Happy Valentine’s Day!  I come from a long line of Valentine’s Day celebrants (although our eight-year-old recently announced that he hates Valentine’s Day because he asked a girl to be his Valentine back in 1^st grade and she turned him down, which is a scenario I can guarantee didn’t happen; and when the neighbor boy reminded him that Valentine’s Day is awesome because of all the candy, Eight said, “I still have Halloween candy leftover so I don’t need any of that noise”) and a similarly long line of lovers, so Valentine’s Day is my jam.  I mean, really, Valentine’s Day should be everyone’s jam.  Do you like hearts?  Everyone likes hearts.  Do you like the color pink?  Everyone likes the color pink.  Do you love yourself?  Damn right, you love yourself.  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Me,” you’d better have said when you woke up this morning.  Happy Valentine’s Day, You, indeed.

I think I may have mentioned this before, but my husband writes me a “Roses are red,” poem to go with my coffee – which he also pours – every morning.  Here are a couple of his recent ones which are clean-ish (sorry, Dad) enough to print:

Poem 1, which references the green, muppet fur-esque coat I bought in Iowa this past summer:
Roses are red
We shopped in Des Moines
That sexy jacket
Tickles my loins.

Poem 2, which is in response to my reaction when Kyle wrote me a poem using the word “tickle”:
Roses are red
Had lunch on the go
Amanda’s love language
Is to always say no.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Kyle has written poems for all of you so as to spread the love.  Enjoy.

To the readers of North Dakota Nice:
Roses are red
Thank you for reading
We hope this blog
Is what you were needing. 

To anyone who needs a Valentine:
Roses are red
Commies are, too
Someone is out there
Thinking of you.

To all our friends:
Roses are red
We have the best friends
The dudes are all cool
The girls are all tens.

To the hockey community:
Roses are red
We winter au rink
We drink in more parking lots
Than we care to think.

To our compadres near and far:
Roses are red
We’re in different locales
No matter the distance
We’ll always be pals. 

To my [Kyle’s] in-laws:
Roses are red
My in-laws are ‘sotan
Sometimes in August
We all go boatin’.

To my Canadian family:
Roses are red
My family are hosers
Some are Sinkewicz
The rest are all Kosiors.

To everyone who is not our neighbors:
Roses are red
Our neighbors, legit
You could try to be better
But it’s best just to quit.

To our kids:
Roses are red
T’is fun to have boys
I don’t even mind
Sharing my toys. 

To my wife:
Roses are red
I like your stories
You’re also quite hot
Pretty good for your forties. 

The photo above is of my poet. It was taken a few years ago at a production of The Band’s Visit on Broadway, which AMAZINGLY GOOD. It was so AMAZINGLY GOOD I just went to the Internet to get a list of the touring dates so as to encourage you all to see it when it comes to your own towns…and found out that it concluded its tour in 2023. Whomp whomp. I did see that Back to the Future is currently touring and is very fun if they are able to do all of the fancy stage production stuff in your local theater. If your local theater isn’t able to accommodate all of the fancy stage production stuff…well, you can never go wrong with Into the Woods, which is probably being put on this very second by a high school near you. #TheaterReviewsByAmanduh

This week on North Dakota Today, we talked about a kid art fundraiser and an option for seniors who may not be able to live in their own homes. (Valley News Live)

WELL THIS IS THE KIND OF STORY I LIKE YES IT IS.  Three-year-old Baker raised $700 for Liz’s Closet because he’s so frickin’ cute. (Facebook)

Happy 107th birthday to Minot’s Ray Curtis! (Minot Daily News)

Basketball players from West Fargo and Grand Forks channeled the tropics in support of mental health awareness. (Fargo Forum)

After 70 years, Grand Forks’ Arleen Norton is hanging up her organ pedals. (Grand Forks Herald)

North Dakota’s Mother of the Year is Mrs. North Dakota 2019 Meg Morley. (Valley News Live)

Ward County’s 4-H team – Hailey, Mackenzie, Mikaela, and Emily – brought home gold at the Western National Round-Up Horse Quiz Bowl after 17 hours of studying. (Minot Daily News)

Congratulations to all of the North Dakota Coach of the Year Nominees!  You’re all winners in my book. (KX Net)

Also as a reminder, Kyle and his friends, Corey and Kelly, have a podcast called North Dakota After Dark where they talk about youth hockey in North Dakota.  The latest episode is up and is just the three of them talking about important topics such as Appetizer Foreplay.  Check it out. Bonus: you can watch it on YouTube. (North Dakota After Dark)