A Couple of real Valentines share their story

Feb. 14, 2007
By JOSEPH M. DELEON News-Post Staff
jdeleon@fredericknewspost.com

  MIDDLETOWN — Couples often go out for romantic dinners on Valentine's Day, but for one local pair, their reservation request is often met with a chuckle.
     Daren and Johnetta Valentine, who have been married 19 years, take the ribbing in stride.
     The couple met while students at the University of Maryland where he studied agriculture and she majored in biology.
     Before long, they surrendered to the birds and the bees.
     “I'm a very unusual character and he's got a great sense of humor and (is) very witty,” Johnetta said. “I always get myself in trouble and he always gets me out.”
     About three years ago, the couple canceled a Hawaiian vacation in favor of a trip to Trinidad and Tobago, two islands near the Venezuelan coast.
     Daren had a weeklong business meeting in Trinidad, so they planned to be away for two weeks — vacationing the second week in Tobago.
     The couple expected to have a great trip, but Johnetta didn't bring her passport.
     “I thought all I needed was my birth certificate,” she said. “We got into Trinidad around midnight and he got through, but I was stuck on the other side.”
     Johnetta returned home the next day, while her husband attended to business in Trinidad alone. They never made it to Tobago.
     From that point on, Daren arranged the trips.
     “The following year, he planned a trip for us to Hawaii,” Johnetta said. “There was no trouble because no passport was required.”
     While the Valentines love the holiday that bears their name, this year they plan to stay in because of the weather. They hope to celebrate Saturday with a cozy dinner at Jordan's Steak house in Ellicott City.
     “They always get a kick when we make reservations,” Johnetta said. “Unfortunately, it still hasn't bumped us up to the front of the line.”