Story highlights In a Facebook post, he declared northern Georgia 'NO VALENTINES DAY ZONE'

Sheriff Scott Berry has rescheduled the lovers' fest to Tuesday

He did it to make his staff and their spouses laugh

Residents took to Facebook and got in on the fun

By pronouncement of the sheriff, there will be no Valentine's Day this Friday. That is, if you live in Georgia, north of Interstate 16 and have to drive to get a gift.

Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry has designated northern Georgia a "NO VALENTINES DAY ZONE" in a post on the department's Facebook page Wednesday night.

Men are "exempt from having to run out and buy lottery scratchers and Hershey bars from the corner stores until February 18, 2014, due to ice, snow, freezing rain," the tongue-in-cheek post said.

It's all in fun. But rescheduling the festival of lovers to Tuesday would give the ice storm-battered region time to get roads back to normal and make Valentine's a safer affair.

Cutting the monotony

Though it sounds like a pretty practical safety suggestion to motorists, it was more likely something else that drove Sheriff Berry to the decision.

"I think he was just trying to cut the monotony," dispatcher John Ogle told CNN.

Deputies have been practically snowed in at the office for a marathon 34-hour shift, and the sheriff wanted to give them something to smile at, Ogle said.

But not just them.

"I think he was just trying to give our spouses a little laugh," he said.

Ogle's spouse was unimpressed.

"My wife told me it didn't apply."

No excuses

Women, who saw the Facebook post, lined up to playfully oppose the sheriff's order.

'No excuses!' was their refrain.

"Not my man cause it is my birthday also," commented Glenda Robertson, "so he is not going to get away with this excuse lol."

Men, predictably, backed the lawman.

"T H A N K Y O U !" said Ken Darsey's comment, leaping off the page.

"Can you make sure my wife gets a copy of this memo?" wrote Mark Martin.

Other women warned: You knew the day was coming, and you knew the weather forecast. You should've planned ahead.

Ogle, the sheriff's dispatcher, did.

"Mine's covered. I told her her gift is in the top dresser drawer," he said.

But for those who didn't manage a gift due to the ice and snow, commenter Bo Edwards has a suggestion for what they can tell their loved ones:

"It's the thaw(t) that counts...."