Bad Manners and Brimstone

I don't think that you're wrong to have preferences, but I do think that it would be unreasonable to expect that no one greet you by asking how you are.

Bear in mind that "How are you?" is not often meant as an actual question that requires a substantive answer, just an acknowledgement that you're a person and not a robot they're going to bark directions at. So "Fine, thank you" would be an appropriate answer regardless of how you're actually doing.

Saying "Happy Valentine's Day" is just another way to briefly connect at a surface level, and requires nothing further than "Thank you" or "You too." (And it's not reserved for romance-my office gives out candy, and there are tons of Valentine cards for family members and friends available).

As Jem said, the most productive thing to do is lightly acknowledge what they've said and then move forward, rather than taking the questions as an invitation or direction to have a deeper conversation.