Happy Valentine’s Day from America’s Most Consistently Romantic City — Knoxville, Tennessee, home of “Notes from Stonehaven”.
Okay, so I had to weasel-word that (with “consistently”) in order to justify the “most” boast.
Technically, Knoxville was bumped this year from first to third place by the new champ, Alexandria, Virginia.
Congratulations, Alexandria. Don’t get used to it: Just wait’ll next year!
Still, Knoxville remains the only city ever to place among the top three for each of the past five years. Or for three years (2012, 2013, and 2015) out of five, to hold the top spot.
In romance, there’s much to be said for staying power. From that perspective, Knoxville remains in a league of its own.
Alexandria, however, also is a perennial contender and a powerhouse in its own right. It has been number one at least twice before, including once in 2011. The battle will rage on.
Who decides these rankings, anyway? Why, Amazon, of course, the nation’s top retailer of romance-gear and most everything else.
Amazon’s annual “most romantic city” list is based on sales of romance novels and relationship books, music albums by the likes of Barry White and Luther Vandross, romance-related “wellness products”, and much more.
In other Valentine news, it can now be revealed that you can rearrange “Happy Valentine’s Day” to spell “lady-naivety happens” (yes, it does!) and “deeply vain phantasy” (yes, some are).
We’re not prepared to say that all ladies are naive or that all phantasies are deeply vain. Not even on Valentine’s Day. I’m not even sure “naivety” and “phantasy” are correct spellings.
But probably I’d better not nitpick about such trivialities, since “Happy Valentine’s Day” also rearranges to spell “pedants pay heavily”. As they do indeed. Especially on Valentine’s Day!
Be that as it may, Cheri and I are doing our part to keep love alive in Knoxville. Here’s to you for doing your part wherever you live!
Even if you happen to live in Alexandria.