Valentine Story
50 years ago today. I decided to share this story with you all. I have been posting since 2000. A bit from my blog.
It was Valentine's Day 1972 and I decided that this would be an appropriate day to tell Mark that I loved him. We were even more broke than usual and we had been spending time at Donna's apartment. I went out into the freezing Minneapolis weather to find something for Mark for Valentine's day. A tall order since I only had a couple of bucks. I am afraid that what I ended up doing was not very romantic or healthy. I haven't mentioned this before but Mark and I were both cigarette smokers. We were over a pack a day each. If you have ever been a smoker you know that being out of cigarettes is a bitch. So, I bought him 3 packs of Terrytons. I wish this was a more romantic story, but there it is. He was on Donna's bed and appeared to be sleeping. I put the cigarettes on the bed stand and climbed onto the bed next to him. I spooned with him and felt him stir. I snuggled up to him and again whispered in his ear. "I love you Mark", "I know you can hear me." He didn't respond but I knew I had gotten the message across. He later admitted that he had heard me, but he was scared. It would be a few days before I received his response. A very long few days. We drifted off to sleep.
by Anonymous | reply 60 | January 24, 2023 3:47 PM
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[quote]2000 was 50 years ago?
R1 is supposed to be cunty, not incredibly fucking stupid.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | February 14, 2022 9:12 PM
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R2 Are you bad at English or math? Or both?
by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 14, 2022 9:13 PM
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This is cigarette advertising.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | February 14, 2022 9:14 PM
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This EST is missing the elaborate part. 2/10
by Anonymous | reply 7 | February 14, 2022 9:21 PM
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Damn, I thought Mark was going to be dead.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 14, 2022 9:23 PM
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Sounds like a bad cigarette commercial from when advertising them was still legal.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | February 14, 2022 10:27 PM
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It’s Valentine’s Day. Time to shove my fingers up my asshole!
by Anonymous | reply 12 | February 14, 2022 10:39 PM
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I have many stories from our first year together. All in a blog I wrote 10 yrs ago. Not an EST and I can prove it, but won’t waste my time. We were 20 and moved from the Midwest to SF in 1972.
by Anonymous | reply 13 | February 14, 2022 10:41 PM
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Was it like McMillan & Wife?
by Anonymous | reply 14 | February 14, 2022 10:47 PM
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Actually, it was a wonderful adventure. The Castro was still Visitation Valley and Polk St. was where the action was.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | February 14, 2022 10:50 PM
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You’ve come a long way, baby.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | February 14, 2022 10:53 PM
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The brand of cigarettes was spelled "Tareyton."
I don't know if that means this is an EST or not.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 17 | February 14, 2022 10:54 PM
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What the hell is Terrytons? Do you mean Tareyton?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 18 | February 14, 2022 10:54 PM
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And then Dionne W came in and snatched them away and cancelled her concert due to a bomb threat. The End.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | February 14, 2022 10:55 PM
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Did you toss your hat in the air like Mary?
by Anonymous | reply 20 | February 14, 2022 10:55 PM
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I don't get it. Would someone explain?
by Anonymous | reply 21 | February 14, 2022 11:00 PM
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R18…Actually, Tareyton 100s, so sue me!
by Anonymous | reply 22 | February 14, 2022 11:02 PM
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Later Mark woke up. I said to him, "Did you hear what I said to you earlier?" Mark opened his mouth to answer but all he could do was cough and cough from all those cigarettes. As he continued to cough, his smoky breath hit my face. "Mmmmmm" I thought. "There is literally nothing on this planet that is sexier than cigarette breath." When Mark finally stopped coughing and was fully awake, he said to me "Did you really mean it?". I looked at him tenderly and opened my mouth to respond, but all I could do was hack up half a lung in a coughing fit from all the cigarettes I had smoked that day. "Mmmm", he said to me. "Baby, I don't know what [cough cough] you're about to tell me, but [cough cough] I can totally smell your sexy cigarette breath [cough cough] blasting in my face." We stopped trying to talk and started to kiss, but all we ended up doing was coughing into each other's mouths. "Mmmm", we both tried to say. "Sexy cigarette breath!" Then I kissed his hand. "Mmmm!" I said to him. "Your fingers reek of cigarettes!" Then we coughed and fucked and coughed and fucked.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | February 14, 2022 11:08 PM
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[quote]R2 Are you bad at English or math? Or both?
Explain how I'm wrong, moron.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | February 14, 2022 11:09 PM
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R23…very clever. Time well spent. We both quit smoking shortly thereafter.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | February 14, 2022 11:15 PM
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Around 50 years ago on Valentine’s Day, Oliver bought Jenny cigarettes as a gift.
And then, she died.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | February 14, 2022 11:17 PM
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Was this your wedding song?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 27 | February 14, 2022 11:18 PM
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R2…1972 was 50 yrs ago. I have been posting on DL since 2000. Does that clear it up?
by Anonymous | reply 28 | February 14, 2022 11:19 PM
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[quote]R2…1972 was 50 yrs ago. I have been posting on DL since 2000. Does that clear it up?
I think you meant to address that to the moron at R1.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | February 14, 2022 11:25 PM
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Not sure why that was confusing to anyone with reading comprehension skills…
by Anonymous | reply 30 | February 14, 2022 11:26 PM
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R29…my apologies. You are correct.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | February 14, 2022 11:26 PM
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Don’t leave us hanging Joe. Are you and Mark still together?
by Anonymous | reply 32 | February 14, 2022 11:34 PM
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The story needs a strong hint about Mark's response. Otherwise it just stops. We would also like to know if he enjoyed the cigarettes, whether he loved the author or not. I mean we can sort of figure out they became a couple but its not at all clear.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | February 14, 2022 11:39 PM
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It feels like the story just suddenly ended. What happened next? Are you trying to do a "cliffhanger" OP? Will this delightful story continue tomorrow afternoon? Maybe it should be a soap called "As the Cigarette Burns".
by Anonymous | reply 35 | February 14, 2022 11:45 PM
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That’s wonderful, Joe.
May the two of you celebrate many more years together.
by Anonymous | reply 36 | February 14, 2022 11:47 PM
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I was half expecting a set of hair combs and a watch fob.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | February 14, 2022 11:51 PM
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OP, I love this, and that you're still together!
And the song choice isn't snide, your story just made me think of it. Happy Valentine's Day!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 38 | February 15, 2022 12:07 AM
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Shall I post more? I have more than a hundred. All are short.
by Anonymous | reply 39 | February 15, 2022 12:10 AM
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Would have worked better as a Folger's ad.
by Anonymous | reply 40 | February 15, 2022 12:12 AM
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[quote]Shall I post more? I have more than a hundred. All are short.
Dear God in Heaven, NO!
by Anonymous | reply 41 | February 15, 2022 12:21 AM
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Let me get a mug of Folgers ready to cradle, then post more.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | February 15, 2022 12:22 AM
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I would never smoke. Apparently it makes your semen bitter.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | February 15, 2022 12:24 AM
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[quote]Shall I post more? I have more than a hundred. All are short.
Thanks, Joe, but we have sufficient.
by Anonymous | reply 44 | February 15, 2022 12:25 AM
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R19 the bomb threat worked. Dionne left the area. That was their plan.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | February 15, 2022 12:43 AM
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R37? That's the best laugh I've had all day!
I'd propose marriage, but I'm a lesbian.
by Anonymous | reply 46 | February 15, 2022 1:00 AM
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On second thought, Joe, You might try submitting to the New York Times for inclusion in their Tiny Love Stories series (short tales of 100 words or less).
Good luck; make us proud.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 47 | February 15, 2022 1:01 AM
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I might flash my pubic hair
by Anonymous | reply 48 | February 15, 2022 1:03 AM
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This thread is like DL’s days of yore.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | February 15, 2022 1:09 AM
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What a lovely Valentines Day memory. Now die in a grease fire.
by Anonymous | reply 51 | February 15, 2022 1:34 AM
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In 1972 just about everyone I met smoked and drank a lot. Bars were so full of smoke your eyes would sting. That’s the way it was in midwestern gay bars. Filthy habit.
by Anonymous | reply 52 | February 15, 2022 1:50 AM
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Joe, rewrite the story so it has the appropriate mysterious ending but also sense of complete anecdote.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | February 15, 2022 4:06 AM
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R28. My question whether you were bad at math or English was rhetorical I assumed it was just badly written.
by Anonymous | reply 54 | February 15, 2022 6:16 AM
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Yesterday. I’m apologising now for going over your head. I have been amuses since midday by your sentence by sentence shifts across decades.
by Anonymous | reply 55 | February 15, 2022 9:29 AM
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Joe @ r15, I think you meant to say that The Castro was still part of The Mission, not Vis. Valley.
Do you still live in the Bay Area? Where did you and Mark end up living?
This is a wonderful story. Sadly, my partner and I still smoke cigarettes.
by Anonymous | reply 56 | December 23, 2022 5:05 PM
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Thank you, Joe! I’ve been hoping you’d share your blog. Were both you and Mark dancers? Much love coming your way.
by Anonymous | reply 57 | December 23, 2022 5:12 PM
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Joe, please share some stories of your career in the dance world.
by Anonymous | reply 58 | December 23, 2022 5:20 PM
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Joe has left the building.
by Anonymous | reply 59 | January 24, 2023 3:33 PM
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[quote]I have many stories from our first year together. All in a blog I wrote 10 yrs ago.
I would say get a bog, but OP did and still felt the need to post here.
by Anonymous | reply 60 | January 24, 2023 3:47 PM
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