supports.

Interesting:

Many women want monogamy. It’s a cozy arrangement, and one our culture endorses, to put it mildly. But wanting monogamy isn’t the same as feeling desire in a long-term monogamous partnership. The psychiatrist and sexual-health practitioner Elisabeth Gordon told me that in her clinical experience, as in the data, women disproportionately present with lower sexual desire than their male partners of a year or more, and in the longer term as well. “The complaint has historically been attributed to a lower baseline libido for women, but that explanation conveniently ignores that women regularly start relationships equally as excited for sex.” Women in long-term, committed heterosexual partnerships might think they’ve “gone off” sex—but it’s more that they’ve gone off the same sex with the same person over and over.

— The Bored Sex

Americans Lost $143 Million In Online Relationship Scams Last Year

The Cities With the Most Singles

How Lorena Bobbitt Reclaimed Her Place In History: The inside story of how she went from punchline to the subject of a serious Amazon documentary.

Thank you to those who submitted links for me to include. If you see something around the web you think DW readers would appreciate, please send me a link to [email protected] and, if it’s a fit, I’ll include it in Friday’s round-up. Thanks!

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Let’s be honest — Valentine’s Day kind of sucks for a lot of us. There’s the disappointment of being let down, the pressure to measure up, and all the weight of unmet expectations and the baggage of crappy Valentine’s Day pasts. Plus, this year there aren’t even conversations hearts! But fear not, friends! There is wonder — or at least a coupon for good take-out — still to be had, even if this isn’t your favorite day of the year. Below are 14 things to tell yourself on Valentine’s Day if you hate Valentine’s Day.

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