Pack his favorite candies (any kind that won't melt).

195 Give him a custom-made play list on his iPod just before he goes on a business trip. Tell him not to play it until the plane is airborne.

196 When she's going away by herself, give her a "Trip Survival Kit." (It would be nice to package it in a gift box or fancy bag-but you don't have to. You can make do with a grocery bag or shoebox labeled with a magic marker.) Fill the kit with fun stuff, candy, notes, etc.

197 Get help from hotel concierges! They're great resources, and they'll get nearly anything done for you: from normal things like delivering champagne and a note to his room, to the unusual-like filling his room with 100 balloons...or hiding a special gift in the bathtub...or whatever outrageous thing you can think up!

198 Send a greeting card to her hotel, so it's waiting for her when she arrives.

If the two of you love the outdoors, keep your camping equipment in the trunk so you'll be ready for spontaneous overnight outings.

Definition of spontaneity: Deciding this afternoon to fly somewhere-anywhere-this evening. Traveling without any luggage at all. Buying what you need along the way.

Plan a surprise trip. Fill her suitcase with helium balloons. Attach to each balloon a note that gives clues about your destination.

FUN & GAMES.

199 Literally make a "game" out of being romantic. Take the spinner from an old board game; cover over the original instructions; divide the circle into twelve quadrants. Write different romantic activities in each quadrant. Take turns giving it a spin every week.

200 Go to a carnival, fair or amusement park together. Ride the rides. Play the games. Eat the hot dogs and cotton candy. Win her a stuffed animal. Kiss in the Tunnel of Love.

201 Visit a theater-supply shop together and rent some costumes. (Not just for Halloween, but for adventurous couples...) Guys: Be a cowboy, doctor, policeman, mechanic, astronaut.

Gals: Be a ballerina, policewoman, doctor, cheerleader, elf.

Guys think they should get "points" for being romantic.

Well, give it a try! Make a "game" out of love, and award him "points." Might be the most fun you've had all year!

202 Go on a mall-wide "Trinket Gift Hunt." Here's how it works: You each get ten dollars and thirty minutes to shop for each other. The goal is to buy as many different fun/crazy/significant/silly "Trinket Gifts" as possible for your partner. Meet back in the center of the mall, open your gifts, and be prepared for a hilarious time!

WEIRD & WACKY.

203 Greet him at the door with confetti, noise-makers and party hats.

204 Practice "Telepathy Romance." When you're going to be apart, agree to stop whatever else you're doing and think about each other and nothing else for one minute, at a predetermined time.

205 Practice "Leap Year Romance." When February 29th rolls around, take the day off work and declare it your own personal "Romance Day." Give the gift of time-twenty-four hours worth-to your lover!

206 Have you ever seen $10,000 in one dollar bills strewn about someone's living room? Well, neither have I-but one woman in the Romance Class reported that's what her husband did with a commission check he received one year after a big sale. He handed her a rake and said, "Honey, whatever you can fit into this paper bag is yours to spend!" (Being rather clever herself, she stacked the bills neatly and walked away with all of it!) Cathy 1986 Cathy Guisewite. Reprinted by permission of Universal Press Syndicate. All rights reserved.

CATS & DOGS.

207 Include his or her beloved pet in many of your times together. Pet-lovers can be fanatical, so don't force her to choose between you or Spot, because Spot will probably win!

Get special treats for her dog. Celebrate his cat's birthday. Find hotels that welcome pets.

208 There's a cat museum in Amsterdam, Holland. Called the Cat Cabinet, it features works of art highlighting the role of the cat in art and society. For more info call the Netherlands Board of Tourism at 312-856-0110, or write to them at 225 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 326, Chicago, Illinois 60601. Visit the museum website at www.kattenkabinet.nl 209 Not to be outdone, dog-lovers have a Dog Museum (the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog) near St. Louis. The museum is devoted to the collection, preservation, and exhibition of works of art and literature related to Man's Best Friend. The museum is in the Trot Jarville House, a magnificent Greek Revival building in Queeny Park, 25 miles west of downtown St. Louis. Call 314-821-3647.

Eleven percent of cat owners have ended a romantic relationship because of their cat, according to one survey.

FYI:.

Cat Fancy magazine: 800-365-4421 or www. catchannel.com Dog World magazine: www.dogworldmag.com Dog Fancy magazine: 800-365-4421 or www. dogchannel.com Also: Aquarium Fish Magazine International and Bird Talk magazine at www.animalnetwork.com/ animalnetwork 210 Include his or her beloved pet in some of your romantic gestures: Attach a small gift to Fido's collar.

Attach a little love note to Fluffy's collar.

Float in the aquarium a bottle with a love note inside it.

Place a diamond ring in a little treasure chest, sink it in the aquarium, then give clues about the location of the gift.

SATIN & LACE.

211 Ladies, regarding the sexual side of love, if you remember only one thing from this book, remember this: men love lingerie.

Thousands of men in my Romance Classes have confided or complained that having their ladies wear lingerie more often is the one thing they want intensely that their women tend to Hold back on.

212 Go lingerie shopping together. Accompany her into the dressing room.

213 Timid about shopping in a lingerie shop? That's what catalogs are for!

Remember, ladies: the more see-through, the better!

Victoria's Secret Catalog-800-888-8200, www.victoriassecret.com Frederick's of Hollywood Catalog-800-323-9525, www.fredericks.com Playboy Catalog-800-423-9494, www.play boy.com DreamDresser-800-963-7326, www.wicked passions.com/dreamdresser.html Three Wishes Lingerie-919-529-1800, ext. 1, www.3wisheslingerie.com Moonliting Lingerie & Costume Company-760-962-9904,www.lingerieandcostumeco.com Coquette International-800-668-5477, www.coquette.com Lingerie Coupon He gets to choose her lingerie outfit.

She gets to choose the sexual fantasy.

Participants must be at least 18 years of age.

STRATEGIES & EXAMPLES.

214 Use the particulars of your own personal love story to help you create gifts and gestures that are unique and meaningful.

One couple had first met on the subway in Boston.

He once gave her a Boston subway token in a jewelry box, along with this note: "Here's a 'token' of my affection for you."

The following year he had that token made into a pendant by a local jeweler.

She once held a "mobile birthday party" for him on a subway car. All of their friends got on board at different stops along Beacon Street in Boston.

Because they'd met on the "Green Line," green was their "special color," and they used it in many of their gifts to one another.

And, of course, their special song was "(Charlie on the) M.T.A." by The Kingston Trio.

215 Sometimes one simple concept can provide a lifetime of gift-giving opportunities. One guy in my Romance Class told us that he bought his wife a modest diamond necklace for their tenth anniversary: a nice gold chain with one "smallish" diamond on it. For their eleventh anniversary he added another diamond; for Christmas he added another diamond; for her birthday he added yet another diamond. He's been doing this for twenty-three years now!

During years when money is tight, he simply buys less expensive diamonds. Then, when times are good, he replaces a cheaper diamond with a more expensive one!

He's happy because he saves tons of time by not having to really go shopping(!)-and his wife is happy because she really believes that "Diamonds are a girl's best friend!"

"The relationship between commitment and doubt is by no means an antagonistic one. Commitment is healthiest when it's not without doubt but in spite of doubt."

-Rollo May

BED & BREAKFASTS.

216.

Andrie Rose Inn, Ludlow, Vermont. "The most romantic of a dozen inns we've visited over the years." A variety of rooms and suites in nineteenth-century surroundings welcome guests at the base of Okemo Mountain. Call 800-223-4846 or visit their website at www.andrieroseinn.com.

Blue Lake Ranch, outside Durango, Colorado. "So private that there's no sign out front." Choose from the main inn or private cottages near picturesque Blue Lake. Call 888-258-3525 or visit their website at www.bluelakeranch.com.

The Inn on Mount Ada, Avalon, California. "The definition of romance: A Pacific California island that doesn't allow cars!" Six rooms in a stately mansion are elegantly appointed with antiques and working fireplaces. Call 800-608-7669 or visit their website at www.innonmtada.com.

The Don Gaspar Compound, Santa Fe, New Mexico. This classic Mission-and Adobe-style home has six private suites that enjoy a secluded garden courtyard. Call 888-986-8664 or visit their website at www. dongaspar.com.

The Inn at Long Lake, Naples, Maine. The guest rooms have been restored to their original country warmth with elegant antique furnishings, fluffy comforters, and pillows. Call 800-437-0328 or 207-693-6226, or visit their website at www.innatlonglake.com.

The Terrell House, New Orleans, Louisiana. Circa 1858, this inn is located in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans. The house surrounds you with Southern charm, antique chandeliers, marble fireplaces and elegant parlors. It's located on a street of antique shops and jazz clubs. Call 866-261-9687, or visit their website at www.terrellhouse.com.

The San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara, California. A favorite of the Hollywood elite: Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier got married here; frequented by Jean Harlow, Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire. Call 800-368-6788, or visit their website at www.sanysidroranch.com.

Internet resources for B&Bs: www.innplace.com www.innfinder.com www.bedandbreakfast.com www.bbonline.com www.bedandbreak fastnetwork.com

GIFTS & PRESENTS.

217 Understand the difference between a gift and a present.

A present is something you're giving the receiver because it's something you want him or her to have.

A gift is something that you're sure the receiver wants.

What has he really wanted for a long time, but held back from buying? Get it for him!

Gift-Tickets to see his favorite team.

Present-Tickets to the opera.

Gift-Elegant, satin lingerie.

Present-Peek-a-boo panties.