I looked up the definition of Valentine's Day and it read: A holiday created by jewelers, florists, greeting card companies and candy manufacturers to increase post-Christmas sales and to ensure that all men simultaneously fail to impress the women in their lives. Romantic, aye?

Holidays such as Valentine's Day place people in unenviable positions -- to be romantic on demand. Romance occurs when people perform ordinary gestures of love at unexpected times. Holidays such as the aforementioned, require us to be creative and express our feelings of love on a particular day.

What happens if we're not exactly feeling creative or loving on February 14th? We experience less than successful results. The major problem is the loss of spontaneity and surprise --heck, it's right there on the calendar complete with all of its unrealistic expectations.

My initial advice is to choose another day, a time unrelated to a holiday or special event. This unique occurrence should be a special occasion all unto itself. But if you are sold on the idea, here are a few imaginative ways to pull it off:

• Make reservations at her favorite restaurant. Arrive early and have the chef place the ring inside the claw of her lobster after it has been prepared. As she digs in, she will discover the ring.

• Have the ring frozen in an ice cube and placed in her drink or baked into a dessert item that she enjoys.

• Buy her a pair of beautiful gloves and place the ring on the ring finger of the left glove before you wrap up the box.

• Rent a billboard for a day or seek assistance from a popular local radio morning show broadcast team to help you spring the question. They will jump at the chance.

• Go out for Chinese food and have them prepare a fortune cookie with the message "A wedding is in your future?!" inside. When she looks up, pop the question.

• Rent a police costume and arrange for a friend to pull you over for a mock traffic violation. As he reads the Miranda warning to your lady friend, he can say to her, "I will look the other way on this if you will just marry the lug sitting next to you!"

• Go snow skiing and arrange for the message, "You lift me up. Will you marry me?!" to be placed on the back of a lift chair in place of an advertisement. Make sure to get the next lift back and then say to her while in the air, "You do. Will you?"