Romance? Bullshit or the Real Thing?

There is an episode in season six of Sex and the City where Carrie is dating this guy Alexander Petrovsky, and he's like....all romantic, and he keeps doing things, like writing her songs, reading her poetry....he's the classic old world romantic...and Carrie, used to dating guys who can't even commit to WHEN or IF they'll call again...well she's out of her element.

Well, today, ladies and gentlemen, it's happened to me. I'm OUT of my element. Officially.

It started with flowers on my windshield.....today, it got romantic-er. I know that's not a word, but just go with it....

Today, I get an e-mail, just a friendly little thing in regards to my co-worker's toothache. I asked him if it was getting better, blah, blah, blah....he told me the pain was really terrible and that it made him homicidal.

Me, joking back said: perhaps i should call off work Friday night so as not to get caught in the crossfire. He writes back the following:

No, no need to call off work, I'm just crazy enough to let you live if i start feelin murderous. Besides, who is gonna help me pull out this tooth from which the homicidal tendencies originate? So, its decided, only the most beautiful will survive, and your a shoe in!! (only kidding about the killing spree):)

So I write back to him:

"well that was sweet. why are you so sweet?"

and he replies with the most...out of the ordinary romantic reply I think I've ever gotten...:

How is it that you are so lovely? I guess both questions are like asking why the sky is that deep shade of blue or like asking why your eyes sparkle like they do. A fiery brown amber which sets me ablaze. The answer is never adequate, but the mystery is always overwhelmingly blissful. You are lovely, because lovely is you, I am sweet because of the sugar you have addicted me to. And the sky is blue because your eyes sparkle with the sun. Your eyes are the sun in a deep shade of blue. (Sorry, dont mean to be sappy, just came off the top of my head and i was compelled to write)

Which honestly, I'm not quite sure what to do with that....I think it's romantic if a guy cleans off a place on his couch for me to sit down....or offers to shave before a massive make-out session...

So..."poetic expressions of genuine emotion"...well, I just don't even know how to process such things....is it normal to be 31 years old and have no idea how to process this? Honestly? Guys, have you ever wrote an e-mail like this? And girls? Have you received them?

This kid is young, perhaps it's a generational thing...these young guys are just more romantic, or perhaps some bitch hasn't come along and ruined him yet...and I've just dated guys who dated a lot of bitches before me....?

So...while I sit here and contemplate how to handle this....you guys think this over and get back to me.

I was under the impression that Romance died out with top hats and carriage rides....but now, in the haze of printing ink, and newspaper dust...I am forced to question it's existence.