|
Valentine’s
Day Gift Guide
Personal perspectives
on the ideal Valentine’s Day gift
For
some, chocolates; for others (and more so than usual this
year), world peace. The range of human desire is limitless—and
so, therefore, is the range of possible Valentine’s Day gifts.
Now if all your sweetie really wants is for the warplanes
to remain in their hangars, you might run into some difficulty
orchestrating that unless you have Colin Powell’s direct phone
number. In reality, your significant other probably is
hard to please (and c’mon, who isn’t?), and yet there probably
is a perfect gift out there somewhere, if only you were clever
and/or creative enough to figure out what it is.
We here at Metroland are fresh out of ideas this year
(or is it that we’re just fresh?), but we did have enough
phone numbers lying around to call up a couple dozen local
movers and shakers to ask the age-old question, “What do you
want for Valentine’s Day?” Hopefully, their answers will spark
your own imagination—and save your main squeeze from yet another
pair of edible undies.
Erin
Duggan
Reporter,
Times Union
What
I want for Valentine’s Day is: a bottle of Johnnie Walker
Blue, the cute guy I like and a make-out mix featuring Ben
Harper, Jeff Buckley, old Black Crowes and Bruce Springsteen.
What I don’t want is: anything living, anything married, anything
heart-shaped (unless it’s a jacuzzi, they’re kitschy-cool),
or anything on sale at Kay Jewelers.
Christian
Schwartz
Manager,
Stephanie’s on the Park Restaurant
Let’s
see. . . . For the reality V-Day gift, (as I am working yet
another V-Day), I would want a dining room full of 50-percent
tippers. For the dream V-Day gift: An all-expenses-paid trip
to Amsterdam.
Donald
Faulkner
Director
of the New York State Writer’s Institute and professor of
English at UAlbany
World
peace. Sixth sense. Second sight. First dibs.
Matt
Baumgartner
Publisher,
The City Voice, and owner, Bombers Burrito Bar
For
Valentine’s Day I would like a vodka tonic, a spaghetti dinner,
a chocolate-covered strawberry, and some time alone with my
honey.
Kathy
Jarvis
Director
of marketing and public relations, Proctor’s Theatre
A
new feather boa!!!
Tess
Collins
Bartender,
Lark Tavern, and former Justin’s manager
I’d
like a nice, hot, together, well-adjusted boyfriend.
Ed
Gorch
Frontman,
knotworking
What
I really want (need) is an unlimited expense account at the
“Pit” on Washington Avenue for Carl Smith and myself. It’s
our quiet place.
Mike
Trash
Frontman,
the Erotics
I
have no idea what I want. I’m way more into giving than receiving,
but that’s a surprise that I don’t want to spoil. But I guess
I have to say roses. I’ve never received flowers before—most
guys don’t. That would be what I want.
Bryan
Thomas
Singer-songwriter
I’d
like a Heart for Valentine’s Day— specifically, Kamikaze Heart
Matt Loiacono’s new solo CD A Book About the Rest.
Joseph
Sullivan
Chairman,
Albany City Republican Committee
A
return to k-8 neighborhood schools in the city of Albany.
Matto
Singer-guitarist
of Kitty Little
I want more free time to spend with my wonderful girlfriend
Mel, a space for Miss Mary’s, everyone to come to the Kitty
Little show at Valentine’s on Valentine’s Day, and a big chocolate
cock.
Bob
Carlton
Frontman,
Sixfifteens
I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of the holiday. It’s
kind of a made-up holiday to line the pockets of Hallmark
until the next big holiday. But, I guess if it was from a
loved one, cash. Cash to line my pockets. Or if it was from
the staff of Metroland, I’d take musical equipment—I’m
not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Jim
Kunstler
Author,
The City in Mind: Notes on the Urban Condition
I
would like the World Trade Center reconstruction project reassigned
to the Congress for the New Urbanism instead of the anti-urban
obscurantists who have made the finals.
Debbie
Klauber
Owner,
Debbie’s Kitchen
St.
Claire from St. Kitts who lives in St. Martin, who should
be my saint for a week. Steel blue eyes and a sunny disposition—that’s
St. Claire.
Ami
Lahoff
Artist
and bartender, Justin’s
I’d like it if someone made me something really cool, something
they put a lot of effort into, so that it was very singular
and unique and precious, and showed that they really knew
what I liked. The other thing is to go out with my friends—my
friends who are single—and have a really good time, without
the cynicism.
Lisa
Graham
Aka
Miss Troy, marketing consultant, downtown and neighborhood
volunteer
For
Valentine’s Day this year, I would like to receive: World
peace, the continued friendship of my wonderful neighbors
and community, extra kisses from my husband Adrian, and a
bouquet from Fleur de Lis on Second Street in historic downtown
Troy.
Maude
Baum
Artistic
director, eba Inc.
Funny
you should ask! I was born in February. Even before I officially
entered “the world” I was carving my niche. My mother was
sure I would be born on her birthday, Feb. 10. Then, my pop
was sure I would be a Lincoln Kid. Then, ahhhh—a Valentine’s
Day gift! Oh no . . . Feb. 13 would be my day. As for a gift
for the day after my birthday? I always wish for the same
gift—one more year of creating and dancing! My honey (he has
been my love for over three decades) always surprises me and
that’s the way I like it!
Katherine
Myers
Director
of marketing and public relations, Massachusetts Museum of
Contemporary Art
Happily
for me, I can base my wish for Valentine’s Day on what I know
I’ll be getting. For the last decade or so—even before we
were married—my husband has delivered a heart-shaped pizza
to my office for lunch on Feb. 14. I don’t know how he came
up with the idea, but I continue to think it’s brilliant.
It costs so much less than jewelry, is much more satisfying
than flowers, and makes everyone in my office happy whether
they’ve got their own valentine or not. He didn’t have much
trouble finding a willing pizza baker; Hot Tomatoes in Williamstown
has been game for years.
Ruth
Pelham
Singer-songwriter,
educator and director of the Music Mobile
The
Valentine’s Day gift that I want is peace on Earth. Valentine’s
Day is about love, and peace is about living love.
Adrian
Cohen
Jazz
musician and man about town
The
banning of production and sale of all Valentine’s Day products.
(If they’re going to take away our constitutional rights,
it should be for the right reasons.) And free beer for all
abstaining from the holiday.
Paul
O’Donnell
Chief
executive stockboy, Celtic Treasures
Since I am married to a mogul-mashing ski demon, my wish
of being in the lush tropics with her, and the Polynesian
twin sisters fanning me with palm fronds and feeding me slices
of pomegranates, isn’t to be. I’m stuck among the icebergs
in the frozen north.
Bryan
Yusko
Bartender,
Larkin Restaurant & Lounge
Since
I’m working on Valentine’s Day. . . . I want my dream girl
to walk into the restaurant, rescue me and take me away—I
just want a girl who wants to take care of me.
Art
Fredette
Lawn
Sausage member and owner of Artie’s Lansingburgh Station
$1
million in unmarked bills with non-sequential serial numbers.
Dawn
Oesch
Owner,
the Candy Gram of Saratoga
George
Clooney with a BIG red bow—and nothing else.
Annette
Nanes
Co-owner,
Spectrum 7 Theatres
I
would like a single red rose, to be taken out to dinner for
a sensuous meal, and then dancing, and then . . .
Donald
Metzner
President,
Armory Automotive/Armory Center
A
nice card would make me very happy.
Don
Dworkin
Local
musician and promoter
A
little more love from George Bush, and a little less lust—especially
in world affairs.
Judy
Staber
Executive
director, Spencertown Academy
Peace,
no war. Aside from that, eventually, I’d like to find a literary
agent—or a publisher.
“Buffalo”
Bernard Continelli
Circulation,
The Business Review
A 1.75 liter of Jim Beam Black and a god-awful, ugly transvestite,
the kind with a gravely voice, hopping out of a cake.
Robert
W. Morgan
Lifelong
Albany resident, educator and historian emeritus
For
Valentine’s Day I would like a sugar-free cherry pie with
sugar-free meringue, ‘dusted’ with sugar-free red sprinkles,
a certain tête-à-tête, and peace on Earth.
Jacques
Burgering
Artistic
director, National Museum of Dance & Hall of Fame
For
me personally, I would like a watch as a Valentine’s gift.
For my staff and volunteers a big bunch of flowers; for the
museum a digital video camera and for the world, a day of
peace.
Linda
Mussman
President,
Time & Space Limited
Not
to be trite, but I really don’t want this war.
|
Columns
& Opinions
