Yes, it is true. Even though my husband and I are married and have been for a few years we still continue to date. We set aside one night a month to go out just the two of us , kid-free. Not only does this help us to get out of the house and take a break from routines but it gives us the opportunity to maintain the romance. Oooo la la…..
We like to start our dates earlier or around dinner time. That way we can enjoy each other before we get tired (we are old…at least it feels that way). Plus it gives us more time to spend together. On this particular date night my Mother-in-Law drove up to harass the kid. When Tay gets to spend time with family it makes me feel less guilty about taking a night off knowing she is spending quality time with those we love.
For date nights I like us to get snazy or dolled-up because 1-it’s fun, 2-it helps with the mood, 3-I work from home so it’s nice to be ‘human’ (or at least look it).
We decided to try a restaurant that was recommended to us by one of Nick’s co-workers. Lucille’s. We had fancy drinks – mine was uh-mazing! I had ‘The Consequence’ which was a mix of Citadell gin, lavender, honey and lemon juice. It made me feel like I was sipping sweet nectar on the hillside from Gone With the Wind. For an appetizer we got twice fried green plantains topped with a mango pico and queso fresco. Delicious!
Dinner was elevated finger food if you will. Nick’s nachos and my pork taco were quite yummy. However, the fish taco and plantain taco were a disappointment.
We enjoyed our meal while having one continuous conversation bum bum bum. It is so refreshing to finish what you want to say and hear the other person out all at once. No distractions (other than our food and drinks). At one point I even got winded with all the talking I was doing. Well, not really but I very easily could have if I wasn’t a seasoned yapper!
After dinner we had a little stroll down towards the lake where we listened to a musician at the Come Back Inn. The patio was shaded and the lake gave us a slight breeze making it the perfect temperature. We shared some wine and a GIANT basket of perfect fries. ~Seriously, it cannot even be considered a date night without fries.~
While the musician was playing guitar and singing there were several people dancing. A few of them were swaying or tapping their foot to the beat, but a handful were full on dancing. Letting the music move through their body and guide them. They were totally engrossed in the melody that it seemed as if they forgot they were in public. I have always envied the way some people can let go and be free like that. I want to be able be like that. I try so hard to be. But there is always a part of my mind that is wondering what I ‘should’ be doing and what people are thinking. Plus I am a perfectionist, ocd and full of anxiety so it pretty much will never happen…but I still try.
At about 8:30pm we started making our way back to the car when we made a decision to stop and listen to music at King Street Live. Which is basically a short street that is closed off to traffic and they set up a stage and brew carts. We listened for a bit, but were not impressed with the band so we popped one street over to Rigby.
There was supposed to be a comedy show starting at 9pm. This was perfect, or so we thought. When 9:30pm finally rolled around the first act took the stage. His bit was mildly disturbing and quite frankly a drag. We decided to wait it out and see how the second act was. When we saw the character take the stage we thought – good, he will be interesting. Nope. after ten minutes of yawning and trying not to doze off (yes, that is how not funny or entertaining they were) we made our way to the door. To hell with the last two acts.
By the time we got home we were both ready to snuggle and fall asleep. That is just the way our cookie crumbles though. We enjoy our time away and are in bed with enough time to be fully rested before our adventure begins the next day, usually earlier than I would like, but that is what happens when you bring life into the world (or so I am told).
Savoring Life's Moments 