Forget What Punxsutawney Phil Said About This "6 More Weeks of Winter" Nonsense

Spring has sprung, in my cubicle, at work. My cube, which normally sports pink plastic flamingoes, fuzzy dice, fruit shaped lights, a poinsettia, and a sea monkey tank, now sports a beautiful arrangement of flowers.

Why? Well, let's set the scene. Picture it, my cube, in a sea of cubes at the large corporation that pays me to do stuff to their web site. There is a large arrangement of flowers on the desk in the cube, in a pretty blue glass vase. I love blue glass things, by the way.

A passerby asks: "Oh! Pretty flowers, what's the occasion?"

Beej: (Absolutely beaming) "Well, it's Groundhog's Day!" (In a tone that suggests that Groundhog's Day is right up there with Valentine's Day, anniversaries and birthdays for giving and receiving floral arrangements.)

Passerby: "No, really! What's the occasion? Is it your birthday? Maybe we should get some cake?"

Beej: (Pondering the dilemma. Am I really about to pass up an offer of cake? Would it be in poor form to except a birthday cake a month before my birthday? Gosh, I'd really love some cake. Say something, dummy!) "No, it's not my birthday. See? The card says 'Spring is on the way. Love, Todd' My husband sent me flowers for Groundhog's Day."

Passerby: "Come on, really?"

Beej: "Yes!"

Passerby: "How long have you two been married?"

Beej: "1 year, 6 months, and 1 week."

Passerby: "Oh, so you two are still newlyweds." (Suggesting the rate at which floral visitors will arrive will decline after we've been married for a decade. But this person does not know that we've actually been together for almost 8 years now, and I still am the recipient of random floral arrangements, and pie. Yes, he gets me random pies sometimes.)

Beej: "Yep!" (Still beaming.)

Passerby: "I'll have to tell my husband about this."

I think a lot of the husbands of women who work here now hate Todd. I can just see it:

Husband: "Hi Honey! How was your day?"
Wife: "Why can't you send me flowers on Groundhog's Day like Beej's husband does??!!"
Husband: "Um...?" (Scrambling, Groundhog's Day? Is that her birthday too? Wait, the wedding wasn't in February, was it?)

What is it about random floral arrangements that bring about stories about when other people have gotten flowers, or downright rude comments about flowers.

At a past place of employment Todd once brought in flowers. The boss' wife asked me what the occasion was and I said that it was Tuesday, and that Tuesdays have always been special for us. She said, and I quote "So, he got you flowers for no reason? *snort* That'll change." and skulked out of my cube.

That'll change? Wow. (Yes, she actually said that. I've taken no poetic license here, to make me look like some stellar protagonist.) I fought the urge to say "Well, maybe for you it changed."

I, for one, hope it will never change. Thank you for the flowers, Todd.