We should start a pool on how long this thing is gonna last. :)

Time to start a pool. These are my bets:

First public spat: Election Week~ Nov. 2

First rumors of new husband's infidelity appearing in People Magazine: Jan. 20

Britney files for divorce: Feb 18

Britney does the traditional girl thing-- dump them after Valentines Day!

Here's how I know I'm on the right track-- can't decide if my predictions are too cynical or too optimistic...

The "traditional girl thing?"

i won't ask.

Well, since the traditional girl thing, when immediately followed by, "I won't ask," really means, "Tell me what that means if you ever want a day of peace for the rest of your life," I'll tell you what it means:

1. Boy figures out girl is ready to dump him.

2. Boy, simply because he doesn't like to lose at anything, plans big romantic expensive Valentine's Day thing that will surely guarantee he keeps her until that day he decides he's sick of her.

3. Girl, in the meantime, has been dropping hints she'll drop him, knowing boy will plan big romantic expensive Valentine's Day thing to try to guarantee he keeps her until that day he decides he's sick of her.

4. Boy spends a boatload of bucks on a rented limo, flowers, candy, dinner, wine, and theater tickets on Valentine's Day.

5. Girl order's sixteen lobsters and seven bottles of champagne at dinner, then dumps boy during intermission of play/musical/opera.

6. Boy leaves girl at theater, but she's already made arrangements to be picked up by a girlfriend after the show so she can show her girlfriend the pictures of the guy's face when his plan fell flat. Pictures show up on internet faster than a Britney Spears divorce.

No, that's never happened to me, but I know two girls who've done similar things (I admit, one of the guys deserved it. Don't know the other guy, so I can't really say.).

The spread between Christmas and V-day is the professional single guy's annual holiday... Only uncommitted, purely physical, stay in shape, sportfucking allowed. Amateurs, and the soon to be legally fucked, date during this traditional armistice of the sexes.

I knew that "traditional girl thing" would get some comments!

I agree with Casca. I should stipulate that I'm talking about college students and early to mid 20's people, and I'm quite past that age. When I was that age, over Thanksgiving I would decide if I really wanted to stay in whatever relationship I was in, because it would mean Christmas gift AND probable Valentine's Hell. Per Casca, and lacking serious zhu-zhu for the girl, the smart play was to ditch her- really before Thanksgiving- which means you didn't have to put up with any of those cloying "I miss you so much" calls from your family's house while she was at her family's house. Every man with any sense thinks this way.

I honestly can't remember this happening to me, but I've always thought girls would hang in there and ditch the guy soon after Valentine's Hell. That way she gets flowers sent to her office so she can show off in front of her girlfriends. And those flowers damn well better arrive before 10AM. I've sent flowers that arrived late afternoon, and I caught hell for it. That was a girl I thought I had a future with, and that incident was a factor in ditching her.

Anyway, why would a girl ditch BEFORE Valentines? Valentines is "be a princess" day! Flowers, chocolate, champagne, good food, big production sex... hell, almost makes me want to put on a lacy thingy and let the guy do me!
Almost.

If I'm wrong about all this, you can let me know. But, as a general, loose rule, I've always thought there was a lot of this stuff going on- on both sides.