Yesterday, I had a pretty sweet V-Day. I got to get up close and personal with some very hot firefighters (more on that later in the week). And, I took three hours off from work and went to the Ringling Museum. I felt a bit angry with myself as I was driving there — thinking, what the hell, Coolidge, you’ve got a boatload of work and you’re blowing it off for a trip to the museum? But I did it and I’m so glad I did.

While there, as I walked through the gardens, I saw this turtle noshing on a helpless Goldfish.

As always, Ringling infused my perspective with beauty and calm and I returned home refreshed.

But then, of course, was late for my Sense and the City deadline and had to really SCRAMBLE to get that done and be ready for my date. Yes, my date!

Lovely, lovely tulips ... from my V-Day date!

After putting the column to bed (the column, I said, not my date! — putting a column to bed means you’ve finished it and turned it into your editor), I rushed to go to Siesta Beach to watch the sunset with my date. It was very chilly, but one of the best sunsets I’ve seen. Not a cloud in the sky, just these shiny blazing entrails from planes looking like meteors streaking across the sky above the burnt-orange sun.

I was then treated to a home-cooked dinner of grilled salmon and sauteed veggies with a nice Sauvignon Blanc. He wouldn’t let me help cook or even help clean up. I felt spoiled and loved every minute of it.