craigdailypress.com

When it comes to gifts for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day, a little creativity can go a long way.

Jeremy Browning used his imagination when wooing his wife, Cyme, three years ago.

Then an employee of Bad to the Bone, he drove a catering truck the restaurant owned to the Craig Daily Press office, where Cyme worked. He then grilled her lunch -- mahi-mahi -- in front of the building, in the snow.

"I think it floored her," he said. "I did pretty well."

In recent years, the couple has spent the day going to dinner at their favorite restaurant, Cafe Diva in Steamboat Springs, and enjoying each other's company. Jeremy said Valentine's Day is an excuse for them to take time for each other.

"We're always too busy to just chill out and be romantic," he said.

He hasn't done anything like the grilled lunch since then because he wants the next surprise to be even better.

"I set myself up for failure because I can't match that now," Jeremy said. "I haven't had the courage to try to top myself."

Delf Martinez still aims to charm his wife, Martha, after 27 years of marriage.

"I usually try to pick out a pair of earrings that are a little unusual," he said. "But I do sweet things for her all year long."

He'll bring her a single red rose every once in a while throughout the year, and he doesn't expect anything in return.

Gregg Kolbaba doesn't expect much either, though he appreciates handmade gifts as opposed to those that are purchased.

"You can always go down and get something. That could be a last-minute thing," Kolbaba said. "Making that, you know it wasn't last minute."

He thinks Valentine's Day is a holiday designed for girls, but that's OK with him.

Jeremy agrees that many men think Feb. 14 is just an excuse for stores to increase profits in the lull after the holiday season. But he's not one of them.

"It seems kind of silly, but I like the idea of having a valentine," he said. "I'm not expecting anything much, just to hang out and be romantic with each other."