Un-romantic romance

Happy Valentine’s Day! Normally, we would be following that wish up with a love story or fun Valentine date ideas or maybe a recipe for something yummy and chocolate.

But, once again, we are not living in normal times. And sometimes it’s fun to look at the underside of things. Like, what are couples doing when it’s not Valentine’s Day? When there’s no pressure to be romantic? What are we doing on a very average, non-eventful Wednesday night? We’ve got answers.

Somewhere on Facebook, one of our editors recently saw a game: What are you scrolling/reading/watching at this moment, right now, and what is your spouse scrolling/reading/watching? We thought it would be fun to poll Buzz readers and ask those questions, at 8 p.m. on a random Wednesday night. 

If you’re looking for traditional romance, you’ll need to look for another source. But if you’re up for some good old normal-weeknight entertainment, read on.

Dr. Jenny Guss and Kevin Smith: “I am reading The Lincoln Highway. Kevin is supposed to be reading it also for one book club of two, but he is scrolling and reading about old Porsche parts. He finds this research very relaxing!” – Jenny 

Donna and Joe Perillo: “Joe is watching the movie Gladiator, and I am listening to the “Bad Blood” podcast on Wondery. Catching up on the Elizabeth Holmes verdict. The whole story is crazy, and the podcast is amazing!” – Donna 

Samantha and Gil Melman: “We are watching [the miniseries] Station Eleven on HBO, based on the amazing book of the same name. Watching together.” – Gil 

Caroline and Greg Barnes: “Oh my gosh we are so boring I can’t even [tell you]. I read a lot, I love historical fiction, and Greg is either reading oil and gas journals or the Wall Street Journal.” – Caroline 

Nicole Longnecker and David Pesikoff: “Nicole is watching season 236 of Gray’s Anatomy, and I am watching season six of The Blacklist. But [this is] rare because we watch most things together – Fauda, A Place to Call Home, James Bond.” – David 

Scarlett Collings and Cam Hewell: “I was watching Dark Shadows with [my daughter], and Cam was reading All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days[: The True Story of the American Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler].” – Scarlett 

Debbie and Adam Greenberg: “I’m watching Bravo, and he’s playing video poker.” – Debbie 

Anonymous Lawyer-Physician Couple: “[He] is reading a James Patterson novel, and I am reading all of the Bridgerton books (but that’s a guilty secret – don’t use my name!). They are complete brain candy.” – Wife 

Erika De La Garza and Alejandro Chaoul: “We are both reading some affirmation cards from Louise Hay.” – Alejandro 

Ana and Mike Schick: “I’m watching the Hallmark Channel whenever I have a free moment. I am reading Isaac’s Storm and Brené Brown’s new book [Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience]. Mike is reading The Quran and watching Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday!” – Ana 

Debra Donaldson and Charlie Henke: “We just got home from dinner, so we’re not doing, watching, or reading anything! But generally we watch movies and TV shows together. We just finished the new season of Yellowstone, and we’ve watched a couple of movies this last week. We also watch the news and a couple of news shows together routinely. When we read at the end of the evening, it’s a mix of articles on current events, and usually also food or restaurants. We are constantly emailing, texting, or sending messages to each other to share posts or articles. We’re clearly really nerdy!” – Debra 

Jacqueline and Michael Kenneally: “Michael is at Spider-Man with Ryan, and I am watching This is Us and Ellen. Does that sum us up or what?” – Jacqueline 

Ilse and Keith Rassin: “Well, at this very moment we are both sitting together watching Game of Thrones. We tend to find a series and watch it together. Yes, the show is old, but we are really enjoying it!” – Ilse 

Claudia and David Oelman: “I’m reading The New Jim Crow and he’s reading Zorba the Greek. While I prepare dinner, I watch the Cooking Channel and he watches Succession, then we’ll watch a show together. We love Yellowstone!” – Claudia  

Jill and Neal Kaminsky: “Neal is watching Yellowstone and Succession. I’m watching Emily in Paris, Project Runway, and The Voice.” – Jill 

Carrie and Clay Fisher: “I was about to do a crossword puzzle, and Clay is watching a YouTube about a mini bike.” – Carrie