The other night, when I came home, there was a cactus on the counter top. It was a very cool looking cactus, with little yellow flowers blooming at the tops of it.

"What's up with the catus?" I asked The Hub.

"Do you like it? I bought it for you, because it reminded me of you."

"I remind you of a cactus?" I asked. Oh, man, I know I've been studying hard, but I didn't think I was that irritable....I mean enough to need a visual reminder to not be so prickly. Ouch.

"Well, you know, not in a bad way. I mean, it reminded me of how when we went out to Arizona you were so impressed by the saguaro and it's got those little yellow flowers - yellow flowers always make me think of you."

"Oh. It's, like, a romantic cactus!" Put that way, it really WAS romantic.

The whole thing reminded me of some of the best advice I ever read in a woman's magazine. I can't remember which one it was. It said that, if a guy does something that doesn't make any sense you should ask a lot of questions until you understand what they're talking about. "Look for the message behind the mess" it said.

After all, any guy can go to Shoppers and pick up a dozen roses. It takes true love to give The Cactus of Romance.