Valentine and Anti-Valentine Give-Aways

It has been pointed out to me via email by a helpful reader that I forgot to commemorate St. Valentine's Day with a give-away, a cocktail recipe, or at least a ridiculous post. Well, to tell you the truth, that's because I am not big on celebrating it. Exchanging gifts and going out to "romantic dinners" on a prescribed day feels forced to me and I prefer to just ignore the whole frilly pink business of it. But you are right: That's no reason to deprive my readers of a give-away. So, I will offer a little something both to those who observe Valentine's Day and to those who do not.

For the observers: A red hand-knitted hat. I have too much red yarn and it's a Valentine's theme after all, so it must be red. A second colour might be involved as well, but red for the most part.

For the non-observers: A black bicycle bell. No trace of red or pink what so ever; just liquid darkness over brass, and the promise of a shrill sound. Would look great on an all-black city bike.

To participate in the give-away: Simply leave a comment identifying yourself as either an observer or a non-observer of Valentine's Day. The 14th observer and the 6th non-observer will receive the appropriate items. You have until 6am of "the morning after" to post your comment. I will not publish comments until it's over, so you won't know what number you are until the end.