Valentines Day for geeks

Valentines Day is fast approaching, so if you happen to be partner-endowed, then you’re going to probably do something about it. I don’t know about you, but this is the kind of thing I seem to leave till the last minute. So, considering it’s now exactly three days before the big scary day, we thought we’d put together your survival guide…

You will need: card;  gift; some flowers; a meal (prepared, or if you’re feeling swanky, bought in a restaurant);  atmosphere; cuddly toy.

The Card

To me, there are only two options for the cards. If you and your beloved often spend evenings in front of the XBox trying to decapitate each other on Lego Star Wars, then these delightful 8-bit cards are definitely the way to go. There’s an assortment of different designs, ranging from Mario to Mega Man to Pac Man. Grab them off Etsy here.

Alternatively, if you are more the type of person who sees Valentines Day as yet another Hallmark holiday, where shops try and bleed you dry of your hard earned cash but will possibly be crucified if you don’t get something, maybe say it with a snarky Valentines card…

The Flowers

Real flowers are so 2010. 8-bit is the new black, so why not give that special someone a bouquet of retro looking flowers. Sure, they don’t exactly smell great, but on the plus side they never need watering, they won’t die and, in the words of ThinkGeek, they “remind everyone that our entire reality is only a highly detailed video game being played by omnipotent beings from the 4th dimension.” If you want to complete the look, ThinkGeek also do an 8-bit wardrobe…

The Meal

Considering the biggest geeks in the world work at NASA, eat what they eat…

Failing that, why not try something a bit more romantic by actually booking a restaurant. Recently, the biggest geek in cooking, Heston Blumenthal, opened up his own London restaurant. Sure enough, things like Powdered Duck and Meat Fruit feature on the menu. However, you may want to book for Valentines Day 2016, as it’s probably booked out till then…

Atmosphere

Just picture it. You and your special someone have a lovely night out with a nice card, some flowers and dinner. What better way to set the scene when you get home than YOUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM ON YOUR ROOF!

Gone are the days of relying on poxy stick on glow in the dark stars. Now you can have your own planetarium for a measly 120 quid.

Cuddly Toy

Finally, what says ‘I love you’ more than a cuddly toy? However, gone are the days when you could buy a cheap and nasty teddy bear holding a heart (however, we have found an awesome alternative to that one). Why not try a cuddly microbe for your fellow nerd? You can choose from the rather lovely brain, fat red blood or white blood, or if you are brave you could go for common cold, E Coli or even Swine Flu…

I’m not making this up…

Let us know how it goes. Hopefully, in return you’ll get the gift you always wanted and I think I know just what that is….

Dance lessons with Louis Spence.